Han Ga-in, a 'just-pretty' entertainer without any color

Han Ga-in, who is considered an actress of peerless beauty, is reaching out to viewers with a friendly appearance through recent entertainment shows. There are various roles for each entertainment show, such as counseling entertainment and audition judges. However, the results are not as great as the motivation, so it is disappointing.

After watching the drama ‘The Moon Embracing the Sun’ in 2012 and the movie ‘Introduction to Architecture’, she gave birth to a daughter in 2016. Han Ga-in, who had been concentrating on raising children for a while, made a comeback in 2018 with the drama 'Mistress'. Afterwards, she gave birth to a son in 2019. His last acting career was in 2018.

Han Ga-in, who took a hiatus due to raising children and giving birth to her second child, resumed her activities through entertainment, not dramas or movies. Last year, Han Ga-in served as MC for SBS' 'Circle House'. ‘Circle House’ is a ‘public counseling project’ and is a counseling entertainment program for the youth of this era who need comfort.

Han Ga-in, who was perceived as 'mystical' by the public, honestly spoke about the rumors of infertility and discord surrounding her on 'Circle House'. He emphasized, "Even though I've never tried to have a baby. Pregnancy is not the next step after getting married. I was very happy that I chose to have and raise a child. I didn't want to do it because of people's attention."

He also confessed to the pain he suffered during his childhood. Han Ga-in said, "I didn't have a happy childhood, so there were difficult times. I didn't have any hatred towards my father. In a way, the emotion of hate can be said to be the opposite of the emotion of love. I agree with the expression of being emotionless. “I do it,” he said. He also confessed to the side effects of a life devoted to raising children. Han Ga-in said, "As the children develop attachment relationships and become more emotionally stable, I am becoming more unstable. I once received counseling for anxiety disorder. I was a very playful and laughing person, but one day, I seemed to talk less, and when I talked to the baby, he started making dinosaur noises." “I can’t make anything other than the sound of a tiger,” he said, confessing his difficulties in raising children.

The public felt friendly toward Han Ga-in, who shed her mysticism. Since then, Han Ga-in has expanded her entertainment programs. Following SBS's choir audition 'Singpo Gold' and MBN's historical knowledge entertainment 'Greek and Roman Mythology - The Private Lives of the Gods' (Grossin), he took on the role of JTBC's director's entertainment 'Day Without Hands', which is currently airing.

In 'Singpo Gold', Han Ga-in took on the role of manager and helped the participating teams. They sat in the judges' seats, watched the contestants' performances, and delivered messages of support. In ‘Grosin’, she was the ‘goddess in charge’. Han Ga-in said, "The production team asked me to take on the role of the 'goddess' of the program. For each episode, I conceptually prepared outfits and hair that were similar to other goddesses from Greek and Roman mythology." What's disappointing is that Han Ga-in was only faithful to the role given to her by the production team. This means that it did not make the program minus, but it also did not make it a plus. All he did was sit pretty without doing anything special.

As an MC in 'A Day Without Hands', Han Ga-in met citizens preparing to move and took on the role of an intermediary who conveyed the life stories of many people to viewers. Han Ga-in is trying to be more approachable to viewers by honestly telling her own story, including her childhood when she was a 'dirt spoon' and her daughter's interests. Compared to Han Ga-in's efforts, the viewership ratings are low. 'Day Without Hands', which started at 2.6% on November 25 last year, plummeted to 1.3% for the second time, and the most recent episode, the 8th, recorded 1.1%.

Han Ga-in also recently appeared as a guest on MBC's 'Radio Star'. Han Ga-in showed that she fell in love with the charm of entertainment, saying it was fun and efficient when filming. The MC asked, “There is a saying that Yeon Jung-hoon trembles every time Han Ga-in appears on a variety show.” Han Ga-in said, "When I talk about Yeon Jung-hoon on entertainment shows, I feel upset because provocative articles come out," and "Isn't it funny when people say, 'We're happy as a couple?' I have a desire to make people laugh."

Han Ga-in is challenging various entertainment shows with overflowing motivation, but is unable to show her distinct colors. The honest and easy-going appearance of Han Ga-in is friendly and welcome, but it is unclear how long viewers will want to see Han Ga-in's boring and pretty appearance in entertainment shows.

Kim Ji-won, Ten Asia reporter bella@tenasia.co.kr