Supermodel-Turned-Actresses Taking Over Airwaves

Supermodel-turned-actresses are becoming a hot topic again. There are around 10 former models working as actresses: Kim Seon-ah, Song Seon-mi, Han Go-eun, Han Ye-seul, Han Ji-hye , Hyeon Yeong, Choi Yeo-jin, Lee Hwa-seon, Jo Hyang-gi, Yoon Ji-min. By any standards, they lead the entertainment industry.

Kim Seon-ah and Song Seon-mi have jumped to stardom by way of various projects, while Choi Yeo-jin and and Han Ji-hye have won fans for the way that they completely transform themselves into whatever roles they play. Hyeon Yeong and Jo Hyang-gi have been busy in various entertainment programs and TV dramas, while Lee Hwa-seon has turned heads with not just her acting skills but her car racing as well. Kim Sae-rom also announced her intentions to make forays into the acting world. The result can be seen in living rooms sometime next year.

But the most visible stars among the batch are Han Ye-seul and Han Go-eun. The two are often put on the chopping block for performances that fail to live up to their looks. But this year was a turning point in criticism of their work, bringing fine appraisals for both. After taking the lead role in the weekend TV drama "Couple of Fantasy" ("Fantastic Couple") (MBC), Han Ye-seul has been enjoying plenty of popularity. Han Go-eun showed off her finely matured craft as the heroine of SBS drama "Love and Ambition", which recently wrapped.

But now, newcomers who only entered last year's supermodel contests are already appearing on TV. They are Kim Soo-hyun who took the top honor at the pageants and Yeon Mi-joo who didn't receive an award but gained the spotlight nonetheless. The two appeared in the SBS weekend drama, "Queen of the Game" and drama special "Lovers" respectively. For both it is their acting debut, but they have been appraised as relatively solid.

One of the reasons for the supermodel crowd's gaining popularity as actors is that they meet the qualifications: they are 170 cm tall or more, and their curvaceous bodies are easy on the eyes. Since they were already filtered through various contests, they are not lacking in the talent category. But voices of concern over model's successive transfer to acting abound. "It seems that supermodel contests are becoming a means of just supplying future actors instead of living up to its original purpose of cultivating professional models", once critic grumbles.