Hwang Soo-jeong Finds New Confidence After Disgrace

Exactly 10 years ago, Hwang Soo-jeong disappeared from the public eye after she was arrested for illegal drug use. She made a comeback with the TV drama "Salt Doll" in 2007, and has appeared in a few films, but she never recovered the popularity she had once enjoyed. Now she is having another go with a four-part KBS "Drama Special - For the Sake of Son" that started on Dec. 4.

"For six years after the incident, I had a very regular life. I went to bed at 10:30 p.m. and got up at 6 a.m. I helped out my parents, exercised, had private English conversation lessons, and came back home before sunset", she recalls. "I was tired because of the constant rumors and press reports about my private life, whether true or not. I didn't have a personal assistant or manager and had to handle the media alone. But my silence only made it worse and rumors continued to spread".

But she says she "lived without deception and I'm confident that I lead an honest life, so I try not to care much what other people think about me. Only God and I know the truth about me. I can't have everything go my way, so I just live by my principles".

She said, "I understand the sense of betrayal that my fans must have felt. Although I still feel some resentment, but I think my utmost priority is to win the hearts of the fans back if I am to continue being an actress".

The leading role in the hugely popular TV drama "Heo Jun", which at one point had ratings of 54 percent, is a hard act to follow. "I strive to change my image and expand my repertoire, but there are people who still expect me to be a quiet and classic beauty I played in "Heo Jun"."

So what kind of role is she looking for? "There are so many I haven't done yet. I would love to play a character who is bright, strong-willed and outgoing, and I would also like to do a comic character who is far from perfect", she said. "I'm confident that I can pull that character off very well".