Shim Eun-woo Trains at Lee Hyori's Yoga Studio Ahead of Her Own Studio Opening

Actor Shim Eun-woo has been logging sessions at Lee Hyori's yoga studio, and the timing is deliberate: her own new yoga studio soft-opens on August 17.

On August 4, the official account of Lee Hyori's studio posted a photo of Shim focused mid-practice. Shim reshared the image with the caption "Om Karananda, so refreshing," a nod to the Sanskrit mantra associated with bliss. It was not her first visit. Back in October of last year she left a review at the same studio describing the atmosphere as "just the right kind of unfamiliar air, great for concentrating on practice."

The visits are not simply social calls. Shim works as a yoga instructor in addition to her acting career, and she has been wrapping up her previous studio in Seoul's Jongno district to relocate. The new space opens for a soft launch running from August 17 through August 31. In a message to prospective visitors, she wrote: "A new beginning has me feeling both excited and busy. I'll take good care of my own energy so I can share a comfortable, positive atmosphere with everyone who comes. Please visit often."

The studio news arrives as Shim rebuilds a public profile that went quiet in 2021, when she faced school violence allegations that put her career on hold. An investigation concluded in early 2024 that she had not been a perpetrator, and she announced the finding through her personal channel last year. She has since returned to the stage, appearing in theatrical productions Fairy Tale Longing and Village of Sewn Eyes, and has stated her hope that acting opportunities will follow.

Running a yoga studio while chasing a stage comeback is a crowded schedule, but the early returns suggest she is managing both tracks at once. Whether the acting side regains momentum will be worth watching once the studio is up and running.