Ha Ji Won

Biography

Jeon Hae-rim (Korean: 전해림; born 28 June 1978), better known by her stage name Ha Ji-won (Korean: 하지원) is a South Korean actress. She is best known for the historical dramas Damo (2003), Hwang Jini (2006), and Empress Ki (2013), as well as the melodrama Something Happened in Bali (2004), the romantic comedy series Secret Garden (2010), The King 2 Hearts (2012) and the medical drama Hospital Ship (2017).

She has starred in several films and television series and is one of South Korea's most sought-after and critically acclaimed actresses, particularly known for her versatility in pulling off roles in various genres such as action, comedy, horror, drama, sports, and medical.

Jeon Hae-rim was scouted by an agency when she was a senior high school student. The actress stated, "Ever since I was a little kid, I dreamed of becoming an actress. When I was a senior in high school, an agency contacted me after seeing my picture at a photography studio."

 She later graduated with a degree in Bachelor of Film and Television (BFTV) from Dankook University. In 2012, the actress revealed that she had failed over 100 auditions before her debut, “I passed my college entrance and written exams and was accepted to the department of theater and film. Before my debut, I auditioned for 100 or so projects but didn't get the roles.”

Jeon candidly revealed that she adopted "Ha Ji-won" as her stage name as a favor for her previous manager as it was the name of his first love. “When I was about to debut, the first love of my manager's name was Ha Ji-won. I think he wanted to at least use the name of his love that was not fulfilled. The first time I heard the name Ha Ji-won, I thought it was pretty and also bold.”

Ha Ji-won made her TV debut in the 1996 teen drama, New Generation Report: Adults Don't Understand Us. She continued playing supporting roles in dramas, Dragon's Tears and Dangerous Lullaby in 1998 and 1999 respectively. But it was through the popular high school drama School 2, in which she played the role of a troubled teen, that she started to gain fame as an actress.