Han Sun-hwa (; born October 6, 1990), also known mononymously as Sunhwa, is a South Korean actress and singer. She is a former member of the South Korean
girl group
A girl group is a music act featuring two or more women in music, female singers who generally vocal harmony, harmonize together. The term "girl group" is also used in a narrower sense in the United States to denote the wave of American female p ...
Secret
Secrecy is the practice of hiding information from certain individuals or groups who do not have the "need to know", perhaps while sharing it with other individuals. That which is kept hidden is known as the secret.
Secrecy is often controver ...
. She made her television debut in 2004 while participating in SBS' ''Superstar Survival'' as a finalist,
and in 2009, she was a regular cast member on a variety show called ''
Invincible Youth
''Invincible Youth'' () is a South Korean variety show which aired its first season on KBS2 from October 23, 2009 to December 24, 2010. Season 1 featured seven girls (collectively known as G7) from K-pop idol groups wherein they experience how it i ...
''.
Aside from music, she also ventured into acting and made her debut in the 2010 drama, ''More Charming By The Day''.
Some of her notable works include ''
School 2017'' (2017), ''
My Contracted Husband, Mr. Oh'' (2018), ''
Work Later, Drink Now'' (2021–2023) and ''
My Sweet Mobster'' (2024).
Early life
Han Sun-hwa was born on October 6, 1990,
in
Buk District, Busan
Buk District () is a '' gu'' (district) in north-central Busan, South Korea. The district is 39.37 square kilometers with a population of 275,773 as of 2023. It was established as a ''gu'' in 1978.
Administrative divisions
Buk District is d ...
, South Korea.
She has one younger sister and one younger brother,
Han Seung-woo
Han Seung-woo (, born December 24, 1994), known mononymously as Seungwoo, is a South Korean singer, singer-songwriter, and actor. He debuted as a member of South Korean group Victon in 2016. In 2019, he finished third on ''Produce X 101'' and ...
.
Han's mother gave birth to her at the young age of 20.
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 the
East Asian Financial Crisis
The 1997 Asian financial crisis gripped much of East and Southeast Asia during the late 1990s. The crisis began in Thailand in July 1997 before spreading to several other countries with a ripple effect, raising fears of a worldwide economic meltd ...
in 1998, Han's family struggled and recalled that her dream of being an entertainer was getting dim.
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 of
BoA
Boa, BoA, or BOA may refer to:
Snakes
* Any member of the Boidae, a family of medium to large, non-venomous, constricting snakes
** Any member of the Boinae, a subfamily of boid snakes
*** Any member of ''Boa'' (genus), a group of boid snakes
* ...
's performances on television, she realized her dream was singing and dancing.
Career
2004–2008: Career beginnings and struggles
Since then, Han began auditioning for various recording companies; she entered the
S.M. Entertainment
SM Entertainment Co., Ltd. () is a South Korean Multinational corporation, multinational entertainment agency established in 1995 by Lee Soo-man. It is one of South Korea's largest entertainment companies and has been responsible for fostering ...
Youth Best Competition but was eliminated.
In 2004, Han started auditioning at companies besides singing competitions.
In 2005, she became a finalist on a talent show called ''Superstar Survival'' along with
2PM's
Taecyeon
Ok Taec-yeon (; born December 27, 1988), known mononymously as Taecyeon, is a South Korean rapper, singer, songwriter, actor, and entrepreneur. He is the rapper of the South Korean boy band 2PM.
In 2010, Ok debuted as an actor in the Korean ...
,
Lee Junho and
Chansung
Hwang Chan-sung (, born February 11, 1990), also known mononymously as Chansung, is a South Korean singer, songwriter, rapper and actor. He is a member of the Korean boy band 2PM. He made his debut as an actor in the 2006 comedy series '' Uns ...
.
During the show, Han received vocal and acting training;
however, she was eliminated in the fifth episode and went back to Busan.
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:
due to false rumors, they thought she was a JYP trainee; Han admitted she became afraid of people because of the rumors. 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 "Paekche Institute of the Arts".
A few days before the college entrance ceremony, she got a call from an agent who watched ''Superstar Survival'' and became a trainee in
TS Entertainment
TS Entertainment (also known as TS ENTER ()) was a South Korean record label and entertainment agency founded in 2008 by Kim Tae‑song (). It was located at Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea. The company was responsible for managing Ko ...
.
2009–2013: Secret, ''Invincible Youth'', acting debut and rising popularity
In October 2009, Han, along with
Jung Ha-na
Jung Ha-na (; born 2 February 1990), better known by her former stage name Zinger and mononymously as Hana, is a South Korean singer, television personality, and Youtuber. She is best known for being a member of the South Korean girl group Secr ...
,
Song Ji-eun
Song Ji-eun (; born May 5, 1990), better known mononymously as Jieun, is a South Korean singer and actress best known as a member of the South Korean girl group Secret (South Korean group), Secret. Aside from her group's activities, she has re ...
and
Jun Hyo-seong
Jun Hyo-seong (; born October 13, 1989) often simply known as Hyoseong or Hyosung, is a South Korean singer and actress.
In 2005, she was a finalist in Mnet (TV channel), Mnet's ''Battle Shinhwa'' which led to her signing a recording contract w ...
, debuted in the group Secret;
prior to their debut, the group was on a documentary show called ''Secret Story'' which chronicled their debut process. In the same month, Han was chosen as a regular cast member of a South Korean variety show called ''
Invincible Youth
''Invincible Youth'' () is a South Korean variety show which aired its first season on KBS2 from October 23, 2009 to December 24, 2010. Season 1 featured seven girls (collectively known as G7) from K-pop idol groups wherein they experience how it i ...
'';
the news that a girl group member who hadn't debuted yet would be selected for a variety program caused a huge sensation.
Secret released their debut single "
I Want You Back
"I Want You Back" is the first national single by the Jackson 5. It was released by Motown on October 7, 1969, and became the first number-one hit for the band on January 31, 1970. It was performed on the band's first television appearances, on ...
" in October 2009. In April 2010, they released their first mini album entitled ''
Secret Time
''Secret Time'' is the debut Korean extended play (EP) by South Korean girl group Secret. The EP was released on April 1, 2010, and contains ten tracks. "Magic" was used as the promotional song for the album. The song debuted at number 2 on South ...
'' which spawned the hit single "
Magic
Magic or magick most commonly refers to:
* Magic (supernatural), beliefs and actions employed to influence supernatural beings and forces
** ''Magick'' (with ''-ck'') can specifically refer to ceremonial magic
* Magic (illusion), also known as sta ...
" and served as their breakthrough song in South Korea.
The same year, Han made her acting debut in the sitcom ''More Charming By The Day''.
She next starred in the workplace drama ''
Ad Genius Lee Tae-baek''.
On December 28, 2010, Han made a cameo appearance on MBC's daily sitcom, ''All My Love'', playing Gain's old college friend.
In 2012, for the year end
SBS Gayo Daejeon
''SBS Gayo Daejeon'' (, broadly ''SBS'' '' Battle of the Bands'') is an annual televised music festival that is broadcast by the Seoul Broadcasting System at the end of each year. The program first aired in 1997, and awards were given to musica ...
show, SBS created four idol
super groups, a fan vote placed Han into the group designated
Mystic White, the group working with producer Kim Do-hoon, created the song "Mermaid Princess" the profits of which was donated to charity.
2014–present: Acting roles and group departure

In 2014, Han got her first lead role
MBC's weekend drama ''
Rosy Lovers'' alongside
Lee Jang-woo
Lee Jang-woo (; born June 1, 1986) is a South Korean actor and singer. He is best known for his roles in the television series ''Glory Jane'', '' I Do, I Do'', '' My Only One'' and '' Homemade Love Story''. Lee also became popular after being p ...
.
CNN International
Cable News Network International or CNN International (CNNi, simply branded on-air as CNN) is an international television channel and website, owned by CNN Worldwide. CNN International carries news-related programming worldwide; it cooperates ...
Seoul listed Han as one of the nine rising "it" stars in Korean entertainment citing her as a "multi-tasking" artist.
The same year, her performance in
tvN romance drama, ''
Marriage, Not Dating''
earned her a nomination for "Best Youth Actress" at the 16th
Seoul International Youth Film Festival. She also won two best new actress awards from
MBC and
SBS Drama Awards
The SBS Drama Awards (), also known as SBS Awards Festival, is an awards ceremony presented annually by Seoul Broadcasting System (SBS) for outstanding achievements in Korean dramas aired on its network. It is held annually on December 31. The hi ...
for her roles in ''Rosy Lovers''
and fantasy thriller ''
God's Gift: 14 Days''.
It was confirmed on September 26, 2016, that Han had not renewed her contract with TS Entertainment and would leave the company in October. On October 14, 2016, Han joined
Huayi Brothers
Huayi Brothers Media Corp. () is a Chinese multinational entertainment company that owns a film studio, a television production company, a talent agency, a record label, entertainment theme parks, and a movie theater chain founded in Beijing ...
as an actress.
In 2017, Sunhwa starred in the office comedy series ''
Radiant Office'',
as well as teen drama ''
School 2017''.
In 2018, Sunhwa was cast in MBC's weekend drama ''
My Contracted Husband, Mr. Oh''.
In 2020, Sun-hwa was cast in the romantic-comedy drama, ''
Backstreet Rookie
''Backstreet Rookie'' () is a 2020 South Korean television series starring Ji Chang-wook and Kim Yoo-jung. It is based on the 2016–2017 webtoon ''She's Too Much for Me'' () written by Hwalhwasan (Active Volcano). It is the first Korean drama fu ...
'', alongside
Ji Chang-wook
Ji Chang-wook (; born 5 July 1987) is a South Korean actor and singer. He rose to fame for playing the lead role of Dong-hae in daily drama series '' Smile Again'' (2010–2011), and has had notable lead roles in television series such as '' W ...
and
Kim Yoo-jung
Kim Yoo-jung (; born September 22, 1999) is a South Korean actress known for her leading roles in the historical romance drama ''Love in the Moonlight'' (2016), historical fantasy ''Lovers of the Red Sky'' (2021), teen romance film ''20th Cen ...
, 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 drama ''
Undercover
A cover in foreign, military or police human intelligence or counterintelligence is the ostensible identity and role or position in an infiltrated organization assumed by a covert agent during a covert operation.
Official cover
In espionage, a ...
'', a remake of 2016 BBC miniseries of the same name.
In 2021, Han was cast for the web series ''
Work Later, Drink Now'' portraying the character of Han Ji-yeon for two seasons.

In 2022, Han made a special appearance in the SBS drama ''
Why Her''. She later appeared in the drama ''
O'PENing – First Snow'', which is a solo drama with
Lee Jae-in
Lee Jae-in (; born February 6, 2004) is a South Korean actress. She first gained recognition through the mystery film '' Svaha: The Sixth Finger'' (2019). Lee also starred in the television series '' Racket Boys'' (2021) and '' Night Has Come'' ( ...
and Kang Gil-woo.
In 2023, Han was cast in the film ''
Honey Sweet''.
She also played the role of "Hye-yeong" in the thesis film ''A Letter from Kyoto''.
In 2024, Han was cast as the female lead for the
JTBC
JTBC (shortened from Joongang Tongyang Broadcasting Company; ; stylized in all lowercase) is a South Korean nationwide pay television network. Its primary shareholder is JoongAng Holdings, with a 25% stake. It was launched on December 1, ...
drama ''
My Sweet Mobster'' alongside actors
Uhm Tae-goo and
Kwon Yul.
She was cast in the comedy film ''
Pilot
An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its Aircraft flight control system, directional flight controls. Some other aircrew, aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are al ...
'' for the role of "Han Jung-mi", a YouTuber and the younger sister of "Han Jung-woo" played by actor
Jo Jung-suk.
Artistry
Musical style and influences
Han has said from childhood that she has been influenced by
pop
Pop or POP may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Pop music, a musical genre
Artists
* POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade
* Pop! (British group), a UK pop group
* Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band
Album ...
and
R&B groups such as
Fin.K.L,
S.E.S. and
Shinhwa
Shinhwa () is a South Korean six-member boy band based in Seoul, composed of Eric Mun, Lee Min-woo, Kim Dong-wan, Shin Hye-sung, Jun Jin, and Andy Lee (South Korean singer), Andy Lee. Launched by SM Entertainment on March 24, 1998, the group si ...
.
Han credits
BoA
Boa, BoA, or BOA may refer to:
Snakes
* Any member of the Boidae, a family of medium to large, non-venomous, constricting snakes
** Any member of the Boinae, a subfamily of boid snakes
*** Any member of ''Boa'' (genus), a group of boid snakes
* ...
as one of her major influences and idols. She also credits BoA's singing and dancing as influencing her to pursue a musical career.
Image
"White paper", or "''baekji''" in Korean, is a term coined by
netizen
The term ''netizen'' is a portmanteau of the English words ''internet'' and ''citizen'', as in a "citizen of the net" or "net citizen". It describes a person actively involved in online communities or the Internet in general. s and the cast of ''
Invincible Youth
''Invincible Youth'' () is a South Korean variety show which aired its first season on KBS2 from October 23, 2009 to December 24, 2010. Season 1 featured seven girls (collectively known as G7) from K-pop idol groups wherein they experience how it i ...
'', which is an English equivalent of the "
dumb blonde
Blonde stereotypes are stereotypes of blonde-haired people. Sub-types of this stereotype include the " blonde bombshell" and the "dumb blonde". Blondes have historically been portrayed as physically attractive, though often perceived as less ...
" persona portrayed by Han in that show.
She played a huge role in increasing Secret's popularity through ''Invincible Youth'' and other variety shows because of her dumb blonde persona.
Endorsements and other activities
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 on
MBC's ''Bouquet'' which landed her a magazine cover feature on ''Wedding 21s December issue.
On February 2, 2011, Han guested on the
KBS's Lunar New Year special, ''Idol Health Beauty Contest'', during which she was chosen as the star with the healthiest and most beautiful skin.
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.
In April 2011, Han was chosen as the model for the cosmetics company
The Skin House.
Han reportedly received a $100,000 deposit for her six-month contract.
She was the company's exclusive model from 2013 until May 2016.
In February 2015, Han signed a deal with popular handbag brand ''St Scott London'' as their exclusive model for Spring/Summer 2015 collection.
In August 2015, it was announced that Han, along with
Super Junior
Super Junior (; stylized in all caps), also known as SJ or SuJu, is a South Korean boy band. The group is composed of Leeteuk, Heechul, Yesung, Shindong, Sungmin, Eunhyuk, Siwon, Donghae, Ryeowook, and Kyuhyun. Han Geng, Kibum, and ...
's
Choi Siwon
Choi Si-won (; born April 7, 1986), known mononymously as Siwon, is a South Korean singer, songwriter, model, and actor, known for his work as a member of South Korean boy group Super Junior. Choi was a special representative for UNICEF Korea ...
, would be the honorary ambassador of the 11th
Jecheon International Music & Film Festival
Jecheon International Music & Film Festival (제천국제음악영화제, JIMFF) strives to be both a celebration of film set in Jecheon City and music for all generations and musical tastes. Jecheon is located in Chungcheongbuk province in ce ...
(JIMFF).
Along with Secret, Han has been featured as a model for various endorsement deals such as ''Grand Mer'',
''Nike'',
''Nene Chicken'',
''Good Day Soju''
and ''Parkga''
among others. Along with
Jun Hyo-seong
Jun Hyo-seong (; born October 13, 1989) often simply known as Hyoseong or Hyosung, is a South Korean singer and actress.
In 2005, she was a finalist in Mnet (TV channel), Mnet's ''Battle Shinhwa'' which led to her signing a recording contract w ...
,
B.A.P's Kim Him-chan and
Bang Yong-guk
Bang Yong-guk (; born March 31, 1990), also known mononymously as Yongguk (), is a South Korean rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer, who served as the leader of boy group B.A.P up until his departure from TS Entertainment in August ...
, Han was chosen as a model for ''Kellan'' sportswear 11/12 Winter Collection in September 2011.
Discography
Singles
Filmography
Film
Television series
Web series
Television show
Web shows
Hosting
Awards and nominations
References
External links
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Han, Sun-hwa
1990 births
Living people
Secret (South Korean group) members
TS Entertainment artists
Actresses from Busan
People from Buk District, Busan
South Korean female idols
K-pop singers
South Korean women pop singers
South Korean television actresses
South Korean television personalities
South Korean web series actresses
21st-century South Korean actresses
21st-century South Korean women singers