“Boys Over Flowers” and “Glass Slippers” star Kim Hyun Joo at 45: glamorous career, staying single for 21 years after breakup
In contrast with her successful career, the actress has a struggling romantic life.
Speaking of Kim Hyun Joo, two images usually come to mind, that of Yoon Hee in “Glass Slippers” and that of the powerful older sister to Goo Jun Pyo in “Boys Over Flowers”. At 45, Kim Hyun Joo still boasts elegant beauty and takes pride in being one of the top actresses in Kbiz.
On the contrary, her love life is sadly rocky. After ending her relationship with So Ji Sub 21 years ago, she still has not publicly dated anyone else.
A struggling and poor childhood dreaming of becoming a star
Kim Hyun Joo was born in a poor area in Gyeonggi Province with a calm and normal childhood. Despite her fairly common family background, the actress was able to access arts and expressed her talents from acting to playing the violin and piano. She started to dream about becoming a famous star in the future.
When her family moved to the city, Kim Hyun Joo had the chance to model and gradually crossed into acting. In 1996, she was an amateur in showbiz and accumulated considerable successes.
Thriving career, becoming one of the most beautiful actress in Kbiz
Kim Hyun Joo’s path was laid with roses when, in her rookie years, the actress received the main role in the movie “If It Snows on Christmas”. Her popularity heightened with a range of roles in works such as “Springtime”, “Into the Sunlight” and “Sangdo – Merchant of Joseon”. In 2002, the actress claimed the rank of A-listers after her powerful performance in “Glass Slippers”.
At that moment, Kim Hyun Joo dominated the Kbiz chart of stars with the highest endorsement fee. In 2004, she received the highest paid appearance fee with 800 million won for each contract that lasted for a year. Currently, with 20 years of working, she saw some downs with her reputation but still attempted with diverse characters to renew her image.
Kim Hyun Joo scored points with a beauty that combines sweetness and sexiness. Her visual is at times friendly and approachable, others charismatic and sharp. At 45, the actress only grows in her sharpness envied by many.
Leading a single life, not publicly dating any on after 21 years breaking up with So Ji Sub
Kim Hyun Joo is quiet about her personal life. She only announced her relationship with So Ji Sub when both of them were new faces in the field. So Ji Sub and Kim Hyun Joo shared sweetness for each other not only on the set of “Glass Slippers” but also in real life. However, they were confronted with their parents’ disapproval, reasoning that they needed to focus on their career. In 2001, the couple broke up because of their intense schedules and had no time to care for their relationship.
In 2020, So Ji Sub stepped away from single life and got married to a female presenter 17 years younger than him, Cho Eun Jung. Meanwhile, Hyun Joo has not found her other half. It seems her first love with So Ji Sub is the one she keeps for the rest of her life, as in one of her sharing: “He is my first and last man”.
Now familiar with single life, Kim Hyun Joo claimed to be the “man” of the house as she does everything by herself, from fixing furniture to connecting electrical wires or carrying heavy loads. She admitted that being single made her life feel lonely sometimes:”I sometimes cry out of loneliness. Sometimes I wish there was someone to be by my side. But I also fear that I will feel suffocated if there is truly another person in my life”.
Source: K14
