RIP Oh In-hye: As if I never existed 5 ways to remember the Korean actress, florist and as
Majoring in broadcasting and entertainment at Seoul’s Dongduk Women’s University, Oh made her movie debut in 2011 playing Go Geum-suk in the crime mystery Sin of a Family. Her acting career continued with Red Vacance Black Wedding and A Journey with Korean Masters, but she was rarely seen on screen after 2014. In an interview with the YouTube channel Geunhwang Olympics this year, she shared her ambition to keep acting, even in the smallest roles, if the opportunities came about.
The buzz – and backlash
Oh grabbed the media’s attention when she wore a brave, revealing orange dress at the 2011 Busan International Film Festival for the film Red Vacance Black Wedding – a hype-generating move that turned out to be a double-edged sword for the rising star.
Oh told Geunhwang Olympics that after the festival her acting opportunities were narrowed down to primarily playing sexy characters lacking depth, while online she suffered abusive and derogatory comments from detractors. She said in the interview that she hoped the dress would make observers “think of me as this confident and stylish person”. The controversy wasn’t helped by the fact that the self-sewn garment started to slip during the event, as the fledgling starlet lacked the support of an agency wardrobe at the time.
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Going her own way on YouTube
Earlier this year Oh struck out solo by founding her own YouTube channel, mostly focused on vlogs, sharing her daily beauty routines, life and behind the scenes at a photo shoot.
This week’s sudden news shocked fans even more – because Oh uploaded a skincare routine video showing her bubbly energy just two days before her death.
Her second calling
In her Instagram profile, Oh introduces herself as an “#actress #florist” – highlighting a hobby she turned into a profession, by opening her first florist shop, Flowerbyiness, in Seoul's Jamwon-dong neighbourhood. She used the business’ Instagram account to share her beautiful flower arrangements, bouquets and her trips to the flower market.
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Moving into music
In August, Oh uploaded a video to YouTube of herself singing a duet with Korean solo artist Nautilus. At first she was only asked to act in the music video, but turned the opportunity into a musical collaboration with the rising K-pop star, admitting during the Geunhwang Olympics interview that she practised for the session so hard the music paper got tattered in her hands.
Following the events of this week, the track’s lyrics, “Hope you rather forget everything as if it never happened, as if I never existed”, take on a new poignant light.
If you are having suicidal thoughts, or you know someone who is, help is available. For Hong Kong, dial +852 2896 0000 for The Samaritans or +852 2382 0000 for Suicide Prevention Services. In the US, call The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on +1 800 273 8255. For a list of other nations’ helplines, see this page.
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