Ha Ji Won is now residing alone in a luxurious apartment.
A top female action star in the Korean acting world
Born in 1978, Ha Ji Won’s real name is Jeon Hae Rim. Ever since her youth, Ha Ji Won has dreamed of becoming an actress, and was later scouted by an entertainment agency in middle school.
After this recruitment, Ha Ji Won started working as a model. She then attempted to break into acting, but had to go through over 100 failed auditions before she secured her first role.
In 1996, Ha Ji Won nailed her first leading role in the teen drama “New Generation Report: Adults Don’t Understand Us”. While she only assumed a supporting role with little screen time, this project has been an incentive for Ha Ji Won to pursue her dream.
Now, after 20 years in the industry, Ha Ji Won has been recognized as a top female action star with immense visuals and talents. She has also gained tremendous popularity after starring in various hit K-dramas and movies.
In addition, Ha Ji Won also boasts great versatility via her performances in all sorts of genres, from movies to series, from historical to modern, and from rom-com to horror and sci-fi. The actress also received a lot of critical acclaim, and has so far won 4 awards at the major award ceremony Baeksang.
In 2010, Ha Ji Won became a huge sensation after co-starring with Hyun Bin in the hit K-drama “Secret Garden”. With insane viewership ratings and reception, the drama’s popular spread way beyond Korea, turning Ha Ji Won and Hyun Bin into top stars.
Following “Secret Garden”, Ha Jin Won once again solidified her standing in the Korean acting world, and reached the peak of her career with “Empress Ki”. Playing as the female lead Ki Seung Nyang, the actress got to show off all her talents, from martial arts skill to soulful expressions.
Years after “Empress Ki” was released, the drama has become a legendary work, with Ha Ji Won at the center of it all. Some netizens even commented that without Ha Ji Won, “Empress Ki” just won’t be as successful.
However, after this hit series, Ha Ji Won’s later work seems to be falling behind in both popularity and quality. Nevertheless, the actress is still well-recognized for her talent and successes.
A single and private life after much turbulences
On the screen, Ha Ji Won often assumes roles of strong and independent women who can pull a kick, but in real life, she’s more feminine and private. The actress is also among the rare cases with little “dating scandals” in the industry.
Throughout her career, Ha Ji Won has worked alongside many handsome actors, and yet has publicly dated none of them. There were rumors about her relationships with Hyun Bin, Jin Yi Han, and Chen Bolin, but Ha Ji Won directly refuted them all.
At the age of 44, Ha Ji Won still remains single amid her married friends. It is presumed that this is a result of both her dedication to acting, and the hardships she had gone through in her life.
In particular, Ha Ji Won’s father suddenly passed away in 2016, and the actress was struck with grief for a long time. Then, around a year later, her younger brother committed suicide after facing a scandal and depression, leaving the lonely Ha Ji Won behind.
Two huge shocks in a short time made Ha Ji Won break down. Therefore, after the death of her father and brother, Ha Ji Won temporarily withdrew from the entertainment industry and kept a low profile.
It was not until 2 years later that Ha Ji Won could somewhat heal from the pain and returned to her main job. She appeared in the touching family film “Pawn” in 2020. After taking another break in 2021, this year, Ha Ji Won is returning in KBS 2TV’s drama “Curtain Call: Trees Die Standing”.
Although she is no longer as active as she was during her prime time, with her talent and popularity, Ha Ji Won is always in the Top of the highest-paid actresses in Korea with about 400-600 million won for each work. In 2016, for each advertising contract, Ha Ji Won received 500 million won.
In addition to filming and advertising, she also does business. She and a friend are founders of a skin care brand. With high earnings from different sources, Ha Ji Won is now living in a luxury apartment that costs about 2 million USD.
Rich, beautiful and famous, Ha Ji Won is also known for having a big heart. For many years, she has provided financial support to the Fund for Children with Disabilities.
