Han Ji-min (born November 5, 1982) is a South Korean actress. After minor roles in '' All In'' and ''

Dae Jang Geum ''Dae Jang Geum'' (; literally "The Great Jang-geum"), also known as ''Jewel in the Palace'', is a 2003 South Korean historical drama television series directed by Lee Byung-hoon. It first aired on MBC from September 15, 2003 to March 23, 20 ...

'', Han had her breakout role in revenge series ''

Resurrection Resurrection or anastasis is the concept of coming back to life after death. In a number of religions, a dying-and-rising god is a deity which dies and is resurrected. Reincarnation is a similar process hypothesized by other religions, which ...

'' in 2005. This was followed by leading roles in period dramas ''

Capital Scandal ''Capital Scandal'' (; lit. "Scandal in Gyeongseong") is a 2007 South Korean television series starring Kang Ji-hwan, Han Ji-min, Ryu Jin, and Han Go-eun. It aired on KBS2 from June 6 to August 2, 2007 on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 21:55 for ...

'' and '' Yi San'', contemporary dramas ''

Cain and Abel In the biblical Book of Genesis, Cain ''Qayīn'', in pausa ''Qāyīn''; gr, Κάϊν ''Káïn''; ar, قابيل/قايين, Qābīl / Qāyīn and Abel ''Heḇel'', in pausa ''Hāḇel''; gr, Ἅβελ ''Hábel''; ar, هابيل, Hāb� ...

'' and ''

Padam Padam ''Padam Padam'' () is a 2011 South Korean television series starring Jung Woo-sung, Han Ji-min, and Kim Bum. The romance / fantasy series was written by Noh Hee-kyung, and the title is a reference to a 1951 French song by Edith Piaf, an onom ...

'', romantic dramas ''

Rooftop Prince ''Rooftop Prince'' () is a 2012 South Korean fantasy romantic comedy television drama, starring Park Yoo-chun, Han Ji-min, Jeong Yu-mi, Lee Tae-sung, Lee Tae-ri, Jung Suk-won, and Choi Woo-shik. It is about a Joseon crown prince who, after ...

'', ''

Familiar Wife ''Familiar Wife'' () is a romantic fantasy South Korean television series starring Ji Sung, Han Ji-min, Jang Seung-jo, and Kang Han-na. It aired on tvN from August 1 to September 20, 2018. Synopsis A married couple suddenly finds themselves l ...

'', and ''

The Light in Your Eyes "The Light in Your Eyes" is a song written by Dan Tyler, and recorded by American country music artist LeAnn Rimes. It was released in March 1997 as the sixth and final single from her debut album ''Blue''. The song made it to number five on the ...

'', as well as drama film ''

Miss Baek ''Miss Baek'' () is a 2018 South Korean drama film directed by Lee Ji-won and starring Han Ji-min, Kim Si-a, and Lee Hee-joon. The film was released in South Korea on October 11, 2018. Plot The story of a woman who grew up abused and neglected, ...

''. In 2022, Han starred in an omnibus-format series ''

Our Blues ''Our Blues'' () is a 2022 South Korean television series starring Lee Byung-hun, Shin Min-a, Cha Seung-won, Lee Jung-eun, Uhm Jung-hwa, Han Ji-min, and Kim Woo-bin. The series revolves around the sweet and bitter lives of people at the end, ...

''.

Career

2003–2010: Beginnings and breakthrough

Han Ji-min started her career in show business while still a high school student. She made various commercial films (CF) and music videos before gaining wider attention in 2003, when she appeared in hit Korean television dramas '' All In'' and ''

''. Han said she hadn't dreamed of becoming a serious actress, but changed her mind after starring in '' All In'', where she played the teenage counterpart of the drama's main character, played by popular actress

Song Hye-kyo Song Hye-kyo (; born November 22, 1981) is a South Korean actress. She gained international popularity through her leading roles in the television dramas ''Autumn in My Heart'' (2000), '' All In'' (2003), ''Full House'' (2004), ''That Winter, th ...

. Han achieved breakthrough with her performance in the critically acclaimed mania drama ''

'' in 2005. She then challenged herself by playing a cute yet ambitious tomboy who dreams of becoming a pilot in her first movie ''

Blue Swallow The blue swallow (''Hirundo atrocaerulea'') is a small bird within the swallow family which is in the order Passeriformes. Swallows are somewhat similar in habits and appearance to other aerial insectivores, such as the martins (also a passer ...

''. A car accident on the set of ''Wolf'' seriously injured Han and her co-star

Eric Mun Eric Mun (born Mun Jung-hyuk on February 16, 1979) is a South Korean rapper, songwriter and actor. He is a member and leader of the South Korean boy band Shinhwa. He is also well known for several dramas such as '' Phoenix'' (2004), ''Super R ...

, causing the drama to be delayed repeatedly until the decision was finally made to discontinue it with only three episodes aired. After a long recovery for Mun, the two actors reunited instead in the drama ''Super Rookie Ranger'' (also known as ''Invincible Parachute Agent'' or ''Korea Secret Agency''). Han continued to act in TV dramas, with memorable turns as a straitlaced resistance fighter in ''

'' and a royal concubine in the historical drama '' Yi San''. Known for her sweet, innocent and fragile image and her depictions of good girls, Han surprised audiences with her performance as a sexy

femme fatale A ''femme fatale'' ( or ; ), sometimes called a maneater or vamp, is a stock character of a mysterious, beautiful, and seductive woman whose charms ensnare her lovers, often leading them into compromising, deadly traps. She is an archetype of ...

in '' Detective K: Secret of the Virtuous Widow''.

2011–2017: Diverse genres

Han played a cynical veterinarian in ''

'', written by famous drama writer

Noh Hee-kyung Noh Hee-kyung (born March 21, 1966) is a South Korean television screenwriter and essayist. Career Noh Hee-kyung has become renowned in South Korea for her realistic, cerebral and in-depth portrayals of the lives and relationships of ordinary ...

, which aired on newly launched cable channel

jTBC JTBC (shortened from ''Joongang Tongyang Broadcasting Company'' (; stylized as jtbc) is a South Korean nationwide pay television network. Its primary shareholder is JoongAng Holdings, with a 25% stake. It was launched on 1 December 2011. JTBC ...

. She then starred in ''

'', about a

Joseon Joseon (; ; Middle Korean: 됴ᇢ〯션〮 Dyǒw syéon or 됴ᇢ〯션〯 Dyǒw syěon), officially the Great Joseon (; ), was the last dynastic kingdom of Korea, lasting just over 500 years. It was founded by Yi Seong-gye in July 1392 and re ...

-era prince who time-travels to the 21st century where he meets his dead beloved's

doppelgänger A doppelgänger (), a compound noun formed by combining the two nouns (double) and (walker or goer) (), doppelgaenger or doppelganger is a biologically unrelated look-alike, or a double, of a living person. In fiction and mythology, a doppelg ...

. The popularity of ''Rooftop Prince'' garnered Han several awards, and increased her international profile, notably in Japan. In October 2013, Han left her talent agency

S.M. Entertainment SM Entertainment Co., Ltd. () is a South Korean multinational entertainment agency. It is one of South Korea's largest entertainment companies where it was established in 1995 by record executive and record producer Lee Soo-man. The company ha ...

SM C&C SM Culture & Contents ( ko, 에스엠컬처앤콘텐츠; SM C&C) is a South Korean advertising, production, travel and talent company under SM Studios, a wholly-owned subsidiary of SM Entertainment. The company operates as a talent agency, televi ...

and joined

Lee Byung-hun Lee Byung-hun (; born July 12, 1970) is a South Korean actor. He has received critical acclaim for his work in a wide range of genres, most notably ''Joint Security Area'' (2000); ''A Bittersweet Life'' (2005); ''The Good, the Bad, the Weird'' ...

's BH Entertainment. In 2014, she starred in the opposites-attract

romantic comedy Romantic comedy (also known as romcom or rom-com) is a subgenre of comedy and slice of life fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount most obstacles. In a typica ...

film ''

The Plan Man ''The Plan Man'' (; lit. "Plan Man") is a 2014 South Korean romantic comedy film that tells the story of an anal retentive man who attempts to escape from his fixation of trying to plan out every detail of his life. Starring Jung Jae-young and Ha ...

'', about a methodical, mysophobic librarian who falls for a spontaneous, adventurous musician. Following that, she played the dowager

Queen Jeongsun Queen Jeongsun (정순왕후 김씨; 2 December 1745 – 11 February 1805), of the Gyeongju Kim clan, was a posthumous name bestowed to the wife and second queen consort of Yi Geum, King Yeongjo, the 21st Joseon monarch. She was queen consort ...

in period film ''

The Fatal Encounter ''The Fatal Encounter'' (; lit. ''The King's Wrath'') is a 2014 South Korean film based on a real-life assassination attempt on King Jeongjo. Jeongjo is portrayed by Hyun Bin, in his first role in a period drama and first acting project after being ...

'', who is the fierce political rival of her step-grandson

King Jeongjo Jeongjo of Joseon (28 October 1752 – 18 August 1800), personal name Yi San (Korean language, Korean: 이산; Hanja: 李祘), sometimes called Jeongjo the Great (Korean language, Korean: 정조대왕; Hanja: 正祖大王), was the 22nd monarc ...

. Han next reunited with ''The Fatal Encounter'' co-star

Hyun Bin Kim Tae-pyung (born September 25, 1982), better known as Hyun Bin, is a South Korean actor. He gained widespread recognition for his role in the 2005 romantic comedy TV drama '' My Name is Kim Sam-soon''. Since then, he has appeared in leading ...

in the 2015 suspense series ''

Hyde, Jekyll, Me ''Hyde Jekyll, Me'' () is a 2015 Korean drama, South Korean television series starring Hyun Bin and Han Ji-min. It is based on Lee Choong-ho's webtoon ''Dr. Jekyll Is Mr. Hyde'' (), which gave a romantic comedy spin on the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde ...

'', in the role of a circus master who falls for a theme park owner with split personality disorder. In 2016, Han starred in action thriller ''

The Age of Shadows ''The Age of Shadows'' (; lit. "Emissary") is a 2016 South Korean period action thriller film directed by Kim Jee-woon and written by Lee Ji-min and Park Jong-dae. The film is set in Shanghai and Seoul in the 1920s and stars Song Kang-ho and Gon ...

'', based on the 1920s about anti-Japanese independence workers' plots and betrayals. In 2017, Han was cast in romantic short film titled ''Two Rays of Light'' alongside

Park Hyung-sik Park Hyung-sik (born November 16, 1991), known mononymously as Hyungsik, is a South Korean singer, actor, and dancer. He is a member of the South Korean boy group ZE:A, and its sub-group ZE:A Five. As an actor, he is known for his roles in '' ...

2018–present: Critical acclaim

In 2018, Han starred in the film ''

'', playing the titular protagonist; an ex-convict who is emotionally closed up due to the social stigma. Han's performance in the film won her the Best Actress award at the prestigious

Blue Dragon Film Awards The Blue Dragon Film Awards () is an annual awards ceremony that is presented by ''Sports Chosun'' (a sister brand of the ''Chosun Ilbo'') for excellence in film in South Korea. The Blue Dragon Film Awards considers only blockbusters and popula ...

and

Baeksang Arts Awards The Baeksang Arts Awards (), also known as the Paeksang Arts Awards, are awards for excellence in film, television and theatre in South Korea. The awards were first introduced in 1965 by Chang Key-young, the founder of the Hankook Ilbo newspap ...

as well as other major award ceremonies. The same year, she returned to the small screen with romance fantasy drama ''

'', taking on the role of an ordinary wife with anger management issues. In 2019, Han starred in two television series; slice of life melodrama ''

'' and romance melodrama ''

One Spring Night ''One Spring Night'' () is a 2019 South Korean television series starring Jung Hae-in, Han Ji-min and Kim Jun-han. It aired from May 22 to July 11, 2019, and is the first weekday miniseries to be aired by MBC on an earlier timeslot of Wednesd ...

''. She then appeared in

Kwak Jae-yong Kwak Jae-yong (born 22 May 1959) is a South Korean film director and screenwriter. He studied physics at Kyung Hee University. He achieved success with his debut film '' Watercolor Painting in a Rainy Day'' in 1989, but the failure of his next ...

's romantic comedy film ''

A Year-End Medley ''A Year-End Medley'' ( lit.: Happy New Year) is a 2021 South Korean romantic comedy film directed by Kwak Jae-yong and features an ensemble cast led by Han Ji-min, Lee Dong-wook, Kang Ha-neul and Im Yoon-ah. The film depicts the story of clie ...

'' in 2021 and

tvN TVN may refer to: * TVN (Australian TV channel), a former horse racing channel * Televisión Nacional de Chile, a public broadcaster * TVN (Indonesia), a former television station; predecessor of Rajawali Televisi * TVN (Norway), or TVNorge, a comm ...

television series ''

'' in 2022.

Personal life

Activism and donations

A Social Welfare major from

Seoul Women's University Seoul Women's University (SWU) is a private university in Nowon District, Seoul, South Korea. The university comprises five colleges and is a doctorate degree-granting institution. History The school was founded in December 1960 by the Presbyt ...

, Han is widely known for actively participating in

volunteer work Volunteering is a voluntary act of an individual or group freely giving time and labor for community service. Many volunteers are specifically trained in the areas they work, such as medicine, education, or emergency rescue. Others serve ...

and fund drives, mostly through the relief organization Join Together Society. In 2009, she published her own book titled ''We’re Already Friends: Han Ji-min's Philippines Donation Book'', which includes stories and drawings of her time spent in a remote mountain village in the Philippines helping at a village school. She then donated all the

royalties A royalty payment is a payment made by one party to another that owns a particular asset, for the right to ongoing use of that asset. Royalties are typically agreed upon as a percentage of gross or net revenues derived from the use of an asset o ...

to help in funding the education of children in

North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu River, Y ...

and

developing countries A developing country is a sovereign state with a lesser developed industrial base and a lower Human Development Index (HDI) relative to other countries. However, this definition is not universally agreed upon. There is also no clear agreem ...

in Asia. In 2012, she was designated as goodwill ambassador of the

United Nations Environment Programme The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is responsible for coordinating responses to environmental issues within the United Nations system. It was established by Maurice Strong, its first director, after the United Nations Conference on th ...

. On March 8, 2022, Han donated million to help Ukrainian victims in Russian invasion through the Korea Committee for UNICEF. On May 6, 2022, Han donated 50 million won to the UN's international relief organization JTS (Join Together Society). On June 3, 2022, Han became a member of the 'UNICEF Honors Club. On August 11, 2022, Han donated to the Handicapped Home to assist in the

2022 South Korean floods On 8 August 2022, large scale floods hit the capital of South Korea, Seoul, especially Gangnam District and surrounding areas. It was preceded by the highest rainfall in 80 years. 2,800 buildings were damaged and at least 9 people were killed. ...

through the Seoul Community Chest of Korea (Seoul Fruit of Korea). On December 24, 2022, Han donated 50 million won to help support heating costs for people at risk of disaster through the National Disaster Relief Association Hope Bridge.

Filmography

Film

Television series

Web series

Television shows

Hosting

Bibliography

Ambassadorship

* Australian Tourism Public Relations Ambassador (2022)

Awards and nominations

State honors

Listicles

Notes

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Han, Ji-min South Korean television actresses South Korean film actresses South Korean television presenters South Korean women television presenters 21st-century South Korean actresses Actresses from Seoul 1982 births Living people Seoul Women's University alumni Best Actress Paeksang Arts Award (film) winners