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Blue’s women edition

It’s true that many of us are too busy obsessing over our K-drama men that we rarely give much attention to our ladies. I admit it – I’m guilty as charged! I mean, I’ve dedicated three posts to a series called “Blue’s men edition” and have not thought of doing the same for the women. But inspired by Thundie’s forum dedicated to the actresses, I thought it was only fair that I at least dedicate one post to “Blue’s women edition,” right? Wait no more. It’s finally here – a list of my past and present she-crushes, actresses I like, and those I find beautiful, pretty, or cute.

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SHE-CRUSHES: PAST AND PRESENT


JEON IN HWA – I first saw Jeon In Hwa in Queen Inhyeon, the 8th installment of MBC’s 500 Years of Joseon Dynasty series, broadcast in 1988. Jeon played Jang Heebin in that drama, and if you know anything about that character, you’d know that Jang Heebin is considered one of the greatest femme fatales in Korean history.

But despite so, I was so mesmerized by Jeon In Hwa’s beauty that I ended up rooting for Jang Heebin’s character, much to the chagrin of my parents who worried about their young daughter’s poor judgment (ummm, and questionable morals). I was a young kid then, but I still remember watching Queen Inhyeon and just repeating, “Oh my gosh, she’s sooo, sooo, soo beautiful.” Jeon In Hwa is probably my first official she-crush.


LEE MI YEON – Around the same time as Queen Inhyeon, the KBS drama Tree Blooming with Love (사랑이 꽃피는 나무) was causing quite a sensation as Korea’s first teen drama. My older cousins used to watch it, and I happened to catch an episode one day just as Lee Mi Yeon appeared on screen. I exclaimed, “Wow, that unni is so pretty!”

Ever since then, I’ve always like Lee Mi Yeon as an actress. Not only is she gorgeous (and a natural beauty at that!), she’s actually a very strong actress as well. She hasn’t had any good projects in recent years, but I really hope she makes a strong comeback soon and find her holding as a top actress just as her friend, Go Hyun Jung, did.


SHIM EUN HA – As soon as I saw Shim Eun Ha in the MBC horror drama M (1994), I knew a star was born. Recent fans of K-dramas/films may not be familiar with her, but Shim Eun Ha was hands down one of the most popular, highest paid, most sought after, critically acclaimed actresses of the 90s.

Not only was she one of the most beautiful women ever, she was a very versatile actress and could pretty much pull off any role. She retired from showbiz after her marriage, but even now, you often hear rumors of movie productions offering some unprecedented amount to lure her back into acting. Even as recently as September 2011, you could see media writing articles with titles such as “Song Hye Kyo, hoping to be the next Shim Eun Ha.” But let’s get this clear. There’s only one Shim Eun Ha, okay?

Will Shim Eun Ha ever come back? Pretty, please!


SHIN EUN KYUNG – Whereas it can be argued that the other actresses listed in this she-crush category are just women who I envied for their beauty, talent, or both, I was a real legitimate “fan” of Shin Eun Kyung for her role in General Hospital (MBC, 1994-1995).

I loved the tomboy resident doctor character she played and Shin’s portrayal of that role, and that carried over to other aspects of her career. Since this was pre-internet, I couldn’t easily join a fan club to support her. But back then, the Korean newspaper published a top 10 list of the most popular actors and actresses for that week. I used to check that section every week to see how Shin Eun Kyung ranked, and rejoiced whenever her rank went up and sighed (at other people’s poor taste) when her rank fell. From what I observe, that seems to be what those obsessive fan club members of idol groups do nowadays, right?


SOO AE – She doesn’t have a perfect face (whatever that means), but Soo Ae has my favorite look of any Korean celebrities. When I first saw her in Love Letter (MBC, 2003), I remember being taken aback by her husky voice; it just didn’t match her face. Neither did I think she was particularly pretty. But Soo Ae has a face that the more you look at it, the more you realize what a beauty she truly is. And I love that she has such an unique, distinctive voice.


GONG HYO JIN – All other actresses listed so far are my past she-crushes. Gong Hyo Jin is the only actress I currently adore. First, she’s gorgeous. Second, I love her sense of style and that no matter what quirky things she wears, she always manages to pull it off. And third, and most importantly, she’s such a delight to watch on-screen. She’s a natural actress who brings her charm to whatever role she takes on.

I first saw Gong Hyo Jin in Splendid Days (SBS, 2001-2002), acting opposite her current boyfriend, Ryu Seung Bum. Even though Ji Sung and Park Sun Young were the leads, it was the great chemistry between Ryu Seung Bum and Gong Hyo Jin that kept me watching the series until the end.

Ever since, I don’t think I’ve ever not liked Gong Hyo Jin’s performance in anything, whether it be movies like Conduct Zero and Crush and Blush, or dramas like Snowman, Biscuit Teacher and Star Candy, Thank You, Pasta, and most recently, Best Love. Talent, beauty, and charm all rolled into one… (not to mention having a very talented and charismatic boyfriend), Gong Hyo Jin is my ultimate she-crush!

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I honestly don’t like that many actresses. It’s not that I don’t not like them, but I’m just indifferent towards most of them. (*ducks*) Deliver a good performance and give me some good entertainment, I’ll bow and thank them, then move on. If not, I’ll just whine and complain… probably on this blog.

I’m not exactly sure what distinguishes the following group of actresses from my past and present she-crushes. I guess these are the actresses when they are associated with a project, it automatically gets my attention. They have earned my respect.

ACTRESSES I LIKE


CHOI KANG HEE – This is an interesting case in which I like her for who she is outside of acting. She is a DJ for her own radio show, Choi Kang Hee’s Raise the Volume, and I used to listen to it every once in a while. Even though everyone knows that what the DJs say in radio shows is scripted, I still found her personality charming. I was reaffirmed of what a cool person she is after watching her “reality TV” segment on O’live TV, Kang Hee’s Six Addictions.

Unlike Gong Hyo Jin, I have not always liked the projects that Choi Kang Hee took on, but I do love the quirkiness and the energy that she brings to the characters she plays.


KIM SO YEON – In contrast to others, I used to not be impressed by her acting in the past. She had this habit of making this certain expression (I call it “Kim So Yeon’s expression”) that bugged me. Interestingly, it was not until her role in Prosecutor Princess that I became her fan because it was so different from what I found to be so predictable about her.

I grew to like her even more after she appeared as a guest on the talk variety show, Win Win. She has a lot of aegyo in real life that even a fellow female would admit to be cute. But I especially love how she acknowledged it herself that she couldn’t stand to watch her past acting because she could see clearly how she was trying to look pretty in front of the camera, instead of acting. (That’s exactly what I meant by Kim So Yeon’s expression. I mean, she’s a beautiful woman. She doesn’t need to try to act it too!) I have mad respect for actors who can admit their flaws and seek to improve on them, which is exactly what Kim So Yeon did.


MOON GEUN YOUNG – Another talented actress, although I never really particularly liked many of her past projects.

Everyone knows that there are many dirty dealings going on in showbiz, whatever the country. I often encounter many rumors about so and so actors. What I respect and admire about Moon Geun Young is that despite having been in the business since a young age, I’ve never encountered any negative (insider) rumors about her. Even when the infamous X-file that exposed all the dirt on Korean celebrities were released a few years back, Moon Geun Young was one of the few actors who came out of it untarnished. By all insider accounts, Moon Geun Young is truly that respectful, truly that hard-working, and truly a great girl all-around.

Not only is she talented and intelligent, but when you find someone who quietly does her thing (and well at that) while keeping herself clean from all the temptations thrown at her  in the show business… well, it seems only right that we cheer her on in whatever she does.


HA JI WON – Ha Ji Won is another talented actress who always does justice to whatever role she takes on. That alone is enough reason for me to like an actress. But despite being at the top, by all accounts by her fellow actors, production crew, and anyone who has worked with her, they always seem to have only good things to say about Ha Ji Won – that she’s humble, hardworking, respectful, etc. When she’s that much loved by people she works with, there really must be some truth to it that she really is as awesome of a person as she is portrayed to be on TV.

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Here is a list of…

THE MOST BEAUTIFUL
KOREAN WOMEN ON TV

KIM SUNG RYUNG - SO. BEAUTIFUL.

KIM HYE RI – SO. BEAUTIFUL.

LEE MI SOOK – SO. BEAUTIFUL.

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I AGREE. YES, THEY’RE PRETTY.

Here is a list of women whom many consider to be the best looking actresses today. There are others who make me question, “Really? I just don’t see what’s so special about her!” But I agree that the three actresses below are really as pretty as everyone says they are. It’s just that… well, perhaps they’re too pretty… for I sometimes find their incredible beauty a tad boring.

KIM TAE HEE

SON YE JIN

HAN GA IN

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I AGREE. YES, THEY’RE CUTE.

PARK SHIN HYE

PARK BO YOUNG

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So, do you agree with me? Disagree? Share about your she-crushes, actresses you like, find beautiful, pretty, or cute!

26 comments

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  1. A.Rosalind

    You forgot Lee Da Hae! You’re not a fan at all, Blue?

    I do completely agree with you on both Kim So Yeon and Soo Ae. Love them both.

    1. blue

      Nope sorry, I’m not a fan. Loved her in “My Girl,” but have not liked her in anything since then. She was pretty good in “Miss Ripley” though.

  2. Lizzie

    Blue, why do you said you don’t care about Moon Geun Young the actress? You don’t like her acting ?

    And what about Kim Suh Ah? She has a good acting – and she does all for her work, be gain a lot of weight or lose a lot of it…. also she is always so friendly on the set and all.

    1. blue

      Oops, that’s pretty badly phrased on my part and it’s been corrected. No, I think she’s a talented actress and I do enjoy her acting. I meant that I haven’t liked most of her past projects, although I hear “Painter of the Wind” is her best project and I have not seen it yet.

      I’m actually pretty indifferent towards Kim Sun Ah. Never particularly liked her. Never particularly hated her. I just really never gave much thought to her as an actress, honestly. I personally don’t like it when KSA does the cute, whiny aegyo voice, but I really enjoyed her performance in “City Hall.”

      1. Lizzie

        Oh I got it, I also didn’t see Painter of the wind, but have to, I heard good things about it.

        About KSA, well, I like her acting but like you said I also don’t like her aegyo voice too, it’s really annoying lol. Thanks for replying.

  3. Lizzie

    Ohhh, now I’m dying of curiosity because of this x-file you talked about… tried to find info about this but nothing TT do you know who Celebrities – the big names – were in it and what it talked about them?

    1. blue

      Ah yes, you won’t find that anywhere anymore.

      The original x-file is a 2004/2005 private report assessing the viability of 100 top k-stars for marketing purposes. It was (supposedly) conducted by a marketing company, using insider rumors by those in the industry on how likely it would be for a certain star to cause trouble/scandals in the future, who’s secretly dating who, who has sponsors and not, what fellow actors/directors/staff REALLY think about the actors, etc.

      Somehow the report got leaked, but the entertainment industry shut it down immediately, dismissing it as fake. People who posted it online took it down as well, afraid that they’d be sued.

      Well since then, there were many other versions of the x-files that came out. Although the latter x-files are just collection of gossip by netizens, many people, including me, believe that the original report was legitimate stuff. Both Bella and I were able to get our hands on it before they completely disappeared, and many of what was reported then turned out to be true over the years.

      I’ll just leave it at that.

      1. Lizzie

        Ohh I see, you had lucky then to get your hands on it… thanks for replying ^^ won’t ask anymore… btw wow 100 top stars secrets getting leaked is a bit scary.. just made me remember the adress of many people that got leaked this year…

        1. bella012

          In addition to what Blue mentioned below, please check out the gossip guide: http://belectricground.com/2011/03/17/bbs-gossip-guide-to-k-entertainment/

          Because I was avidly following the leak during that time, I can personally vouch for the fact that there was alot of “cleaning” going on within a few hours, not only were posters taking down the links but also the moderators of various forums where it was posted.

        2. lume

          Blue’s description of the x-files got me curious so I did a search on the baidu. If you know mandarin you could find it (with some digging).

  4. diorama

    I totally agree with you about Gong Hyo Jin (not a single unlikeable thing about her), Ha Ji Won (not a blow-me-away actress but charismatic and kickass) and Shin Eun Kyung (solely for the awesome job she did in Flames of Ambition).

    Personally, I have a mad, mad crush on Moon Geun Young. I’ve seen 5 of her projects and she is just awesome in each: natural, controlled, completely absorbed into the role, and many different types to boot. I also love that her real-life personality is down-to-earth, hardworking, and multi-talented.

    Also, Kim Ha Eun, who made me hold by breath all through Conspiracy in the Court, and made me watch Chuno all the way to the end.

    As for the pretty, the one I’m most envious of (heh) is Park Shi Yeon. Sheer femme fatale is that face. Plus, I love her progression in acting skills. She was frankly awful in My Girl (her debut), but got better in La Dolce Vita, Red Candy, and totally stole the screen in Coffee House.

  5. caffeinate_me

    I love that you did a women’s edition! I drool way too much over the pretty pretty boys in dramas that I often neglect the actresses standing beside them, which is why I’m shallow. Lol!

    And oh my. You reminded me that I finally need to watch The Lost Empire, which I keep putting off. Also, I saw this entertainment show excitedly reporting a Shim Eun Ha sighting at an industry event a few months back and I remember all the anchors were gushing at how young she looks with her short hair and wishing she would un-retire and work again. But then they saw how happy and contented she looked, so maybe not.

    I find Song Hye Gyo really pretty. And in my country, it was her beauty, not Choi Ji Woo’s, that symbolized the Hallyu wave. Ask any of my guy friends. I also love Ha Ji Won, because she gets to be so badass and gorgeous at the same time but when I watch her in a drama, she makes me want to tear my hair out because after like 8-10 episodes, I start screaming “so which guy do you really love?!”. I’ve only started to warm up to Kim So Yeon, actually, because I always remember as that bitch who made Chae Rim’s character’s life miserable in that drama. Now, I find her quite an elegant beauty and a great actress as well.

  6. kcomments

    Oh darn, I’m guilty as charge because I couldn’t come up with one actress that I would say loveee. If I like the male lead in the drama, who care about the female lead hehe.

    Just two names pop up, that if she’s on the drama, I’ll def check it out. Yep, GHJ and LBY. Phew!

  7. lei

    i thought i was the only one who doesn’t get kim sun ah’s appeal. KSA fans, please don’t hate me! i don’t hate her. like blue, just indifferent i guess. anyway, i’ve seen only one of her dramas — my name is kim sam soon. it’s also the drama that everyone loves but for some reason it didn’t quite resonate with me.

    my favorite k-actress changes depending on the what i’ve recently seen. i just marathoned bottom of 9th with 2 outs and totally love soo ae in it (lee jung jin too! but we’re talking about the women here, so i’ll hold off on the fangirling). while she is prettier than 98% of the world population, compared to other actresses i think she’s quite plain. her charm comes out as you watch her on screen.

  8. Sophia

    Is the Lee Mi Yeon you mentioned the same one that was in “Crazy for You”? If it is, I agree that she’s a great actress. I was also wondering why she hasn’t been seen recently. It was sad to hear that there were unflattering reports about her and some charity a few years back- do you believe it’s true?

    Also, what is your opinion on Jun Ji Hyun (My Sassy Girl)? When I first started watching Korean movies, she was usually the leading lady. I thought she was a really good actress as well as being very pretty.

    I also really like Son Yi Jin- she does emotional scenes so well.

    1. blue

      Yup, Lee Mi Yeon is the actress from “Crazy for You.”

      I think Jun Ji Hyun has great presence, appealing face and great body. I actually don’t think she’s such a great actress though, but then again, I haven’t seen anything that she has done in recent years.

  9. saladyum

    I agree with everything you have under Moon Geun Young, everything minus the X-file since this is the first time I’ve heard of it. I find her very likeable although haven’t liked any of her projects so far either. Her acting feels confident, like she knows precisely what needs to be done to make a character her own. So, as her audience I feel stable. I don’t know how to put this. For example sometimes there are actors I like, but while watching them, I’m hesitant to watch the next scene or next episode, because I fear that he/she might make me cringe. With MGY, when her character is silly she’ll be silly, or when her character is smart she’ll be smart. Her character might not be likeable, her acting almost always is. Is that what people call pitch-perfect, talented? I don’t know. And to top it off, she has all that under a baby face, so fresh!

    My she-crush are Soo Ae and the late Choi Jin Shil. Agree with what you have under Soo Ae too, about her gorgeous face and voice, especially the voice! I used to copy Choi Jin Shil’s dressing style in my stupid youth. If only I had her figures. *sigh* I’m far from a Soo Ae or a CJS projects completist, but these are two actresses I definitely want to watch whatever they’re in.

    My like’s would include Park Min Young, Go Huyn Jung, Yoon Eun Hye, Lee Bon, Kim Hye-su, the late Jung Da Bin, Kim Nam Joo. Each of these actresses has one or two dramas that I love and watch many times. When it’s a rainy day, or when I’m in a K-drama slump, I usually rewatch their projects.

    About the pretty. Well to be honest, I think almost all Korean actresses are pretty. They have perfect complexion, smiles that lighten up scenes. They’re pretty even when they cry. Some people might say ah that’s thanks to plastic surgery, but for me it doesn’t matter. To have pretty people to watch on the screen in my free time, that’s more than satisfying already. For the sake of listing, off the top of my head, the pretty besides those listed in my she-crush and like are Lee Young Ae, Kim Hee Sun, Lee Mi Sook, Song Hye Kyo, Eugene, Park Si Yeon.

    Thanks for talking about Shim Eun Ha! I’m downloading The Final Match (wow so many hottie and a sports drama it seems: I’m all in!). Now I’m off to watch Christmas in August.

  10. bella012

    The 90s look is so unflattering to women but how is it that Shim Eun Ha still manage to stand out as a goddess is beyond me and even now with the current crop of gorgeous actresses out there. What a timeless beauty!

    I’m surprised you didn’t mention Lee Na Young up there?

    1. blue

      Tell me about it! I was looking at Shim Eun Ha’s pictures from “M,” and there was not a single bad pic of her. And even now after retirement, she still maintains her classic beauty.

      But why are you surprised that I did not list Lee Na Young? I don’t think she’s a particularly great actress to make a mention, and as for her beauty, at times I think she’s beautiful and at other times, I think she looks so… strange? She looked the best that I’ve ever seen her look in “Runaway: Plan B.” Too bad the drama sucked!

  11. Joy

    1st time visiting your website from Dramabeans linky. Luv the premise of tis article. If any, i crush females more than males. In fact, i choose kdramas by female lead more than male. Btw, i’m a straight lady alright.

    1st crush:
    Jang Nara – from my 1st kdrama Bright Girl Success Story

    I love:
    1) Chae Rim
    2) Kim Sun Ah – but i dislike her chicken voice in Scent of a Woman
    3) Eugene

    I like:
    1) Go Hyun Jung – gracious
    2) Moon Geun Young – wow actress
    3) Gong Hyo Jin – quirky

    Beautiful:
    1) Hwangbo – radiates inside out as seen on WGM
    2) Kim Tae Hee – Seoul National University
    3) Hyori – attractive character and personality on reality tv

    Pretty:
    1) Han Chae Young – like a doll
    2) Son Ye Jin
    3) Kim Ha Neul – natural looking but unnatural acting

    Cute:
    1) Yoon Eun Hye
    2) Song Hye Gyo
    3) Park Han Byul – cuter as se7en’s gf

    Sexy:
    1) Kim So Yeon – kick-ass sexy in Iris
    2) Soo Ae – charmed me over in Athena
    3) Jeon Ji Hyun – body, curves and long hair

    Overrated:
    1) Yoona – forgettable at first sight and looks like a giraffe
    2) Han Ga In – weird nose
    3) Shin Min Ah – ugly since Beautiful Days

  12. Eliza Bennet

    I completely agree on Lee Mi Sok – she has a very arresting beauty combined with seriously awesome acting talent.

    My girl crush would be Song Hye Kyo – I know I know she is not as good an actor as most of the names mentioned but she has a certain charm that translates into small screen. The first time I saw her was in Full House and I couldn’t believe how such a beautiful person can look this dorky at the same time. I also loved the fact that she chose such a role in Worlds Within and actually managed to pull it off. She is so lovely to look at but also naturally so and for some reason I really like her.

    And I do love Jeon Do Yeon and only and only because she is a completely perfect actor. Very talented and I have never seen her give even an average performance. Even when the film/show is not so good, you can always count on Jeon DY’s performance to be top notch. I first saw her in Happy End and am a fan ever since.

    The rest I’m natural to. I do like some of their performances such as Son Ye Jin in A Moment to Remember, or Kim Sun Ah in MNIKSS, Shin Min Ah in MGIAG, Soo Ae in A Family…

    Finally an anomaly – Kim Tae Hee. This actor is someone I disliked and loved to laugh at in Stairway to Heaven – not because her character was evil but her performance was laughingly bad but then Love Story in Harvard happened – this drama is justly not well liked (something like a guilty pleasure of mine – hey why not do a guilty pleasures article guys?) and Kim TH is not very good here either but I find myself liking her and I was really suprised to find that I kept on liking her in IRIS (again not a very good performance). She is not someone whose work I sought but I’m suprised that I changed my opinion of her so quickly and drastically.

    And there is a female actor I can’t warm up to and she is Gong Hyo Jin. She is a much much better actor than the ones I like better (and in Thank You she was so so good) but I can’t like her you know? Not that I dislike her or anything but I can’t seem to appreciate her the way she definitely deserves to be appreciated. And this is for no logical reason.

  13. blue

    Ah, loved reading everyone’s “actresses list!” Keep ‘em coming!

  14. manel

    i adore su ae..she is just great..talking about beautiful women it has to be song hye gyo and jeon ji hyun for me..they are just so appeasing to the eyes..mgy is cute and a great actress..kim tae hee well i never got her appeal..

  15. gailT

    My girl-crush is Son Ye Jin. Her eye smiles slay me. I haven’t seen all her dramas, but in the ones I saw (Alone in Love and Personal Taste), she moved my heart. When she cries, I cry too. huhu. She’s so pretty to me in all angles, and she’s not super skinny like most actresses. I think she’s not afraid to admit how hard it is to maintain an image, as I heard she works hard to maintain her curves.

    I love Lee Yoon Ji for her dazzling smile. I followed Dandelion Family to see her smile. And I endured We Got Married (OK, I will admit that I enjoyed that ‘reality show’ and followed other couples too) for her. Her smile is contagious.

    Lee Da Hae in My Girl, I loved. In fact, I was so obsessed with shipping her with Lee Dong Wook that I gave in and joined a fan forum. I’ve only seen Hello! Miss among her projects, and although it wasn’t popular, I liked it for what it was: a fluffy drama. I’m not ashamed to say I re-watch episode 15 every now and then, when I feel sad and blue. I don’t know why that ep gets me. I only followed Miss Ripley recaps, and I was kinda dismayed at how almost every screenshot she has the same “gasping, OMG” look. still pretty, but somehow lacking…

    I loved Park Sun Young in Sons of Sol Pharmacy House, 18 vs. 29. In those dramas, I felt like someone I would like to be my unni in real life. I don’t know she gives off that vibe. And in Oh Pil Seung, I thought my heart would break as I commiserated with her in her one-sided love.

    Lee Min Jung, I find to be quite pretty. I absolutely adored her in Smile, You. Her loveline with Jung Kyung Ho sustained me over that long long drama.

    I agree about Lee Mi Sook and Soo Ae. The rest of the actresses, I agree they’re beautiful, but I’ve never seen enough of their work for me to say I adore them.

    My list is not really that long, but this post has gotten lengthy. I’m just glad I didn’t spazz too much on your men’s edition. That might have been even longer.

  16. Star

    Awww!Park shinhye my girl crush ! cute ! I know she is still too young (20 or 21) but I want her be more recognized by her talent (Cuz she is) …I know she is not the best but she can improve day bye day…I like the way she immerse herself in characters..Thank you @Blue for list!

  17. iveness

    Moon geun young is one of the best players in Korea and especially of his generation, not for nothing she has won awards for his films and dramas, and the youngest, who won the Daesang!

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