(PRESSREELS) “I think it’s better to go up slowly than to enjoy huge popularity from the beginning. If people saw me acting once, I would be very thankful and satisfied.”
Kang Ji-young, 26, who made her debut as the youngest member of girl group Kara in 2008, turned into an actor and played the lead role in JTBC’s “Late Night Restaurant Man and Woman,” which recently ended. It is her first time in Korea in five years. After leaving Kara in 2014, she turned into an actor in Japan, and returned to Korea last year after signing an exclusive contract with Keyeast.
On July 9, Kang Ji-young said, “I’ve dreamed of becoming an actor since I was in Kara,” and shared her experiences in Japan and how she felt about returning to Korea.
“I’ve dreamed of becoming an actor since I was in Kara,” she said on July 9.
“My first acting in Japan was very difficult. An autopsy on the monster. The women’s crime files. I had a hard time using difficult words in Japanese that I don’t even know in Korean. I’ve been working in Japan since Kara, so I didn’t speak Japanese at all, but she overrated me (laughs. But if it was a good time, I think it was a good time. If Kara’s activities were made by all the members and staff, she learned how to work alone in Japan, and she felt a greater sense of accomplishment.”
Why did Japan suddenly come back to Korea? “I didn’t go to Japan with a fixed period of time,” she said. “When I thought I had become more relaxed in Japanese, I had a desire to act in Korean.”
“I declared that I would be active in Japan, so I wanted to show you a perfect performance. I wanted to come back after doing something, so five years have passed by somehow. Of course, I was nervous when I came back. Over the past five years, I thought, “What if I forgot?” There are still people who recognize me, and thank you for supporting me. On the other hand, I can feel the flow of time. I still don’t know who is who because I have a lot of idol friends. They’re amazing, they’re all pretty, and I think they’re good at everything.”
“I think it gave me a sense of security that I’ve returned to Korea,” she said of her recent role in the film. “I feel like I’m back home.
Last year, the late Koo Ha-ra and Kang Ji-young made their debut as Kara. Koo Ha-ra said, “She was like my real sister,” and added, “I’m just upset. I feel sorry for her. “It’s hard to say that it’s okay yet and I don’t think it’s going to be okay,” he said. “But I believe that living hard is for Koo Ha-ra.”
Regarding other Kara members, she said, “I took pictures of them watching the drama and contacted them. Gyu-ri and Seung-yeon gave me a lot of advice because they had acting experience.