Song Hye Kyo has become such a formidable force in the world of Korean dramas that to refer to her as an icon kind of falls flat. For close to three decades now, the Hallyu star has been gracing our screens as some of the most memorable and relatable leading ladies. Her extensive body of work proves that the romance genre is her forte, and even with all the transformations she's gone through—both in cinema and in her personal life—she maintains her position as the standard when it comes to stories about love.
Throughout her career, the industry's best actors have been given the honor of playing Hye Kyo's fictional love interests. And so we've listed down 10 of her most significant scene partners. Scroll on and see if you recognize some faces!
Song Hye Kyo's leading men throughout the years
1. Song Seung Hoon
At the turn of the century, Hye Kyo was featured in the 2000 series Autumn In My Heart, the show that arguably launched her into stardom. After getting switched at birth with a contemporary, her character Eun Sun gets romantically involved with a successful artist named Joon Suh, who was then played by Song Seung Hoon. Forming some sort of love triangle between the two was the mischievous Han Tae Seok, portrayed by Won Bin.
2. Kim Min Jong
The following year, the actress was paired with Kim Min Jong in a melodrama titled Guardian Angel. The plot follows Jung Da So, Hye Kyo's character, taking her friend's orphaned daughter under her care. At her workplace, she rubs elbows with Ha Tae Woong, Min Jong's role, a young man who also grew up without his parents.
3. Lee Byung Hun
Come 2003, Hye Kyo and fellow veteran actor Lee Byung Hun went all in for All In. Inspired by the life of professional poker player Jimmy Cha, the two thespians play a couple who meet when they were young, are separated because of injustice, and, in the present, try their hardest to reconnect again. The show was a hit, with the Baeksang Arts Awards granting it the Grand Prize for TV that year.
4. Rain
If you grew up in a household that loved Koreanovelas, then you've probably seen an episode or two of Full House. The 2004 series was a pioneer in the realm of rom-coms, and its massive success could be attributed to how well Hye Kyo and Hallyu heartthrob Rain played a couple in a contractual relationship. Who else remembers the 2009 remake that starred Heart Evangelista and Richard Gutierrez?
5. Hyun Bin
We told you this rundown was filled with iconic names. Before they reveled in the fame they have today, Hye Kyo and Hyun Bin acted opposite each other in Worlds Within. The 2008 drama saw the two play Ji Oh and Joon Young, two college friends-turned-lovers who come from drastically different backgrounds.
6. Jo In Sung
An adaptation of a Japanese concept, That Winter, The Wind Blows chronicles the unlikely relationship between gambler Oh Soo, played by Jo In Sung, and visually-impaired heiress Oh Young. In a ploy to inherit her wealth when she passes, Oh Soo takes advantage of Oh Young by pretending to be her estranged brother.
7. Song Joong Ki
Let's be real, you knew Song Joong Ki was on this list. A project that opened doors for both of them, Descendants Of The Sun quickly became a modern classic after it aired in 2016, birthing several adaptations across Asia. Joong Ki and Hye Kyo's off-screen romance culminated in a grand wedding ceremony last October 2017. Things may not have worked out for the two, but it's evident that they're both doing well on their own paths.
8. Park Bo Gum
Post-DOTS, Hye Kyo outdid herself with 2018's Encounter, where she was linked up with a long-maned Park Bo Gum. In a classic tale of opposites attract, she portrays an uptight daughter of a politician who falls for a free-spirited young man, who just so happens to work at a hotel she owns.
9. Jang Ki Yong
In Now, We Are Breaking Up, Hye Kyo breathes life into the fashionable designer and team leader Ha Yeong Eun. While on the job, she finds herself juggling her professional life and a fling with freelance photographer Mr. J, played by Jang Ki Yong.
10. Lee Do Hyun
The latest leading man to join the roster is Lee Do Hyun in The Glory. In the Netflix original, Hye Kyo sheds off her romance tropes and takes on the role of Moon Dong Eun, a bullying survivor hell-bent on retribution. By her side is Joo Yeo Jeong, played by Do Hyun, a plastic surgeon who becomes her board game buddy.
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This article originally appeared on Preview.ph. Minor edits have been made by Cosmo.ph editors.