S.E.S. Shoo Shares New Chapter on Dongchimi After Years Away From Variety TV

S.E.S. member Shoo has returned to public conversation through MBN’s Dongchimi, using a variety-show appearance to talk about family, health, and the effort to live more steadily outside the image of a first-generation K-pop idol. The July 4 broadcast gathered women discussing the difficulty of living as themselves, and Shoo’s comments quickly drew attention because they combined humor with unusually personal details.

The former S.E.S. singer, who helped define the late-1990s girl group era, appeared alongside guests including Ha Won Mi and Sunye. The episode was framed around women who are trying to build lives on their own terms, a theme that fit Shoo’s reflections on parenting, marriage, lost opportunities, and the routines she has developed after spending years away from entertainment programs.

One of the most widely discussed parts of the episode was Shoo’s update on her living arrangement with her husband, former basketball player Im Hyo Sung. According to reports on the broadcast, she said they have been living apart for about four years. Shoo explained that the arrangement began after practical family needs changed, including space for the children, and that the couple now sees each other mostly on weekends.

Her comments were not presented as a dramatic separation announcement so much as a candid account of how one family has adjusted. Shoo said she is currently living with the children, while her husband stays nearby. She also suggested that distance has, in some ways, reduced friction in the household, saying the family can still gather on weekends, eat together, and spend time without constantly clashing over daily habits.

A Variety Return Built on Candor

The tone of the episode was not only serious. Shoo’s natural, sometimes unpredictable humor also became part of the broadcast. When the guests noted that Shoo, Ha Won Mi, and Sunye all have three children while maintaining youthful appearances, Shoo responded with an offbeat joke that made the studio laugh. The moment traveled online because it showed the same quick, unfiltered variety energy that longtime viewers associate with earlier generations of idols.

At the same time, the episode gave Shoo room to address heavier parts of her life. TopStarNews reported that she spoke about struggling with depression, claustrophobia, and insomnia after marriage and aging made her feel that she had to fight more actively for her health. She described researching plants and eventually becoming interested in centella, a herb often discussed in wellness and cosmetics contexts.

That interest has grown into a striking routine. Reports from the episode said Shoo helps manage a greenhouse of around 1,500 pyeong and has studied the plant closely after meeting an elderly grower. She joked that eating bitter things had made her heart stronger, but the broader point was clear: the greenhouse work has become a symbol of recovery, structure, and a quieter everyday life away from the constant expectations of celebrity.

Shoo also looked back on a less glamorous period after S.E.S., recalling that she once worked part-time in Hong Kong because she wanted to learn and see more, not because the job itself was easy to obtain. She said the experience moved her to tears, and she remembered asking to wear thick-framed glasses because she worried Korean customers might recognize her. The story added another layer to the episode’s larger theme: fame does not erase the need to rebuild, adapt, or start again.

Why the Appearance Resonated

For K-pop fans, Shoo’s appearance lands differently because S.E.S. remains one of the most important names in Korean idol history. The group helped establish the template for later girl groups, and each member’s life after peak fame has been followed with unusual interest. A broadcast like Dongchimi does not simply update viewers on a celebrity; it also shows how first-generation idols are navigating middle age, parenting, health, and public scrutiny.

The episode also stood out because it avoided a single tidy message. Shoo joked, misidentified Sunye’s group at one point, talked about recommending plants to other guests, and then moved into memories of emotional struggle and interrupted dreams. That mix made the appearance feel more human than polished. It showed a public figure who is still sorting through identity, family, and work after the years that made her famous.

MBN’s Dongchimi airs on Saturdays at 11 p.m. KST, and this episode’s reaction suggests that viewers remain interested in candid, post-idol stories when they are presented with enough specificity. Shoo’s comments may not answer every question about her private life, but they did offer a clearer picture of where she is now: parenting, managing distance within her family, and finding stability through routines that are far removed from the stage.