Dressed in a gorgeous red dress, Ha Ji-won (female lead of Empress Ki) appeared at the Conrad Centennial Hotel on the afternoon of 26 September 2014. The female actress made her entrance through the front door, wowing the press with her beauty and stunning appearance.

When asked about the preparation process for her latest drama – Empress Ki, Ha Ji-Won explained that it is the longest drama she has ever filmed. Not only does this drama clock in a total of 51 episodes, it is also emotionally demanding. As the show progresses, Ha Ji-Won’s character undergoes lots of changes. From a boy to a palace gong nyeo, to a mother and the political ruler of the country, Ha Ji-Won finds that filming had been tough but the happiest time for her.

For her past several on-screen characters, Ha Ji-Won has been heavily involved with action scenes. When asked on her opinion, she expressed that she has always enjoyed action scenes, despite the risk of sustaining injuries. When filming the horse-riding scenes with fellow co-actor Ji Chang Wook, she suffered from bruises all over her leg. In addition, she took up ballet and stretching lessons prior to the filming to aid in portraying the elegance and confidence of her character.

Many have been curious as to how Ha Ji-Won managed to maintain her flawless complexion despite her busy schedules. To this, she explained that because of filming, she had been sleep-deprived for 6-7 months. However, she placed an emphasis on her diet, taking in lots of nuts and yogurt. Her mom even makes her doshirak (lunchboxes) during the filming process. She encourages all women to do weights to train their muscles and maintain a healthy lifestyle. She even mentioned that she’s proud of her toned arms, and also her hips.

When asked if she’s similar to her characters in real life, Ha Ji-Won smiled and said, “If you talk to my childhood friends, you would know I am no way near my character. But acting is something I really enjoy doing, and I think this is what I can offer to the audience.”

When asked about her opinions on her co-actors, she thanked the two male leads for their consideration and kindness at the film scene. She shared good chemistry with both Joo Jin-Mo and Ji Chang-Wook, and goes on to say that both their characters were distinct but charming.

Ha Ji-Won was surprised to see so many fans at the airport, and she planned on visiting a good restaurant for dinner. She also mentioned that on the 27 September, she will be meeting several fans at the Universal Studios Singapore, and she expressed her excitement in riding the Transformers ride. As she will be visiting Singapore fans again on 9 January 2015, she promised herself to plan in advance and travel around Singapore more the next time.

Thank you Starhub for the invitation to this media conference.

Be sure to catch Ha Ji Won’s spectacular performance in the Empress Ki on VV Drama. The Empress Ki 《奇皇后》is currently airing on VV Drama (StarHub TV Channel 855)  通过娱家戏剧台（星和视界第855频道）, every Monday to Friday at 5.45pm.

It is also currently screening on VV Drama On Demand (StarHub TV Channel 857) 娱家戏剧随选频道（星和视界第857频道).

For more pictures of Ha Ji-Won at the media conference, do visit https://www.flickr.com/photos/stararena/sets/72157647636751599/.