Since k-drama stars must interact with plenty of other stars, news media and the general public, people don't usually think of them as being shy. But quite a few stars admit they are not naturally social creatures.
1. Kim Soo Hyun acts, dances and sings with grace, but in a 2015 People magazine interview he admitted that he was initially as timid as his "Dream High" character. He just needed a stage on which to express himself.
"My mom recommended acting classes to me," he said. "Acting in a play, I felt like a different person. I knew I wanted to be an actor."
2. In an interview with Singles magazine, Ji Chang Wook said he was a little uncomfortable being interviewed.
"I'm shy. It takes a while to overcome that. But I have to talk a lot within a short period of time in interviews. That is not very comfortable. But I've improved a lot since debut."
3. In an interview with the Korean media outlet TV Daily, Ji said that being shy was a trait that he and his "Empress Ki" co-star Ha Ji Won shared.
"I am afraid of strangers but it seemed like she was too," said Ji. "Thankfully the first few scenes of the drama were of Ta Hwan and Seung Nyang playing around with each other so naturally we got close," he said.
4. And those short on self-confidence may be reassured to know that Kim Tae Hee is shy too.
"I never thought I could act in front of people because I'm so shy and reserved," she said in an article for travel.cnn.com. "I had a hard time believing I would actually be able to work as an actress."
She started out in fashion design, modeled and eventually was offered an acting role. Now she loves what she does and acting has helped her gain confidence.
"I had some experiences, good and bad, that helped me to become better at what I do."
5. So Ji Sub is another star that never believed he could become an actor. He was interested in swimming and hip-hop when he took his first modeling job. And he is still not confident about his looks.
"I think I look too normal to be an actor," he said an interview with en.korea.com. "I really don't know why people like me."
6. It may be difficult to believe that the very charismatic Lee Min Ho began life as a timid child. But according to some reports, he would not even stand up and sing in kindergarten. It took him a long time to make friends but by high school he was popular.
So, the next time you are feeling a little less than confident, consider the fact that these beautiful and talented stars have felt less than confident too.
