Girls' Generation member Yuri [Newsis]
Girls' Generation member Yuri [Newsis]

Girls' Generation member Yuri gave viewers a glimpse of her simple, contented life on the reality show "Nana Honja Sanda" (I Live Alone).

Friday's episode of the MBC variety program featured Yuri's down-to-earth life on Jeju Island.

Now in her third year on Jeju, Yuri took daily walks with a neighbor's dog named Ddonggeuli and shared a meal of octopus ramyun and stir-fried octopus with the owners of a local restaurant who had helped her settle into island life.

Stepping away from her identity as a Girls' Generation star, Kwon Yu-ri showed the warmth of the everyday bonds she has built on Jeju, earning her the affectionate nickname "Section Chief Kwon of Jeju" among fans.

During a motorcycle ride to the coast, Yuri revealed her foraging side, casually harvesting sea mustard from a beach she called "my supermarket." Fellow cast members marveled at how she had mastered both the seasonal seafood calendar and the recipes to go with it.

Yuri reflected on what drew her to this quieter life. "When I was at my busiest, the dazzling spotlight and endless schedule brought me happiness and popularity, but personally I felt a kind of emptiness," she said. "When I asked myself what I could actually do on my own, I came up short."

She added that Jeju had changed her outlook. "Here, I focus more on the basics — eating and living. Rather than worrying about how I look or how I'm perceived, being close to nature gives me courage. I tell myself, 'Yu-ri, you can do this. Just try it!'" she said, expressing clear affection and satisfaction with her life on the island.


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