Is Kim Tae Hee to blame for the poor ratings shown by her new drama "Jang Ok Jung?" Last month the drama fared poorly against its competition, "Gu Family Book" and "God of the Workplace," at most winning a 9.6 percent viewer rating. Some critics blamed the subject matter. The story of the villainous royal concubine Jang Ok Jung has already been portrayed in film and dramas at least seven times. Others said it was Kim's lack of acting skills, which seemed even more obvious when compared to the recent performance of Song Hye Kyo in "That Winter, The Wind Blows."
Kim Tae Hee admits to being sensitive about the criticism.
"Am I really that bad in acting?" she said in a recent interview. "What can be the problem? Things are getting better. I think I am improving and I love my job."
Only four years ago, Kim was praised for her portrayal of NSS profiler Choi Seung Hee in the KBS drama "Iris." Viewer ratings for that drama reached as high as 30 percent. When asked how difficult it was to achieve such a spot-on performance, the actress said that the romantic scenes with Lee Byung Hun, were easy but the action scenes often left her covered in bruises once the shoot was over. Shooting a gun was also difficult as the sound of guns firing scared her. Yet she managed to convey a tough, confident character.
"In reality I am very clumsy and vulnerable," said Kim. "It shows in my acting."
Not that the fans noticed when they watched "Iris."
Although Kim has been acting for eight years, the criticism on her Jang Ok Jung performance still hurts because she is not that confident.
"People say that I look like I can have anything in the world and that I have nothing to worry about," said Kim, who has been voted one of the most beautiful actresses in Korea. "But that's nonsense. Since I began acting, I often worry about my future. I feel frustrated and lost. Acting is still a big challenge to me and that worries me."
Still the 29-year-old actress works hard to take the criticism in stride.
"No matter how hard I try, there will be someone who criticizes me," she said. "Everyone has different opinions and no one can be complimented all of the time. There will be people who like me and there will be those that don't. Criticism makes you realize who is true to you and who is closest to you."
