Actress Han Ye Seul (43) indirectly addressed the various controversies surrounding her, while opening up about her past relationships and expressing deep trust and affection for her husband, Ryu Sung Jae.
On October 28, Han Ye Seul appeared as a special guest on Shin Dong Yup's YouTube show, 'Zzanbro Shin Dong Yup' and talked about various topics.
During the episode, Shin Dong Yup asked Han Ye Seul, “Did you have any worries coming into today’s shoot?”
Han Ye Seul replied, “In my career, I’ve gone through a lot of incidents and controversies, but I’ve never really talked about them. I’ve always kept silent. Today, since there’s some wine and it’s more of a casual setting, I thought maybe I should mentally prepare myself.”
She continued, “There have been so many things. There was the time I went to the U.S., the surgery that went wrong, and the issues involving my husband. People are curious about a lot of things, and yes, I do get targeted with hateful comments. But I’ve never once discussed any of it.”
When Han Ye Seul expressed her concern that such topics might put pressure on Shin Dong Yup and his staff, he reassured her, “Absolutely not. If there’s something you want to talk about, you can, but there’s no reason to feel obligated.” He then lightened the mood with a joke, asking, “So, how have you been? Do you ever visit home? How about the U.S.?”
In May, Han Ye Seul married Ryu Sung Jae, a non-celebrity who is 10 years younger than her, making it official with a marriage certificate. She shared, “I wanted to register the marriage on Children’s Day, but it was a holiday, so we chose May 7. I never had a fantasy about weddings, but I knew with him that I wanted to make it official.”
She further explained, “I have a strong commitment to my husband, but because we hadn’t held a wedding, people would think, ‘Well, they’re just dating, so they could break up at any time.’ I felt that some people didn’t take us seriously, so registering our marriage was a way to show our relationship’s seriousness.”
Han Ye Seul also opened up about how she felt before meeting her husband: “I think I knew instinctively that I was lonely. I wanted to find my other half quickly, but since it kept not working out, I came to see loneliness as something I’d always be burdened with. But then I met my husband, I felt a deep sense of peace.”
Shin Dong Yup asked her, “What kind of daughter-in-law is Han Ye Seul? I find that term funny.” She laughed and replied, “I think I get along well with mothers.” Surprised, Shin joked, “How many mothers does your husband have? How many times did his dad marry? Am I a terrible person for asking?” making everyone laugh.
After laughing, Han Ye Seul clarified, “I've always gotten along well with the mothers of my past boyfriends, so I was never anxious about in-laws. I was confident that they’d be fond of me, and my husband’s parents don’t seem to have any discomfort with me.”
She reflected on her career motivations, saying, “I think my desire to become famous and successful was born out of a need for love. I was thirsty for it. I once dated a guy I seriously considered marrying, and his parents were really wonderful people. But they had certain expectations for their daughter-in-law: first, she needed to be a college graduate; second, from an intact family; and third, someone who wasn’t a celebrity.”
Han Ye Seul admitted, “I didn’t meet any of those expectations, and honestly, I was shocked. I had a lot of pride in myself, so realizing that none of that was recognized was hard to accept. I felt lost at the time, and that’s when I met my current husband.”
She added, “By society’s standards, my husband may be younger and not as established, but if he brings me happiness, that’s what I value the most. If not for that sense of joy, I might not have had the courage to choose him.”
She concluded by saying, “People might wonder why I chose a difficult path, but finding my other half feels like a miracle. Yes, there are challenges, but compared to my previous life, I feel fulfilled and grateful. Every day feels like a gift.”
SEE ALSO: Han Ye Seul focuses on rebuilding her career amid evolving public perceptions