Kim Hee Sun: The first-generation Hallyu goddess who turned down many successful dramas & films
Prior to the era of Song Hye Kyo, Kim Tae Hee, Jun Ji Hyun, it was Kim Hee Sun who led the first age of Hallyu goddesses.
When it comes to top Korean actresses who contributed to the spread of the Hallyu wave in the early days, perhaps many viewers will think of the outstanding female stars born in the 80s such as Song Hye Kyo, Kim Tae Hee, Jun Ji Hyun,… However, before these actresses shot to fame, Korea’s entertainment industry had witnessed the huge success of Kim Hee Sun.
Kim Hee Sun was born in 1977. In 1992, Kim Hee Sun attended a beauty contest and entered the entertainment industry as a teen model. In 1993, she started acting in commercials and received her first movie role when she was only 16. This acting gig marked the beginning of Kim Hee Sun’s powerful career.
In an interview, when asked, “Who do you think is the most beautiful among Jun Ji Hyun, Kim Tae Hee and Song Hye Kyo?”, Kim Hee Sun did not hesitate to answer, “Of course it’s me.” Many netizens might think that she was too confident and overestimated herself.
However, for most viewers of the previous generation, Kim Hee Sun actually has all the reasons to be confident in herself, because Kim Hee Sun, the senior of the TaeHyeJi trio, is indeed a top-tier goddess representing the Hallyu wave back in the period of 1990-2000.
Ever since she was a high school student, Kim Hee Sun has been a beauty in the school thanks to her oval face, straight high nose bridge, slim figure, and gentle temperament.
By the time she was fully grown, she was even more prominent with her radiant beauty. She has been constantly named in beauty rankings such as “the ideal model chosen by cosmetologists”, “the beauty with the best face ratio” or “The most beautiful Korean female star”…
Kim Hee Sun‘s film achievements are even more impressive because each of her films received over 30% ratings in the years from 1997 to 1999. This figure is particularly commendable, given that the current rating of over 10% is already quite high.
Kim Hee Sun is always sought after, invited by filmmakers, and even paid extremely high salaries because “the film will undoubtedly be a resounding success as long as Kim Hee Sun is present.” Propose (1997), Wedding Dress (1997), Forever Yours (1998), Mister Q (1998), Sunflower (1998) and Tomato are just a few of the films that have benefited from Kim Hee Sun’s reputation.
It was also because she was the most popular goddess at that time, so filmmakers took turns sending her the most outstanding scripts, hoping that she could appear in their films. But you know, Kim Hee Sun turned down up to 10 dramas that are almost legendary in the Korean film industry.
List of those 10 dramas and movie, will surely amaze many people, they are: Autumn in My Heart (Song Hye Kyo), Guardian Angel (Song Hye Kyo), Winter Sonata (Choi Ji Woo), Successful story of a bright girl (Jang Na Ra), All In (Song Hye Kyo), Phoenix (Lee Eun Joo), Lovers in Paris (Kim Jung Eun), I’m sorry I love you (Im Soo Jung), My Girl (Lee Da Hae) and the movie “200 Pound Beauty” (Kim Ah Joong).
Perhaps the heroines of the above dramas need to thank Kim Hee Sun for giving them golden opportunities.As for Kim Hee Sun, even though she missed such a series of legendary dramas, she still has a career that any star would dream of.
Surprisingly, the 3 dramas that helped Song Hye-kyo rise to the peak of her fame, “Autumn in My Heart”, “Guardian Angel” and “All In”, were given to Kim Hee Sun in the first place. Therefore, it seems like it was Kim Hee Sun who brought luck to Song Hye Kyo.
In fact, the two actresses later became best friends. Apart from Song Yoon Ah and Go Hyun Jung, Kim Hee Sun is also one of the closest celebrities to Song Hye Kyo. They often sent coffee trucks to support each other’s new projects and spent time hanging out like all other groups of best friends.
Not only does Kim Hee Sun have a successful career, ageless beauty, and respect from many colleagues and juniors, she also owns a happy family. Kim Hee Sun suddenly announced her marriage in 2007 and surprised everyone by revealing her husband to be a wealthy businessman who is an heir to a corporation specialized in architecture.
Married to a rich family, Kim Hee Sun has spent a life that is full of happiness. Her husband takes great care of her and is also supportive of her career. That’s why she was able to maintain an admirable ageless appearance and continue to pursue acting until now.
Having turned 44, Kim Hee Sun still captures the hearts of many people for her stunning beauty. The middle-aged Kim Hee Sun is also proud of her natural beauty that hasn’t changed much compared to before.
Kim Hee Sun had achieved everything, including great fame and a solid presence in the entertainment industry. At the age of 40, she still received invitations for main character roles, remaining one of the top stars in Korea. Not many Korean celebrities could be like Kim Hee Sun, who has not only beauty and talent but also great luck. In this generation, she is still one of the most admirable stars in Korean showbiz.
