Credit: tvN
Kim Tae Hee finally opened up about her love story with Rain for the first time on television during the August 20th episode of You Quiz on the Block .
Kim first met Rain on the set of a TV commercial shoot, but she revealed it was far from a whirlwind romance. “It wasn’t love at first sight for either of us,” she said. “I respected him as a great singer because he was so popular and hardworking, but to really fall for someone, you need that initial spark, and it just wasn’t there for me. That moment came much, much later.”
She explained how Rain slowly won her over. “He would bring me small, thoughtful gifts every time we met, things like scented candles or even an MP3 player filled with songs he liked. He also gave me a novel he enjoyed,” she recalled. “I held onto the book for a long time. Then one day, I was feeling really down and overwhelmed, just wondering what to do with everything. I decided to just try and read before bed, so I finally opened it.”
“On the first page, he had written this long, heartfelt letter,” she continued. “There wasn’t anything profound in it, but reading it at that moment just made me burst out laughing. That was the moment he completely disarmed me.”
That letter was the turning point. “Before that, I would only answer his calls; I never reached out first. I didn’t think it was right to reach out first when I didn’t have feelings for him,” she admitted. “But I sent him my very first text message after reading that letter.”
Kim, who was nicknamed ‘Taeppeu’ (a combination of her name and the Korean word for “pretty”) in school, was discovered on the street while attending the prestigious Seoul National University. A single business card changed the course of her life, and she skyrocketed to stardom in hit dramas like Stairway to Heaven and Love Story in Harvard , quickly becoming the face of countless brands. In 2005 alone, she filmed an incredible 31 commercials.
“Everything happened so fast,” Kim confessed about her early fame. “I was suddenly a lead actress, filming tons of commercials. The public’s expectations were enormous, and it was tough because I’d never had any formal acting training. I never even dreamed of being an actress as a kid. I grew up outside of Seoul and had a strong regional accent. Trying to correct it for acting felt like I was performing in a foreign language.”
When asked about the biggest difference between herself in her 20s and now, she replied, “My entire daily routine has changed. I have a family to take care of now and so many more responsibilities.” She explained that her life has flipped: she used to feel tense on set and could relax at home, but now, work has become her place to focus, while home is the busy, demanding environment.
Despite the demands of family life, Kim Tae Hee playfully shut down Rain’s public claim that he “lives like a dead leaf” now that he’s married.
“You know what he’s like,” she laughed. “He’s exactly the same at home. He is definitely not like a dead leaf.”
However, she did credit Rain’s support for her recent promotional trip to New York . With an American drama she filmed last year about to be released, Rain was her biggest cheerleader.
“My husband strongly encouraged me to go,” she shared. “I was on the fence about it, wondering if it was really the right move for me. But he convinced me it was a great opportunity to promote the show and myself as an actress. He gave me the push I needed, so I worked up the courage and went.”
Kim Tae Hee to Appear on ‘You Quiz,’ First in 15 Years
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