Uhm Jung-hwa Reflects on Her Childhood Dreams and Aspirations

Singer and actress Uhm Jung-hwa recently reminisced about her childhood during a video on her YouTube channel, Umaizing 엄정화TV, titled "I Said Everything After Getting Tipsy... This is an Alcohol Trip." In the video, she visited her favorite wine bar and shared her early dreams of becoming a star.

Uhm recalled, "It sounds unbelievable, but there was a strange pull even back then. I was born in Jecheon, Chungbuk. I wasn't particularly pretty, and I was quiet and shy at school, filled with my own thoughts. I wasn't someone who expressed myself well. But I don't know why, just looking in the mirror made me want to be a star. I lived in a really rural area of Jecheon. Did I have five friends in that neighborhood? I would always play with my mom's lipstick, dreaming of becoming a singer, and then I wanted to act after watching dramas. I think that was when my dream was set."

Reflecting on her aspirations, she admitted, "It felt impossible. I wasn't exceptionally beautiful or talented in that countryside. I hated dreaming such dreams because they felt so far-fetched. When I became a high school student, I had to decide on my future. I really wanted to go to the theater and film department. At one point, I completely let go of my studies. My mom told me, 'We don't have a dad, and with three daughters and one son, don't think about college. You need to work after graduating high school.' Now I understand why she said that; she had to raise four kids. We needed to be a help to her, but I had no idea what I wanted to do besides acting and singing."

Uhm Jung-hwa shared that her father passed away in a motorcycle accident when she was six, and her family faced financial struggles, often living off the school cafeteria.

She continued, "But when I moved to Seoul in my senior year, I thought about how happy I would be if I could earn money doing what I love. I saw a recruitment notice for the MBC choir and applied. I was initially rejected, but then they opened up additional spots for eight more members. I thought there was no way I could get in, but I did, through a special selection. That was a truly magical and significant moment in my life. I experienced so many times when my desires came true. I believe you have to keep hoping, wanting, and working hard."

Uhm expressed her ongoing aspirations, saying, "I still keep hoping and wanting. It's scary to say this, but I really want to be a great actress. Acting is so difficult; the more I do it, the harder it gets. I have to protect my emotions from drying up, but I truly want to be a great actress. Someday, I want to work with amazing directors and writers, and that's my dream. I want to receive applause from everyone, not because I want the applause, but because I want to have those kinds of works in my life. That's my dream."

She also reflected on age, stating, "Should we really think about age? Everyone ages, but if I had thought, 'At this age, I can't do this,' I wouldn't be here. I think it's more important to focus on what I want to do. Some people seem to age prematurely. It can't be helped; there are things that align with age. So, I think, what can I do about age? I'm almost 60 now. But isn't it true that great artists need to age? I think about it like this: 'It's hard to exercise at my age,' but then I remind myself, 'I haven't exercised until now, so that's why it's hard; I should start again.' And then I regain my strength."

Uhm concluded, "I really want to keep going. Preparing for an album feels so natural to me. I'm just doing it. Even if no one listens now, someone will in a few years. I think it's meaningful that I keep going. If I had given up, I would have lost my voice. I felt that if I gave up, my life would be over. That's why I decided I must create my next album. It took eight years, but I did it. I have to keep going. What else is there in life? I have to do it."