‘I squandered a lot of my wealth’: Ku Hye-sun reveals she lived in her car while in university

South Korean actress Ku Hye-sun graduated from Sungkyunkwan University last year, and recently revealed how she lived in her car at times when she was a student.

“I squandered a lot of my wealth. After some bad things happened to me, my family has become a lot closer,” shared the 39-year-old on a recent episode of the variety show Real or Reel.

In it, hosts Jun Hyun-moo, Super Junior’s Kyuhyun and Oh My Girl’s Mimi guess whether the daily activities of celebrities who lead unique lives are real or staged.

Hye-sun didn’t elaborate on what happened to her wealth in the show.

“Time went by so fast. I first entered Seoul Institute of the Arts in 2003 as a student but dropped out after six months. After working hard to make a living, I entered Sungkyunkwan University’s Department of Film and Television, and following a break of nearly 10 years, I returned to school and attended for four years.”

She talked about how she doesn’t have a “particular place to live”.

“I’m actually homeless now. I stay at my mother’s house in Incheon, but on exam days or important occasions, I sleep in my car or stay at the library.”

She explained that it took three to four hours to drive from her mother’s home to the university, so she opted to live in her car.

Hye-sun had previously stayed in a study room near the school but her lease ended during her last semester and she couldn’t find a short-term lease.

“Since I was already attending school, I thought I might as well aim to be the top student. Being late or absent was unthinkable for me, so I always arrived two to three hours earlier to ensure peace of mind,” she said.

Real or Reel also showed footage of Hye-sun pulling out wet wipes in the car and she admitted that she didn’t shower herself much then. “I honestly wonder why we need to shower every day. As long as I have wet wipes, I can manage.”

She also ate her meals in the car and had cup noodles, instant rice, snacks and hot water in a thermos prepared. The video showed her putting instant rice in her cup noodles instead of microwaving it.

The programme then aired a video of Hye-sun entering her university’s restroom in pyjamas and using dry shampoo.

“I bathe and wash my face with one bar of soap. I genuinely don’t understand the need for body wash, I just use lotion for everything,” she remarked.

Looking back at her past, Hye-sun shared: “I was once deemed a successful daughter, but I also experienced a lot of failures, and it was so important to my parents that I study and graduate. It was their most cherished dream.”

She left the hosts in disbelief when she revealed her plans for the future: “I might not be able to work much. I have to get a PhD, which will take seven to eight years. After getting my degree, I might end up doing something entirely different. I envision myself studying alone in a container in the mountains, as sitting and studying is what I love most.”

After the episode aired, Hye-sun took to her Instagram page on May 17 to address concerns over her living situation: “The reason I don’t have a place to live right now is because I’m building a house near the school, and I bought a house for each of my family members.”

“I’m spending all my money on my education and feeding my juniors. I’m preparing for graduate school in the future, so I’ll continue to spend all my money on my education. Working hard!”

Best known for her lead role in the hit 2009 drama Boys Over Flowers, Hye-sun last starred in the shows Blood (2015) and You Are Too Much (2017).

She tied the knot with Ahn Jae-hyun, her co-star in Blood, in 2016. In 2019, she revealed that Jae-hyun, now 36, was filing for a divorce.

A public spat followed with Hye-sun claiming that Jae-hyun cheated on her. The two officially parted ways in 2020.