A debut performance in the 2003 television series Stairway to Heaven launched the career of the Gwangju-born actor. Since then, she has transitioned from a child star into a prominent figure in South Korean media, earning international recognition for her diverse roles in film and television dramas that frequently achieve significant commercial and critical success throughout Asia.
Early Career and Training
In 2001, at the age of eleven, the actor auditioned for music videos produced by Lee Seung-hwan. This involvement led to formal instruction in acting, singing, and dancing at the agency Dream Factory. Following her television debut in 2003, she pursued higher education, eventually earning a degree in theater from Chung-Ang University in 2016. Her early professional years included hosting the variety program Fantastic Partner and taking on diverse roles, such as portraying two characters in the 2007 horror film Evil Twin.
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The actor achieved a significant breakthrough with the 2009 romance drama You're Beautiful, which established a strong following in Japan. Her versatility expanded to film in 2010 with the successful romantic comedy Cyrano Agency. In 2013, she played a role in Miracle in Cell No. 7, which reached the status of one of the highest-grossing Korean films. She continued this momentum in television, starring in the widely viewed drama The Heirs, and later the 2014 series Pinocchio, where she portrayed a reporter living with a fictional condition known as the Pinocchio complex.
International Reach and Recent Projects
By the late 2010s, she held leading roles in multiple international projects, including Memories of the Alhambra. Her professional repertoire continued into the 2020s with appearances in Doctor Slump, The Judge from Hell, and Undercover Miss Hong. Beyond her acting work, she has engaged in various philanthropic efforts through her personal initiative, the Starlight Angel Project. Her contributions to the industry have resulted in multiple inclusions on the Forbes Korea Power Celebrity 40 list, notably in 2015, 2017, 2021, and 2022.
Fast facts
- Born: 18 February 1990, Gwangju, South Korea
- Education: Chung-Ang University
- Television debut: Stairway to Heaven (2003)
- Marriage: Choi Tae-joon
- Languages: Korean, Japanese, English
- Key initiative: Starlight Angel Project
Questions readers ask
What was the actor's first major television role?
She gained her first recognition playing the younger version of Choi Ji-woo's character in the 2003 drama Stairway to Heaven.
Which film marked one of her highest-grossing successes?
She starred in the 2013 comedy-drama film Miracle in Cell No. 7.
