Girls’ Generation member Sooyoung has drawn attention after honestly explaining why she decided to leave SM Entertainment and begin working in a more challenging environment.

In an interview with GQ, Sooyoung said she wanted a change because she considered herself a very passive person, especially while working under a major agency.

She explained, “At a big company, schedules just kept coming even if I did nothing. But once I left, I realized that if I didn’t actively seek out work, I wouldn’t have a single thing on my schedule starting next month.”

Sooyoung admitted that Girls’ Generation’s long career also meant the members were rarely given strict instructions inside the company.

She said, “Since Girls’ Generation had been around for so long, even within SM, no one ever told us what to do. I realized, ‘Oh, no one’s going to scold me here,’ and that was part of the reason I left.”

Rather than remaining in a comfortable position, Sooyoung wanted to discover how much she could develop when faced with more responsibility.

She added, “I wanted to see how much I could grow in a challenging environment. Even now, I have to make choices every single moment. Since I’m putting together and leading my own team, I’ve found my sense of responsibility has grown significantly.”

Sooyoung also made it clear that leaving SM Entertainment did not mean leaving Girls’ Generation.

Addressing words such as “withdrawal” and “breakup,” she said she was tired of people assuming she had abandoned the group to focus only on acting.

She explained, “I’ve always introduced myself as ‘Sooyoung from Girls’ Generation,’ so wouldn’t it feel awkward if I suddenly said, ‘Hello, I’m Choi Sooyoung’? I really hate that kind of thing.”

She acknowledged that staying with a major company would have been more comfortable, but said some people naturally want to step away from that security and challenge themselves.

Online commenters praised Sooyoung’s mindset and willingness to leave a stable environment.

They wrote:

“She’s smart.”

“She’s seriously cool for challenging herself.”

“It makes me wonder if only people with this kind of mindset succeed.”

“The fact that she left for this reason and that her acting career turned out well is impressive.”

“If it were me, I would probably settle for the comfort of being at a big company, so people like her are amazing.”

Many also praised Sooyoung for carefully selecting her acting projects while continuing to proudly identify herself as a member of Girls’ Generation.