Jeon Hae-rim (; born 28 June 1978), better known by her stage name Ha Ji-won () is a South Korean actress. She is best known for the historical dramas Damo (2003), Hwang Jini (2006), and Empress Ki (2013-2014), 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.
Early life and education
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."
Career
1996–2001: Beginnings
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.
In 2000, Ha made her film debut in the thriller, Truth Game, alongside Ahn Sung-ki, where she was chosen for the role from a pool of 1,500 prospective candidates. For her portrayal of a bipolar character, Ha was awarded Best New Actress at the 37th Grand Bell Awards and 1st Busan Film Critics Awards. The same year, she starred in Ahn Byeong-ki's horror movie Nightmare, and sci-fi romance film Ditto, which won her the Best Supporting Actress award at the 21st Blue Dragon Film Awards. Later, Ha reunited with Ditto co-star Kim Ha-neul in the drama, Secret, playing an antagonist role. The drama earned her Best Rookie Actress recognition at the MBC Drama Awards and 37th Baeksang Arts Awards.
In 2001, Ha had her first leading role in Beautiful Life, where she played the role of a chaebol hotelier's daughter, opposite Kim Rae-won. This was followed by another starring role in Days in the Sun opposite Ji Sung.
In 2002, she appeared in Ahn Byeong-ki's in horror movie, Phone. The film was a huge success in South Korea and was also a hit in Italy, officially dubbing her as "Asia's Horror Princess". Following Phone in the same year was Yoon Je-kyoon's American Pie-inspired movie, Sex Is Zero, co-starring Im Chang-jung. The movie was the third most popular Korean movie in 2002 and ranked fifth among all films released in that year, winning Ha the Popularity Award at the 39th Baeksang Arts Awards.
In 2003, Ha starred in her first historical drama, Damo. Damo was highly popular among viewers in their 20s and 30s and turned into a cultural phenomenon. Ha's performance as a lowly police detective was highly praised and she was given the Top Excellence award at the MBC Drama Awards.
In 2004, she starred in the heavy melodrama, What Happened in Bali, alongside Zo In-sung and So Ji-sub. What Happened in Bali was a huge success, with its final episode reaching a peak rating of 39.7%, and won Ha the coveted Best Actress recognition at the 40th Baeksang Arts Awards. Ha also appeared in two films, internet fiction themed movie, 100 Days with Mr. Arrogant opposite Kim Jae-won and romantic comedy, Love, So Divine with Kwon Sang-woo. However, both films were not as successful with audiences.