Lee Ji-hye has responded to criticism regarding her involvement in social media group buys, insisting that her job is one that incessantly tests her and is not a conventional full-time job.
On Aug. 30, Lee answered questions from fans via an "Ask Me Anything" session on her social networking profile, where she squarely faced criticisms of her latest undertakings.
One fan who was disappointed wrote, "It was so nice to see your happy family and happy daily life, but it feels empty now that you've started selling things like other Instagrammers.."
Lee responded with a nod of acknowledgement. "II thought you would feel that way, so I thought about it a lot," she said.
"I also have a job that requires constant challenges (not a full-time job), so I've mustered up the courage, so how about watching over me without expecting support?"
Lee also expressed her commitment to keep things genuine in sales, mentioning that she only sells what she herself uses.
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"The price has to be the lowest. If not, I won't do it" she mentioned, further remarking that her methods of selling online are guided by honesty.
Lee, who has worked both as a singer and a TV star since her debut in the late 1990s, is not new to dodging public commendations and censure.
Her blunt response reflects the mounting controversy around stars who use social networking websites for their commercial activities, which have divided fans in the last few years.
She is best known for her work in the K-pop group Sharp and TV variety show appearances later on.
She married Moon Jae-wan, a tax consultant three years older than her, in 2017. They have two daughters, and Lee often shares updates of her home life with fans on social media.
In spite of the furor, Lee's statements indicate that she sees her internet enterprise as a continuation of her changing career and not as a divergent one from her public life.
Her call to fans emphasized a call for sympathy as she walked the thin line between her professional and private life under the limelight.
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