[Exclusive]Park Bo-gum and the running→lovely Antal.. That day, even more lovable because she was Hye-ri [★FULL Interview]

*This content was translated by AI.

• Interview with Hye-ri, winner of the 'AAA 2025' Best Actress Award

Girl's Day member and actress Hye-ri (Lee Hye-ri, 32) has a unique path. As a member of a girl group beloved for K-pop, a scene-stealer on variety shows, and an actress who fully takes responsibility for her works, Hye-ri has constantly reinvented herself while never losing her "Hye-ri-ness," walking her own path.

Debuting in 2010 as a member of the girl group Girl's Day, Hye-ri has walked her own path as both a singer and an actress, effortlessly embodying any descriptor with her unique style. From Deok-sun, the character beloved by the entire nation in "Reply 1988," to Jay, who faced another challenge in "The Good Wife," Hye-ri vividly portrayed characters she excelled at and fearlessly took on new challenges. In doing so, she has quietly become an actress whom people can trust and rely on.

Hye-ri's talent extends beyond acting. Hye-ri possesses an energy that makes those around her feel good. Through her unique laughter, pleasant jokes, and affectionate behavior, she gives strength to those who are with her. Hye-ri also created special memories at the '10th Anniversary Asia Artist Awards 2025' (10th Anniversary Asia Artist Awards 2025, hereinafter 'AAA 2025'), held on December 6 last year at the Kaohsiung National Stadium. At the awards ceremony that day, Hye-ri enjoyed great joy by winning the 'AAA Best Actor' (Female) award through 'friendly competition'. Along with this, Hye-ri created new fun by participating in the Antal Challenge to TWS's 'Overdrive'. Furthermore, she also drew significant attention by appearing in a video of her running alongside Park Bo-gum, who was also present at the awards ceremony at the time.

More than a decade after creating a phenomenon with "Ee-ing~" on MBC's "Real Men" in 2014, Hye-ri has once again sparked a new trend. We met Hye-ri, who possesses a unique charm that no one can imitate, and reminisced about the "antall" of that day.

-After meeting at 'AAA 2025' last year, they sat down together for the first time in a long while.

That day was truly enjoyable. It was a day when I recharged my energy by meeting a large audience for the first time in a long while. This was my first AAA awards ceremony, and I was simply overjoyed. I was also surprised by how huge the stage was. The memory of receiving an award in front of so many audience members remains vivid to this day.

On the day of the awards ceremony, she also went running with Park Bo-gum. She said she was dragged out to run because Park Bo-gum told her she would look pretty if she ran. After that, did they continue to talk?

At that time, it was busy right after it ended, so we could not continue that conversation. We added one more good memory.

-At the time, the Antal challenge performed to Tour's songs on stage drew significant attention. Did you not even know you were supposed to do the challenge at the time?

"That's right. I didn't know I was going to do the challenge; it just happened when the camera suddenly turned on me. When people asked if I had prepared in advance, I truly did not. However, a few days before the awards ceremony, I met with fans who asked me to do the 'Angtal' challenge, so I looked it up and performed it for them. But I didn't know I would do it that day. Later, I noticed that the choreography I performed was different from the original one (laughs)."

Looking at Hyeri, she feels like a true celebrity. She seems full of energy. What is Hyeri actually like?

▶It seems to vary from moment to moment. For instance, during video interviews or similar settings, I tend to show my brighter side. However, in this kind of conversational interview, a more composed side seems to come out. It changes depending on the situation. When I'm not actually working, people around me often say I live in "low-power mode" all the time. (Laughs) When your phone battery drops to around 15%, doesn't it switch to low-power mode? I feel like I live my daily life in a similar way.

-It is significant. It always feels high-tension; perhaps they save their energy in daily life and release it explosively when working.

"When broadcasting or doing interviews, I think I feel the need to avoid 'low-power mode' because there are many people watching. It's hard to explain with just one phrase like 'How am I usually?' — it seems to change constantly depending on the situation at the time."

-Debuting as a singer in 2010 and shortly after beginning an acting career, she has been loved by many people for a very long time. She is an actress known by all Koreans, not just a specific age group. Is there really anyone in South Korea who does not know Hye-ri?

Fortunately, that seems to be the case. I debuted in 2012 with a weekend drama. Recently, after being selected as a Next Actor at the Mujoo Mountain Film Festival, I looked back on my past works. I felt quite embarrassed. Reflecting on the past anew, I thought, "Ah, I was so lacking back then," and it brought fresh feelings. I wondered if I would feel the same way when looking back at my current self after more time has passed, and I took time to reflect on myself. I am truly grateful to those who love me.

-Recently, having finished filming ENA's 'Dream for You' and waiting for its release, what kind of image would you like to show?

▶Actually, I usually feel a bit nervous before a work is released. I am the type who gets more anxious waiting to show something than when I am filming it. I would feel good if people say that in this work, I seem to have matured a bit. As you will see when you watch the drama, I wanted to show a more delicate side, so I put a lot of effort into that aspect while acting.

In terms of acting, the public has expectations of Hye-ri similar to those for Deok-seon, while she likely also has a desire to show a new side. I am curious how she selects her works amidst such concerns.

▶I tend to choose the best option available in any given situation. Sometimes, trying to be too ambitious can be counterproductive. Additionally, being overly concerned with others' opinions can become a burden. Therefore, I strive to select what is best for me in that moment. However, when I see a project that truly resonates with me, I make every effort to take it on. In reality, it is not easy for a project to immediately capture my full interest. Thus, I often consult with my company and seek advice from those around me. Recently, I have been focusing more on the characters within a project. I find myself contemplating how I can portray a character in the most compelling way possible.

The affection for the work and the friendship with the actors shown in the movie 'Victory' were impressive.

▶There are not many films like "Victory." It is rare to have a story where female actors gather and interact in such a bustling manner, so while I wanted to do it very much, I constantly worried, "Ah, can I really do this?" I felt that if it hadn't been for actress Park Se-wan and the other actors, I truly would not have been able to do it. That is why I always express my gratitude more often and treat them with even greater sincerity.

-Looking back, it seems that "I-ing~" from the 2014 show "Real Men," "Reply 1988" from 2015, and "Friendly Competition" from 2025 became turning points in the life of Hye-ri.

▶First, "Real Men" seems to have truly imprinted the fact that there is an entertainer named Hye-ri on the general public. At that time, I was in a very pure and hardworking era when I didn't even do variety shows, knew nothing, and didn't even know if I should be appearing in them. I am truly grateful that they recognized that. "Reply 1988" is the work that made me who I am today. It is the work that allowed me to continue acting and revealed the possibility that "Hye-ri can act." In fact, for me, "Reply 1988" feels like another name of mine for the rest of my life. "The Good Bad Mother" expanded the possibilities of Hye-ri even further. I really wanted to do this work after reading it. It was so fun that I didn't hesitate and thought a lot that "it would be fun." Through this work, I was able to trust myself a little more. And I was truly happy to receive an award for "The Good Bad Mother" at the AAA Awards.

-Recently, it became a hot topic that Hye-ri's nephew was born after her younger sister gave birth.

▶I posted a photo of a baby on social media, and many articles came out calling it my niece, KARA. However, that baby was not my niece. It was my friend's baby, and suddenly it became my niece. Because I didn't provide any explanation, articles were published as if it were my niece, but it was actually my friend's baby. The baby was just past 100 days old. My niece was only five days old at the time and was still a newborn, so she didn't look like that. My friend had given birth, and three of us friends went to see the baby. Suddenly, my friend's baby became my niece, and in our friends' group chat, they joked, "Strawberry Hye-ri has a new niece," and laughed. I found it a bit awkward to suddenly say, "That baby is not my niece," so I just let it go. Anyway, the photo was not of my niece. Haha. My younger sister also contacted me that day, saying, "What is this? It's not Pp-yak, so why is it called KARA?" I told her I didn't know either and suggested we just let it go. It seems my younger sister is more popular than me these days. People seem to pay a lot of attention to her. (Laughs)

It seems she is still on good terms with the members of Girl's Day. Recently, photos of them meeting were released.

▶I met my older sisters after a long time. We had set a specific date for them to meet all together a few months ago. Whenever we meet, we stay up very late talking. Although I don't drink much, I drank a lot and talked a lot. I think we chatted until 5 a.m. We met at 5 p.m. and spent almost half the day talking together. We don't get to meet often. We only meet when we take that photo. I think we might have to wait until next year to see each other again. (laughs)

-It is not easy for members, who are all busy with their activities, to gather without missing a single meeting, but it is very heartwarming to see them come together more often than the number of times they meet.

▶The Daisy fans are happy to see us. As for us, well, as anyone who has been in a girl group knows, it is a relationship that is hard to describe. When we meet, it is exactly the same. It is just like when we were active back then. It feels like meeting relatives during the holidays. In fact, it feels somewhat like an obligation, and in a way, it feels like meeting people who are simply there to be met. When we meet, the atmosphere isn't one of "Unnie~" with excitement, but more like, "Oh, you're here?" Still, we feel we should meet at least once a year. It feels like, "It's time to meet, so let's set a date." Last time we met, we even set a date for the next meeting. In the group chat, everyone talks in a similar way. Everyone talks a lot, and if someone doesn't respond, others will call out their name and tell them to answer, creating that kind of atmosphere.

- What do Girl's Day members mean to Hyeri.

Due to my personality, it takes a long time for me to get close to people, and I am not the type to meet many people frequently in private, so I am hesitant to say, "I am close with so-and-so." I believe someone is truly a friend only if I can call them right now. Someone I can call without worrying, "Are they busy with a schedule?" or "Will they pick up the phone?" That is why, when talking about my friendships, I tend to use the expression "someone I like" more often. The members of Girl's Day are simply close friends. (Laughs) They know everything about me, and I know everything about them. They are my people who hold all of me. When we talk, there is no need to be overly cautious or measure our words; we can say whatever we want. I think that is very important. We are all kind-hearted, so we never had conflicts even during our activities, which is why we are able to get along so well now. My age is now somewhere in the middle, but it is also nice that whenever I meet with the older members, I am always the youngest.

Among the members, Min-a became a married woman following So-jin's marriage. While discussing marriage, I wonder if she is thinking that she wants to get married herself.

▶In fact, when we meet, it doesn't feel like the older sisters are married. It doesn't match. When we actually meet, there is no such feeling at all. Even now, when we meet, they look exactly as they did back then.

Do Girl's Day members ever say things like, "Let's try to promote again, just like other girl groups," when they meet?

We often talk when we meet, but when it comes to actually doing something, it's not something that can be achieved by our individual wills alone. Our hearts are eager, but realistically, it's not easy. There is a gap between reality and our intentions. I've even started to think that we might already be at an age where things are a bit difficult.

Since all the members are acting, they are likely to talk about such things even more.

That's right. The topics of conversation have changed so much. Sharing such stories has actually strengthened our bond. Since we both act, create content, and run YouTube channels, we exchange advice on YouTube, discuss variety shows, and share concerns given our similar categories. Our conversation topics never run out.

I have seen Hye-ri before, but it is pleasing to see that her appearance and behavior have not changed much and remain the same.

"I don't necessarily think I'm pretty, but on the other hand, I sometimes wonder if I really need to become more beautiful. I'm not exactly a beauty like 'Tae-hye-ji' (Tae-hee, Hye-kyo, Ji-hyun), so I question whether I need to alter my face to become prettier. I just want to stay true to myself."

End

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*This content was translated by AI.