There are some names that sound loudly, loud enough that you immediately associate them with a particular moment or stage of your life. And then there are a few names that sound over a longer period of time, names of individuals who have successfully defied the fickleness of fame.
Over the last 25 years, our cover star South Korean actress Song Hye Kyo has been a stellar example of the latter. Her career has showcased her huge talent through multiple iconic roles and enabled her to attain many professional highs. But when one has achieved so much, it can be hard to slow down. And indeed, it is clear that for Song, the only way forward is to spread her wings and continue to raise the bar, as we share in this exclusive cover story.
The idea of raising the bar has also struck us and become something of a driving force as we, once again, languish within this period of “CB Lite”. Sure, maybe we are not as fearful and uncertain as we were the last time, but the ominous familiarity with isolation and boredom has made me feel even more restless and uninspired, as if I’ve taken one step back after taking two steps forward.
Song Hye Kyo Covers Elle Korea's June 2015 Issue
It seems there’s no better time to press the reset button, as we are not going anywhere — literally and figuratively. We all need a boost sometimes, and this time around maybe it can come from setting a new standard for ourselves, instead of waiting around (again) for something good to happen.
And how better to inspire ourselves than to speak to amazing women? Three of them open up within these pages about their deepest body insecurities and share their stories of how they built up their self-confidence. Another four tell us how they dealt with life’s curveballs and emerged stronger from the experience.
On days when you wake up and find it hard to just keep going, I hope these stories remind you that you’re not alone and there’s always something to be grateful for.Song Hye Kyo is an absolute stunner gracing the cover and pages of Elle Korea's February issue. Modeling languid looks from Fendi's Spring Summer 2023 collection, the 41 year old actress exudes confidence and charisma in the editorial photographed by Mok Jung Wook. And she should be confident as her Netflix dramaThe Glory has been both a global critical and commercial success with Hye Kyo drawing much praise for her characterization of a severely traumatized woman who seeks revenge on the high school bullies who ruined her life.
Song Hye Kyo Elle Song Hye Kyo
In the accompanying interview, she reveals that while filming the drama was challenging due to the heavy subject matter, her real life is currently filled with contentment, stating, I have nothing to worry about. Just full of happiness and relief.”She also addresses comments about her appearance in the drama with people claiming that she looks much older all of a sudden and that the actress has aged. Her response is that her character Moon Dong Eun has lived a difficult life so it would be unrealistic if she had the appearance of someone who takes good care of themselves and wears a lot of makeup. She definitely considered her physicality in the totality of her performance as she also lost weight to portray that Dong Eun is malnourished and frail. Honestly her dedication should be admired. And she still looks better for her age than most people or actresses even. Of course when her last drama Now We Are Breaking Up, people were criticizing her for never wanting to look bad onscreen. This is just par for the course of the groundless hate that is constantly lobbed at her.
People have also been quick to put down Hye Kyo's acting which is of the more nuanced style which is more difficult than over the top exaggerated facial expressions and meaningless micro-expressions. People who are criticizing her for never being animated have obviously forgotten about Full House and Descendants Of The Sun . And she actually still looks like herself and her face moves naturally unlike the faces of some actresses, created by plastic surgery that can't properly emote yet they still get praised for whatever reason. Hye Kyo's acting in The Glory may mark one of the best performances in her career. The viewer feels her steely resolve as well as the lingering pain that continues to drive her simmering beneath the calm demeanor she maintains especially when she encounters her former bullies. It's no wonder director Ahn Gil Ho praised Hye Kyo as one of a few actors who can pull off being strong and fragile at the same time as she absolutely nails it in The Glory. I've been recommending this show to everyone. It’s a high quality drama centered around a socially relevant issue with a story that’s intensely compelling and gripping. The entire cast is exceptional and it’s a visually stunning show too. The only downside to the drama is Netflix breaking it up into 2 parts.
Song Hye Kyo is steadfast and authentic in both her career and her personal life and there is no doubt that her projects are successful and draw viewers. The CEO of Netflix even credited the success of The Glory as a driving force for subscriber growth as well as rising stock prices. The regular attacks and baseless hate against her would rattle anyone but Hye Kyo has alwaysbehaved with quiet dignity ,especially when she was unfairly maligned during her divorce. She has never acted like a victim or complained which is truly admirable. This is what true strength looks like. Anyway the truth has come out and there was also a report where a number of colleagues praised her for being extremely down to earth which is how she comes across but it's nice to have that confirmed by her fellow actors. And this video interview she did with the magazine shows how charming and adorable she actually is.