She first dreamed of becoming an actress when she was still in high school, after watching Park Shin-yang in the 1998 South Korean film, Promise. After high school, she continued her studies, graduating with a degree in tax accounting from Kyungmoon University (now Kookje College). She was a cover model for Kiki Magazine before she made her acting debut in the feature film Wishing Stairs (2003), the third installment in the Whispering Corridors film series. She made her television debut in the romantic comedy Princess Hours (2006). Then she received wider recognition for her roles in the film A Frozen Flower (2008), New World (2013), and the TV series Emergency Couple (2014). So let’s see Song Ji-hyo’s top movies and top drama! Let’s get started!
Song Ji-hyo’s Top Movies
As mentioned before, Song Ji-hyo made her debut as an actress by starring in a movie in 2003. While she was 22 years old (international ages), she started her acting career on the big-screen. From Wishing Stairs, her name became increasingly recognized by netizens, and many people praised her acting skill even though it was her first time acting. Here are some of Song Ji-hyo top movies:
Wishing Stairs (2003)
The first movie is Wishing Stairs, also known as Whispering Corridors 3: Wishing Stairs (여고괴담 3: 여우계단), which was Jihyo’s debut movie as an actress. This film was a horror movie, which was releasedin 2003. Song Ji-hyo was awarded the role after beating out 3000 other actors in an audition. After this film was released, she was nominated for the Best New Actress at the 24th Blue Dragon Film Awards for her performance in the film. The Whispering Corridors series uses an all-girl high school as the backdrop for each of its films, and all the characters, setting, and stories are different for each of the films in the series. In this particular movie, two young, beautiful friends, Yoon Jin-Sung (Song Ji-hyo) and Kim So-hee (Park Han-byul), are studying ballet at an all-girls art school. They have forged a close relationship, but this is challenged when the ballet school holds its annual competition to see who will go forward to the national competition and win a scholarship to a Russian ballet school. The better of the two friends, So Hee, looks all set to win when it becomes apparent that Jin Sung is becoming more and more jealous. She then bumps into Hae Ju, a former fat girl who stuffed her face all day and appeared quite mad, who reveals that she is now thin because of the wishing stairs and the synonymous appearance of the 29th step. Jin Sung then decides to give the stairs a go herself. When the 29th step appears she wishes that she could be the one who wins the ballet scholarship. When So Hee dies after falling down some steps and Jin Sung wins the ballet competition, Hae Ju goes back to the wishing stairs and calls for So Hee to come back to life. This then sets up the rest of the film, that you will have to watch to find out what goes on after that.
A Frozen Flower (2008)
A Frozen Flower (쌍화점) is an erotic historical film that was released in 2008. It is directed by Yoo Ha and stars Jo In-sung, Joo Jin-mo, and Song Ji-hyo. The story set is during the Goryeo Dynasty, and is loosely based on the reign of Gongmin of Goryeo (1330–1374), but it does not strictly comply with historical facts. The controversial story is about the characters’ violation of royal family protocol and their pursuit of love. The characters played by Joo Jin-Mo and Zo In-Sung share a homosexual relationship. It was released in South Korea on December 30, 2008, and was the 6th most attended film of 2008, with 3,772,976 tickets sold.
The King (Joo Jin-mo) of Goryeo is married to a Yuan Dynasty princess (Song Ji-hyo), but they do not have any children. There is constant pressure on the King, both from the Yuan emperor and his own counselors, to produce a crown prince and ensure the continuity of the royal dynasty. The King’s palace guard is composed of thirty-six young soldiers, led by military commander, Hong-rim (Jo In-sung), who is also the King’s lover. The King finally decides to charge Hong-rim with a strange commission: impregnate the Queen. Hong-rim and the Queen are uncomfortable accepting the royal order, but they finally comply. However, their relationship does not stop at procreation, but an intense romance soon blossoms between the two, and in this strong intimate relationship there is no place for the King.
Codename: Jackal (2012)
Code Name: Jackal (자칼이 온다), is also known as The Jackal Is Coming or Here Comes the Jackal. This movie was released on November 15, 2012, and is an action comedy film, starring Song Ji-hyo, Kim Jae-joong of JYJ, and Oh Dal-su. It was produced by Nomad Films and distributed by Lotte Entertainment. It ran for 105 minutes. The film marks the first collaboration between Kim Jae-joong and Song Ji-hyo, as well as Kim Jae-joong’s first starring role in a big-screen debut. The film ranked fourth and grossed ₩966,147,307 on its first week of release, and grossed a total of ₩1,351,848,104 domestically after two weeks of screening.
Clumsy and off-the-wall hit man Bong Min-jung (Song Ji-hyo) is hired to kill top Hallyu star Choi Hyun (Kim Jae-joong). The mission starts by abducting him at the Paradise Hotel in Seong-ju, the place where Hyun checked in to rest and stay away from stress, and also where the cops are on a stakeout for the serial killer.
New World (2013)
New World (신세계) was released in 2013, and is a crime drama written and directed by Park Hoon-jung. Starring Choi Min-sik, Hwang Jung-min, and Lee Jung-jae, the film is a melodrama revolving around an undercover cop who finds it difficult to play both a cop and a goon. New World, itself, is the first entry in a planned trilogy. Filming was scheduled to begin on June 16, 2012, at Daejeon Metropolitan City Hall. There was also filming planned in Daejeon, Cheongju, Busan, Wanju, Incheon, Gimje, Gunsan, Anshan & Paju. Filming finished September 14, 2012, in Geojin, Gangwon Province. The last scene the group filmed involved the undercover detective (Lee Jung-jae) and the #2 gangster (Hwang Jung-min) meeting for the first time.
Police Officer Ja-Sung (Lee Jung-Jae) is selected to work undercover for the National Police Agency. He joins the powerful crime organization “Goldmoon”, and eventually becomes the right-hand man of the #2 guy, in the crime group, Jung Chung (Hwang Jung-Min). Without warning, the #1 crime boss (Lee Kyoung-Young) for “Goldmoon” is suddenly killed. A power vacuum engulfs the Goldmoon group. Jung Chung and rival Lee Joong-Goo (Park Seong-Woong) both make plays to become the #1 crime boss for the Goldmoon group. At this time, Kang Hyung-Chul (Choi Min-Sik) of the National Police Agency decides to enact operation “New World”. Many years ago, Kang Hyung-Chul planted police officer Ja-Sung as a mole in the Goldmoon group. Operation “New World” is the National Police Agency’s plan to intervene in the power succession of the Goldmoon group. When #2 guy Jung Chung is about to leave for China on business, Kang Hyung-Chul pulls Jung Chung aside. They talk in private. Jung Chung rebuffs his offer and orders his men to find out everything about Kang Hyung-Chul. Meanwhile, police officer Ja-Sung wants Kang Hyung-Chul to keep his word that he can go back to the police force now that the Goldmoon group crime boss is dead, but Kang Hyung-Chul needs Ja-Sung for operation New World. Ja-Sung becomes more disillusioned with Kang Hyung-Chul’s obsession with the operation and torn over his loyalties to #2 crime boss Jung Chung.
Unstoppable (2018)
Unstoppable hit the large screens in 2018, and is an action film directed by Kim Min-ho. It stars Ma Dong-seok and Song Ji-hyo. The film was released on November 22, 2018. The Filming began on May 4, 2018, and was concluded August 3, 2018. On its debut day, on November 22, 2018, the film ranked first at the box office, attracting 133,785 viewers. by the fifth day after its release, a million people had gone to see it.
Dong-Chul (Ma Dong-seok) and Ji-Soo (Song Ji-hyo) are a happily married couple. Dong-Chul was once a notorious gangster, but he has changed his ways. One day, Dong-Chul comes home to find his house in disarray and his wife missing. Dong-Chul then receives a phone call from someone offering to pay him to give up his wife. Dong-Chul vows to save her.
