"I don't want to make this public.." Kang Ye-won, first confession on the breakup with 'fake' influencer Frigia [Star Issue]

*This content was translated by AI.

Actress Kang Ye-won (47, real name Kim Ji-eun), who discovered influencer Frigia (29, real name Song Ji-a) as her representative, has for the first time shared her stance on their breakup.

On the 2nd, Kang Ye-won uploaded a video titled "I invited Karina's second self, Kwon Eun-ji, to my home" on her YouTube channel.

In the video, Kang Ye-won was asked a direct question: "Were you not hurt when breaking up with Frigia?" As the co-representative of Hyowon CNC, Kang Ye-won had discovered Frigia. Frigia gained recognition by appearing in the 2021 global OTT Netflix dating reality program 'Single's Inferno 1'. However, the following year, Frigia sparked a so-called "fake" controversy and faced widespread criticism. In response, Frigia took time for self-reflection and soon announced her breakup with Kang Ye-won in 2023.

Kang Ye-won recalled their connection when responding to Kwon Eun-ji's remark that she had raised Frigia: "I met Frigia when she was a third-year university student. At that time, (Frigia) had 30,000 Instagram followers. She spoke with a Busan dialect, was extremely unique, cute, and bubbly."

She continued, "We signed an exclusive five-year contract, and (Frigia) appeared on various variety shows. I chased after PDs myself. I even took her to 'Heart Signal 3' along with Park Ji-hyun. But it was (Park) Ji-hyun who succeeded, not (Fri)gia. I thought something suitable for Ji-a would eventually emerge. So we kept trying meetings, experiencing failures, and even breaking up. Later, we even had her audition for 'SNL Korea.' Frigia said she wasn't confident in acting and refused, but I insisted we give it a try and brought her along. Eventually, her acting was too poor, so we said 'Alright' and left. But on the way back, an 'SNL Korea' PD introduced us to a program called 'Single's Inferno,' suggesting we meet."

After persuading Frigia to appear in 'Single's Inferno 1,' Kang Ye-won stated, "Ji-a initially refused to join 'Single's Inferno 1,' so I persuaded her intensely. I believed Netflix would become a huge hit based on my intuition, and that's how she ended up joining. And it truly turned out incredibly well."

However, Frigia soon became entangled in the "fake" controversy and left Kang Ye-won's side. When asked if she was hurt by the breakup, Kang Ye-won honestly replied, "I was hurt. Honestly, I felt regretful."

Kang Ye-won then added, "But as an actress, when my multi-year contract with a company ends, I move on to another one. In that sense, it's only natural. I believe there were reasons for everything."

She continued, "While I have things to say about that incident, I don't want to make it public. It seems like the minimum courtesy between us. I hope Frigia does even better than when she worked with me. That way, both of us will succeed. We spoke on the phone not long ago. Our relationship is absolutely not bad." She expressed her enduring affection.

Meanwhile, Kang Ye-won recently drew attention by appearing on SBS's variety show "My Little Old Boy."

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*This content was translated by AI.