Many know veteran actress Song Ok Sook for her roles in hit Korean dramas and films, but not many know that she was a Hawai'i resident and a former KBFD news anchor.

Song has played characters in several series, many of them starring roles. She also starred in one of the first Korean movies I saw: "Dog Day Afternoon," also known as "A Hot Roof" (1995), which was shown at the Hawaii International Film Festival.

But in Hawai'i, where Song lived in the late 1980s and early '90s, Song was known as a local news anchor at KBFD and later was a businesswoman with an interest in Rainbow Castle, a tourist gift store on the North Shore. During those years, she would travel to South Korea to work on films and TV shows.

Born Aug. 14, 1960, Song has added many roles to her resume since she launched her career in the mid-1980s, including appearances in many series after she returned to live in South Korea around 2000. In 2002, she played the mother of Bae Yong Joon in the hit series "Winter Sonata" (aka "Winter Ballad"). Since then, she has averaged three or four projects a year, either in film or TV.

Song still lives in South Korea full time and is married with two children. Hawai'i fans who visited South Korea on a drama tour had a chance to meet the actress, who told them she used to live in Hawai'i and spoke fluent English, a language that she often uses in her various roles, although generally only in short expressions.

Song currently portrays Kim Hee-sook (Dan-bi's mother) on the TV series "Purity" at 10:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays.

THIS WEEK'S K-DRAMA SYNOPSES

'THE FAMILY OF HONOR'

EPISODES 47 AND 48

Tonight at 7:45 p.m.: Gang-suk and Dan-ah go off and begin their honeymoon. Back home, Sam-wol is not doing well, showing signs of dementia, and Hyun-gyu and Hye-joo start dating. Tomorrow at 7:45 p.m.: Dan-ah and Gang-suk return from their honeymoon while Young-in almost has a miscarriage, and is hospitalized. When Young-ja, Gang-suk and Dan-ah are at the hospital. they run into Chairman Lee.

'GLASS CASTLE'

EPISODES 46 AND 47

Sunday at 6:45 p.m.: Suk-jin's trying to get his resignation to go through. Min-joo's still struggling with Joon-song's lying and betrayal. Sunday at 7:45 p.m.: Joon-song's parents keep pressuring Min-joo to forgive Joon-song, so Joon-song sends her away to her parents. Joon-hee is conflicted once she finds out that her father is behind Suk-jin's troubles.

'PRINCESS JA MYUNG'

EPISODES 8 AND 9

Monday at 7:45 p.m.: Song Maeseolsu takes poisoned daggers to challenge Hodong to a duel. However, when she fails to kill Hodong, she tells him to kill her. Hodong refuses, saying he sees no point in killing someone who's already dead. Maeseolsu vows to avenge the insult someday. Both Mo Haso and Wang Jasil learn that Jamyung might be alive. Tuesday at 7:45 p.m.: Lahee gets furious when Hodong makes fun of her, and draws her sword. Hodong gets upset when Lahee's antics are no longer a child's prank. Mo Haso and Wang Jasil run to stop Lahee and Hodong. Jasil chides Lahee for putting Nakrang at risk of war by trying to harm Goguryeo's prince.

'CAIN AND ABEL'

EPISODES 11 AND 12

Wednesday at 7:45 p.m.: As Cho-in struggles to regain his memory, Young-ji must decide whether she will tell him his true identity and risk having him leave her. The hit men hired by Sun-woo continue their efforts to kill Cho-in. Thursday at 7:45 p.m.: In order to save Cho-in's life, Young-ji throws herself in front of the speeding car driven by the hit men. The two are taken to the emergency room, but Cho-in disappears and goes off in search of his true identity and past.