THIS Korean babe was home watching the live telecast of the Oscars on Monday.

nd she imagined herself sashaying down the red carpet at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles.

In an e-mail interview with The New Paper, she wrote: 'I prayed, 'God, in five year's time, let me be there, so all the world can see what you have done in me...'

That's Chung Ryeo Won for you - a big dreamer.

The actress shot to fame in Asia in 2005, as the delicate beauty who speaks excellent English in the hit drama serial My Lovely Samsoon.

Her first starring role in a movie garnered her the Best New Female Performer Award at Korea's own Oscars - the Blue Dragon Awards - last December.

The film, 2 Faces Of My Girlfriend, opens here today.

Ryeo Won, 27, has also emerged as the new advertiser's darling, nudging several Korean A-listers out of their high-profile endorsements, including Lee Young Ae for LG air-conditioner and Jeon Ji Hyun for Giordano.

In her own words, Ryeo Won thinks her biggest charm is her ability to 'constantly keep people curious' about her.

'Sometimes I look frail and weak... Sometimes I cry with tears bursting from my eyes and in an instant, I start laughing and act all strange again,' she wrote in the e-mail.

'You just don't know what colour I am. That's my charm.'

Still, she had the initial jitters when asked to do this interview in English.

Dividing her last 18 years between Brisbane, Australia, and Seoul has left her feeling 'kinda confused', she said.

Her family moved to Australia when she was 11, but she moved back to South Korea alone in 1998 after being talent-spotted in the streets of Seoul while on vacation.

'I always wondered why I moved to Australia if I was going to come back to Korea and work here.

'But I think God had different plans for me. (And yes, I am Christian).

'Now I am so used to writing, reading and speaking in Korean that sometimes, I have trouble communicating in English...

'I will tell you a secret: I was so nervous about this English interview that I was going to write it in Korean and ask for an interpreter, but then I thought, what am I? I can't do that.

'So do please bear with my poor English... But I believe this whole experience will build me up. You know I am an optimist.'

Indeed. It must be Ryeo Won's unwavering optimism that has kept her going through the various trials in her life.

In 2004, the former member of girl band Chakra hit a career low when a decision to cross over to full-time acting resulted in countless rejections.

'When you fail so much, you don't have to seek a lesson... the lesson comes to you,' she said.

'Time just goes (on) and you have to live with it whether you can take it or not; the world doesn't care.

'But once I read in a scripture that 'persistent patience pierces through indifference'. So I thought, okay, let's see who wins. I am not a patient person, but there was nothing for me to do but wait.

'By learning patience, finally I got the lesson and the message. It wasn't easy, but it was worth trying and believing.'

Even as a teenager, her tenacity showed while coping with racial discrimination in Brisbane.

She said Asian immigrants were rare when she moved there in 1992, and she knew only a few English words - 'yes', 'no' and 'I know'.

'I didn't even notice (the) racism until people started throwing things and spitting on my face on the way home or to school.

'They said, 'Go back to your country ching chong (derogatory term for Chinese)!' I didn't know what that meant.

'That was when I decided to catch up (on learning) English so I could fight back in English.'

Looking back, she felt 'those adversities weren't so bad after all' because they made her stronger.

The second of three children usually takes a long break in between her filming projects to fly home to be with family, so she can get out of being in character for her film roles, she said.

JEKYLL & HYDE ROLE

In 2 Faces Of My Girlfriend, she plays a character with multiple personality disorder - she is sweet and fragile at one moment, and turns violent the next.

When Ryeo Won first received the script, she turned it down 'a couple of times' because she was not sure if she could pull off the role.

But with the help of trainers, she learnt to throw high kicks and even karate-chop a beer bottle.

'I love action. I just felt sorry for the people I had to hit,' she said.

Two scenes appear rather gross - when her character throws up on an amusement park ride and a tongue-biting kiss - but Ryeo Won revealed that most of it was special effects.

The tongue she nearly bit off co-star Bong Tae Gyu was actually made of rubber.

The puking scene was also digitally enhanced, but she did sympathise with those hit by the mix of 'oat meal porridge with some vegetables'.

When the topic of love came up, Ryeo Won turned coy.

Her manager said that she didn't feel comfortable about some of the questions.

For instance, she did not say if she is now in love, or how a guy can attract her attention.

She also did not pick which one of her three celebrity pals - Hyun Bin, Daniel Henney or Cho Seung Woo - she would take with her if she were to be stranded on a deserted island.

But she did compare Hyun Bin and Henney - her two screen lovers in My Lovely Samsoon.

'Bin, in real life, is more serious and quieter. He's younger than I am but sometimes, he seems like my older brother, you know, someone (whom) you want to seek advice from,' she wrote.

'Dan, on the other hand, is outgoing, energetic and down to earth, someone you could hang out (with).'

What now after her Blue Dragon Awards win?

She admitted that she has plans to explore acting opportunities overseas, but did not give details.

Well, she has five years to make her Oscar dream a reality.

This story was first published in The New Paper on Feb 28, 2008.