5 Korean actresses that were in beauty contests: Honey Lee was surprisingly not the most successful 

These beauty pageants had major successes when becoming actresses. 

After their achievements with tough beauty pageant competitions, these contenders moved on to acting in order to stay in the entertainment industry. However, with regards to the competitive nature of the field, few got successful or gained popularity and love for high-quality roles. 

Honey Lee

In 2007, Honey Lee (or Lee Ha Nee) represented South Korea to compete in Miss Universe and was placed 35d runner-up. One year after her return to the country, Honey Lee pursued acting on film projects and plays, starting with the play “Polaroid”. The actress also took part in several famous works such as “Comeback Alive”, “The Fiery Priest” and “Alienoid” as her most recent work. 

Lee Da Hae

Lee Da Hae, often remembered as Lee Dong Wook’s famous co-star, originated from the beauty competitions. She won the 71st Miss Chunhyang Pageant and turned to acting with such projects as “My Girl” or “Hotel King”. Da Hae won an award at the Baeksang Arts Awards, in the “Best New Actress for TV” Category. 

Kim Sung Ryung

Kim Sung Ryung had a long and memorable journey with beauty contests before the actress gained popularity in “The Heirs” and “Legend of the Blue Sea”. In 1988, she was crowned Miss Korea and progressed to Miss Universe a year later. Apart from her impressive acting performance, she was also known to do charity works and take adoption in some Southeast Asian countries. 

Kim Sa Rang

Kim Sa Rang is another buzz-worthy name when crossing into acting after her appearance at the “Miss Universe Pageant” and winning the “National Costume” category. In 2010, the actress became widely known after starring in “Secret Garden” alongside Hyun Bin. Kim Sa Rang on the screen usually shows her most beautiful image and is less likely to depart from that image. 

Lee Bo Young

Lee Bo Young is undoubtedly the most successful actress with pageant origin. She represented Daejeon to participate in the 2000 Miss Korea and changed to modeling before crossing into acting. In 2012, she starred in drama “Seoyoung, My Daughter” with peak average ratings at the time. She also appeared in other major series such as “When My Love Blooms”, “I Hear Your Voice” and “Mine”. She also won “Actress in Miniseries” Award from three broadcast stations, MBC, KBS and SBS. 

Source: K14