Jae Hee opens up about working restaurant and convenience store jobs during hiatus

Jae Hee, best known for the hit drama 'Sassy Girl Chunhyang', candidly shared that he worked in restaurant kitchens and convenience stores during his lengthy acting hiatus.

The actor recently appeared on the YouTube channel 'Daktershin', where he opened up about why his television appearances became less frequent and how he supported himself during the break. The video was uploaded under the title 'What has actor Jae Hee been doing all this time?'

Jae Hee rose to fame in 2005 through 'Sassy Girl Chunhyang', which surpassed 30% in viewership ratings and became one of Korea’s biggest drama hits at the time. He later expanded his career through projects including the film 'The Art of Fighting'.

However, after appearing in MBC’s daily drama 'A Good Supper' in 2021, the actor said the kinds of projects offered to him began to change significantly.

Reflecting on the experience, Jae Hee explained, "I thought appearing in a daily drama was meaningful because so many people watch them, but afterward the types of projects coming my way completely changed."

He continued, "Whenever I went to film meetings, people would say, ‘But you appeared in a daily drama.’ There was an atmosphere where actors who appeared in daily dramas were viewed differently."

According to Jae Hee, despite the strong ratings of his television work, offers for films and mini-series suddenly stopped coming in. "I wanted to keep acting so badly, but there were no opportunities for me," he confessed.

The actor explained that he eventually chose to step away from the industry on his own, hoping things might improve with time. "I thought maybe if I disappeared for a while and came back later, things might be different," he shared.

During the hiatus, Jae Hee revealed that he worked various part-time jobs to support himself financially. "Because my face is recognizable and I’m older now, even getting hired wasn’t easy," he said. "So I worked in restaurant kitchens a lot."

The video also showed visible skin irritation on his hands caused by constant exposure to water while working in kitchens.

In addition, Jae Hee revealed that he recently started TikTok livestreams while continuing part-time work. "I worked at restaurants, and I also did overnight shifts at convenience stores," he shared.

His honest remarks quickly drew sympathy online, with many viewers expressing shock that an actor who once enjoyed massive popularity struggled to find opportunities despite his past success.