Ko So-young Returns to TV with a More Common Touch

Actress Ko So-young returns with a new TV series late this month, after taking a 10-year hiatus from acting.

In the TV series set to begin airing on Feb. 27, Ko plays a housewife who struggles to overcome hardship. Known for playing mostly elegant, sophisticated roles, her decision to appear as an ordinary middle-aged housewife has already received much attention.

"While I was considering whether to make an acting comeback I was offered glamorous parts and roles. But I wanted to take on a role viewers can easily relate to. In reality, I'm very easygoing -- and I actually am a housewife in my mid-40s," she said.

Ko, a teen star in the late 1990s, took a break to focus on homemaking after her marriage to fellow actor Jang Dong-gun, with whom she has a 7-year-old son and a 3-year-old daughter.

In the meantime, Ko's on-screen appearances have been limited to advertisements and pictorials, but she has never been entirely out of the public eye, starting a fashion brand, among other projects.

"I've been busy raising children. It was difficult, as I married late and there were few people from whom I could seek advice on childcare. My kids have grown up a bit, so I decided to resume my career before it got too late," Ko said. "Returning to the set after so many years, I felt fresh and full of energy."

Ko's married life with one of the most popular heartthrobs of the 1990s is a topic the public never seems to tire of. "We fought a lot at first. But we've learned to get along with each other well," she said. "My husband is taking a break these days, so he's taking care of the children."

"I think that often fans only get to see the glamorous side of an actress, so I hope to get closer to viewers with this more commonplace character," she said.