Mina

Singer Mina, who became an instant celebrity during the 2002 World Cup in Korea and Japan and then became a star in China in 2007, returns to Korea. In an interview for the cable program tvN ENEWS, Mina talked frankly about her difficulties in dealing with rumors and prejudice.

Mina hit the big time during the 2002 World Cup with her unconventional, sexy outfit. But she also became subject to various malicious rumors that she had plastic surgery, was an exhibitionist, and posed for nude pictures. "To be honest, I worked out really hard because I wanted to be seen," she admits.

Whenever she appeared at events related to the World Cup, there were hundreds and thousands of malicious comments on the web. She was tremendously hurt by them.

She went to China because of financial difficulties she experienced after the sudden death of her father as well as her mother's suicide attempt. "My younger siblings had to quit their jobs because they needed to look after our mother. I became the sole breadwinner in the family, so I started my career in China, even though I didn't have a manager," she recalls. "At first, I was very depressed because I was alone in a foreign country, had no friends, and couldn't speak the language."

Now she wants to get rid of the image that made her a household name. "I think I'll panic if I'm asked to perform in events related to the 2010 World Cup," she says. "I want to be recognized as nothing other than a singer."