Jeon Hae-rim is a well-known South Korean actress who goes by the stage name Ha Ji-won. She has given multiple award-winning performances on both little and big screens over the course of her nearly two-decade acting career, which have earned her renown and acclaim far beyond the country’s boundaries. This critically acclaimed and financially successful actress has cemented her status in showbiz by her versatility in performing different roles from various genres such as comedy, drama, action, and horror. She got her first role in the television series ‘New Generation Report: Adults Don’t Understand Us’ after graduating from ‘Dankook University’ with a Bachelor of Film and Television (BFTV) degree. After a few years, she made her cinematic debut in the thriller “Truth Game.” She has given a number of memorable performances in both TV shows and films throughout the years. ‘Secret Garden,’ ‘Something Happened in Bali,’ ‘Empress Ki,’ ‘Damo,’ and ‘Hwang Jini’ are some of her prominent TV shows. Films like ‘Sex is Zero,’ ‘Duelist,’ and ‘Closer to Heaven,’ among others, have featured this gorgeous diva in notable and award-winning big-screen performances.
Childhood and Adolescence
On June 28, 1978, in Seoul, South Korea, Ha Ji-won was born Jeon Hae-rim, the second oldest child of Yoon-bok Jeon and Yoon-soon Son. She has two younger sisters and a younger brother, Jeon Tae-Su, who is also an actor.
Ji-won has always desired to be an actor since she was a child. She was contacted by an agency after a snapshot of her was taken in a photo studio during her high school years.
She graduated from ‘Dankook University with a Bachelor of Film and Television degree (BFTV).
The Career of Ha Ji
After auditioning for roughly 100 projects, she won her first TV part in the teen drama series ‘New Generation Report: Adults Don’t Understand Us’ (1996).
After that, she appeared in two more television series, ‘Dragon’s Tears’ (1998) and ‘Dangerous Lullaby’ (1999), before breaking into the spotlight as an actor with the popular high school drama series ‘School 2’. (1999). She portrayed Jang Se-jin, a troubled adolescent, in the KBS2 drama series.
Han Da-Hye, a bipolar character, was her debut film role, which she played opposite Ahn Sung-ki in the thriller ‘Truth Game’ in 2000. She won multiple honors for the role she landed among 1500 other contenders, including the ‘Best New Actress Award’ at the 37th Grand Bell Awards that year.
She later starred in the May 27, 2000 release of the South Korean science-fiction romance film ‘Ditto.’ She won the ‘Best Supporting Actress Award’ at the 21st Blue Dragon Film Awards’ that year for her work in the film.
‘Nightmare,’ a South Korean horror film written and directed by Ahn Byeong-ki, was her next project. It went on to become the sixth best-selling picture of the year 2000.
She next starred in the South Korean TV series ‘Secret’ in the character of Lee Ji-Eun in 2000. For the part, she won the ‘Best New Actress Award’ at the MBC Drama Awards in 2000 and the ‘Best New Actress (TV) Award’ at the 37th Baeksang Arts Awards in 2001.
Moving on, she landed her first main role in the KBS2 drama series ‘Beautiful Life’ in 2001.
She starred as Ji-won, a teenage journalist, in the South Korean horror film ‘Phone,’ which was released in July 2002. The movie made a total of US$21,784,403 at the box office.
Her blockbuster single ‘Sex Is Zero,’ released in December 2002, was inspired by the 1999 teen sex comedy film ‘American Pie.’ It was the fifth most popular film of that year, with $23,20,856,048 at the box office.
Apart from bolstering her burgeoning fame, her work as Lee Eun-Hyo in ‘Sex Is Zero’ earned her the Photogenic Award at the 3rd Korea Visual Arts Festival in 2002 and the Most Popular Actress (Film) at the 39th Baeksang Arts Awards in 2003.
The immensely successful South Korean fusion historical drama ‘Damo’ (2003) based in the Joseon Dynasty was her next significant TV series that became something of a cultural phenomenon. She won three MBC Drama Awards that year for her leading role of Jang Chae-ok (Jang Jae-hee) in the MBC series.
She next starred in the TV dramatization ‘What Happened in Bali’ (2004), where she wowed the audience with her performance. Apart from earning her multiple honors, including Best Actress (TV) at the 40th Baeksang Arts Awards in 2004, it simply added to her growing popularity.
She starred in the historical drama ‘Hwang Jin Yi’ (2006), which was based on the true story of Hwang Jin Yi, a famous gisaeng from the Joseon Dynasty in the 16th century. The KBS2 series was a big hit, opening the door for subsequent gisaeng-themed entertainments including TV dramas, musicals, films, and cartoons.
For her outstanding performance in ‘Hwang Jin Yi,’ she won multiple accolades, including the Grand Prize (Daesang) at the 2006 KBS Drama Awards.
The South Korean disaster film ‘Haeundae’ (2009), directed by Yoon Je-kyoon and starring Kang Yeon-hee, was a tremendous economic and critical success. It was the fourth highest-earning picture in South Korea, grossing a total of KRW 1.2 billion. Apart from other accolades, Ji-won the title of “The 10 Million Movie Actress.”
After a four-year sabbatical, she returned to TV drama with the lead character of Gil Ra-im, a stunt woman, in the hit South Korean romance comedy fantasy TV series “Secret Garden,” which aired on SBS from November 13, 2010, to January 16, 2011. At the 2010 SBS Drama Accolades, she won multiple awards for it.
She continued to wow audiences with her outstanding performances in films such as ‘Sector 7’ (2011), ‘The Huntresses’ (2014), and ‘Life Risking Romance’ (2016). Her upcoming film ‘Manhunt,’ a police thriller that premiered at the 74th Venice International Film Festival, will be released on November 23 and November 24, 2017, in Hong Kong and China, respectively.
‘The King 2 Hearts (2012) and ‘Empress Ki’ (2013-2014), the latter of which won her the second Daesang award of her career, is her other famous TV series.
She has starred in various music videos over the years, including Wax’s Mother’s Diary (2000) and Oppa (2003), and Rain’s Love Story (2008). She also co-wrote the song ‘Now In This Place,’ which was published in June 2015 and was composed by vocalist The Film.
Her Personal Experiences
Ji-romantic won’s history is unknown, except for the fact that she had two romances prior to her rumored relationship with Taiwanese actor Chen Bolin.
She is involved in philanthropic work and has vowed to give her cornea through the Organ Donation Center of Love. Her dedication to helping underprivileged and handicapped families got her the Prime Minister’s Award for the ‘2008 Family Month Event.’
Estimated Net worth
Ha Ji-won is one of the wealthiest TV actresses and one of the most popular. Ha Ji-net won’s worth is estimated to be $1 million.