Actress Once Accused of School Bullying Returns to the Spotlight as a Yoga Instructor, Five Years Later

Actress Shim Eun Woo is starting a new chapter as a yoga instructor, about five years after she stepped away from her acting career amid school violence allegations.

On August 4, the official SNS account of a yoga studio run by Lee Hyori shared photos of Shim Eun Woo deep in practice. Shim Eun Woo herself shared the post as well, adding the caption, “Om Karananda, refreshing.”

Shim Eun Woo has been a regular at the studio. Last October, she left a review saying, “Just the right amount of unfamiliar air. It’s a great place to focus on your practice,” and has continued visiting multiple times since, building a lasting connection with the space.

That same day, the official account of the yoga studio Shim Eun Woo herself runs posted a notice that it will begin a soft opening starting August 17. She wrote, “I’m both excited and busy with this new beginning. I’ll make sure to prepare myself well so I can share calm, good energy with everyone who comes to visit.”

Shim Eun Woo revealed back in 2020 through a broadcast that she was working as both an actress and a yoga instructor. At the time, she explained that she took up yoga after facing rejection at numerous auditions following her debut, which eventually led her to complete a yoga instructor certification course.

However, in 2021, she stepped away from her acting career after becoming embroiled in school violence allegations. After roughly five years out of the spotlight, she revealed last year that she had been cleared of the accusations, saying, “The investigation results specifically stated that I was not a perpetrator of school violence.” At the time, Shim Eun Woo shared her feelings, saying, “I lost so much — mentally, physically, and financially. Most of all, I lost an entire stretch of precious time I could have used to grow as an actress.”

Since then, Shim Eun Woo expressed her intent to return through her personal channel, and has recently resumed acting with appearances in the plays “Fairy Tale Reverie” and “The Village of Stitched Eyes.” Alongside preparing to open her new yoga studio, she plans to continue working as both an actress and a yoga instructor.

Source: (A)