Five Fun Facts About Choi Ji Woo

Choi Ji Woo is the suspicious housekeeper in the new drama "The Suspicious Housekeeper," but the accomplished actress is also one of the original Hallyu stars that helped launch the Korean Wave. The Wave began in earnest when Choi appeared in the 2002 drama "Winter Sonata" and it became a major hit throughout Asia.

Here are a few things you may not know about the Hallyu superstar.

1)    She is still very popular in Japan, where she is called Princess Ji Woo. According to magazine Nikkei Entertainment, she is the most recognizable female Korean star in Japan. Her dramas, concerts and merchandise continue to be very popular there. Japanese fans will play close attention to her new drama which is a remake of the very popular Japanese drama "Kaseifu no Mita."

2) She dated her "Air City" co-star Lee Jin Wook for three years. She is six years older than he is. Although the two parted ways, they remain friends. The media attention focused on their relationship only added pressure to the challenges they faced. After the breakup she said that she might date another actor but would keep it a secret.

 "I don't mind if he works in the entertainment industry, but I never want to go public with my relationship again," said Choi.

3) Choi is a foodie and she especially loves Korean cuisine. When she is on an overseas shoot, she looks for Korean restaurants and brings Korean food to the cast and crew.

That was why she decided to appear in the documentary "Choi Ji Woo's Delicious Korea."

 "I′m thankful that I was able to spread our culture across the world through my acting as a Hallyu star," said Choi. "I decided to appear in this show in order to let more people know about the true tastes of Korea." 

4) She recently acted with Kim Hyun Joong in a Lotte Duty Free video. The two played lovers in Singapore and displayed some serious chemistry, despite their 11-year age difference. She also participated in the music video for Ali's song "Eraser."

5) She is said to be the highest paid actress in the world. Choi took the No. 1 spot on the 2013 "People With Money"  top 10 highest-paid actresses list as she has an estimated $75 million in combined earnings. She made her fortune in the stock market, with real estate investments, and endorsement deals. She also owns a few restaurants in Seoul, a soccer team, has a perfume and fashion brand, as well as a brand of vodka.