Actress Im Soo-hyang recently addressed rumors about her affluent background, shedding light on her family history and the realities she faced after debuting. Her past home life was also revisited on MBC’s Antarctic Chef, sparking renewed public interest.

A recent video on her YouTube channel, titled “It’s Okay to Take a Short Break”, showed Im Soo-hyang pulling out a Blue Marine padded jacket she wore in middle and high school. She explained, “My family was somewhat well-off when I was young. My mom would buy me things like this.”

Scenes of her driving a supercar soon circulated online, fueling “Im Soo-hyang rich kid” speculation. She clarified: “What I said about ‘showing off’ was misunderstood, and suddenly people thought I was a chaebol riding Ferraris and Lamborghinis. While it’s true I was fortunate as a child, after debut, my parents’ business declined and my father’s health worsened. I’ve effectively taken on the role of head of the household for over 10 years.” She added that her parents worried about being perceived as wealthy tycoons.

On the November 17 broadcast of MBC’s Antarctic Chef, her family background came up again. While evaluating food at the South Pole Sejong Station with colleagues Suho and Chae Jong-hyup, Im Soo-hyang displayed notable attention to detail. Celebrity chef Baek Jong-won asked, “Im Soo-hyang, didn’t you grow up with elite taste buds?”

She responded candidly, explaining that she was the daughter of buffet owners in Busan and had been exposed to a wide variety of foods from an early age. While some netizens reacted, “So she really is a rich kid,” Im Soo-hyang reiterated that her wealth was temporary and that she had been responsible for supporting herself and her family since her debut.

Recently, she has shared her life reset journey on YouTube, showing her house organization and personal growth after overcoming burnout, endearing herself to fans with her honest charm.

Sources: Naver