Image courtesy of Lee Young-hyun Love often gives us the strength to live with purpose. For some, it comes through family, friendship, or romance; for others, it is discovered in a passion that refuses to let go. For Young-hyun Lee, a psychology student at Gachon University, love is acting. Over the past nine years, she has pursued theater with unwavering dedication—balancing her studies, staying up late to rehearse, and most recently performing in the play No Suicide in Spring (August 22–24, 2025). ① Please introduce yourself Hi, I'm Young-hyun Lee, a psychology major at Gachon University ‘23. While studying, I am doing acting and media plays at the same time. Yesterday, I just finished a play called , and I appeared in a minor role in the drama . ② When did your love of acting begin? It started in sixth grade, especially when I first encountered Descendants of the Sun. I began practicing scenes with friends every day—sometimes in the school bathroom or whispering lines in the alley before piano lessons. Later, watching Nam Goong-min’s nuanced performances deepened my admiration. Acting felt like a gift, allowing me to experience countless lives. ③ Has acting helped you better understand yourself? Yes. Playing characters so different from me often shakes me. I find myself asking: Who am I in contrast to this role? In No Suicide in Spring, my character’s pain mirrored my own hidden anxieties. At first, I tried to suppress those feelings, which only destabilized my performance. Eventually, I learned that acknowledging my own weakness helped me act more truthfully. In that process, I discovered a deeper love for myself. ④ How did your love of acting cheer you up when you were struggling or exhausted? Actually, when it's really hard, you want to let go of everything. In that case, I really want to clear my head. I stop what I'm doing and watch dramas or go around watching plays without thinking. When I act, I feel alive, and when it's hard, I feel like I'm dead, but when I watch a drama or a play, I think that I can be alive like that. During this process, I think I need to cheer up again and gain energy, so I feel refreshed. ⑤ What role does the feeling of "love" play in yourself? For me, the feeling of love is the motivation to keep me doing something, no matter what the difficulties are. Whatever the difficulties, I'm going to do it, I'm going to protect it, I'm going to protect it. Like this. It's the driving force that keeps us going, no matter what trials come. ⑥ Lastly, if there is anything you want to say to the students, please let me know! While filming and practicing the drama, I met many people. No matter your age, I sincerely hope you can keep pursuing what you love. I think that’s very important. Don’t feel pressured to have everything figured out at this stage in your life. When you do what makes you happy, what you truly want, and what you enjoy, I hope you keep working hard at it. Doing so won’t ruin your life—instead, it will make you feel truly alive. That’s how I wish all students could live. (laughs) We commonly associate “love” with relationships—with family, partners, or friends. But as Lee reminds us, the most enduring love may be the one we find within ourselves: a love that fuels our passions, gives us strength, and keeps us moving forward.