Han Sun-hwa (Korean: 한선화; born October 6, 1990), also known mononymously asSunhwa, is a South Korean actress and singer.[3][4][unreliable source?] She is a former member of the South Koreangirl groupSecret. She made her television debut in 2004 while participating in SBS'Superstar Survival as a finalist,[5] and in 2009, she was a regular cast on a variety show calledInvincible Youth.[6] Aside from music, she also ventured into acting and made her debut in the 2010 drama,More Charming By The Day.[7] Some of her notable works includeSchool 2017 (2017),My Contracted Husband, Mr. Oh (2018) andMy Sweet Mobster (2024).
Han Sun-hwa was born on October 6, 1990,[8] inBuk-gu,Busan, South Korea.[1] She has one younger sister and one younger brother,Han Seung-woo.[5] Han's mother gave birth to her at the young age of 20.[9] As the eldest child, she took care of her younger siblings by cooking them food and tutoring them when both of their parents had to work. During theEast Asian Financial Crisis in 1998, Han's family struggled and recalled that her dream of being an entertainer was getting dim.[9]
Ever since she was young, Han had an interest in art and had always dreamed of becoming an artist. She took after-school art programs in elementary school and managed to win several awards from various art competitions. However, after seeing one ofBoA's performances on television, she realized her dream was singing and dancing.[10]
Since then, Han began auditioning for various recording companies; she entered theS.M. Entertainment Youth Best Competition but was eliminated.[10] In 2004, Han started auditioning at companies besides singing competitions.[10] In 2005, she became a finalist on a talent show calledSuperstar Survival along with2PM'sTaecyeon,Lee Junho andChansung.[10][11] During the show, Han received vocal and acting training;[11] however, she was eliminated in the fifth episode and went back to Busan.[11]
Following her setback, Han went back to being an ordinary high school student. However, there was a big change in the way Han's peers looked at her:[12] due to false rumors, they thought she was a JYP trainee; Han admitted she became afraid of people because of the jealous stares. Teacher Sung Yong-ho, in charge of the school choir, helped Han by giving her chances to participate in competitions; then, she was admitted to Baekjae Art College.[12] A few days before the college entrance ceremony, she got a call from an agent who watchedSuperstar Survival and became a trainee inTS Entertainment.
2009–2013: Secret,Invincible Youth, acting debut and rising popularity
In October 2009, Han, along withJung Ha-na,Song Ji-eun andJun Hyo-seong, debuted in the group Secret;[6] prior to their debut, the group was on a documentary show calledSecret Story which chronicled their debut process.[13][better source needed] In the same month, Han was chosen as a regular cast member of a South Korean variety show calledInvincible Youth;[14][6] the news that a girl group member who hadn't debuted yet would be selected for a variety program caused a huge sensation.[14]
Secret released their debut single "I Want You Back" in October 2009.[15] In April 2010, they released their first mini album entitledSecret Time which spawned the hit single "Magic" and served as their breakthrough song in South Korea.[16][17][18] The same year, Han made her acting debut in the sitcomMore Charming By The Day.[7] She next starred in the workplace dramaAd Genius Lee Tae-baek.[19]On December 28, 2010, Han made a cameo appearance on MBC's daily sitcom,All My Love, playing Gain's old college friend.[20]
In 2012, for the year endSBS Gayo Daejeon show, SBS created four idolsuper groups, a fan vote placed Han into the group designatedMystic White, the group working with producer Kim Do-hoon, created the song "Mermaid Princess" the profits of which was donated to charity.[21][22]
It was confirmed on September 26, 2016, that Han had not renewed her contract with TS Entertainment and would leave the company in October.[33][34][35] On October 14, 2016, Han joinedHuayi Brothers as an actress.[36]
In 2020, Sun-hwa was cast in the romantic-comedy drama,Backstreet Rookie, alongsideJi Chang-wook andKim Yoo-jung, based on a webtoon of the same name. She played Dae-hyun's (Ji Chang-wook) girlfriend and former boss, also a convenience store headquarters Public Relations team leader. In July 2020, she confirmed her appearance in JTBC's dramaUndercover, a remake of 2016 BBC miniseries of the same name.
In 2021, Han was cast for the web seriesWork Later, Drink Now portraying the character of Han Ji-yeon for two seasons.[41]
In 2022, Han made a special appearance in the SBS dramaWhy Her.[42] She later appeared in the dramaO'PENing – First Snow, which is a solo drama withLee Jae-in and Kang Gil-woo.[43]
In 2023, Han was cast in the filmHoney Sweet.[44] She also played the role of "Hye-yeong" in the thesis filmLetter from Kyoto.[45]
In 2024, Han was cast as the female lead for theJTBC dramaMy Sweet Mobster alongside actorsUhm Tae-goo andKwon Yul.[46] She was cast in the comedy filmPilot for the role of "Han Jung-mi", a YouTuber and the younger sister of "Han Jung-woo" played by actorJo Jung-suk.[47]
Han has said from childhood that she has been influenced bypop andR&B groups such asFin.K.L,S.E.S. andShinhwa.[10] Han creditsBoA as one of her major influences and idols. She also credits BoA's singing and dancing as influencing her to pursue a musical career.[10]
"I have somewhat of a wacky and laid back personality, and especially when I'm on set, I think I naturally become the "White Paper" character. Even when we were filming, the wrong answer tended to come to mind first. Of course there were times when I did it just for fun."
"White paper", or "baekji" in Korean, is a term coined bynetizens and the cast ofInvincible Youth, which is an English equivalent of the "dumb blonde" persona portrayed by Han in that show.[27][49] She played a huge role in increasing Secret's popularity throughInvincible Youth and other variety shows because of her dumb blonde persona.[27][48][49]
Aside from her works with Secret, she also became active in acting, modelling and frequently participating in variety shows. In November 2010, Han won the best wedding dress idol award onMBC'sBouquet which landed her a magazine cover feature onWedding 21's December issue.[50]
On February 2, 2011, Han guested on theKBS's Lunar New Year special,Idol Health Beauty Contest, during which she was chosen as the star with the healthiest and most beautiful skin.[51][better source needed] Han, along with many other female idols, participated in a skin evaluation by selected professionals. In the end, results showed that Han's skin appeared 10 years younger than her actual age.[51] In April 2011, Han was chosen as the model for the cosmetics companyThe Skin House.[27][52] Han reportedly received a $100,000 deposit for her six-month contract.[52] She was the company's exclusive model from 2013 until May 2016.[citation needed]
Along with Secret, Han has been featured as a model for various endorsement deals such asGrand Mer,[54]Nike,[55]Nene Chicken,[56]Good Day Soju[57][better source needed] andParkga[58] among others. Along withJun Hyo-seong,B.A.P's Kim Him-chan andBang Yong-guk, Han was chosen as a model forKellan sportswear 11/12 Winter Collection in September 2011.[59]
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