Biography

Name : Song Hye Kyo
Korean Name : Hangul  -  송혜교
Hanja  -  宋慧敎
Revised Romanization  -  Song Hye-Gyo
McCune-Reischauer  -  Song Hye-Kyo
Born : November 22, 1981
Registered Birthdate : February 26, 1982
Birthplace : Daegu, South Korea
Nationality : South Korean
Religion : Roman Catholic
Education : Sejong University - Film Arts
Occupation : Actress, Commercial Model
Years active -: 1996 - present
Agent : United Artists Agency

 Song Hye-kyo (Hangul: 송혜교; born November 22, 1981)
is a South Korean actress.

Early Life

When Song Hye-kyo was born, she was sick and her parents and doctor thought she would not survive. Upon her recovery, Song's parents registered her birth on February 26, 1982 (instead of her actual birthdate, November 22, 1981). Song's parents divorced when she was a young girl, and she was raised by her mother. They moved from her birthplace in Daegu to the Gangnam District in Seoul, where she trained as a figure skater in elementary school, but quit when she was in the eighth grade.Though Song considered herself shy and introverted, she was described by her high school teacher as having a "cheerful character, she mixed well with her friends and was always in a bright mood."

Career

In 1996, the 14-year-old Song, then a third-year high school student, won first place in the SunKyung Smart Model Contest, and she made her entertainment debut as a model for the school uniform company.This led to her being cast in a small role in her first television drama, First Love. She would continue to appear in a string of various dramas and sitcoms, notably Soonpoong Clinic. But it wasn't until the KBS drama Autumn in My Heart in 2000 with Song Seung-heon and Won Bin that she rose to fame in Korea and throughout Asia. Song is one of the most in-demand product endorsers in Korea and has done many TV commercials and print ads over the years. She has been a spokesperson for popular brands such as Laneige, Levi's Lady Style, Etude House, Whitea, Aritaum, Innisfree, Roem, McDonalds Ice Cream, Conway, Nintendo DS Animal Crossing, Olay, LG, FHM, Vivien Bra, and J.ESTINA.

Personal Life

In 2003, Song began dating actor Lee Byung-hun while both were filming All In. Their relationship and subsequent break-up in 2004 generated much media attention and gossip. The experience taught her to draw a clear line between private and public life.

Song kept in touch with Worlds Within co-star Hyun Bin after the drama ended, but it was their separation while Hyun was filming Friend, Our Legend in Busan that made them realize they were in love. They announced their dating status in June 2009. But unlike her previous relationship with Lee, Song and Hyun were rarely seen in public together and refused to discuss their relationship with the press.

In March 2011 mere hours after Hyun's military enlistment, his and Song's agencies confirmed speculation that the couple had broken up. According to the joint press release, "Both have been very busy shooting films and dramas both in and out of Korea, which inevitably caused them to grow apart." With rumors of their separation circulating since late 2010, the agencies said the two split up in early 2011 but wanted to keep it secret for the time being "because neither of them wanted the public attention to be directed on their split instead of their professional work. Hyun also did not want a personal issue to interfere with his last days with his fans before starting his military service."

Asked about the aftereffects of her two romantic relationships that caught the public's attention, Song said in October 2011, "I think the time when I felt uncomfortable about living under a microscope has gone. I'm no longer afraid of such things. What I did was typical of any woman my age. In fact, I haven't had any time to feel lonely."

Controversial Topic

In August 2014, Song made a public apology for committing tax evasion, arguing that her accountant had mishandled her paper work without her knowledge, with her omitted income tax from 2009 to 2011 totaling ₩2.56 billion. She said that after receiving a notification from the National Tax Service, she paid the full amount with additional fines in the amount of ₩3.8 billion (US$3.7 million) in October 2012.

 

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia