Top 5 Korean Actresses

Top 5 Korean Actresses

South Korean Cinema Barn Star. By Seskfabrega. Wikicommons

Hallyu, literally meaning “wave/flow of Korea” is the increase in the widespread popularity of South Korean culture that has happened since the 1990s. It was initially steered by the spread of K-dramas and K-pop across East, South, and Southeast Asia during its first stages, the Korean Wave developed from a regional development into a global phenomenon, fueled by the Internet and social media and the increase of K-pop music videos on YouTube.

1. Han Hyo Ju

Han Hyo. Photo by ACROFAN. Wikicommons.

Han Hyo-ju was born on February 22, 1987. She is a South Korean film and television actress. Han Hyo-joo was born in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province. Her mother was an elementary school teacher before becoming an inspector for public schools, and her father was an air force officer. She was good at sports as a child, particularly track and field. She attended Dongguk University, where she joined the theater and film department.

Han Hyo Ju got her first leading role in a K-drama called Spring Waltz. But, it was her role in Brilliant Legacy that brought her commercial breakthrough. The series showcased her acting talent and a popular filmmaker soon signed her. 

She was cast in Ad Lib Night, a film which gained her many awards. This accomplishment brought many more opportunities for the talented actress. It got her roles in other popular TV dramas like Shining Inheritance, and Dong Yi! 

If you’re looking for something interesting to watch, catch her works, such as Devil Claus’ Love and Magic, The Beauty Inside, and Golden Slumber.

2. Song Hye

Song Hye. Photo by Kiyoung Kim. Wikicommons

Song Hye-kyo was born on November 22, 1981. Song’s parents divorced when she was a young girl, and she was brought up by her mother.They moved from her birthplace in Daegu to the Gangnam District in Seoul. Song Hye-kyo attended college at Sejong University, where she majored in Film Arts.

Though Song Hye started off in a modelling career, she decided to go into acting. Song Hye-kyo attended college at Sejong University, where she majored in Film Arts. She gained popularity all over Asia and soon rose to become an internationally known superstar. The actress made her debut starring in Autumn in My Heart. 

You might remember Song for her leading role in the hit television drama watched and loved worldwide, Full House. She can also be watched acting in the following shows: That Winter, The Wind Blows, and Descendants of the Sun and Encounter.

She has been ranked 7th in Forbes magazine’s Korea Power Celebrity list. The success of Song’s television dramas all over the world has made her a top Hallyu star. When she’s not entertaining the world, Song does voluntary work with animals. She often participates in activities carried out by KARA.

Fun Fact-  When Song was born, she was sick and her parents and doctors thought that she would not survive. Upon her recovery, Song’s parents registered her birth on February 26, 1982, instead of her actual birthdate, November 22, 1981.

3. Lee Ji Eun

Lee_Ji-eun. Photo by Wasabcon. Wikicommons.

Lee Ji-eun was born on May 16, 1993. She is known professionally as IU and is arguably one of the best-selling K-Pop solo artists, radio and television hosts and the most influential celebrity in Korea. She also is an actress. She can be spotted in commercials and in popular current K-dramas.

Watch her in You’re the Best, Pretty Man, and Moon Lovers. In Moon Lovers she plays a 21st-century woman who gets sent back in time due to the strange sequence of events during a total eclipse of the Sun.

4. Bae Su Ji

Bae Su Ji, also known as Suzy, is one of the most in-demand actresses in Korea. Suzy was born in Buk District, Gwangju, South Korea on October 10, 1994, to Bae Wan-young and Jeong Hyun-sook. She went to the School of Performing Arts in Seoul and graduated in 2013.

Fun Fact:  She started out as an online shopping model! One lucky day, she was a contestant in the reality show “Superstar K”, where she was noticed by a scout. It didn’t take her long to go from modelling to music to acting.

Suzy made her debut as an actress with television series Dream High in 2011 and has gone on to appear in several other series since.

Gu Family Book, was her career-defining performance. If you consider yourself a fan of historical fantasy, you should probably check this one out.  Here, Su Ji shows off her acting and athletic skills as she plays a tomboy, skilled in archery and martial arts.

5. Kim So

Kim So. Photo by Kiyoung Kim. Wikicommons

Kim So-hyun was born on June 4, 1999 in Australia. She relocated to South Korea in 2003 when she was four years old. Kim So started her acting career as a little girl, at the tender age of 7, and was even referred to fondly as the “Nation’s Little Sister”. Her roles in Moon Embracing the Sun and Missing You catapulted her to fame. She continued to take on many challenging acting roles in various shows, winning the heart of all who got to watch her performance.

She has been acknowledged as a prolific child-actress who has established her acting skills since childhood and has set herself up to be the next-generation Hallyu star.