Kang Jiyoung shares worries of her KARA image interfering with her acting image

Former KARA member Kang Jiyoung recently sat down with Japanese music site Oricon Style for an interview  released on January 3rd, to which she revealed her worries as she walks down the path of acting.

Kang Jiyoung has been pursuing her acting career in Japan since withdrawing from popular girl group KARA last summer, and has recently been confirmed for her first Japanese film role in the manga adaption of Assassination Classroom.

To Oricon Style, she states, “I really enjoyed acting the first time I appeared in a drama, and I thought that I really wanted to do this in earnest. But because of my image as part of KARA, I was worried about how people would perceive my image as an actress. But I gained a lot of support from fans and staff, so it gave me strength.”

“I have a lot of time to think now [that she has gone solo] whereas before, I couldn’t think of anything past tomorrow, but now I am able to think about the future five years and even ten years time from now. It’s a bit unnerving to live alone, but I always think to myself ‘this is for my dream, so reach for it.'”

Set to play a sexy hit-woman in her upcoming Japanese film, Kang Jiyoung said, “It was difficult to play the sexy role. The manga is for readers 20 years old and up, and the professional assassin is so sexy and has so much charisma. My thoughts were that if I wore a blonde wig and a mini-skirt, which I don’t usually wear, would I not be sexy?”

“It’s a distant dream of mine to work as an actress in Japan, but I want to become an actress that works across Asia. In 10 years, I’d like to work in Hollywood. I want to expand my skills as an actress. 2014 was the start of my second life, and I was a bit ashamed to call myself an actress. I want to become lonelier and stronger to demonstrate my acting abilities. I heard a lot of actresses are lonely. I want to be so into my acting that I get worried and headaches.”

Kang Jiyoung is currently signed to Japanese agency Sweet Power.

Source: OSEN