Actress-turned-entrepreneur Goo Hye-sun is to receive a special creative talent award from KAIST, as she nears graduation from the university where she is pursuing a master's degree in engineering.
The recognition comes after she developed and launched her patented flat hair roller, a project that has drawn praise for eco-conscious design and innovation. According to Naver-linked reporting from AllKpop, she was selected among 19 teams in the university's "QAIST" initiative under the Creative Talent category.
She said, "This is my first venture, but I hope it will be interpreted as an expansion of the phenomenology of K-culture, rather than a simple product launch." She further explained, "This small hair roller embodies a unique Korean landscape. Hair rollers are not simply a beauty tool; they embody individuality, familiarity, practicality, and a 'choice to live as oneself,' so they can be seen as a kind of performance."
Goo first earned her public acclaim through acting and several other creative efforts: she worked as a film director, painter, writer, singer, and composer.
Her academic path is just as impressive: after graduating at the top of her class from Sungkyunkwan University in early 2024, she was accepted into KAIST's Graduate School of Science Journalism later that year.
While working at KAIST, she collaborated with people in the field of science to develop a compact fold-flat hair roller known as the "Ku Roll." This new hair roller design reduces the amount of plastic used to manufacture hair rollers by approximately 80% and increases their ease of storage so that they can easily be taken on trips.
A number of KAIST insiders complimented her on successfully marrying her creative and artistic side with her technical understanding and knowledge, which is how she earned the award for Creative Talent. This project is now being hailed as an example of how cultural aesthetics and practical design can merge to form new lifestyle products.
Her CEO status is not symbolic at all. After the patent for Ku Roll was approved, Goo set up her venture company and led product development, branding, and its launch. According to observers, her career path from performing arts to entrepreneurship underlines the growing trend of multi-faceted careers in Korea's creative industries.
As Goo Hye-sun prepares to graduate from KAIST, her journey-from celebrated actress to inventor-entrepreneur-continues to fascinate the public. Her story serves as a reference point for the fact that creativity and academia can be combined and that you can reinvent yourself at any stage of your life.
