Trigger Warning: Suicide, Death, Depression, cyberbullying, Sexual harassment, drugs.
We all know celebrity lives are momentary, and it takes a lot of strength to survive for a long time in the ever-changing competitive film industry. Yet some actresses come like a fresh breath of air, achieve widespread popularity in a short period, give memorable performances, and then suddenly disappear and are long gone in a moment. In Korean Entertainment Industry, most of the time, their disappearance can be attributed to the scandals they get entangled in or personal reasons better known to them. In this article, we will see ten famous and talented “gone but not forgotten” Korean Actresses who disappeared from the film/ entertainment industry.
Here, take a look!
1. Lee Tae Im
Lee Tae Im is one of South Korea’s exemplary actresses who has starred in various famous films like S.I.U, Days of Wrath, and For the Emperor and participated in variety shows like SNL Korea – Season 6, Law of the Jungle – Costa Rica. She had an illustrious TV career, being part of many popular shows like Entourage, All about Marriage, Woman of Dignity, etc. However, she got into a scandal in 2015 after a fight with her fellow co-star on a TV show called “ Hello Tutor.” Her activities in the entertainment industry were halted as a result of the controversy. She later appeared on shows such as SNL Korea before abruptly announcing her retirement from the industry in March 2018 and deleting all of her social media accounts. In 2019, her husband was sentenced to prison for 1.5 years for committing fraud. Lee Tae Im will be remembered for her memorable past performances.
2. G. NA (Gina Choi)
Gina Jane Choi, popularly known as G.NA, is a Korean-Canadian Singer, Song Writer, and Actress. She released her debut album, Draw G’s First Breath, in 2010. She released a studio album, four extended plays, and fifteen singles during her solo career and had appeared on TV Shows and Variety Shows. She bagged famous rookie awards in her debut years and was nominated for the most popular MAMA award several times. In March 2016, the infamous prostitution scandal broke out, and G.NA was confirmed to be involved in the scandal on further investigations and later ordered by the court to pay a fine of 2 Million Won. In the wake of the scandal, she received many hateful and negative comments from the public and left the entertainment industry.
3. Ko So-Young
Ko so young is another successful actress who has gone MIA (Missing in Action). She started her career at a young age when she was 18 years old and soon established herself as a representative star of her generation. She was a part of a film called “The fox with nine tails,” the first Korean film to use computer-generated imagery. She achieved worldwide recognition through her film “Beat,” and became a melodrama queen after starting to star in many notable melodrama films of the 1990s. Young's acting life is full of variety in her characters, which earned her many awards, including the Best Actress award. She went on a break after her last film in 2007 and married her fellow actor Jang Dong-gun in 2010, and the two were celebrated as “a couple of the century” by Korean media. Though no longer seen in movies, she sometimes appears in guest roles on TV and variety shows.
4. Seo Min Jung
Seo Min Jung is one of those short-lived actresses. They suddenly leave the industry in their peak/golden period with a legacy of few memorable yet impactful works and moving ahead in life despite their blooming careers. Her stardom rose through the roof after she starred in the most well-known first-generation K-Sitcom series, “High Kick” in 2006. She received numerous film offers, invitations to variety shows, and music videos. But just after the sitcom ended, she married and moved to the United States to live with her husband, effectively disappearing from the industry, and her name was quickly forgotten by the public. She is also not on social media, but she did make a rare appearance on a TV show in 2019 and the "High Kick" reunion through a video letter.
5. Jang Mi In Ae
Jang Mi In Ae is an actress who starred in sitcoms Nonstop, TV Dramas, “Dear my sister” and “Missing you.” She also appeared in a variety of shows and music videos. In 2013, she was indicted for illegal use of drugs and sentenced to prison for eight months. After years of obscurity, she resurfaced in 2020 to criticize former Korean President Moon Jae-in's pandemic financial assistance. People were not pleased, and she soon announced her retirement from the film industry.
6. Sulli
Sulli, born Choi Jin-Ri, was an actress, singer, model, and lyricist. She was also a former member of the K-pop girl group f(x). She debuted as a child actress in the SBS drama “Ballad of Seodong” and acted in various films until she joined the K-pop group. Even after becoming an idol, she didn’t give up acting and starred in the 2012 comedy series “To the beautiful you.” She took a break from the entertainment industry in 2014 due to her mental health being affected by the many malicious and false rumors spread about her at the time. She left the K-pop group in 2015 to pursue her acting career. Sulli was the most popular figure in Korean popular culture for her outspoken personality, becoming the most Googled person in South Korea in 2017. . Unfortunately, she was discovered dead on October 14, 2019, after hanging herself in her Seoul home. It was revealed after her death that she was suffering from severe depression. Following her death, she became a trending figure, and serious discussions about cyberbullying, mental health, depression, and other issues erupted in South Korea, prompting people to call on the government to take action. Sulli became a rebel against the K-pop industry because she was always open about her struggles with mental health, cyberbullying, and romantic relationships, which K-pop idols rarely do in public.
7. Goo Hara
Goo Hara, also known as Hara, was an actress and singer. She was a member of a former girl group named Kara from 2008-2015 and has acted in a few films and TV Shows, and also hosted several music events. After leaving the girl group in 2015, she pursued a solo singing career and even had a successful solo career in Japan. She was embroiled in a legal battle with her ex-boyfriend, whom she claimed threatened to leak her private photos, for which she received harsh public criticism, and she even attempted suicide in May 2019. As fate would have it, she was discovered dead (by suicide) in her home in Seoul in November 2019, just a month after her best friend Sulli died. Her death drew international attention to sexual assaults on women in South Korea.
8. Heo Yi Jae
Heo Yi Jae is best known for her leading roles in television dramas Prince Hours and Single Dad in Love. She was given the nickname “Little Kim Tae-Hee” after her debut in 2004, due to her resemblance to the actress. She found massive success in her acting career in TV and films, but put that on hold when she married a businessman in 2011, to live her everyday married life. She returned to acting in 2016 after her divorce. That was short-lived, and she retired unofficially from the entertainment industry. In 2021, she shocked the Korean media by revealing that her sudden disappearance was caused by sexual harassment from a popular married actor who was then her co-star, which she claimed was the final straw that caused her to retire.
9. Koo Hye-Sun
Goo Hye Sun is an actress, singer, director, and songwriter best known for her roles in popular TV dramas such as Boys over Flowers, one of the Korean dramas that swept the world and became a cultural phenomenon throughout Asia. She has also acted in popular shows like Taking care of us, Pure in Heart, The King and I, Angel Eyes, and Blood. She released several songs as an artist and made her directorial debut with her short film “The Madonna,” which went on to win awards. She also directed several full-length movies and established her own film company. She married her “Blood” co-star Ahn Jae-Hyun in 2016 but became controversial when an ugly public spat between the celebrity couple broke out in 2019 when her husband wanted a divorce from her. She leaked texts and documents claiming her husband’s affairs with other women. After months of this mud-slinging public drama from both sides, the couple finally divorced in July 2020. Koo had already announced her departure from the industry to return to college and study abroad by that point. In 2021, she discussed her return to acting with her self-directed film "Dark Yellow."
10. Seo Woo
Actress Seo Woo born in Seoul, South Korea, with the birth name of Kim Moon-Joo, first became famous as the “4D girl” in a commercial promoting a popular ice cream brand. She made her debut in 2007 in a supporting role in "My Son" and went on to star in the critically acclaimed film "Crush and Blush," which earned her numerous domestic movie awards. She also appeared in the MBC dramas "Tamra the Island" and "The Housemaid," as well as the popular art film "Paju." She rose to enormous popularity in a short period and was embroiled in a minor scandal involving lying about her age, which was later rectified by her management company issuing a public apology, claiming that it was their fault. However, she abruptly left the industry in 2014, but returned in 2016 and stated that her absence was due to health reasons. Though she is said to be back in the industry, with supporting roles in TV shows and movies, she is not as active as she once was.
Thanks for reading!
