Han Ji-hye

In this Korean name, the family name is Lee. In the stage name or pen-name, the surname is Han.

Han Ji-hye (born Lee Ji-hye on June 29, 1984) is a South Korean actress.

Han Ji-hye
Born	Lee Ji-hye (1984-06-29) June 29, 1984 (age 40) Gwangju, South Korea
Education	Sejong University - Film Arts
Occupation	Actress
Years active	2001–present
Agent	Awesome ENT[1]
Spouse	Jung Hyuk-joon ​ (m. 2010)​
Children	1
Korean name
Hangul	한지혜
Hanja	韓智慧
Revised Romanization	Han Ji-hye
McCune–Reischauer	Han Chihye
Birth name
Hangul	이지혜
Hanja	李智慧
Revised Romanization	I Ji-hye
McCune–Reischauer	I Chihye

Background

Born Lee Ji-hye, she used the stage name "Han Ji-hye" upon learning that her real name would cause confusion among fans since an older actress, Lena Lee, also has the same Korean name.^[2]

Career

2001–2007

Han made her entertainment debut as a model, then started acting in supporting roles in TV dramas such as Summer Scent.^[2] She landed her first leading role in Sweet 18.^[3] The next couple of years saw Han starring in low-rating dramas, but her 2007 daily drama Likeable or Not became very popular, topping the ratings chart during its run and recording the highest rating for a daily drama since 2000.^[4][5] Han then displayed newfound maturity and great improvement in her acting in the 2008 epic drama East of Eden.^[6]

2008–2011

In 2008, Han along with Leon Jay Williams sang the Korean and Chinese versions of Olympic theme song "Friends."^[7] She was brought to the project via a proposal from the Chinese Olympic committee to sing "Friends" as the official swimming theme of the Beijing National Aquatics Centre at the Beijing Olympics. Less than a year later, she again recorded a digital single, an upbeat electro-pop song titled "Luv Luv".^[8]

After studying the craft of shoemaking and design in Florence, Italy, Han collaborated with existing shoe brand Jinny Kim to design and produce her own line, called "H by Jinny Kim."^[9] This was documented on Han Ji-hye: Shoes! My Dream! which aired on cable channel O'live TV. The Fall/Winter 2009 collection were sold in major department stores in Seoul and the surrounding metro areas, as well as in a well-known department store in Singapore and various online shopping malls.

Han then published My Fair Lady, a collection of autobiographical lifestyle essays. The volume focused on Han's hobbies and daily life rather than on her onscreen work and contained Han's writings about her experiences as a twentysomething single woman, as well as her reflections on her life. It also touched on the various projects she has undertaken such as designing shoes, studying tea ceremony, learning about ceramics, DIY furniture making, and fabric art.^[10]

Director Lee Joon-ik cast Han in his 2010 period action film Blades of Blood without auditioning her — not for her talents, but for her Asian-looking eyes. Aside from finding her single eyelid unique and difficult to find in recent years, Lee liked that she related to him in a natural manner. Han said that Lee scolded her a lot in the beginning of the shoot for not acting well, so she used the pain in her heart to portray her character such that she improved towards the middle of the filming and learned a lot from him. She also sang on the soundtrack, having played a gisaeng in the film.^[11]

After starring in her first period drama series in 2011's The Duo,^[12] she played a woman who helps a young man achieve his dreams in the single-episode drama Pianist,^[13][14] and a visually impaired teacher in the 2-part Chuseok special The Great Gift.^[15] She also starred in her first Chinese drama, Heavenly Embroidery.^[16][17]

2012–present

Han played the protagonist in the 2012 drama May Queen, the success story of a woman in the shipbuilding industry during Korea's modernization.^[18] In 2013, she portrayed dual roles in Pots of Gold (also known as I Summon You, Gold! or Gold, Appear!), a family comedy that explores money, love and marriage.^[19] This was followed by leading roles as a cold-hearted heiress in The Full Sun, and as a wrongfully convicted prisoner turned baker in 4 Legendary Witches in 2014.^[20][21]

In January 2016, Han signed with management agency KeyEast.^[22] In 2018, she made a comeback in the family drama Shall We Live Together.^[23]

Personal life

On September 21, 2010, Han married public prosecutor Jung Hyuk-joon in a private ceremony in Hawaii.^[24][25][26] On the December 31, 2020, Han announced on social media that she is expecting a child, due in Summer 2021.^[27][28] On June 23, 2021, Han's agency announced that had given birth to a daughter Jung Yoon-seul.^[29] Both her husband and daughter appeared on public television for the first time via Stars' Top Recipe at Fun-Staurant.^[30]

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role
2002	Saving My Hubby	Convenience store clerk
2003	Singles	Ji-hye, Jeong-joon's new girlfriend
2005	My Boyfriend Is Type B	Ha-mi
2008	Humming	Mi-yeon
2010	Blades of Blood	Baek-ji

Television series

Year	Title	Role
2002	Great Luck Family
2003	The Bean Chaff of My Life	Shin Hee-jung
	Scent of a Man	Ha Soo-min
	Summer Scent	Park Jung-ah
	Open Drama Man and Woman: "One More Step Than Love"
2004	Sweet 18	Yoon Jung-sook
	Island Village Teacher	Hong Eun-soo
	Banjun Drama
2005	The Secret Lovers	Seo Young-ji
2006	Cloud Stairs	Yoon Jung-won
2007	Likeable or Not	Na Dan-poong
2008	East of Eden	Kim Ji-hyun
2010	KBS Drama Special: "Pianist"	Yoon In-sa
2011	The Duo	Dong-nyeo
	Heavenly Embroidery	Quan Cai Xi
	The Great Gift	Kim Ha-yeon
2012	May Queen	Chun Hae-joo
2013	Pots of Gold	Jung Mong-hee / Son Yoo-na
2014	Beyond the Clouds	Han Young-won
	4 Legendary Witches	Moon Soo-in
2018	Marry Me Now	Park Yoo-ha
2019	The Golden Garden	Eun Dong-joo
2023	Han River Police	Eun-sook (special appearance)[31]

Music video

Year	Song Title	Artist
2002	"그댄 행복에 살텐데"	Leeds
2003	"잊을 수 있을까요?"
2004	[Part 1] "Whistle to Me (Hwilili)"	Lee Soo-young
	[Part 2] "Andante"
2005	"Forever You"
	"Gwanghwamun Love Song"

Discography

Year	Song Title	Notes
2008	"Love You Forever"	duet with Lee Chun-hee; 2 tracks from Humming OST
	"Friends"	Beijing Olympics swimming theme song
2009	"Luv Luv"	digital single feat. Soul Tronik
2010	"Sangsamong"	track from Blades of Blood OST

Book

Year	Title	ISBN
2010	My Fair Lady	ISBN 978-89-963339-4-4

Shoe line

Year	Brand	Notes
2009	H by Jinny Kim

Awards and nominations

Year	Award	Category	Nominated work	Result
2001	Supermodel Contest	Dodo Makeup Award	—	Won
2003	KBS Drama Awards	Best New Actress	Summer Scent	Won
2004	40th Baeksang Arts Awards	Best New Actress (TV)	Sweet 18	Won
	MBC Entertainment Awards	Best Female Newcomer in a Variety Show		Won
	KBS Drama Awards	Excellence Award, Actress	Sweet 18	Nominated
2005	42nd Grand Bell Awards	Best New Actress	My Boyfriend Is Type B	Nominated
	26th Blue Dragon Film Awards	Best New Actress		Nominated
	MBC Drama Awards	Excellence Award, Actress	The Secret Lovers	Nominated
		Popularity Award, Actress		Nominated
2006	Korea Best Dresser Swan Awards	Best Dressed, TV Actress category	—	Won
2007	KBS Drama Awards	Excellence Award, Actress in a Daily Drama	Likeable or Not	Won
2008	2nd Korea Drama Awards	Excellence Award, Actress		Won
	MBC Drama Awards	Excellence Award, Actress	East of Eden	Won
2009	4th Asia Model Awards	Model Star Award	—	Won
	Korea Cadastral Survey Corporation	Plaque of Appreciation	—	Won
	45th Baeksang Arts Awards	Best Actress (TV)	East of Eden	Nominated
2010	Korea International Jewelry & Watch Fair	Best Jewelry Lady	—	Won
	KBS Drama Awards	Best Actress in a One-Act/Special/Short Drama	Pianist	Nominated
2012	20th Korean Culture and Entertainment Awards	Top Excellence Award, Actress in a Drama	May Queen	Won
	MBC Drama Awards	Top Excellence Award, Actress in a Serial Drama		Won
		Best Couple Award with Kim Jae-won		Nominated
		Popularity Award, Actress		Nominated
2013	2nd APAN Star Awards	Excellence Award, Actress	Pots of Gold	Nominated
	MBC Drama Awards	Top Excellence Award, Actress in a Serial Drama		Won
		Best Couple Award with Yeon Jung-hoon		Nominated
		Popularity Award, Actress		Nominated
2014	KBS Drama Awards	Best Couple Award with Yoon Kye-sang	The Full Sun	Nominated
		Netizen Award, Actress		Nominated
	MBC Drama Awards	Top Excellence Award, Actress in a Special Project Drama	4 Legendary Witches	Nominated
		Best Couple Award with Ha Seok-jin		Nominated
		Popularity Award, Actress		Nominated
2015	4th APAN Star Awards	Top Excellence Award, Actress in a Serial Drama		Nominated
2018	11th Korea Drama Awards[32]	Top Excellence Award, Actress	Marry Me Now	Nominated
	6th APAN Star Awards[33]	Top Excellence Award, Actress in a Serial Drama		Nominated
	KBS Drama Awards	Excellence Award, Actress in a Serial Drama[34]		Won
		Best Couple Award with Lee Sang-woo		Nominated
		Netizen Award, Actress		Nominated
2019	MBC Drama Awards	Top Excellence, Actress in a Weekend/Daily Drama	The Golden Garden	Nominated

References

1. ""박서준-한지혜-홍수현 등 이적"...콘텐츠와이 출범" [Park Seo Joon, Lee Hyun Woo, Goo Hara, And More Keyeast Actors To Move To Content Y]. SBS funE (in Korean). June 26, 2017. Archived from the original on December 7, 2020. Retrieved June 27, 2017.
2. "South Korean Actress and Model Han Ji-Hye". HanCinema. The Seoul Times. February 19, 2011. Archived from the original on January 14, 2021. Retrieved February 24, 2018.
3. "Sweet 18/Little Bride / 18 Year Old Bride". KBS World. September 24, 2006. Archived from the original on August 8, 2018. Retrieved February 24, 2018.
4. "Likable or Not Reach Highest Drama Ratings since 2000" Archived March 4, 2016, at the Wayback Machine. KBS Global. April 25, 2008.
5. "Actors of 'Likeable or Not' Say Being 'Lovey-Dovey' is Fun". KBS World. March 3, 2008. Archived from the original on August 8, 2018. Retrieved February 24, 2018.
6. "Actress Han Ji-hye feels destined for Eden". Korea JoongAng Daily. November 26, 2008. Archived from the original on October 20, 2021. Retrieved February 24, 2018.
7. "Han Ji-hye Sings Beijing Olympics Theme Song" Archived May 23, 2013, at the Wayback Machine. KBS Global. August 14, 2008.
8. "Actress Han Ji-hye Debuts as Singer". HanCinema. KBS World. May 15, 2009. Archived from the original on February 24, 2018. Retrieved February 24, 2018.
9. "Han Ji-hye selected to promote Design Korea 2009". Asiae. November 12, 2009. Archived from the original on November 27, 2022. Retrieved June 22, 2013.
10. 한지혜, 작가됐다...27살 싱글의 삶 책으로. Herald Biz (in Korean). June 3, 2010. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved December 17, 2012.
11. "Traces of Lee Jun-ik's work in Blades of Blood" Archived April 18, 2020, at the Wayback Machine. 10Asia. April 20, 2010.
12. "Actress Han Ji-hye to star in new historical drama". 10Asia. December 15, 2010. Archived from the original on June 14, 2018. Retrieved February 24, 2018.
13. "Han Ji-hye to star in final episode of KBS omnibus series". 10Asia. November 9, 2010. Archived from the original on February 24, 2018. Retrieved February 24, 2018.
14. "INTERVIEW: Actress Han Ji-hye" Archived November 4, 2014, at the Wayback Machine. 10Asia. November 18, 2010.
15. "Han Ji-hye cast as female lead in upcoming SBS two-part series" Archived November 27, 2022, at the Wayback Machine. 10Asia. August 11, 2011.
16. "Actress Han Ji-hye cast for new Chinese drama". 10Asia. February 24, 2010. Archived from the original on October 25, 2021. Retrieved February 24, 2018.
17. "Han Ji-hye says shooting Chinese drama "Embroidery" was "precious"". 10Asia. June 9, 2010. Archived from the original on June 14, 2018. Retrieved February 24, 2018.
18. "May Queen's Han Ji-hye comes back to TV". MBC Global Media. August 16, 2012. Archived from the original on February 11, 2015. Retrieved June 13, 2014.
19. "Ambition fuels actress Han Ji-hye". Korea JoongAng Daily. October 4, 2013. Archived from the original on October 20, 2021. Retrieved February 24, 2018.
20. "Yoon Kye-sang, Han Ji-hye to Pair Up in New KBS's Drama". 10Asia. December 30, 2013. Archived from the original on November 24, 2019. Retrieved February 24, 2018.
21. "Typecasting Proves a Boon to Han Ji-hye's Career". The Chosun Ilbo. January 31, 2015. Archived from the original on April 26, 2023. Retrieved February 2, 2015.
22. "Han Ji-hye joins Keyeast". The Korea Times. January 15, 2016. Archived from the original on February 24, 2018. Retrieved February 24, 2018.
23. "Han Ji-hye to Return with Family-Themed TV Series". The Chosun Ilbo. February 24, 2018. Archived from the original on April 30, 2023. Retrieved February 24, 2018.
24. "Han Ji-hye to Marry in Hawaii Next Month". The Chosun Ilbo. August 6, 2010. Archived from the original on January 15, 2021. Retrieved December 17, 2012.
25. "Actress Han to tie knot in Hawaii". The Korea Times. August 6, 2010. Archived from the original on September 18, 2013. Retrieved December 17, 2012.
26. "Han Ji Hye to Open Up on Her Life in Chicago". enewsWorld. April 18, 2012. Archived from the original on January 28, 2013.
27. Cho Hyun-joo (December 31, 2020). "한지혜, 임신 소식 직접 발표..."예쁜 아기가 찾아왔다". YTN (in Korean). Archived from the original on January 14, 2021. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
28. Yoon Hyo-jung (December 31, 2020). "[단독] 한지혜, 결혼 10년만에 감격의 첫 아이 임신...태교 전념". news1 (in Korean). Archived from the original on January 15, 2021. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
29. Ahn Yoon-ji (June 23, 2021). "한지혜, 오늘 딸 출산 "산모·아이 모두 건강"[공식]". StarNews (in Korean). Naver. Archived from the original on June 23, 2021. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
30. Kim Bo-young (August 20, 2022). "편스토랑' 한지혜, 검사 남편·딸 윤슬 양 최초 공개...시청률 상승". EDaily via Naver (in Korean). Archived from the original on August 21, 2022. Retrieved August 21, 2022.
31. Shim Eun-kyung (August 2, 2022). "[단독]한지혜, '한강' 특별출연...딸 출산 후 안방 복귀" [[Exclusive] Ji-hye Han to make a special appearance in 'Han River'... Returning to the bedroom after giving birth to her daughter] (in Korean). Sports Seoul. Retrieved August 2, 2022 – via Naver.
32. "2018코리아드라마어워즈 후보 공개". KDFO.org (in Korean). September 22, 2018. Archived from the original on October 6, 2021. Retrieved September 27, 2018.
33. "이병헌·손예진·아이유 APAN스타어워즈 노미네이트". Star News (in Korean). September 27, 2018. Archived from the original on April 4, 2019. Retrieved September 27, 2018.
34. Woo, Bin (January 1, 2019). [2018 KBS 연기대상] 유동근 대상 "장미희 덕분인데 내가 왜..대하드라마 부활 기원" [[2018 KBS Drama Awards] Donggeun Lee Grand Prize "Why am I ... thanks to Jang Mi-hee.]. Ten Asia (in Korean). Archived from the original on January 1, 2019. Retrieved January 1, 2019 – via Naver.

External links

• Han Ji-hye Archived January 29, 2020, at the Wayback Machine at Content Y