Successful K-drama Actresses Who Break Away From Korea's Beauty Standards: Kim Go Eun, Gong Hyo Jin, More
Apart from their amazing talent, Hallyu has a number of successful K-drama actresses despite not fitting in the typical Korean beauty standards.
With their unique facial features and remarkable talent, they won the hearts of many with their undeniable charm and stunning performance.
From Kim Go Eun to Gong Hyo Jin and more, here are the top stars who solidified their name in the industry by breaking Korean beauty standards.
Kim Go Eun
Best known for her role as the Goblin's bride in the Gong Yoo-led K-drama "Goblin" Kim Go Eun once again took the spotlight after landing the role of Oh In Joo in the smash hit series "Little Women" with Nam Ji Hyun and Park Ji Hoo.
However, she was once criticized for her looks after joining the cast of the 2020 historical romance K-drama "The King: Eternal Monarch."
At the time, the public expressed their doubts that she is not worthy to be Lee Min Ho's leading lady because her visuals deviate from Korean standards.
Surprisingly, the viewers were stunned to see the chemistry between Kim Go Eun d anwith the Hallyu star after it premiered.
Now, the monolid eyes beauty recently bagged the highly coveted Best Actress trophy at the 1st Blue Dragon Series Awards 2022 for her performance in Yumi's Cells while viewers are expecting that she could score another Best Actress Award for her role in "Little Women."
Honey Lee
After making a name for herself in the world of pageantry and taking home the third runner-up for Miss Universe in 2007, Honey Lee is also considered one of the versatile actresses in K-dramaland who could flawlessly portray various roles.
However, during her pageantry days, she revealed that some see her as different since she had darker skin and a muscular body back then while others have skinny bodies and pale white skin.
Honey Lee mentioned that her visual didn't quite fit in with the pageantry standards, and even got comments like "Oh, what's wrong with her thighs?" referring to her toned legs.
Gong Hyo Jin
One of the respected K-drama actresses, Gong Hyo Jin never fails to amaze viewers with her outstanding performance may it be a movie or series.
However, according to reports, the award-winning star got judged after being paired with Kang Ha Neul in "When the Camellia Blooms."
Despite her status being the industry's top star, she was considered "too ugly" to be teamed up with the male lead.
READ MORE: Gong Hyo Jin - Kevin Oh Wedding: Did the Actress Share Glimpse of Her Bridal Gown on Instagram?
Interestingly, Gong Hyo Jin took home the grand prize also known as Daesang at the 2019 KBS Drama Awards for playing single mother Dong Baek in "When the Camellia Blooms."
Park So Dam
Even though her beauty was greatly appreciated by global viewers after seeing her in "Parasite" Park So Dam's monolid eyes were often criticized by some and led her to unsuccessful auditions during her earlier years in the industry.
However, she managed to embrace her uniqueness after directors like Ryu Seung Wan, casted her for her remarkable features.
"I have small, button-like eyes and my face would look plain to a lot of people. I'm just thankful that directors and audiences seem to like it," she said.
