Han So-hee used to be active as a model under Ready Entertainment, the No.1 advertising agency in Korea. It is said that Han So-hee got perfect scores whenever she auditioned for any commercial. At that time, Ready’s CEO Koo Ki-yoon thought it was a shame if Han So-hee was only doing advertising activities. Therefore, he proposed a collaboration with 935 Entertainment’s CEO Hwang Bok-yong and CEO Baek Kyung-ryul of a leading Chinese business to help Han So-hee enter the Chinese market.
Unfortunately, China closed the door for Korean artists so their plan fell through despite various efforts. CEO Baek Dong-ryul left the project then CEO Koo Ki-yoon sold 100% of Ready shares to Kakao. CEO Hwang Bok-yong, however, decided to bet on Han So-hee’s potential. He set up 9ATO, Han So-hee’s current agency. Back then, Han So-hee was a famous model but it was not easy for her to challenge acting. She joined many auditions for dramas at the recommendation of the company but failed a lot.
Han So-hee achieved a breakthrough after starring JTBC’s drama “The World of the Married” as Yeo Da-kyung, an affair woman. With the help of CEO Hwang, who has a good sense for choosing scripts, Han So-hee rose to fame right after this project. Along with her popularity, her advertising fees also tripled. Gaining recognition, Han So-hee has been offered many leading roles in dramas such as “Nevertheless”, “My Name”, “Gyeongseong Creature”, etc. As a result of her hard work, the actress successfully bought a luxury villa in the same neighborhood with Hyun Bin and Son Ye-jin in full cash.
Later, Han So-hee was given her first vacation as a gift, and coincidentally, it was the trip to Hawaii with Ryu Jun-yeol. Controversies broke out as she initiated a battle on SNS after seeing Hyeri’s post. Everything turned into chaos and the public was disappointed in Han So-hee, leading to suspicions about the actress’s personality. Eventually, Han So-hee broke up after two weeks of dating and she also became an actress with rash and unreasonable remarks.
Then why didn’t 9ATO stop or intervene in Han So-hee’s SNS activities despite understanding her bold personality? If the agency managed the actress well, Han So-hee wouldn’t have caused trouble with the photo of a dog holding a knife and expressed her emotions too much on SNS. In fact, many insiders revealed that 9ATO rather couldn’t do it. It is said that Han So-hee has not listened to the company’s reminders regarding her personal matters ever since the “Nevertheless” era. In addition, every decision regarding her acting projects and advertising proposals had to be made according to her wishes and in a way that wouldn’t upset her.
However, it’s always the company that ends up cleaning the mess from celebrities’s mistakes. Following Han So-hee’s dating scandal, 9ATO acknowledged their lack of control over their artist. Known for her confidence yet humble attitude during her model days under Ready, Han So-hee has regrettably become uncontrollable. As such, this incident is also an opportunity for the actress and her agency to reflect on themselves.
