Lee Hyun-i, Ewha Womans University Department of Economics → Sudden modeling debut: “I thought of it as one line on my resume” [Bucket List]

*This content was translated by AI.

Model Lee Hyun-i revealed the reason she chose to pursue a career in modeling while studying at Ewha Womans University’s Department of Economics.

On the 21st, an episode titled “‘She must be possessed’—What happened to Lee Hyun-i, the top student of her entire school? She almost quit high school” was released on the YouTube channel Oh Eun-young’s Bucket List under the segment “Let’s Eat with Eunyung.”

That day, Lee Hyun-i recalled how she decided to switch her career path from economics to modeling. She said, “I never dreamed I would be doing this work at my age,” and added, “When I entered university, I only planned to get a job.”

Explaining why she majored in economics, she said, “My father told me that if you can’t do well in math, you have to go into business or economics to find a job,” and added, “It was extremely difficult for me to study.”

She continued, “At the time, there was a huge trend of building up one’s resume. I participated in many extracurricular activities. I joined a drama club and worked as a marketer at a beer company and at PsyWorld. I gathered all those experiences hoping to secure a job.”

However, around her third year of university, her thoughts changed. Lee Hyun-i said, “I started thinking that once I graduated and joined a company, there would be no vacations in my life,” and added, “So before graduating, I wanted to try something different from others, which is why I decided to become a model.”

She happened to come across an announcement for the SBS Supermodel Selection Contest. At first, she had not considered modeling as a career. She recalled, “I thought of participating in the Supermodel Selection Contest as just one line on my resume.”

Lee Hyun-i said, “I was just excited because it was a new experience, and I was lucky enough to win in my first attempt.” She revealed that she didn’t even tell her parents about her participation. She added, “My mother and father’s generation would have been surprised if I said I wanted to become an actor, let alone a model—they probably didn’t even know what modeling was.” She laughed, saying, “I’ve never really listened to my mom and dad since I was young.”

She continued, “I didn’t tell them about entering the Supermodel Contest either. Only after making it to the finals did I reveal that I had applied. I thought I’d get scolded, but they actually gave me their permission.”

Shortly after the contest, she ended up signing a contract with So Sok-sa (CEO), whom she has maintained a relationship with ever since. Lee Hyun-i revealed, “Right after the live broadcast ended, back at the backstage area, Ji Geum-ui (CEO) said to me, ‘Let’s sign a contract,’ and I agreed immediately.”

She then added, “Actually, I don’t remember much about that moment. But I heard that when I asked Na Neun-de (CEO), ‘You signed a contract with me—what exactly can you do for me?’ it made everyone laugh.”

Following this, under So Sok-sa (CEO)’s active support, she quickly established herself as a model. Lee Hyun-i said, “The representative carried my profile and worked hard to promote me,” adding, “Thanks to that, I didn’t have a rookie period and got to work a lot right away.” She explained further, “In my debut year, I walked in more than twenty shows at the Seoul Collection and immediately went overseas as well.”

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*This content was translated by AI.