[HanCinema's News] Lee Min-jung Talks About her Work-life Balance

Lee Min-jung recently finished off a successful run as the lead actress in the ensemble weekend family drama "Once Again" which ended with ratings of 33.6% on September 13th. The drama's popularity has been encouraging for the image of the actress, with her role as a divorced woman making Lee Min-jung seem more independent than the more romantic parts she typically plays. There's also a parallel with Lee Min-jung's own life, as she juggles being a wife, mother, and actress.

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In an interview from after the drama ended, Lee Min-jung talked about how it was slow adjusting to her new work environment. Lee Min-jung said that the rhythm of filming a family drama was healthier than that of her past miniseries, due to the sheer size of the cast. But Lee Min-jung also mentioned that beyond health reasons, she also chose "Once Again" in the hopes of reaching a broader audience, something that families could watch with their children at home.

Other points of praise from Lee Min-jung were how despite the twelve hour working days she actually found herself spending quite a bit of time alone and relaxing in the waiting room. Lee Min-jung described the whole environment as cheerful, with staff providing food and music in the waiting room as necessary. Lee Min-jung said that while normally she loses weight while working this particular environment made her worried about gaining weight.

Lee Min-jung had kind words for both her older and younger co-stars. She enjoyed hearing the stories told by the elderly actors while they waited for their turn to film. Lee Min-jung was also impressed by the energy shown by Lee Cho-hee, who played her younger sister on the drama and received a strong fan following. Lee Min-jung described the whole shooting environment as familial, and also offered to introduce Lee Cho-hee to her agency in the hopes they could work together in the future.

Such thoughts were likely motivated by Lee Min-jung's own personal life. She is married to Lee Byung-hun and they have a five year old son together. Raising this son was a major reason for why Lee Min-jung has been doing less work in recent years. According to Lee Min-jung she is getting along well with both her husband and son, describing herself as a well-rounded mother and wife. She's also expressed eagerness for a new challenge in her acting career.

Written by William Schwartz