Actress Song Hye Kyo made headlines after her appearance at the Blue Dragon Film Awards, not only for her elegance but also for the wave of online discussion questioning whether her visuals reflect her age of 44.
Images of the actress at the ceremony went viral and, not surprisingly, triggered a storm of reactions in Korean online communities. Posts shared by Panchoa say users debated whether she looked young for her age or like her real age, which triggered contrasting opinions.
Comments on Pann Nate's talk reflected a range of reactions. One netizen offered a blunt assessment. "She looks 44."
Another commenter said the same thing but with a softer tone. "She looks like a really pretty 44 y.o"
Some balanced both admiration and realism. "She's pretty but she looks like she's in her 40s."
Others focused on the natural process of aging. "She aged a lot."
The last comment mentioned the year of birth discussed previously regarding the actress's registered and real birth year. "Her birth registration was delayed, so she's listed as born in 1982. She was actually born in 1981 and is 45 y.o."
Despite the mixed commentary, many fans praised Song Hye Kyo's poise at the event, saying that she has long been viewed as one of Korea's top actresses with a career spanning over twenty years.
Industry observers also chimed in to say that public scrutiny about the visuals of female celebrities is still an existing problem the industry faces, especially during big award ceremonies.
Fashion analysts pointed out that Song Hye Kyo's styling, often toward understated elegance, might have joined in the discussion since her look was toward sophistication and not toward youthful trends. However, less related to style choices, debate took center stage online with expectations about female aging in entertainment.
Despite the sharp division in reactions, the sheer volume of comments highlighted Song Hye Kyo's ongoing relevance in Korean popular culture. Her look-older-but-act-younger, or look-and-act-young, if you will-continues to be very highly publicized, once again underlining her as a figure in the constant spotlight.
