How Song Hye-kyo chose kindness over power and fame: Protecting student to rejecting ad deals in protest

South Korean actress Song Hye-kyo has always been termed as graceful and elegant, owing to her calm and composed answers in interviews and refusal to speak about her private life. Recently, she drew attention after story resurfaced, that highlights her compassion and integrity.

The anecdote recently gained traction in the comments section of a Fairy Jaehyung YouTube video featuring Hye-kyo, originally uploaded in January. One commenter shared, “Here’s a heartwarming story about (Song) Hye-kyo that I can’t keep to myself.”

According to the comment, the story dates back several years, when a professor publicly criticised soaring housing prices and cited celebrity endorsement fees as a contributing factor. The professor sent letters to several celebrities who were appearing in apartment advertisements at the time. Song Hye-kyo was the only one who responded—and subsequently declined to renew her contract for the apartment commercial.

The same commenter recalled another incident from approximately two decades ago. While filming a commercial involving a scholarship for a student facing financial hardship, Hye-kyo expressed discomfort with the plan to shoot the scholarship handover on camera. Concerned it might emotionally affect the student, who was at a sensitive age, she insisted that the scholarship be given privately instead. “Her generosity and thoughtfulness were extraordinary even when she was young. Isn’t she an angel?” the commenter wrote. The Fairy Jaehyung team liked the comment, prompting an outpouring of support from other viewers. Among the replies: “She’s truly an angel, inside and out,” and “She’s always been a thoughtful 'older sister'.”

Meanwhile, Song Hye-kyo is preparing for the upcoming release of two Netflix original series, Genie, Make a Wish and Show Business.