South Korean actress Song Hye-Kyo is receiving widespread applause for her modesty and leadership on the set of the popular drama The Glory, with the show's co-star Kim Hieora calling her "amazing" and saying that her teamwork skills have made a deep impression.

During an appearance on Channel A's July 7 episode of Best Friend Documentary: Table for 4, Kim reflected on her early career struggles and her breakthrough role as Lee Sa-ra in The Glory, which starred Song in the lead.

"When we had the pre-shoot script reading, Hye-Kyo said, 'I really want to do well this time. Please help me. This is your drama — if you do well, I succeed. So do everything the way you want to,'" Kim recalled. "That's when I realized how amazing she is. Not just anyone can take that position."

Kim, who appeared alongside fellow guest Aiki and host Kim Ji-woo, also spoke candidly about her rocky path to stardom. "I failed so many auditions when I started out that I seriously considered switching careers. I worked at clothing stores, sold items at flea markets, even sold my own clothes," she said.

Her breakthrough came after landing her first drama appearance in Beyond Evil, where she played a corpse.

A director's comment — "I think we'll see more of you" — gave her the confidence to keep going. That led to repeated callbacks for The Glory, where producers saw "something unique in [her] eyes."

Kim said the tone on set was far from what she had expected. "I thought people would act arrogant, but they weren't," she said.

"Lim Ji-yeon also showed a deep sense of sincerity. Everyone was passionate, and it became a fierce acting competition — in the best way."

Song, 44, has long been considered one of Korea's top actresses, with a resume including Descendants of the Sun and Full House.

She gained international attention with her role in The Glory, for which she won the Baeksang Arts Award for Best Actress in 2023.

The drama, which aired on Netflix, explored themes of school bullying and revenge, helping to reinvigorate Song's career with a darker, more intense role than her previous romantic leads.

Despite her success, Kim said it was Song's modesty and encouragement that stood out the most. "She wasn't just the lead actress — she was a leader who lifted everyone up."