She made big sacrifices for a bigger dream. Lee Guk Joo, one of South Korea’s most cherished comediennes known for her unapologetic personality and body-positive advocacy, recently revealed that she has relocated to Tokyo, Japan—despite not having any immediate job lined up.

Lee, who has been active in the Korean entertainment industry for 20 years, used to enjoy a fairly luxurious lifestyle. She lived in a large apartment and often indulged in expensive meals, spending hundreds daily on food alone. But now, she’s chosen to hit reset. In a heartfelt vlog uploaded to her YouTube channel, Lee was seen settling into a small, one-room apartment in Tokyo.

The space, although modest, was praised by Lee for its cleanliness and practicality. “It’s smaller than I expected,” she admitted, “but it has storage, and even a bathtub—which is rare in Korea!” While she managed to fit a queen-sized bed in her room, there wasn’t much space left for anything else.

So why the sudden move?

“I’m 40 now, and I’ve been in the industry for two decades. Lately, I felt like I was just going with the flow,” she shared. “I needed something new. I want to learn Japanese, and I want to feel excited again.”

Rather than wait passively for work to find her, Lee took a leap of faith. With no assurance of success, she committed to learning a new language and living frugally, echoing the early days of her career. She emphasized that even if things don’t go as planned, this won’t be a failure—it’ll be a meaningful experience.

“I believe it’ll work out eventually. I don’t know when, but I’m going to try,” she said with conviction.

Her honesty, humility, and courage to start over resonated deeply with fans, who flooded her comments with messages of encouragement and admiration.