Child actor Kim Yu-jeong says she cried when she turned 20: 'I was scared of becoming an adult'

Actor Kim Yu-jeong, who began her career as a child performer, has revealed she cried on the day she turned 20.

The confession came Wednesday on KBS 2TV's "Gurumi Dasi Geurin Dalbit" (Redrawing "Love in the Moonlight"), a reunion special marking the 10th anniversary of the drama series "Love in the Moonlight." The show's main cast — Park Bo-gum, Kim Yu-jeong, Jin Young, Chae Su-bin and Gwak Dong-yeon — traveled to Hongcheon for a two-day, one-night trip to celebrate the milestone.

After rafting in Hongcheon and stopping at a market before preparing dinner, the cast members reflected on their time together and reminisced about the past.

Park Bo-gum asked Kim, who said she was 17 when "Love in the Moonlight" was filmed, whether turning 20 had felt any different. Kim responded by bringing up the 2017 KBS Drama Awards, saying, "That was when we went to the KBS awards ceremony to present the grand prize. Do you remember?"

Kim went on to say, "That was the day I turned 20. Midnight passed while we were in the waiting room on Dec. 31. After the ceremony, I went to Itaewon with my mom and sister and had a drink. I cried then. Because I didn't want to turn 20."

Gwak Dong-yeon reacted with surprise, saying, "Really? I couldn't wait to become an adult." Kim replied, "I was a little scared of becoming an adult."

Kim made her debut in a commercial in 2003 at age 4, then began her acting career the following year in the 2004 film "DMZ, Bimujang Jidae." "Love in the Moonlight," a youth Sageuk drama that aired in 2016, served as the springboard for her transition to adult roles.