# Han Ji-hye

Han Ji-hye (born Lee Ji-hye on June 29, 1984) is a South Korean actress.

## Background

Born Lee Ji-hye, she used the stage name "Han Ji-hye" upon learning that her real name would cause confusion among fans since an older actress, Lena Lee, also has the same Korean name.

## Career
### 2001–2007

Han made her entertainment debut as a model, then started acting in supporting roles in TV dramas such as Summer Scent. She landed her first leading role in Sweet 18. The next couple of years saw Han starring in low-rating dramas, but her 2007 daily drama Likeable or Not became very popular, topping the ratings chart during its run and recording the highest rating for a daily drama since 2000. Han then displayed newfound maturity and great improvement in her acting in the 2008 epic drama East of Eden.

### 2008–2011

In 2008, Han along with Leon Jay Williams sang the Korean and Chinese versions of Olympic theme song "Friends." She was brought to the project via a proposal from the Chinese Olympic committee to sing "Friends" as the official swimming theme of the Beijing National Aquatics Centre at the Beijing Olympics. Less than a year later, she again recorded a digital single, an upbeat electro-pop song titled "Luv Luv".
After studying the craft of shoemaking and design in Florence, Italy, Han collaborated with existing shoe brand Jinny Kim to design and produce her own line, called "H by Jinny Kim." This was documented on Han Ji-hye: Shoes! My Dream! which aired on cable channel O'live TV. The Fall/Winter 2009 collection were sold in major department stores in Seoul and the surrounding metro areas, as well as in a well-known department store in Singapore and various online shopping malls.
Han then published My Fair Lady, a collection of autobiographical lifestyle essays. The volume focused on Han's hobbies and daily life rather than on her onscreen work and contained Han's writings about her experiences as a twentysomething single woman, as well as her reflections on her life. It also touched on the various projects she has undertaken such as designing shoes, studying tea ceremony, learning about ceramics, DIY furniture making, and fabric art.
Director Lee Joon-ik cast Han in his 2010 period action film Blades of Blood without auditioning her — not for her talents, but for her Asian-looking eyes. Aside from finding her single eyelid unique and difficult to find in recent years, Lee liked that she related to him in a natural manner. Han said that Lee scolded her a lot in the beginning of the shoot for not acting well, so she used the pain in her heart to portray her character such that she improved towards the middle of the filming and learned a lot from him. She also sang on the soundtrack, having played a gisaeng in the film.
After starring in her first period drama series in 2011's The Duo, she played a woman who helps a young man achieve his dreams in the single-episode drama Pianist, and a visually impaired teacher in the 2-part Chuseok special The Great Gift. She also starred in her first Chinese drama, Heavenly Embroidery.

### 2012–present

Han played the protagonist in the 2012 drama May Queen, the success story of a woman in the shipbuilding industry during Korea's modernization. In 2013, she portrayed dual roles in Pots of Gold (also known as I Summon You, Gold! or Gold, Appear!), a family comedy that explores money, love and marriage. This was followed by leading roles as a cold-hearted heiress in The Full Sun, and as a wrongfully convicted prisoner turned baker in 4 Legendary Witches in 2014.
In January 2016, Han signed with management agency KeyEast. In 2018, she made a comeback in the family drama Shall We Live Together.

## Personal life

On September 21, 2010, Han married public prosecutor Jung Hyuk-joon in a private ceremony in Hawaii. On the December 31, 2020, Han announced on social media that she is expecting a child, due in Summer 2021. On June 23, 2021, Han's agency announced that had given birth to a daughter Jung Yoon-seul. Both her husband and daughter appeared on public television for the first time via Stars' Top Recipe at Fun-Staurant.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role |
| 2002 | Saving My Hubby | Convenience store clerk |
| 2003 | Singles | Ji-hye, Jeong-joon's new girlfriend |
| 2005 | My Boyfriend Is Type B | Ha-mi |
| 2008 | Humming | Mi-yeon |
| 2010 | Blades of Blood | Baek-ji |

### Television series

| Year | Title | Role |
| 2002 | Great Luck Family | |
| 2003 | The Bean Chaff of My Life | Shin Hee-jung |
| 2003 | Scent of a Man | Ha Soo-min |
| 2003 | Summer Scent | Park Jung-ah |
| 2003 | Open Drama Man and Woman: "One More Step Than Love" | |
| 2004 | Sweet 18 | Yoon Jung-sook |
| 2004 | Island Village Teacher | Hong Eun-soo |
| 2004 | Banjun Drama | |
| 2005 | The Secret Lovers | Seo Young-ji |
| 2006 | Cloud Stairs | Yoon Jung-won |
| 2007 | Likeable or Not | Na Dan-poong |
| 2008 | East of Eden | Kim Ji-hyun |
| 2010 | KBS Drama Special: "Pianist" | Yoon In-sa |
| 2011 | The Duo | Dong-nyeo |
| 2011 | Heavenly Embroidery | Quan Cai Xi |
| 2011 | The Great Gift | Kim Ha-yeon |
| 2012 | May Queen | Chun Hae-joo |
| 2013 | Pots of Gold | Jung Mong-hee / Son Yoo-na |
| 2014 | Beyond the Clouds | Han Young-won |
| 2014 | 4 Legendary Witches | Moon Soo-in |
| 2018 | Marry Me Now | Park Yoo-ha |
| 2019 | The Golden Garden | Eun Dong-joo |
| 2023 | Han River Police | Eun-sook (special appearance) |

### Music video

| Year | Song Title | Artist |
| 2002 | "그댄 행복에 살텐데" | Leeds |
| 2003 | "잊을 수 있을까요?" | Leeds |
| 2004 | [Part 1] "Whistle to Me (Hwilili)" | Lee Soo-young |
| 2004 | [Part 2] "Andante" | Lee Soo-young |
| 2005 | "Forever You" | Lee Soo-young |
| 2005 | "Gwanghwamun Love Song" | Lee Soo-young |

## Discography

| Year | Song Title | Notes |
| 2008 | "Love You Forever" | duet with Lee Chun-hee; 2 tracks from Humming OST |
| 2008 | "Friends" | Beijing Olympics swimming theme song |
| 2009 | "Luv Luv" | digital single feat. Soul Tronik |
| 2010 | "Sangsamong" | track from Blades of Blood OST |

## Book

| Year | Title | ISBN |
| 2010 | My Fair Lady | ISBN 978-89-963339-4-4 |

## Shoe line

| Year | Brand | Notes |
| 2009 | H by Jinny Kim | |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result |
| 2001 | Supermodel Contest | Dodo Makeup Award | — | Won |
| 2003 | KBS Drama Awards | Best New Actress | Summer Scent | Won |
| 2004 | 40th Baeksang Arts Awards | Best New Actress (TV) | Sweet 18 | Won |
| 2004 | MBC Entertainment Awards | Best Female Newcomer in a Variety Show | | Won |
| 2004 | KBS Drama Awards | Excellence Award, Actress | Sweet 18 | Nominated |
| 2005 | 42nd Grand Bell Awards | Best New Actress | My Boyfriend Is Type B | Nominated |
| 2005 | 26th Blue Dragon Film Awards | Best New Actress | My Boyfriend Is Type B | Nominated |
| 2005 | MBC Drama Awards | Excellence Award, Actress | The Secret Lovers | Nominated |
| 2005 | MBC Drama Awards | Popularity Award, Actress | The Secret Lovers | Nominated |
| 2006 | Korea Best Dresser Swan Awards | Best Dressed, TV Actress category | — | Won |
| 2007 | KBS Drama Awards | Excellence Award, Actress in a Daily Drama | Likeable or Not | Won |
| 2008 | 2nd Korea Drama Awards | Excellence Award, Actress | Likeable or Not | Won |
| 2008 | MBC Drama Awards | Excellence Award, Actress | East of Eden | Won |
| 2009 | 4th Asia Model Awards | Model Star Award | — | Won |
| 2009 | Korea Cadastral Survey Corporation | Plaque of Appreciation | — | Won |
| 2009 | 45th Baeksang Arts Awards | Best Actress (TV) | East of Eden | Nominated |
| 2010 | Korea International Jewelry & Watch Fair | Best Jewelry Lady | — | Won |
| 2010 | KBS Drama Awards | Best Actress in a One-Act/Special/Short Drama | Pianist | Nominated |
| 2012 | 20th Korean Culture and Entertainment Awards | Top Excellence Award, Actress in a Drama | May Queen | Won |
| 2012 | MBC Drama Awards | Top Excellence Award, Actress in a Serial Drama | May Queen | Won |
| 2012 | MBC Drama Awards | Best Couple Award with Kim Jae-won | May Queen | Nominated |
| 2012 | MBC Drama Awards | Popularity Award, Actress | May Queen | Nominated |
| 2013 | 2nd APAN Star Awards | Excellence Award, Actress | Pots of Gold | Nominated |
| 2013 | MBC Drama Awards | Top Excellence Award, Actress in a Serial Drama | Pots of Gold | Won |
| 2013 | MBC Drama Awards | Best Couple Award with Yeon Jung-hoon | Pots of Gold | Nominated |
| 2013 | MBC Drama Awards | Popularity Award, Actress | Pots of Gold | Nominated |
| 2014 | KBS Drama Awards | Best Couple Award with Yoon Kye-sang | The Full Sun | Nominated |
| 2014 | KBS Drama Awards | Netizen Award, Actress | The Full Sun | Nominated |
| 2014 | MBC Drama Awards | Top Excellence Award, Actress in a Special Project Drama | 4 Legendary Witches | Nominated |
| 2014 | MBC Drama Awards | Best Couple Award with Ha Seok-jin | 4 Legendary Witches | Nominated |
| 2014 | MBC Drama Awards | Popularity Award, Actress | 4 Legendary Witches | Nominated |
| 2015 | 4th APAN Star Awards | Top Excellence Award, Actress in a Serial Drama | 4 Legendary Witches | Nominated |
| 2018 | 11th Korea Drama Awards | Top Excellence Award, Actress | Marry Me Now | Nominated |
| 2018 | 6th APAN Star Awards | Top Excellence Award, Actress in a Serial Drama | Marry Me Now | Nominated |
| 2018 | KBS Drama Awards | Excellence Award, Actress in a Serial Drama | Marry Me Now | Won |
| 2018 | KBS Drama Awards | Best Couple Award with Lee Sang-woo | Marry Me Now | Nominated |
| 2018 | KBS Drama Awards | Netizen Award, Actress | Marry Me Now | Nominated |
| 2019 | MBC Drama Awards | Top Excellence, Actress in a Weekend/Daily Drama | The Golden Garden | Nominated |