Gong Hyo-jin on Spotlight
About the Actress
Gong Hyo-jin is a South Korean actress who started as a model before eventually becoming one of the most sought-after actresses in South Korea. She is known as the queen of rom-com. Her success in portraying female leads within the romantic comedy genre gave her this nickname. Some of her notable dramas that I have personally watched include The Greatest Love, Master’s Sun, and It’s Okay That’s Love.
| Name | Gong Hyo-jin |
| Birth Date | April 4, 1980 |
| Birth Place | Sinwol-dong, Gangseo District, Seoul, South Korea |
| Star Sign | Aries |
| Blood Type | A |
| Height | 172 cm or 5 ft 6.4 in |
| University | Sejong University |
| Education | Department of Film Arts |
| Agent | Management SOOP |
Gong Hyo-jin’s Official Social Media Pages
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She tends to pick characters that tell complicated yet endearing stories and she portrays them beautifully. Gong Hyo-jin is a gifted actress who lends her artistic prowess to the big and small screen. Her upcoming series called Ask the Stars with a fellow crowd favorite, Lee Min-ho is showing in 2023. Hyo-jin plays the role of a Korean American astronaut while Lee Min-ho plays an obstetrician-gynecologist. Fans are excited to see their tandem and cannot wait to watch the series.
Hyo-jin grew up in Seoul in the Gangseo District. When she was a high school junior, she moved to Brisbane, Australia together with her mother and younger brother. Her father remained in South Korea to support the family. She and her family stayed in Australia for three years. When the Asian Financial Crisis or the IMF crisis happened in 1997, the family had to go back.
How She Started
Upon returning, Hyo-jin started working as a model at the age of seventeen. She modeled for a year and a half. After she got cast in a supporting role in the movie Memento Mori. The movie is controversial for its depiction of lesbians in a film targeting teen viewers. At first, she did not like the work. She couldn’t wait for filming to be over. The film gained some recognition from artists and critics. GHJ accepted other projects and continue her foray into acting.
Rise to Popularity
Gong Hyo-jin’s role in Family Ties, a 2006 film, showcased her acting prowess and she gained critical acclaim for her portrayal. The story is about the relationships of people tied together by blood and how the perceptions and beliefs of different generations oppose. Hyo-jin plays the role of an angsty young woman who often did not see eye to eye with her mother. She received the best actress award from the Thessaloniki International Film Festival. This marked a turning point in her career and renewed her love for her craft.
To date, Hyo-jin has quite a roster of work under her belt with twenty-nine films, nineteen television series, and a countless number of guestings and appearances in different media.
Fun Facts About the Artist
- She has tattoos. Two small minimalist ones on her fingers. A peace sign on her left index finger and the word love across the top of her ring finger on the same hand. Hyo-jin also has a more prominent tattoo on her left shoulder that features a line drawing of a cross with the words laurel, lubere, and money written across a ribbon that flows around it.
She is dubbed as the Queen of Romantic Comedy in her native South Korea.
- GHJ’s projects on the small screen have high ratings. It was reported that all of her dramas have an average rating of 12.9%. It is a feat in itself. She has a good eye for roles and stories that will be a hit with the fans.
- She commands a rate per episode that is somewhere in the vicinity of US$40,300.00 to US$80,500.00 making her one of the top earners in the industry.
Friends in the Business
- She has a close group of girlfriends, including Son Ye-jin, Lee Min Jung, Song Yoon Ah, Oh Yoon Ah, Kim Hye Soo, and Uhm Ji Won. They are known as The Seven Sisters. Though of late, they began calling themselves the Cinderella Group because they could not hang out past midnight because they were getting older.
- She is also good friends with fellow model and actress Shin Min-ah. Unknown to many, GHJ and SMA have been friends since they were school girls. Hyo-jin was a high school senior and Min-ah was in eighth grade. They got along well because Min-ah had a mature disposition and they got along very well.
- She is the co-founder of upcycling fashion accessories and art brand called Super Magic Factory. GHJ was deeply conflicted between her job as a model and environmental issues caused by the fashion industry. As a result of this, she created a brand that uses scraps of fabrics and discarded materials into something wearable.
- Gong Hyo-jin is the goodwill ambassador for Australia in 2011. It was “The Year of Friendship” between the two nations.
- Hyo-jin has graced countless advertisements throughout her years as an actress and celebrity. Most notable of which are her endorsements for the Swiss luxury brand Piaget, The North Face, Biotherm, cosmetics brand Clio, and Amuse!
Romantic Involvements
- Gong Hyo-jin has been in an on-and-off relationship with actor Ryu Seung-bum spanning a few decades. According to unconfirmed articles, they met in elementary. The two had classes together. They reconnected later on and had an on-and-off relationship between working on dramas together and building their careers separately. Their on and off status took a toll in their relationship. They decided to remain friends.
- GHJ got a tattoo on her left shoulder around the same time she had the Master’s Sun series with So Ji-sub. Fans were speculating about their relationship. According to rumors, the tatto was for him. Though this is mere speculation and nothing ever came out of it, there are still some threads where you will read about fans speculating about the relationship between the two A-listers.
- In 2014 after a photo of her and Lee Jin-Wook were leaked to the press. People assumed that they were dating. Although they did not release details of how long they have been together, they both admitted publicly to the rumor. The same year, Lee Jin-Wook’s agency released a statement that the couple decided they were better of as friends than lovers.
- In April 2022, Hyo-jin and Kevin Oh, a Korean American singer and songwriter admitted that they were in a relationship. On October 11 shortly after their dating rumor was announced, the two got married. It was a simple ceremony in New York City with only the closest of their family and friends in attendance.
Notable Series and Movies of Gong Hyo-jin and Where You Can Watch
Check out Gong Hyo-jin’s collection of movies and television series below to witness her creative genius. Links to where you can watch available. Enjoy bingeing!!!
Some of the Early Works of Gong Hyo-jin
Memorable Roles
Shining Light About Issues in the Society
Read more about the lives and works of other artists featured on Artist Spotlight.
DISCLAIMER: All the content of this blog including drama reviews, character charts, and what to watch next are all based on online research and the author’s personal views and opinions. If you have any questions, please get in touch via the contact sheet or through email. hello@kdramabinge.com to get in touch. [Last Update 04252024]
