Han Hyo-joo

Early life

Han Hyo-joo was born in Yullryang-dong, Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province. Her mother was an elementary school teacher before becoming an inspector for public schools, and her father was an air force lieutenant colonel who served at a reserve. At the time of her birth, Han was given the name Han Ji-yeong () but when she entered the third grade, she changed it to her current name. She also has a younger brother and attended Deokseong Elementary School. As a child, she was good in sports, particularly track and field.

After graduating from Yullyang Middle School in 2002, she attended Cheongju Girls' High School until 2004. In her sophomore year of high school, she moved to Seoul and transferred to Bulgok High School in Bundang District, Seongnam, despite the objections of her strict and conservative father. After graduating in March 2005, she entered Dongguk University's College of Arts, where she joined the Theater and Film department, and eventually graduated in 2010.

Career

2003–2006: Beginnings

Han was first discovered in a teenage beauty pageant organized by food corporation Binggrae in 2003. She began her acting career in the sitcom Nonstop 5 and the gangster comedy film My Boss, My Teacher. Han later raised her profile by starring in Spring Waltz, the fourth and final installment of TV director Yoon Seok-ho's "season drama" series.

In 2006, director Lee Yoon-ki cast Han in the starring role in his low-budget independent film Ad-lib Night, which follows a young woman who rediscovers herself through an eerie overnight encounter with strangers. She won the Best New Actress awards at the Korean Association of Film Critics Awards and Singapore International Film Festival for her performance.

2007–2010: Breakthrough roles and overseas popularity

Han then starred in two highly successful TV projects and rose to fame - KBS daily drama Heaven & Earth with Park Hae-jin in 2007, and SBS masked-adventurer series Iljimae with Lee Joon-gi in 2008. Both dramas drew solid viewership ratings nationwide throughout its run with high viewer ratings and launched Han into a household name. Afterwards, she was cast in another indie film, Ride Away, which debuted at the 2008 Jeonju International Film Festival.

Han then filmed the Korean-Japanese telecinema co-production Heaven's Postman, which also featured pop star Jaejoong from TVXQ (now JYJ). After several postponements, it was released in theaters in late 2009, and broadcast on TV in 2010.

Han's breakthrough came in Brilliant Legacy costarring Lee Seung-gi, which became a massive hit in 2009, reaching a peak viewership rating of 47.1%. It catapulted Han to stardom, and after the drama's conclusion, she experienced a sharp rise in endorsement deals and media requests for interviews, as well as increased pan-Asian popularity. Later that year Han wrapped up her starring role in the musical drama Soul Special, which aired on KBS Joy.

In 2010, Han took on the titular character in MBC's 49th anniversary project Dong Yi. The series became a hit during its run both domestically and across Asia. Han won several acting awards for her portrayal of Choi Suk-bin, including the Daesang (Grand Prize) award at MBC Drama Awards and the coveted Best Actress award at Baeksang Arts Awards.

2011–2015: Film roles

In 2011, Han played a blind telemarketer opposite So Ji-sub's ex-boxer in the melodrama film Always. Helmed by director Song Il-gon, it premiered as the opening film of the 2011 Busan International Film Festival. Han later contributed voice narration to the "barrier-free" version of Japanese film My Back Page, which features descriptive audio and subtitles for people with hearing or visual impairments.

Han then played the queen to Lee Byung-hun's Gwanghae in the 2012 blockbuster period film Masquerade, which became one of the highest-grossing Korean films of all time. She followed that with Love 911, an unlikely romance between a doctor and a firefighter (Go Soo).

In 2013, Han starred opposite Sul Kyung-gu and Jung Woo-sung in action thriller Cold Eyes, a remake of the 2007 Hong Kong film Eye in the Sky. The film dominated the box office after its release and became one of the biggest domestic hits of 2013. Han received acting recognition for her performance, winning Best Actress from the Blue Dragon Film Awards and Buil Film Awards.

In 2014, Han and Love 911 costar Go Soo reunited in Myohyangsangwan ("View of Myohyangsan"), which depicts the rendezvous of a South Korean painter and a North Korean waitress in a North Korean restaurant. The short film is a collaboration by contemporary artists Moon Kyung-won and Jeon Joon-ho, and combined a theatrical plot, experimental imagery, dance and performance art.

She then ventured into the overseas market by starring in her first Japanese film, Isshin Inudo's Miracle: Debikuro-kun no Koi to Maho ("Miracle Devil Claus' Love and Magic"). Set during the Christmas season, the film is a love story about a kind bookstore employee (played by Masaki Aiba from J-pop boyband Arashi) who meets three women.

In 2015, Han starred in the musical biopic C'est Si Bon, which depicted the ups and downs of the folk music group Twin Folio, which was active from the 1960s to 80s. Famous for its live performances, C'est Si Bon was the name of a popular music lounge located in Mugyo-dong in the 1970s, where Twin Folio got its start; Han played the group's muse. This was followed by romantic comedy film The Beauty Inside, where Han's character falls in love with a man who changes to different people every day.

Later that year, Han got together with Yoo Yeon-seok and Chun Woo-hee, both of her co-stars in The Beauty Inside, again for Love, Lies, a movie which depicts the last story of gisaeng during the Japanese occupation in the 1940s.

2016–present: Television comeback and American advancement

In 2016, Han returned to the small screen with MBC's fantasy suspense series W alongside Lee Jong-suk. Helmed by director Jung Dae-yoon who directed She Was Pretty and writer Song Jae-jung whose previous works include Nine: Nine Time Travels and Queen In-hyun's Man, expectations were high as this marked Han's return to the small screen after 6 years. She won the Top Excellence award at the 5th APAN Star Awards and MBC Drama Awards for her performance in W.

In 2018, Han starred in the thriller Golden Slumber alongside Kang Dong-won. The same year, she reunited with Kang as the female lead in sci-fi action thriller Illang: The Wolf Brigade, based on the Japanese animated flick of the same name.

In 2019, Han was confirmed as part of the main cast of American television series Treadstone, an offshoot from Universal's Bourne franchise.

In 2020, Han was cast in a Japanese action film Taiyō wa Ugokanai ("The Sun Stands Still"), directed by Eiichiro Hasumi. Based on the novel of the same name, Han played an elusive and mysterious spy who travels across the world on adventures whilst hiding her true intentions.

In 2021, Han acted as a member of a counter-terrorist squad in the apocalyptic thriller drama Happiness, starring opposite Park Hyung-sik. Directed by Ahn Gil-ho, the drama depicted class discrimination, conflicting human desires and the struggle for survival amongst a group of house-owners in an apartment in Korea due to a mysterious virus outbreak that threatens the livelihood of the inhabitants in a city.

In 2022, Han starred alongside Kang Ha-neul and Lee Kwang-soo in The Pirates: The Last Royal Treasure, the sequel to the 2014 blockbuster The Pirates. She played the role of Hae-rang, the captain of the pirate ship. The film marks her return to Korean cinema after 4 years since Illang: The Wolf Brigade. In October, Han made a special appearance in the film 20th Century Girl, playing the adult version of Kim You-jung's character.

In 2023, Hyo-joo starred in the Disney+ series Moving alongside a star-studded ensemble cast of Ryu Seung-ryong, Zo In-sung, Cha Tae-hyun, Ryoo Seung-bum, Kim Sung-kyun, Lee Jung-ha, Go Youn-jung, and Kim Do-hoon. The drama premiered on August 9, 2023. In November 2023, Han was named the first ever winner of the Best Actress award in the Series Category at the 59th Grand Bell Awards for her role in Moving.

In 2024, she starred in her second Disney+ series Blood Free alongside Ju Ji-hoon, a sci-fi thriller series where she took on the role of a CEO of a biotechnology company that produces artificially cultured meat.

In 2025, she is appearing in her third Japanese-language project, Romantics Anonymous alongside Shun Oguri. This remake of the French romantic comedy film Les Émotifs Anonymes was released on Netflix on October 16, 2025, following its premiere at 30th Busan International Film Festival. Han also served on the seven members Competition jury at the Busan International Film Festival in September.

Personal life

Han is trilingual; she is able to speak fluently in Korean, English, and Japanese. She has displayed her linguistic proficiency in various productions and acting projects across the Korean, Japanese entertainment industry and Hollywood. Han also plays the piano and guitar. She sang and performed both instruments to a live audience of over 2,000 people at her concert fan meeting in Japan.

Additionally, Han is known to like exercising and keeping fit in her spare time. She enjoys a variety of sports including golf, tennis, cycling and running. Her athletic prowess has allowed her to transition seamlessly into more action-heavy acting roles in her thirties, such as Treadstone, The Pirates 2, Happiness and Moving. She has also learnt free-diving as a hobby and took part in the annual World Triathlon Cup in 2023, held in Tongyeong.

Han is an avid dog lover; she has stated that she aspired to become a veterinarian when she was younger. She currently lives with a white Maltese puppy.

Philanthropy

In May 2022 on Children's Day, Han donated ₩100 million to Asan Medical Center. It will be used for the cost of treatment such as surgery so that young patients do not miss treatment due to economic burdens. She had also donated ₩50 million in 2021.

In July 2023, Han donated ₩50 million to flood victims via the Hope Bridge Korea Disaster Relief Association. She was quoted as saying, "I can't dare to imagine the sadness of those affected by the sudden heavy rain across the country. I sincerely hope that the flood victims can recover their lives as soon as possible."

In February 2024, the Community Chest of Korea announced that Han had donated ₩50 million to the nonprofit organization on her birthday. She had already donated over ₩100 million to the organization in 2022, and was named a member of the Honor Society. Her donation will be used to support facilities for single mothers and educational programs.

Since 2013, Han has also established the "Hyo-joo Fund" at the Seoul Social Welfare Foundation to support the livelihood of the elderly and cultural experiences for underprivileged children and youth. Her donations to various causes over the years have included the restoration efforts following forest fires in Gangwon Province, disaster relief for COVID-19, and donating her appearance fee from the show Hometown Flex to the New Life Support Center in her hometown of Cheongju.

Controversy

In November 2013, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office indicted Han's ex-manager from her former agency Fantom Entertainment for attempted extortion. According to the police, the ex-manager surnamed Lee and two other men were suspected of threatening Han's family with "photos of her private life". Lee was believed to have stolen the photos from the actress's digital camera when he worked as Han's manager. Lee then threatened to publish the compromising photos unless he and his two accomplices were paid ₩400 million by Han's father. After she informed her father that she had done nothing that could be problematic, he called the police. Han's father worked with the police, helping them locate the blackmailers. It appears they did not have any incriminating photos of the actress. In a press release, Han's agency BH Entertainment said the actress did not engage in any activities that deserve public criticism and threatened "strong measures" to deal with blackmail. The three men who committed the blackmail attempt were ultimately ordered to serve jail time along with probation.

In September 2014, the South Korean media reported that a petition was being circulated to boycott Han's appearance in TV commercials. The petition stemmed from Han's younger brother allegedly bullying a fellow airman while both were in mandatory military service that resulted in the latter's suicide. The negative publicity was exacerbated by Han herself having once been appointed as a goodwill ambassador for the Republic of Korea Air Force.

Filmography

Film

Television series

Television shows

Music video appearances

Discography

Singles

Accolades

Awards and nominations

State honors

Listicles

Notes

References

References

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