Han Hyo-joo (Korean: 한효주; born Han Ji-yeong, February 22, 1987) is a South Korean actress. She gained wide recognition with the back-to-back successes of Brilliant Legacy (2009) and Dong Yi (2010), both of which were massive hits with high viewership ratings, solidifying her status as a household name. She is also known for the romantic fantasy drama W (2016) set in a parallel universe, and the apocalyptic zombie thriller Happiness (2021). In 2023, she starred in the high-profile Moving (2023), a supernatural action sci-fi series exploring super powered characters who lead ordinary lives. It became the most watched Korean original series on Disney+ globally and Hulu in the United States, and a second season is currently in production.
The pan-Asian and global popularity of her works have established Han as a top Hallyu star. She has been featured multiple times in Forbes magazine's Korea Power Celebrity 40 list since 2011, and has been the commercial face of many major Korean brands such as Samsung, LG and Lotte. In recent years, she has served as brand ambassador to luxury fashion houses such as Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Burberry, Ferragamo, Brunello Cucinelli and Tiffany & Co.
In addition to her prolificacy on the small screen, Han is considered a respected leading actress in the Korean film industry. She has gained acclaim for her work in a wide range of genres; from melodramas, romantic comedies, large-scale action movies to crime thrillers. Her notable starring roles in box-office hits and critical successes include My Boss, My Teacher (2006), Always (2011), Masquerade (2012), Love 911 (2012), Cold Eyes (2013), and The Beauty Inside (2015). In 2021, Han was selected by the Korean Film Council (KOFIC) as one of the 200 Korean actors that best represent the present and future of Korea's movie scene, with the aim of introducing them to professionals that work in the global film industry.
The recipient of numerous accolades, Han has won Best Actress honors at all three of Korea's most prestigious award ceremonies – the Baeksang Arts Award for her performance as the titular character in Dong Yi, the Blue Dragon Film Award for her performance in Cold Eyes, and the Grand Bell Award (Korean equivalent of the Academy Awards) for her most recent role in Moving.
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 (Korean: 한지영) 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.
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.
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.