Actress Oh Se Young drew attention for her clumsy, hesitant demeanor at an official event, a stark contrast to what many would expect from an actress already nine years into her career. Her behavior, reminiscent of a freshly debuted rookie, left a sense of disappointment among observers who had viewed her as a promising rising talent.
Oh Se Young made her acting debut in 2018 through JTBC’s drama The Beauty Inside. Since then, she has steadily built her filmography, and by career length alone, she can no longer be considered a newcomer. However, her appearance at the production press conference for MBC’s new Friday–Saturday drama The Judge Returns raised eyebrows.
The press conference, held on January 2, brought together not only the main leads but a wide range of cast members. While such events typically feature only actors listed on the main poster, this showcase included director Lee Jae Jin and actors Ji Sung, Park Hee Soon, Won Jin Ah, Tae Won Seok, Baek Jin Hee, Oh Se Young, and Hwang Hee. The lineup reflected MBC’s high expectations for the drama and its effort to spotlight even supporting cast members.
Among them, Oh Se Young stood out for unexpected reasons. From the very first character introduction segment, her delivery lacked fluency. After receiving the microphone from Baek Jin Hee, she struggled to finish her opening sentence. She briefly described her role as “Lee Han Young’s wife in his past life,” then trailed off, lowered her head, and fell silent. As an awkward pause filled the room, fellow actors offered encouraging looks, and host Park Kyung Lim gently eased the tension by saying it was natural to feel nervous.
Oh Se Young apologized softly, saying she was “very nervous,” and tried to continue, but once again failed to organize her thoughts smoothly. The hesitation repeated often enough that it was difficult to dismiss as a simple slip of the tongue.
Roughly 20 minutes into the event, when asked about what led her to join the project, the situation did not improve. While other actors responded calmly and confidently, Oh Se Young once again faltered. She briefly said, “It wasn’t a choice I made—it was an offer I received,” struggling with eye contact and visibly shaking even while delivering that short response.
Won Jin Ah turned around from her seat to offer a supportive smile, and Park Kyung Lim stepped in to clarify that Oh Se Young played Ji Sung’s ex-wife. She added reassuringly that although Oh Se Young appeared shy now, she would surely show a strong presence through her acting.
The third Q&A followed a similar pattern. When asked what she would do if she could go back ten years, Oh Se Young bowed her head again and apologized before answering. Instead of directly responding, she shared her feelings, saying she had prepared a lot for the event and wanted to speak in a witty and articulate way. She eventually answered that she would study English and exercise more.
During the closing remarks, Oh Se Young said she would at least finish with something she had prepared. She compared the drama to a cooking competition, explaining that veteran actors’ powerful performances, a solid script, and staff members doing their best in their respective roles all came together to create a “delicious” production.
While the message itself was thoughtful, the delivery remained difficult. She frequently paused, closed her eyes to steady her breathing, and left noticeable gaps between sentences. Baek Jin Hee patted her back in encouragement, and Won Jin Ah continued to smile supportively in an effort to lighten the mood.
Considering Oh Se Young’s relatively limited experience at large public events, her nervousness is understandable. However, given her nine-year career, the moment still left room for regret. The press conference could have been an important opportunity to highlight her presence and character, but instead, it failed to leave a strong positive impression.
Nervousness is natural, but repeated awkwardness can easily be interpreted as a lack of preparation. With the weight of nine years in the industry behind her, there is growing expectation for Oh Se Young to show a more professional and confident presence not only on screen, but also off it.
Sources: Daum