She once dreamed of becoming a flight attendant
Before entering the entertainment industry, Jun had wanted to be a jet setter through other means. However, she rerouted her career path after she was scouted to become a model at the early age of 16 years old.
She made her acting debut in 1999
Jun kickstarted her acting career back in 1999 with the drama White Valentine. She was only 17 when the film was shot!
She is very sporty
According to W Magazine, Jun wakes up at 6 a.m. every morning to workout. Her favourite exercise is pilates but she also cycles, swims and runs to add some variety in. Her athletic abilities came in handy when she learnt horseback riding for her role in the hit series The Legend of the Blue Sea (2016).
She is fluent in English
The Seoul native is fluent in English and has been featured in English-language films, which include Blood: The Last Vampire (2005) and Assassination (2015). She came up with the English name Gianna Jun when she ventured into Hollywood to make pronouncing her name easier.
She is a fashion icon
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The model-turned-actress has been a brand ambassador for big names such as Burberry, Calvin Klein, Omega and Alexander McQueen.
She is a philanthropist
The actress has donated to various charitable organisations, such as Hope Bridge Korea Disaster Relief Association, primarily helping out with relief for natural disasters and campaigns for children’s education.
She is one of the highest-paid Korean actresses
The K-drama cult classic, My Love From the Star was reported to have earned the actress a staggering 100 million won per episode. It paid off in the end, given its record-breaking 14.5 billion streams in just three months!
She was the first Korean star to appear on Vogue US
If she wasn’t already icon status enough for you, this fact should take the cake. She was the first Korean star to appear in Vogue US and was shot by none other than Annie Leibovitz herself who has photographed a whole host of other big names such as Obama, Hilary Clinton and John Lennon.
Editor
Christy LamCredit
Lead Image: Han Myung-Gu/WireImage via Getty Images
