Ha Ji-won is really a woman

SINGAPORE — Ha Ji-won may be known for her gender-bending roles in the popular Korean series Secret Garden and her latest period drama Empress Ki, but the actress claims she is actually much more womanly than she appears to be on-screen.

“If you talk to my friends who have known me through primary school, middle school, high school and university, you would know that I am nowhere near the roles that I play because I am not a tomboy,” said Ha, at a press conference in Singapore to promote Empress Ki, where she plays a girl who survives by pretending to be a boy and eventually ascends to power. “I used to be a quiet girl (in school) and I am probably the most feminine out of all my friends, so they are really surprised that I’ve taken these roles.”

The 36-year-old added: “But this is what I want to do as an actress because I can be someone I am not, and someone I want to be. And I want to keep doing it, because I enjoy it — it’s fun!”

Empress Ki is currently airing on VV Drama (StarHub TV Channel 855), every Monday to Friday at 5.45pm. It is also screening on VV Drama On Demand (StarHub TV Channel 857).