# Song Hye-kyo (송혜교)
**Song Hye-kyo** (송혜교) is a South Korean actress who rose to fame with the television drama *Autumn in My Heart* (가을동화) and later became one of the most recognized figures of the [Korean Wave](https://www.edgepedia.org/korean-wave), or Hallyu, through dramas such as *Descendants of the Sun* (태양의 후예) and the Netflix series *[The Glory](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-glory-tv-series)* (더 글로리).[1](https://namu.moe/w/%EC%86%A1%ED%98%9C%EA%B5%90) • [2](https://pdf.ihalla.com/sectionpdf/20250123-102259.pdf)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1981 in Dalseo-gu, Daegu; her registered resident-record date was long listed as 1982[3](https://naver-doc.com/life/culture/%EC%86%A1%ED%98%9C%EA%B5%90-%EB%82%98%EC%9D%B4-%ED%94%84%EB%A1%9C%ED%95%84-%ED%82%A4-%EB%B3%B8%EB%AA%85-%EB%8D%B0%EB%B7%94%EB%B6%80%ED%84%B0-%EB%93%9C%EB%9D%BC%EB%A7%88-%EC%B6%9C%EC%97%B0%EC%9E%91/) |
| Breakthrough | *Autumn in My Heart* exceeded a 40 percent peak rating and is described as a foundational work of the Hallyu boom alongside stars Won Bin and Song Seung-heon[1](https://namu.moe/w/%EC%86%A1%ED%98%9C%EA%B5%90) |
| Major award | In 2013, nabbed her first Grand Prix award, the highest accolade for South Korean actors, for her work in the television drama *That Winter, the Wind Blows*[1](https://namu.moe/w/%EC%86%A1%ED%98%9C%EA%B5%90) • [16](https://www.tatlerasia.com/lifestyle/entertainment/sg-7-things-to-know-about-song-hye-kyo) |
| Signature recent role | Moon Dong-eun in Netflix's *The Glory*, created by writer Kim Eun-sook[4](https://krlt.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/2026%EB%85%84-%EB%B4%84-%EA%B7%B9%EC%98%88%EC%88%A0%ED%95%99%ED%9A%8C-%EC%9E%90%EB%A3%8C%EC%A7%91_%EC%9C%A4%EC%84%9D%EC%A7%84.pdf) |
| Marriage | Married actor Song Joong-ki in October 2017; the marriage ended in divorce in June 2019 after 1 year and 8 months[5](https://ent.sbs.co.kr/amp/article.do?article_id=E10009581674) |
| Upcoming lead | *Slowly, Intensely* (천천히 강렬하게), a 22-episode Netflix period drama with Gong Yoo, slated for the fourth quarter of 2026[6](https://wikidocs.net/blog/%40mythos/24316/) |
| Hallyu standing | Ranked among the most-wanted Hallyu stars in the Korean Foundation for International Cultural Exchange's 2015 overseas survey, after Lee Min-ho and Psy[7](https://www.archivecenter.net/kaitArchive/attach/120000/126725/20250312021830622.pdf) |
## Early life and debut
Song Hye-kyo was born in 1981 in Janggi-dong, Dalseo-gu, Daegu. Her official resident registration date was listed as February 26, 1982 on portals for many years, but compiled birth information records her actual birth as 1981.[3](https://naver-doc.com/life/culture/%EC%86%A1%ED%98%9C%EA%B5%90-%EB%82%98%EC%9D%B4-%ED%94%84%EB%A1%9C%ED%95%84-%ED%82%A4-%EB%B3%B8%EB%AA%85-%EB%8D%B0%EB%B7%94%EB%B6%80%ED%84%B0-%EB%93%9C%EB%9D%BC%EB%A7%88-%EC%B6%9C%EC%97%B0%EC%9E%91/)
## Breakthrough with Autumn in My Heart
*Autumn in My Heart* (가을동화), co-starring [Won Bin](https://www.edgepedia.org/won-bin) and [Song Seung-heon](https://www.edgepedia.org/song-seung-heon), passed a 40 percent peak viewership rating and is regarded as an original work that created today's Korean Wave.[1](https://namu.moe/w/%EC%86%A1%ED%98%9C%EA%B5%90) In 2013, Song nabbed her first Grand Prix award, the highest accolade for South Korean actors, for her work in the television drama *That Winter, the Wind Blows*, consolidating her status as a Hallyu star representing South Korea.[16](https://www.tatlerasia.com/lifestyle/entertainment/sg-7-things-to-know-about-song-hye-kyo) • [1](https://namu.moe/w/%EC%86%A1%ED%98%9C%EA%B5%90)
## Television career
**Return to prime time.** In 2012 Song was preparing a return to domestic television after four years with *That Winter, the Wind Blows* (그 겨울, 바람이 분다), a drama written by Noh Hee-kyung and co-starring Jo In-sung in his first small-screen role after military discharge, alongside [Kim Bum](https://www.edgepedia.org/kim-bum) and [Jung Eun-ji](https://www.edgepedia.org/jung-eun-ji).[8](https://sports.khan.co.kr/article/201211091150513)
**Descendants of the Sun.** Song starred opposite [Song Joong-ki](https://www.edgepedia.org/song-joong-ki) in *Descendants of the Sun* (태양의 후예); the drama's first soundtrack single, "ALWAYS" by t Yoonmirae, was produced as the love theme of the two leads by drama music directors Kang Dong-yun (Antenna) and producer Song Dong-woon.[9](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aE0eV2YR51k)
**Later dramas.** Her credits include *Boyfriend* (남자친구) and *[Now, We Are Breaking Up](https://www.edgepedia.org/now-we-are-breaking-up)* (지금 헤어지는 중입니다).[10](https://v.daum.net/v/HNXT6wYcRj) In April 2022, *Now, We Are Breaking Up* began streaming on the Chinese platform Youku, part of a gradual reopening of Chinese online video services to Korean content after a six-year import ban on Korean films.[11](https://v.daum.net/v/20221122185014052?s=print_news)
## The Glory and genre reinvention
*The Glory* (더 글로리), the Netflix revenge drama made by the combination of *Mr. Sunshine* writer [Kim Eun-sook](https://www.edgepedia.org/kim-eun-sook), *Stranger* director Ahn Gil-ho, and Song Hye-kyo, is cited as a product of Netflix's production investment in [Korean drama](https://www.edgepedia.org/korean-drama).[4](https://krlt.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/2026%EB%85%84-%EB%B4%84-%EA%B7%B9%EC%98%88%EC%88%A0%ED%95%99%ED%9A%8C-%EC%9E%90%EB%A3%8C%EC%A7%91_%EC%9C%A4%EC%84%9D%EC%A7%84.pdf) In the series she played Moon Dong-eun, a character whose revenge scheme unfolds partly at locations in [Sejong City](https://www.edgepedia.org/sejong-city), including the Sejong Lake Park parking lot and its stage island, where her character meets Kang Hye-nam, played by Uhm Hye-ran.[12](https://www.sjsori.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=62033)
Song said the series changed her relationship with acting: "Through (the Netflix series) *The Glory*, genre acting became fun," adding that her acting shifted slightly with each scene partner and that attempting kinds of performance she had never tried was itself interesting.[2](https://pdf.ihalla.com/sectionpdf/20250123-102259.pdf)
## Film work
Song's film roles include *My Brilliant Life* (두근두근 내 인생), released September 3, 2014, in which she played Jang Young-sung under director [Wong Kar-wai](https://www.edgepedia.org/wong-kar-wai)'s collaborator listing in the filmography record.[1](https://namu.moe/w/%EC%86%A1%ED%98%9C%EA%B5%90) *Dark Nuns* (검은 수녀들) marked her return to Korean cinema 11 years after *My Brilliant Life* (2014); in interviews around the film she said she was drawn to the conviction and boldness of her character, who makes choices others would not.[2](https://pdf.ihalla.com/sectionpdf/20250123-102259.pdf)
Her next major project is *Slowly, Intensely* (천천히 강렬하게), a Netflix 22-episode period drama, unusually long for recent Netflix Korean originals, which mostly run 8 to 12 episodes. The announced lead lineup pairs Song with [Gong Yoo](https://www.edgepedia.org/gong-yoo), Kim Seol-hyun, Cha Seung-won, and Lee Ha-nee, under writer Noh Hee-kyung and director Lee Yoon-jung; filming has wrapped and release is set for the fourth quarter of 2026. Song plays a woman who, while living a tenacious life, seizes an opportunity in the Korean music industry.[6](https://wikidocs.net/blog/%40mythos/24316/) • [10](https://v.daum.net/v/HNXT6wYcRj)
## Personal life
Song married actor Song Joong-ki, her *Descendants of the Sun* co-star, in October 2017. The couple announced the end of the marriage in June 2019, 1 year and 8 months after the wedding; her side issued a brief statement saying she would repay the public with better work ahead.[5](https://ent.sbs.co.kr/amp/article.do?article_id=E10009581674) She made her first public appearance after the divorce announcement at an event in Hainan, China, in early July 2019, and appeared days later at a jewelry event in Monaco for a brand she modeled for.[5](https://ent.sbs.co.kr/amp/article.do?article_id=E10009581674)
## Public image, endorsements, and philanthropy
**Brand work.** Song works widely as an official model for beauty and fashion brands. In 2026 she posted summer pictorials with the French beauty brand Guerlain, a long-established house that collaborates with her to convey its refinement to consumers.[13](https://v.daum.net/v/20260613133452425) She has also served as a Guerlain ambassador and appeared in campaigns for other luxury brands.[14](https://hotissue.one/thdgPry)
**Giving.** In 2012 she donated her modeling fee to help establish an elementary school in China. Earlier charity work with Seo Kyung-deok, a professor at Sungshin Women's University, included providing a free Hangul app for the Korean exhibition hall in China and a Korean-language guide at the [Museum of Modern Art](https://www.edgepedia.org/museum-of-modern-art) in New York.[8](https://sports.khan.co.kr/article/201211091150513)
**Hallyu surveys.** In the 2015 overseas Hallyu survey by the Korean Foundation for International Cultural Exchange, respondents named [Lee Min-ho](https://www.edgepedia.org/lee-min-ho) (6.5 percent) the star they most wanted to meet, followed by Psy and Song Hye-kyo.[7](https://www.archivecenter.net/kaitArchive/attach/120000/126725/20250312021830622.pdf) A 2025 survey of Hallyu consumers in 28 countries again placed Gong Yoo and Song Hye-kyo at the top of named preferences.[15](https://t1.daumcdn.net/brunch/service/user/1eYE/file/bW759f3iDi_9sIDOySeh8zsV9yE.pdf%3Fdownload)
## References
1. [송혜교, Namu wiki](https://namu.moe/w/%EC%86%A1%ED%98%9C%EA%B5%90)
2. [송혜교 인터뷰, 한라일보 (2025)](https://pdf.ihalla.com/sectionpdf/20250123-102259.pdf)
3. [송혜교 나이 프로필 키 본명, 데뷔부터 드라마 출연작 정리, naver-doc](https://naver-doc.com/life/culture/%EC%86%A1%ED%98%9C%EA%B5%90-%EB%82%98%EC%9D%B4-%ED%94%84%EB%A1%9C%ED%95%84-%ED%82%A4-%EB%B3%B8%EB%AA%85-%EB%8D%B0%EB%B7%94%EB%B6%80%ED%84%B0-%EB%93%9C%EB%9D%BC%EB%A7%88-%EC%B6%9C%EC%97%B0%EC%9E%91/)
4. [글로벌 OTT 플랫폼의 자본력과 K-드라마, 한국극예술학회 자료집 (2026)](https://krlt.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/2026%EB%85%84-%EB%B4%84-%EA%B7%B9%EC%98%88%EC%88%A0%ED%95%99%ED%9A%8C-%EC%9E%90%EB%A3%8C%EC%A7%91_%EC%9C%A4%EC%84%9D%EC%A7%84.pdf)
5. [송혜교, 파경 이후 두 번째 근황, SBS연예뉴스 (2019)](https://ent.sbs.co.kr/amp/article.do?article_id=E10009581674)
6. [천천히 강렬하게 공개일 언제? 송혜교·공유 출연진·몇부작 정리, wikidocs blog](https://wikidocs.net/blog/%40mythos/24316/)
7. [2015년 해외한류실태조사 결과보고서, 한국국제문화교류진흥원](https://www.archivecenter.net/kaitArchive/attach/120000/126725/20250312021830622.pdf)
8. [송혜교, 중국 소학교 설립에 모델료 쾌척, 스포츠경향 (2012)](https://sports.khan.co.kr/article/201211091150513)
9. [ALWAYS – Descendants of the Sun OST Part.1, t Yoonmirae, YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aE0eV2YR51k)
10. [[공식] 송혜교, 750억 대작 주인공 됐다 ('천천히강렬하게'), Daum 뉴스](https://v.daum.net/v/HNXT6wYcRj)
11. [언론사뷰: 한국 영화 OTT 서비스 개시 관련 보도, Daum 뉴스 (2022)](https://v.daum.net/v/20221122185014052?s=print_news)
12. [송혜교, 솔빛초등학교 교사 됐나?, 세종의소리](https://www.sjsori.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=62033)
13. [송혜교, 프랑스 뷰티 브랜드와 함께한 여름 화보 공개, 전남일보 via Daum (2026)](https://v.daum.net/v/20260613133452425)
14. [송혜교 관련 기사 모음, hotissue.one](https://hotissue.one/thdgPry)
15. [2025 해외한류실태조사, 한국국제문화교류진흥원](https://t1.daumcdn.net/brunch/service/user/1eYE/file/bW759f3iDi_9sIDOySeh8zsV9yE.pdf%3Fdownload)
16. [Song Hye-Kyo: 8 Things to Know About the Korean Actress, Tatler Asia](https://www.tatlerasia.com/lifestyle/entertainment/sg-7-things-to-know-about-song-hye-kyo)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of East and Southeast Asia › South Korean actors, 2000s onward › Surnames M to S*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Sep 18, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license