Although Fin.K.L has been on hiatus for years, musician Ock Joo-hyun said the band and herself were inseparable.

The band was one of the most popular K-pop girl groups in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

After four members of Fin.K.L decided to go their separate ways in 2002, Ock crossed over to musicals, earning the nickname “queen of musicals” by featuring in big-name productions such as “Aida,” “Chicago,” “Cats” and “Rebecca.”

She starred as the character Elphaba in the first Korean production of “Wicked the Musical” in 2014.

“I think my roots as a Fin.K.L member have been my best weapon and a weakness I wanted to discard at the same time. I’ve always been Ok Joo-hyun of Fin.K.L, and it was by biggest task to shed that image on the musical stage,” said Ok during an interview with The Korea Herald in Seoul on Tuesday.

“Actually, we -- Fin.K.L members -- recently talked about our struggles and attachment to Fin.K.L and how it affects our current careers. But one day I realized that I didn’t want to hide my Fin.K.L identity anymore,” she said.

Crossing over from K-pop music to musicals was a tough decision, she recalled. Her music, including her first solo debut single “I…,” have not always been well-received, but she does not have a single regret on her musical path that spans almost 20 years.

“I know that my songs weren’t that successive and popular enough to be heard at gyms and supermarkets, but I don’t regret it. And while I wasn’t active with my solo projects, I focused more on my career as a musical actress. I think my music has been influenced from both pop and musical genres,” she said.

As a health and yoga enthusiast who has written books about yoga, the actress said her career as a musical actress helped her sustain a healthy lifestyle despite struggles with stress and public expectations.

In celebration of her 20th anniversary, Ok will hold concerts from July 14 to 15 at Lotte Concert Hall in Seoul.

(lotus@heraldcorp.com)