Gong Seung Yeon candidly revealed that she went through severe financial difficulties during the period when her younger sister, Jeongyeon of TWICE, was rapidly rising to stardom.
The actress appeared on tvN’s “You Quiz on the Block” on May 20, where she reflected on her long journey through the entertainment industry and the struggles she faced before finally experiencing a career breakthrough after 15 years since debut.
During the broadcast, Gong Seung Yeon shared that she first entered the entertainment world after unexpectedly being cast at the age of 13 while participating in a gayageum competition.
She later spent around seven years as a trainee under SM Entertainment but never officially debuted as a singer. Looking back, she admitted that her skills were lacking at the time and said there were many exceptionally talented trainees around her.
The actress laughed while saying, “Thinking about it now, maybe it was actually fortunate that I didn’t debut back then.”
After giving up her dream of becoming a singer, Gong Seung Yeon decided to pursue acting instead. However, the transition was far from easy.
She explained that she attended countless auditions only to face repeated rejection. Feeling uncertain about her future, she even began preparing for a potential career as a flight attendant while studying TOEIC and Chinese.
Although she started gaining public attention through the 2015 SBS drama “Heard It Through the Grapevine,” the opportunities she expected did not continue steadily afterward.
Gong Seung Yeon confessed, “When I briefly started earning money in my early twenties, I thought things would keep going well.” However, she later found herself in a situation where she could no longer afford rent, health insurance payments, or even national pension fees after work opportunities dried up.
Eventually, she moved out of her apartment and returned to live with her parents.
The actress recalled how desperate she became during that time, saying she personally visited her agency to ask for more audition opportunities. She revealed that she attended an enormous number of auditions, even pleading internally for roles and writing handwritten letters in hopes of standing out.
Gong Seung Yeon also emotionally reflected on the complicated feelings she experienced while watching her younger sister Jeongyeon achieve massive success after debuting with TWICE.
She admitted that although she felt incredibly proud and happy for her sister, she also became anxious and pressured, thinking to herself that she should be doing better as the older sibling.
The actress explained, “Because I’m the eldest, I always felt responsible for leading my younger siblings.” She continued by saying there were moments when she felt upset and inadequate, believing she had become the older sister who was less successful than her younger sibling.
Her honest confession drew sympathy from viewers and highlighted the emotional pressures many actors face behind the scenes while struggling to establish stable careers in the entertainment industry.
Meanwhile, tvN’s “You Quiz on the Block” airs every Wednesday at 8:45 p.m. KST.
Sources: Daum