Actress Gong Hyo Jin has shared her heartfelt thoughts as Ask the Stars comes to an end.

In tvN’s weekend drama Ask the Stars (written by Seo Sook Hyang, directed by Park Shin Woo), Gong Hyo Jin took on the role of Eve Kim, a determined space commander leading a mission beyond Earth. Her powerful performance as a strong leader with a deeply emotional side left a lasting impression.

On February 21, through her agency Management SOOP, Gong Hyo Jin reflected on the journey, saying, "From the moment I received the script, I was excited about playing a female commander in a leadership role."

However, she admitted the project pushed her to her limits. "Out of all the projects I’ve worked on, this was the most difficult and the longest. It was my first time filming a fully pre-produced drama, so the emotions I felt on set were new and unfamiliar. But in many ways, it turned out to be an unforgettable experience."

Despite the drama’s struggles, she took pride in the finished product. "Just the fact that this drama made it to the screen after such a long filming process and post-production work makes me feel like I’ve accomplished everything I wanted. Watching every scene after post-production made me appreciate the efforts of the entire staff, and I’m truly grateful. Now that only two episodes remain, the thought of saying goodbye makes this winter feel especially cold."

She also expressed her hopes for viewers, saying, "As an actress, I was drawn to the charm of a fresh and unique story, and I hope viewers enjoyed following along with this new kind of plot. I also hope they were able to fully experience the diversity of Korean drama genres. To everyone who embraced the unfamiliar yet honest storytelling of Ask the Stars, I sincerely thank you."

Despite boasting a 500 billion KRW production budget and a star-studded cast including Lee Min Ho (as Gong Ryong) and Oh Jung Se (as Kang Kang Soo), Ask the Stars struggled with shockingly low ratings, staying in the 1% range throughout its run.

The final episode, Episode 16, will air on February 23 at 9:20 PM KST. Will the drama leave a lasting impact despite its underwhelming numbers? Fans will have to wait and see.

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Sunmi is caught up in controversy after the NFT project she promoted made billions of KRW—only to lose most of its value, leaving investors frustrated.

According to Kyunghyang Shinmun on February 21, Sunmi, her agency, and a KOSDAQ-listed company launched the NFT collection Sunmiya Club in February 2022.

The project used blockchain technology to verify ownership of digital assets, turning illustrations inspired by Sunmi’s career into NFTs. Buyers were promised exclusive services to increase their investment value.

Thanks to Sunmi’s strong promotion, the NFTs were a huge success at first, selling out and making billions of KRW.

However, things took a turn when the NFT market crashed due to the Terra-Luna crisis and the bankruptcy of the U.S. crypto exchange FTX in late 2022.

By 2023, Sunmiya Club had stalled, and the once high-value NFTs dropped to just tens of thousands of KRW.

As investors faced major losses, some turned their frustration toward Sunmi. In response, the company behind the project stated, “We have fully followed the roadmap announced at the beginning and have continued operations.

The funds raised from the NFTs were used for operational costs and investments in a new platform launched last year.”

Despite the company’s defense, many are still questioning what went wrong and whether Sunmi will address the backlash.

Source: [1]