South Korean actress Kim Go-eun was born on July 2, 1991. She first gained attention in South Korea for her performance in the 2012 film A Muse, for which she won multiple Best New Actress honours. She has also been in TV shows like Cheese in the Trap (2016), Guardian: The Lonely and Great God (2016), The King: Eternal Monarch (2020), Yumi's Cells (2021), and Little Women (2022).
Childhood & Early Learning
Kim was born in Seoul, South Korea in 1991, and she and her family relocated to Beijing, China when she was three years old. She spent a decade there, allowing her to master Mandarin during that time. Kim wanted to be a filmmaker after seeing Together by Chen Kaige several times and ended up in the theatre by chance. She then continued her education in drama at the Korea National University of Arts after attending Kaywon High School of the Arts upon her return to South Korea.
Jung Ji-woo, the film's director, had this to say about Kim: "She has a fearless and inquisitive nature. She has a lot of strength since she doesn't give in to pressure very quickly. She isn't one to follow conventions blindly."
Career
2012 in professional life: Inspiration and acclaim
Having been cast as Eun-gyo, a 17-year-old high school student who arouses the love of two men in A Muse, Kim shot to fame in 2012. All of the Best New Actress prizes for that year went to her.
The 21-year-old had only ever acted in student musicals and school plays before to this role, thus she had no prior experience even in a bit part. She had no idea that auditions were being held for the film A Muse until she met the director, Jung Ji-woo, through mutual friends. "After talking with the director, I was offered an audition. When Kim thought back on it, she realised she had no time to get ready. She was picked out of about 300 other actresses that tried out for the position. According to Jung, Kim matured throughout the course of the film, as evidenced by the drastic change in her facial expressions between the opening and closing credits. She displayed attributes that can only be seen in someone who is naive of their own beauty and what they are capable of, so I wanted to record those moments.
Kim has described her career as follows: "When I stood on the stage for the first time, I was so nervous that I thought it would be very hard if I had to do this for the rest of my life." But after my second show, I felt so at home there that I didn't want to leave the stage at all. I keep performing because I can't bear to lose that sensation. She has claimed, "I never considered about my image or potential endorsement deals when choosing the next film production." This is in reference to her decision to limit the number of commercials in which she appears. My main concern is how appearing in advertisements might affect my acting gigs.
2013–2015: On hold, then back to the big screen
Kim took a hiatus from performing after A Muse and returned to school to finish her degree despite receiving numerous acting offers. In 2014, she made her return to the big screen in the thriller Monster, where she played a developmentally handicapped lady whose younger sister is murdered by a brutal serial killer; her grief and wrath drives her virtually crazy, and she plans her revenge.
She co-starred with Kim Hye-soo in the 2015 thriller Coin Locker Girl, whose plot was inspired by the 1980 Japanese novel Coin Locker Babies. As a first-time attendee, she was invited to the 2015 Festival de Cannes alongside the film's director and cast. In her second part, Kim played opposite her idol, actress Jeon Do-yeon, in the martial arts period drama Memories of the Sword. She then appeared in the legal drama The Advocate: A Missing Body, in which she portrayed a tenacious prosecutor, and the family comedy Canola, in which she co-starred with Youn Yuh-jung as a young girl who is reunited with her grandmother.
The Year 2016: The Year of the Debut and Success on Television
Kim first appeared on screen in the popular cable series Cheese in the Trap, which was adapted from the eponymous webcomic. She also sang on Tearliner's "Attraction" for the drama's soundtrack. For her role, Kim was recognised as the year's best new actress on television and awarded the Baeksang Arts Award. The following year, she played alongside Gong Yoo in Kim Eun-blockbuster sook's fantasy drama Guardian: The Lonely and Great God. The drama was well appreciated by critics and audiences around Asia, and it even became something of a cultural phenomenon in South Korea. It also broke the 20% ratings barrier for a Korean cable drama for the first time, and as of June 2021, it ranks as the fifth highest viewed Korean drama ever on cable television.
31 years old Kim returned to the screen in Lee Joon-2018 ik's film Sunset in My Hometown, albeit in a supporting role. Kim gained 8 pounds and learnt a regional dialect for her role as a rebellious farm girl. She landed a role in the historical romance Tune in for Love the same year.
Kim has a role in the upcoming 2019 TV show The King: Eternal Monarch, which is a fantasy drama. Set a record for SBS's highest Friday-Saturday drama premiere ratings and maintained the No. 1 spot on the weekly Wavve drama chart for eight consecutive weeks despite receiving criticism for its screenplay, direction, and performances due to its ensemble cast, renowned screenwriter, extensive publicity, and more than 30 billion Won (US$25 million) production budget.
In the same year, she was chosen to star in South Korea's first-ever musical film Hero, which was adapted from the popular musical Youngwoong. Kim plays a former Gungnyeo turned Geisha who becomes a part of the Korean independence struggle, based on the life of activist An Jung-geun after the assassination of It Hirobumi. The release of the film had been slated for July of 2020, but was postponed because of the COVID-19 epidemic.
Kim starred in Yumi's Cells, Korea's first live-action animated romantic comedy-drama, in 2021. The show on tvN is based on the namesake webcomic.
An offline fan meeting with Kim was announced for the second half of 2022 on April 25. On October 15, 2022, Kim celebrated the tenth anniversary of her debut with a meet-and-greet with her fans. In addition, Ahn Eun-jin, Lee Sang-yi, Ahn Bo-hyun, and Park Jin-young were there, and Gong Yoo, Rosé, Lee Min-ho, Woo Do-hwan, Park Jung-min, and Jung Hae-in all appeared in a video letter.
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2012 | A Muse | Han Eun-gyo | |
Yeong-a | Yeong-a | Short film | |
Comfort | Eun Hye | Independent film | |
2013 | Neverdie Butterfly | Moon Soo-yeon | Cameo appearance |
2014 | Monster | Bok-soon | |
2015 | Memories of the Sword | Seol-hee / Hong-yi | |
Coin Locker Girl | Il-young | ||
The Advocate: A Missing Body | Jin Sun-mi | ||
2016 | Canola | Hye-ji | |
2018 | Sunset in My Hometown | Sun-mi | |
2019 | Tune in for Love | Kim Mi-soo | |
Hit-and-Run Squad | Min-jae's acquaintance | Cameo appearance | |
2020 | Untact | Soo-jin | Short film |
2022 | Hero | Seol-hee | |
TBA | Pamyo |
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2016 | Cheese in the Trap | Hong Seol | |
2016–2017 | Guardian: The Lonely and Great God | Ji Eun-tak | |
2020 | The King: Eternal Monarch | Jung Tae-eul / Luna | |
2021–2022 | Yumi's Cells | Yumi | Season 1–2 |
2022 | Little Women | Oh In-ju |
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2021 | Sea of Hope | Cast member | Ocean Guard |
Awards & Achievements
Intimate History & Lasting Impact
Rumor has it that Kim Go-eun dated veteran actor Shin Ha Kyun, who is seventeen years her senior. They initially became acquainted while scuba diving and then became close during their acting careers. They were said to have been living together despite the age gap and the relationship had lasted for some time.
It has been reported on social media that she is dating her co-star from the film "Goblin," Gong Yoo, after recently splitting up with actor Shin Ha Kyun. On the other hand, there is no information to report of a lasting partnership.
Kim Go-Eun Profile | ||
Stage Name | Kim Go-Eun | |
Real Name | Kim Go-eun | |
Profession(s) | Actress, | |
Birthday | July 2, 1991 | |
Age | 31 years (As of 2022) | |
Gender | Female | |
Birthplace | Seoul, South Korea | |
Hometown | Seoul, Seoul, South Korea | |
Nationality | South Korean | |
Food Habit | Vegetarian | |
Education & Qualification | ||
School | Kaywon High School of the Arts | |
College | Korea National University of Arts | |
Kim Go-eun Social Media | ||
YouTube | YouTube |
Trivia