Actress Song Hye Kyo has been one of the most popular and influential celebrities not only in South Korea but also in other parts of the world. Just this year, she secured the sixth spot on the annual Forbes Korea Power Celebrity list, along with other influential stars in the country including BTS (1st), Wanna One (2nd), as well as her husband Song Joong Ki (7th).
The recognition is an additional reward and another milestone in Song Hye Kyo's career, who's in the acting industry for more than two decades. And as she celebrated her 37th birthday last Thursday (November 22), here are the five significant moments that highlight her career, according to the South China Morning Post.
SunKyung Smart Model Contest (1996)
Song Hye Kyo was just a 14-year-old student back in 1996, but she already won SunKyung Smart Model Contest and debuted as a model for a school uniform company. On that same year, she got her first ever first role in the TV drama "First Love" - a story about two young brothers who fell in love with the same girl.
Song Hye Kyo played the role of one of the students being tutored by Hyo Kyung (Lee Seung Yeon).
'Autumn in My Heart' (2000)
In 2000, the 18-year-old Song Hye Kyo became one of the main characters of the hit TV series "Autumn In My Heart," is a story about mistaken identity, and incurable disease, and a love triangle. She played the role of Choi Eun-Suh, wherein she was caught in a love triangle with Won Bin and Song Seung Heon.
The drama was recognized not only in South Korea but also all over Asia. The melodramatic love story was also one of the pioneers of the worldwide "Korean Wave," and paved the way for Song Hye-Kyo's fame worldwide.
'It's Time for Hye-Kyo' (2012)
Song Hye Kyo's photo essay "It's Time for Hye Kyo" in 2012 featured herself and her fame. The book contains beautiful portraits of the actress and a glimpse into her personal life behind the camera. The photo essay also includes anecdotes wrote by Song Hye Kyo herself, where she talked about her day-to-day life and the nature of her work. The actress also shared inspiring experiences she had as an actress and as a young woman, as well as her worries and difficulties she had in her life.
First Daesang Award (2013)
Song Hye Kyo won her first Daesang title (Grand Prize) in 2013, which is considered to be the highest award for television at the Asia-Pacific Actors Network awards (APAN). The actress won the award for playing the role of a blind heiress in the hit TV series "That Winter, the Wind Blows."
The drama series is about a con man (Jo In-sung) pretending to be Oh Young's (Song Hye Kyo), long-lost brother. Later on, love blossoms between them and they started to understand the true meaning of their emotion.
'Descendants of the Sun' (2016)
The mega-hit romantic TV series "Descendants of the Sun" turns lead characters Song Hye Kyo (Kang Mo-Yeon) and Song Joong Ki (Yoo Si-jin) into a now-married couple. The drama won numerous awards such as at the Asian Television Awards, the Korea Drama Awards, the Seoul International Drama Awards, the Korean Broadcasting Grand Prize, as well as the Baeksang Arts Awards. Song Hye Kyo and Song Joong Ki also earned Daesang Prize and Best Couple Award at the KBS Drama Awards.
