Korean model and TV personality Jinri Park opened up about her career and a troubling experience she encountered on the mats during an appearance on The North South Project podcast.
Park, who gained popularity in the Philippines through bikini modeling and television appearances, reflected on the image she cultivated during her early years in entertainment. Looking back, she said she has no regrets about that chapter of her life.
“To be honest, my image was not like the girl next door,” Park said. “I had a more very sultry image just because of the modeling things I did in that area. I basically sold my body.”
Despite the criticism that sometimes came with that image, she made it clear she is proud of that period in her life.
“But I’m not ashamed of it,” she continued. “I think that was my most beautiful years and I want to keep it. And when I be a grandma, I want to be like, that’s your grandma. I was good.”
The conversation later turned to jiu-jitsu, a sport Park has practiced for more than a decade. While she once considered it a major passion in her life, she admitted her feelings toward the sport have changed dramatically.
“I used to love it,” Park said. “I used to be ad*icted to it. It was more than love.”
She then revealed how frustrated she has become with her progress.
“And I’m at the point where I ha te it,” she said. “Like I actually ha te jiu-jitsu because it makes me feel like s**t. Every time I train, it makes me feel so small.”
During the episode, Park described an incident involving a training partner whom she accused of repeatedly touching her chest during a roll.
“One time I had someone touch my chest like just consistently pushing me,” she recalled. “There’s other ways you can push.”
Park said she eventually confronted the individual after the behavior continued.
“I kind of lost it at one point,” she said. “It wasn’t in our gym. And I stopped and I was like, stop touching my chest. And I didn’t want to come back when he would train.”
The discussion then went into the challenges many women face when dealing with uncomfortable situations in combat sports environments. Park explained that not everyone feels comfortable speaking up in the moment.
“Not all women are going to be like, ‘Don’t do that,'” she said. “Not everyone is going to be vocal.”
She added that many women, including herself, sometimes choose to stay quiet to avoid creating tension.
“There are women like myself that I just shrug it,” Park said. “I just go through with it because I don’t want the awkward vibes and I don’t want to offend someone.”
Toward the end of the conversation, Park reflected on how her priorities have changed over the years and why she no longer worries about meeting other people’s expectations.
“I’m done with thinking about what other people should think about me,” she said. “I spent so much time thinking about that. It was just so stressful. Now I’m going to try to show my real self.”
