Song Hye-kyo is beloved not only by fans in Asia, but of fans all over the world. While she has been one of South Korea’s leading stars since the turn of the century, it is her performance in the super-hit K-drama, Descendants of the Sun, which has made her a cultural icon across Asia, and given her a celebrity star status in the West.
Now with her co-star Song Joong-ki reportedly being wooed by American filmmakers, the rumors surrounding Song Hye-kyo heading to Hollywood have also escalated. But even without those rumors, the interest in Song Hye-kyo’s life has grown by leaps and bounds ever since Descendants of the Sun drew to a close. Now with Western audiences increasingly attuning themselves to the popular cultural landscape of the Hallyu, or the Korean Wave, it would be a good time to get to know more about this beautiful, insightful and talented star.
Earlier this week, Inquisitr compiled a list of ten interesting facts about Song Joong-ki that even his staunchest fans might not know, and today we look forward to providing ten lesser-known facts about Song Hye-kyo, which will enable you to compete with your friends for the title of Song Hye-kyo’s greatest fan!
So sit back, take a sip of your favorite drink, and indulge in these ten amazing facts about the Descendants of the Sun star.
10. Song Hye-kyo’s parents did not think she would survive more than a few days when she was born.
If Hye-kyo’s parents worst fears came true, the whole of Asia — and even the world — would have been robbed off of one of the best contemporary talents in acting. When Song Hye-kyo was born, she was terribly sick, leading her parents and doctors to believe that she would not survive , according to South Korea’s My Daily. As a result, her parents did not even register her birth in November, the month she was actually born, and only officially registered her birth more than three months later in February of the next year.
9. Song Hye-kyo also wanted to be an athlete when she grew up, much like her Descendants of the Sun co-star, Song Joong-ki.
As Inquisitr reported earlier, Song Joong-ki wanted to be an athlete when he was growing up. It turns out Song Hye-kyo was also a gifted athlete when she was growing up with her mother in the Gangnam District in Seoul. Trained as a figure skater, Song Hye-kyo was a remarkable talent even in her early years, but she quit the sport in high school to focus more on her other vocations, one of which included modeling.
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8. Song Hye-kyo won a modeling contest for teens when she was 14-years-old, sparking an ambition in her to model for the biggest brands.
When Song Hye-kyo was 14, she won the SunKyung Smart Model Contest, the prize of which included being the poster kid for a school uniform company. This is what led her away from figure skating and into the entertainment business because Song Hye-kyo’s first stint as a model brought her to the attention of talent scouts, whom then went on to cast her in a small role in her first television drama, First Love.
7. Much before Descendants of the Sun became a pan-Asia success, Song Hye-kyo had already been part of another blockbuster K-drama in 2003, titled All In.
While Song Hyo-kye’s Descendants of the Sun co-star, Song Joong-ki, experienced overwhelming success for the first time after the show became a pan-Asia hit earlier this year, she has a long history of starring in some of South Korea’s best K-dramas. In 2003, Song Hye-kyo starred alongside Lee Byung-hun in the gambling drama All In , which drew solid viewership ratings nationwide throughout its run with a peak viewer rating of 47.7 percent.
The following year, she starred in romantic comedy series Full House, which established her as one of the most sought-after South Korean actresses in the business.
6. At the peak of her success, Song Hye-kyo took a two-year hiatus from work to learn English in the United States.
While rumors surrounding Song Hye-kyo being wooed by Hollywood have started to make the rounds only recently, her relationship with the United States goes way back. At the peak of her success, Song Hye-kyo took a two-year sabbatical from her work to learn English in the United States.
She enjoys coming to America when she is not working, and even owns a luxurious condo that oversees Central Park in New York.
5. Song Hye-kyo has also starred in American indie film, Make You rself At Home.
Big-scale Hollywood might still not be calling for Song Hye-kyo, but she has already made her American debut in a 2009 indie production, Make Yourself At Home, or Fetish . The film explored the psychological tribulations that immigrants of Asian descent face in America.
Song Hye-kyo plays a character who becomes curiously obsessed with a Caucasian neighbor couple after moving to suburban New Jersey with her husband.
4. Even before Descendants of the Star took off, Song Hye-kyo was already the face of several global brands in Asia.
While Song Joong-ki owes his phenomenal success particularly to the overwhelming popularity of Descendants of the Sun, Song Hye-kyo was a familiar face even before the show propelled her into international stardom. The face of brands like Levi’s, McDonald’s, Dior, Etude House, Whitea, Aritaum, Innisfree, Olay and several others, Hye-kyo has already touched the pinnacle of modeling stardom, and now with her rumored entry to the grand old business of Hollywood, it appears probable that her rise will take her into uncharted territories in the near future.
3. Song Hye-kyo does not have a boyfriend.
Good luck Song Hye-kyo fans. The beautiful actress is reportedly not dating anyone presently , although rumors were rife that she had been seeing Song Joong-ki. But the pair have denied the rumors several times, although Song Joong-ki admits that he has deep respect for Song Hye-kyo, who is five years his senior, according to Yibada.
“She helped me a lot. She’s a sunbae [superior] that I can never catch up to, I thought her reputation was well-deserved..
“Her personality is very confident… [And] that is also something I should learn from her as a hoobae [junior].”
2. Apart from her proficiency in Korean and English, Song Hye-kyo can also speak Cantonese.
Song Hye-kyo is not only beautiful, but an extremely talented actress with an eye for detail. Her dedication to her work is well-documented, and her stint in the United States to learn English is proof of how far she is ready to go to become better equipped with every passing year.
As a result, she was cast in The Grandmaster , directed by one of Asia’s foremost directors, Wong Kar-wai. For the role, Song Hye-kyo underwent intense training, and apart from learning martial arts from the masters themselves, even took classes for Cantonese.
Now she can speak Cantonese with almost the same fluidity as English. Talk about dedication to one’s art!
1. Despite her overwhelming success and the fact that she is now one of Asia’s foremost actresses, Song Hye-kyo is hailed as one of the most modest and down-to-earth actresses working in the Korean entertainment business.
Not only Song Joong-ki, but a plethora of Song Hye-kyo’s former and current co-stars have hailed her as being deeply respectful and very modest on and off the sets. While she is considered one of the most beautiful actresses to have graced the Hallyu, Song Hye-kyo believes she is average-looking.
“It is the victory of lighting. It is not like that when you actually see me.
“Since I appeared so beautiful in the drama, I thought maybe I shouldn’t even go outside.”
[Photo by Chiang Ying-ying/AP Images]