Shin Hye Sun reveals matching tattoos, causing a stir on social media with an ambiguous message for her male co-star.

With her impressive height of 1.72m and her "legacy" vocal ability, Shin Hye Sun has shattered the stereotype of an actress who only has beauty but no substance, rising to become a "ratings guarantee" and a name every director craves.

Childhood memories: Dreams inspired by "Autumn Heart"

Shin Hye Sun was born on August 31, 1989, in Seoul into an ordinary family. Unlike many of her peers who entered the arts by chance, Hye Sun's love for cinema blossomed very early and was extremely intense.

The most famous story about her motivation to become an actress is related to the actor Won Bin. After watching the classic drama Autumn in My Heart, young Hye Sun decided she had to become an actress just to... have the chance to meet her idol. However, instead of being just a frivolous teenage dream, she turned it into a life goal. She majored in Film Arts at Sejong University – one of the leading arts training institutions in South Korea – to hone her skills in the most systematic way.

Silent footsteps and a fateful encounter with Vietnam.

In 2012, Shin Hye Sun officially debuted through the hit school drama School 2013. However, while names like Lee Jong Suk and Kim Woo Bin skyrocketed to A-list stardom, Hye Sun remained just a short-haired schoolgirl, appearing only briefly with a few lines of dialogue.

For the next three years, she diligently auditioned hundreds of times but only received very small supporting roles. One of the most memorable milestones for Vietnamese audiences was her role as Miso in the 2014 Vietnamese-Korean co-production, *Forever Young*. Although she played a challenging "villainous supporting character," her sharp looks and natural acting began to catch the eye of filmmakers in her homeland.

Later, she went on to appear in Oh My Ghost as a gentle sister-in-law in a wheelchair, and She Was Pretty as a stylish magazine employee. Although only playing supporting roles, Shin Hye Sun showed a completely different side of herself in each character.

"The late-blooming flower" begins to release its fragrance.

Shin Hye Sun's career truly took a new turn when she starred in the weekend drama Five Enough in 2016. The adorable romance between her character and Sung Hoon created a minor sensation, earning her a nomination for Best New Actress.

Soon after, her role as a con artist in Legend of the Blue Sea alongside Lee Min Ho and Jun Ji Hyun helped her gain more popularity with international audiences. However, the real "breakthrough" came with My Golden Life in 2017.

Playing the lead role of Seo Ji Ahn – a strong woman facing the ironic adversities of fate – Shin Hye Sun captivated all of South Korea. The drama achieved a record-breaking rating of over 45%, making her the "new Queen of Ratings." From then on, the Korean media officially called her a "reliable actress."

Peak acting performance and the "storm" surrounding the "Queen"

Not resting on her laurels, Shin Hye Sun continuously challenged herself with difficult scripts: Still 17 (2018): She portrayed a 30-year-old woman whose soul remained that of a 17-year-old after a long coma following an accident. Her naive yet natural performance brought many viewers to tears. Angel's Last Mission: Love (2019): Hye Sun studied professional ballet for months to play a cold, arrogant blind dancer. Her dedication to this role helped her affirm her excellent physical acting skills.

And then, Mr. Queen in 2020 created an unprecedented milestone. Playing a Joseon dynasty queen with the soul of a modern-day male chef, Shin Hye Sun showcased her superb expressive skills. From her gait and "manly" way of speaking to complex inner scenes, she transformed a controversial script into a global hit. Her nickname "Diction Fairy" was further solidified as she handled long and difficult historical dialogues with ease.

Diversification and symbolic status

Following the success of Mr. Queen, Shin Hye Sun made a strong foray into film and over-the-top streaming platforms (OTT). In 2023, she impressed with her role as a woman who remembers 19 past lives in See You in My 19th Life, and later as a healing female photographer in Welcome to Samdal-ri.

In particular, in 2024 and 2025, she began to try her hand at darker and more edgy roles. In the film Following, she played an influencer with horrifying secrets behind her glamorous facade.

The "Art of Sarah" craze and the "Real-Life Romance" rumors surrounding actor Lee Jun Hyuk.

Beyond her brilliant professional achievements, in early 2026, Shin Hye Sun's name once again dominated headlines thanks to her explosive chemistry with actor Lee Jun Hyuk in the Netflix hit series The Art of Sarah. The drama not only took the world by storm with its thrilling plot about fake identities and mysterious murders within the upper class, but also sparked endless fan speculation about the lead couple's unusually close relationship off-screen.

The peak of attention came on February 10th, when Lee Jun Hyuk unexpectedly posted a cryptic black-and-white photo on his personal account. The photo captured a moment of two hands intertwined, revealing identical matching tattoos between him and Shin Hye Sun. Immediately, the actress responded by sharing a similar picture with the captivating caption: "Glamorous Gloom."

This "ambiguous" interaction created a media frenzy with a barrage of questions from netizens: "Is this a Lovestagram (public display of affection)?" or "Are they really dating?". While this may have been part of a promotional campaign to create a mysterious atmosphere for the drama, the chemistry between Shin Hye Sun and Lee Jun Hyuk, from their on-screen glances to their intimate gestures off-screen, remained the hottest topic, contributing to The Art of Sarah dominating the global Netflix Top 10 throughout the recent Lunar New Year holiday.

Shin Hye Sun: "Tóc Tiên's lookalike" and the secret behind her title as the billionaire queen? Hải Đăng10:51:31 21/02/2026Public opinion is buzzing about the striking resemblance between Shin Hye Sun and Toc Tien, from their demeanor to their sharp facial features. Few know that behind that glamorous appearance lies the bitter past of an unknown girl who spent 10 long years submitting job applications only to be met with cold indifference.