A List of Famous Half-Koreans: From Daniel Henney to Ben Henderson

People with a mixed heritage often face unique and complex issues surrounding their races. Oftentimes mixed people face racism from their own people, making it difficult to accept the uniqueness of their heritage. Half-Koreans are no exception to this rule. These fellow half-Koreans are quickly breaking down the stigma of their mixed heritage, one step at a time.

Famous Half-Koreans: Actors/Actresses

Sonja Sohn (Korean/African-American): Best known for her role as Detective Kima Greggs on The Wire, Sohn is also the leader of reWired for Change, an outreach program for at-risk teens in Baltimore, Mayland. She adopted her mother's maiden name as her stage name early in her career-her real surname is Williams.

Julien Kang (Korean/French-Canadian): Best known for his role in Dream, a Korean drama series, Kang is famous in South Korea for his physique and boyish good looks. His brother, Denis, is also famous in the MMA world as a former UFC fighter.

Lindsay Price (Korean/German-Irish): Currently staring on ABC's Eastwick, Price is best known for her appearances on All My Children and Beverly Hills 90210. Her mother, who is a Korean adoptee, married her adopted brother when they became of legal age.

Daniel Henney (Korean/British): Born to a Korean-American adoptee and a British father, Henney is also famous in South Korea for his boyish good looks, and appears semi-regularly on Korean television, according to HalfKorean.com. He has starred in several TV shows and movies, including Seducing Mr. Perfect, My Lovely Sam Soon and X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

Famous Half-Koreans: Singers

Karen O (Korean/Polish): Best known as the lead singer for the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Karen O started the group Native Korean Rock and the Fishnets in 2008 as a homage to her half Korean heritage. She considers herself a "half-breed," although controversially, and wishes to represent Korea's underground music scene, which is virtually nonexistent in South Korea.

Amerie (Korean/African American): A two-time Grammy-nominated singer, Amerie spent some of her childhood in Korea, her mother's native country. She can speak Korean proficiently and often signs autographs in hangul.

Insooni (Korean/African American): Regarded as one of the most famous R&B singers in South Korea, Insooni first made her musical debut in 1978. She has released nearly 20 albums since her debut. Her real name is Kim In-Soon.

Famous Half-Koreans: Athletes

Ben Leber (Korean/Caucasian): Brother of Jason Leber, Leber currently plays for the Minnesota Vikings as a linebacker, most recently in 2009 with quarterback Brett Favre. He previously played for the San Diego Chargers. His mother, Han, is of Korean descent.

Ben Henderson (Korean/African-American): Best known as a mixed martial arts fighter in World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC), Henderson currently holds the WEC Lightweight Championship belt for his win over Jamie Varner at WEC 46. He is proficient in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Tae Kwon Do.

Hines Ward (Korean/African-American): A current wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Ward helped the Steelers gain a Super Bowl win in 2005. His win made him one of the most famous half-Koreans in South Korea, where he was celebrated as a national hero. He started the Hines Ward Helping Hands Foundation in 2006, which helped fight discrimination against half-Korean children in South Korea.

Sources:

Author Unknown, "Prominent Half/Mixed Koreans" (HalfKorean.com)