Han Hyo-joo Graces WWD Korea’s December Cover, Reflecting on Love and Self-Compassion After ‘Romantic Anonymous’
Han Hyo-joo has been selected as the cover star of WWD Korea’s December 2025 issue. Following her acclaimed performance in the Netflix original series “Romantic Anonymous,” she continues the emotional resonance of the drama through a pictorial and interview themed “Close to the Heart,” opening up about love, vulnerability, and learning to take better care of herself.
The cover story is built around the concept of love and courage seeping in like the warmth of winter sunlight. Shot in a calm, understated setting with soft lighting, Han Hyo-joo moves seamlessly between minimalist modern looks and gentle femininity. From sharply tailored coats to fitted knits and long dresses, she anchors each cut with a quiet yet undeniable presence, capturing the grounded aura of an actress in her thirties.
Reflecting on her role as Hana in “Romantic Anonymous,” Han Hyo-joo shares that the project reshaped her understanding of love—not as a simple emotion, but as a force that enables people to understand and embrace one another. Delving into the character’s fears and fragility led her to rediscover warm feelings she had long pushed aside, which is why she says the lingering afterglow of the drama, and the audience’s response to it, are especially meaningful to her.
Looking back on the past year, she describes it as a time when she finally turned her gaze inward. For a long time, she had used being busy as an excuse to skip emotional check-ins, brushing past complicated feelings without really facing them. This year, she says, she chose to stop and confront those neglected emotions for the first time. Going forward, she hopes to be “a little more generous” with herself—not only fulfilling works and roles, but also caring for her inner life as a person, not just as ‘Han Hyo-joo the actress.’
As for her future acting plans, Han Hyo-joo explains that while she has already explored a wide range of roles and genres, she now feels drawn to more grounded, human characters that audiences can easily connect with. She hopes to return to the mindset she had when she first started acting—choosing stories that feel like they could happen right next door, and playing roles that allow viewers to see themselves and feel understood, so that her work can offer not just entertainment but also comfort in their everyday lives.
