Song Hye-kyo

This K-drama queen has been on our screens since the earliest Hallyu days (hello Full House fans!), but did you know that she might’ve had a very different career? Song Hye-kyo was training to be a professional figure skater when she was in elementary school. But she quit in eighth grade and began competing in modeling events. This caught the attention of many scouts and she was shortly cast in her first acting project at 14. Four years later, she would rise to stardom and ride the Hallyu wave across the rest of Asia with her lead role in Autumn in My Heart.

Song Joong-ki

When he was younger, Song Joong-ki wanted to be a speed skater. Yes, he could’ve been an athlete! The actor even joined different competitions and became his city’s representative at the national level. Unfortunately, his skating dreams ended when he got injured when he was in high school. He was eventually scouted on the subway during his school days and eventually used his skills when he portrayed a national speed skater in Triple (2009).

So Ji-sub

Like SJK, So Ji-sub was also almost an athlete. He was training to be a professional swimmer for 11 years already and has even received a bronze medal at the Korean National Games. So Ji-sub entered the entertainment industry simply because he wanted to meet hip-hop artist Kim Sung-jae and model beside him. “I was never really interested in becoming a celebrity,” he shared. “My life was all about swimming and hip-hop music. I did modeling because I wanted to see Kim and also because it was the best way to earn good easy money.” After this first modeling gig, things quickly shifted for him and he got more gigs for both modeling *and* acting.

Lee Min-ho

Lee Min-ho might’ve captured hearts of all ages with his charming smile and ageless looks on our screens, but he actually had a different path in his mind when he was younger. He had always wanted to be a professional soccer player, and he worked hard at it. He was even chosen for the youth football class of South Korean manager and former professional player Cha Bum-kun. But his soccer dreams were shattered when he was injured in elementary school. In high school, he turned to acting and even took up a film degree at Konkuk University. And the rest is now history.

Shin Sung-rok

Here’s yet another almost-athlete actor! And it actually runs in Shin Sung-rok’s blood. His older brother is Shin Je-rok, who was a professional basketball player. The actor shared this dream with his brother, but an injury in high school prevented him from realizing this dream. Despite his disappointment, he turned his attention to his other dreams and opportunities — particularly a career in acting.

Jun Ji-hyun

Jun Ji-hyun (also known as Gianna Jun) had always been encouraged by her mother and her mother’s friends to enter the showbiz industry because of her tall and slim figure. But she had always wanted to be a flight attendant so she could easily travel the world. However, after a bad experience on a flight, she changed her mind. Instead, a high school friend pulled her into a modeling gig, and this became Jun Ji-hyun’s new passion. A year later, she debuted in her first acting project and adopted her stage name.

Jung Hae-in

Before getting into acting, Jung Hae-in was actually a science student — a biotechnology student to be exact. He wanted to join that industry after getting his degree, so he might’ve been heavily involved in the current health crisis had it not been for the agent who scouted him when he was still studying. For the actor, it was complete luck that he found his true calling in acting.

Lee Bo-young

Lee Bo-young’s first dream isn’t too far from her current job. This veteran actress actually wanted to be a news presenter. In 2002, she became a finalist in a network’s news presenter recruitment event but didn’t get the job in the end. This pushed her to look for other opportunities, and she found one in modeling. Lee Bo-young was chosen as the exclusive advertising model for Asiana Airlines, and this opened a lot more paths for her, including her first acting project.

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