She recently updated fans for her birthday.
Where is actress Seo Ye Ji (also romanized as Seo Yea Ji)?
The top actress has appeared in over ten K-Dramas and eight films. She became a fan-favorite after starring in the 2016-2017 K-Drama Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth, the 2018 K-Drama Lawless Lawyer, and especially the 2020 K-Drama It’s Okay to Not Be Okay.
Yet, just a year after her hit K-Drama It’s Okay to Not Be Okay, Seo Ye Ji was accused of school bullying, gaslighting fellow actor and former partner Kim Jung Hyun, and allegedly abusing and threatening production staff.
Kim Jung Hyun (left) and Seo Ye Ji (right)
Seo Ye Ji and Kim Jung Hyun were in a controlling relationship. She would demand that there be no skinship even when he acted as the male lead in romance dramas, which many agreed was hypocritical of her considering her own K-Dramas. Due to her demands of Kim Jung Hyun, this put everyone involved in the making of MBC K-Drama, The Time, in an uncomfortable situation.
He (Kim Jung Hyun) kept asking me to revise the script. He said that mental love is important and asked me to remove skinship. If it didn’t go his way, he would run away and make dry heaves, retching. …Each one of the actors got a bust shot. When filming Seohyun’s face, Kim Jung Hyun’s face couldn’t be in the shot. Seohyun put her hands on Kim Jung Hyun’s face to focus her emotions. Kim Jung Hyun turned his head away. Those of us who were watching were even more embarrassed.
— The Time staff member
Kim Jung Hyun and Seohyun during their MBC K-Drama, The Time, along with his alleged messages with Seo Ye Ji
Since the scandal broke, Seo Ye Ji withdrew from the public eye. She was replaced in K-Drama Island.
Additionally, Seo Ye Ji’s past arguments with neighbors belatedly resurfaced. She has since apologized.
In June 2021, the actress briefly surfaced to leave a cryptic update via her official fan cafe and gallery—stating, “It’s a good feeling to know that there are people who believe in [her].” Other than this update, she remained under the radar.
The image Seo Ye Ji shared in her update back in June 2021. | @yejiholic/Naver
In February 2022, Seo Ye Ji finally apologized through her agency, GOLDMEDALIST, for “the concerns [she has] raised with [her] immaturity.” She claimed she “spent time really looking back on [her] actions” in her fan cafe update.
Hello, this is Seo Ye Ji. First, I apologize it took me such a long time to share my thoughts in text like this. I’ve been thinking about the criticism that I received and the things that I heard. I spent time really looking back on my actions.
I would like to sincerely apologize for the concerns I’ve raised with my immaturity. I’m deeply sorry for the huge disappointment that I’ve caused. It is my lack of professionalism that caused all of this. Therefore, going forward, I’m going to be on my best behavior and I promise that I’ll be more thoughtful and mature in the future.
— Seo Ye Ji
GOLDMEDALIST added to the apology. The agency urged that Seo Ye Ji “will continue to strive to be better.”
Regarding Seo Ye Ji’s controversies, we sincerely apologize to the fans for causing concerns. As her agency, GOLDMEDALIST can assure you that Seo Ye Ji has changed from her past and will continue to strive to be better.
— GOLDMEDALIST
In April of that year, Seo Ye Ji greeted fans for the first time since her scandal. TvN had shared a now-private behind-the-scenes look at the K-Drama Eve featuring the actress.
Hello, this is Seo Ye Ji, who plays the role of Lee Ra El. It’s nice to meet you. Ra El is someone who loses everything to people who only care about money and plots her revenge, which includes betrayal, conspiracy, love, and ambition.
— Seo Ye Ji
Eve premiered on June 1, 2022. While it was meant to be her comeback after the scandal, the K-Drama itself faced its own backlash due to an NSFW scene and the characters’ age gap. Seo Ye Ji’s character, who is 28, seduces Park Byung Eun‘s character, who is 41, to exact her revenge.
When Lee La-El (Seo Yea-Ji) was little, her father died unexpectedly. Powerful people were responsible for his death. Her family was destroyed soon after. Lee La-El decided to take revenge and she prepared for the next 13 years. Her target is Kang Yoon-Kyum (Park Byung-Eun), who runs the LY Group. Lee La-El implements her plan with the help of Seo Eun-Pyeong (Lee Sang-Yeob). Seo Eun-Pyeong grew up in an orphanage. After he witnessed the tragedy of Lee La-El and her family, he decided to become a person who holds power. He is now the youngest member of the National Assembly.
— AsianWiki description of Eve
Age gaps aren’t uncommon in K-Dramas, and 13 years is certainly not the worst. So, some have theorized that viewers’ criticism came from Seo Ye Ji’s tainted public image.
Since Eve, Seo Ye Ji has not been cast in any new projects. Additionally, she has no public social media, so fans receive little to no updates.
In November 2023, JoongAng Ilbo reported that Seoul’s Central District Court ruled that the Seo Ye Ji’s agency must repay ₩225 million KRW (about $172,000 USD) to a former brand sponsor as a direct result of the actress’ scandals. She herself wasn’t liable.
Other than that, Seo Ye Ji has mostly remained out of the public eye. Yet, fans recently heard from the actress in a long time, as it was her 34th birthday on April 6.
Seo Ye Ji posted a rare update via her official fan cafe. She shared a new photoshoot in honor of her birthday, as well as a message to her fans. She was all smiles in the various photos shared.
In the message, she apologized for not updating fans sooner. Seo Ye Ji also thanked them for their support.
Additionally, Seo Ye Ji visited some fan projects for her birthday in public. Her fans prepared these birthday projects for her.
Do you think Seo Ye Ji will soon make another comeback?
