By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter
In the SBS drama ``Swallow the Sun,'' singer-turned-actress Sung Yu-ri plays an aspiring show director who joins the Cirque du Soleil in Las Vegas. Hong Yun-jin, who inspired Sung's character, is drawing attention with her unique resume.
The 23-year-old is a former synchronized swimmer, and represented South Korea as a national athlete between 2003 and 2006, including the 2004 Athens Olympic Games. She now shows off her water-treading skills as a member of the actual Cirque du Soleil.
``I took up synchronized swimming as a sport from the age of seven but I became interested in performance art,'' Hong said in a statement released by SBS. The Cirque du Soleil caught her eye and she sent a demo tape of her performance.
Eight months later, in April this year, she received an acceptance letter. The following month she completed a two-week training course and on May 28 she gave her first performance.
She currently performs twice a day and the learning continues. ``Now that I am part of the group I am learning things hands on for how to deal with various situations, like when there is a technical error or when people make mistakes. I will make good use of the experience when I become a show director one day,'' she said.
The Cirque du Soleil is well established in Japan, Macao and other parts of the world, said Hong, but unfortunately gives only visiting tours in Korea. ``The Cirque du Soleil is inspired by various cultures from around the world, and I hope one day Korean aesthetics could be introduced through the circus,'' she said.
The artist went on to express regret that there aren't many Koreans on the team. ``Many actors from around the world are part of the troupe, like Japan, China and Mongolia, but not Korea. There are many talented Koreans and I hope more people would challenge themselves and their dreams,'' she said.
Meanwhile, she expressed great excitement about being a model for Sung Yu-ri's character in the TV soap and making a special appearance. ``I was Sung Yu-ri's fan ever since her days as a member of (pop group) FINKL. I'm nervous about being able to perform together and it feels like a dream. I hope the shooting goes well,'' she said.
Hong, like the TV character, is currently a contract-based troupe member. ``When I become a permanent member in 2010, my photo and name will appear in the pamphlet. But even now I'd be grateful if people would come watch me perform,'' she said.
The synchronized swimming scene featuring Hong opposite Sung airs tonight on SBS at 9:55 p.m.