"Knowing that I am naturally anxious and sensitive, living comfortably and freely is both a lifelong challenge and dream for me. I try to live without strict plans, thinking that maybe I'll feel a bit more at ease that way," actress Ha Yoon-kyung shared in an interview. She recently sat down with us at a café in Gangnam, Seoul, to discuss the conclusion of the tvN drama 'Undercover Miss Hong' (hereafter 'Miss Hong'). A graduate of the Korea National University of Arts, Ha debuted in 2015 with the National Theater Company's 'Ballad for Roxanne' and gained significant recognition in 2022 for her role in ENA's 'Extraordinary Attorney Woo' alongside Park Eun-bin. She has since built her filmography with various projects, including 'See You in My 19th Life' and 'Gangnam B-Side.' In 'Miss Hong,' she starred alongside Park Shin-hye, delivering a compelling 'womance' storyline. Ha is set to appear in upcoming projects 'God's Marble' and 'Apartment.'

'Miss Hong,' set in the late 1990s, follows the story of elite securities supervisor Hong Geum-bo, who goes undercover as a junior employee at a suspicious brokerage firm. The retro office comedy started with a 3.5% viewership rating and climbed to 13.1% by its 15th episode, ending on a high note. Ha portrayed Go Bok-hee, the eldest sister of Room 301 and the dedicated secretary to the president of Hanmin Securities. Her performance was praised for naturally capturing a character who is outwardly prickly but warm-hearted inside.

Ha Yoon-kyung discussed her personality and lifestyle, saying, "I don't usually make plans. I don't set life plans. In interviews, I feel like I should say something about plans, but I'm not that kind of person. I don't think deeply about it. Making plans stresses me out because I feel pressured to follow them, so I just live without them. I try not to worry too much."

She added, "In a way, I'm forcing myself not to make plans. I actually want to plan everything, but I deliberately avoid it. I keep telling myself not to struggle too much or try too hard to achieve something. It has made me feel more at ease. When I think about not trying to become famous or do everything perfectly, things tend to work out better. Life seems to be like that."

Regarding her interest in variety shows, Ha said, "For actors, variety shows are always a dilemma. It's a concern whether to do them or not. Although actors appear more frequently on variety shows these days, I worry about exposing too much of myself outside of my roles. However, staying too distant can make it hard to connect with the audience, which is also important for drawing them to my work. I'm considering it positively."

She continued, "I have some interest in YouTube. It's not like there are many staff members around, and I can take the lead to some extent, which is nice. But I don't have any concrete plans. If the opportunity arises, I might try it. The autonomy is appealing, but I'm still a bit scared of appearing on variety shows."

Throughout the interview, Ha Yoon-kyung displayed her charming personality, saying, "When I'm with close friends, my natural self comes out. But I get shy around new people. It's a bit daunting to have to do something without bringing down the mood in a room full of strangers."

"I want to remain an actor who continues to excite the audience. Even though I'm one person, my roles keep changing. I think all actors feel the pressure of how long they can keep showing new sides of themselves. I hope to be remembered as an actor who always has something new to offer. My goal is to be someone people are curious about and look forward to seeing."

Lee So-jung, TenAsia Reporter forusojung@tenasia.co.kr
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