Kim So-hyun (; born June 4, 1999) is a
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
n actress
who began her career as a child in 2006, initially gaining public attention for playing pivotal roles in ''
Moon Embracing the Sun
''Moon Embracing the Sun'' (, also known as ''The Moon that Embraces the Sun'' or ''The Sun and the Moon'') is a 2012 South Korean television drama series, starring Kim Soo-hyun, Han Ga-in, Jung Il-woo, and Kim Min-seo. It aired on MBC from ...
'' (2012) and ''
Missing You Missing You, Missin' You, or Missing U may refer to:
Film and television
* ''Missing You'' (2008 film), a Singaporean film
* ''Missing You'' (2016 film), a South Korean film
* ''Missing U'' (film), a 2013 short animated film by Brooke Wagstaff
...
'' (2013).
She took on her first leading role in teen drama ''
Ma Boy'' (2012) and since then has starred in many TV series including high-school drama ''
Who Are You: School 2015'' (2015), horror comedy ''
Hey Ghost, Let's Fight'' (2016), historical melodrama ''
The Emperor: Owner of the Mask'' (2017), romantic comedies ''
Radio Romance'' (2018) and ''
The Tale of Nokdu'' (2019), teen suspense romance ''
Love Alarm'' (2019 & 2021) and Korean folklore ''
River Where the Moon Rises
''River Where the Moon Rises'' () is a 2021 South Korean television series starring Kim So-hyun, Na In-woo, Lee Ji-hoon and Choi Yu-hwa. Based on the 2010 novel ''Princess Pyeonggang'' by film director and screenwriter Choi Sagyu, it aired on ...
'' as an assassin. ''
Pure Love'' (2016) was her first movie as a lead. She was the regular host of
MBC's music program ''
Music Core
Music is generally defined as the art of arranging sound to create some combination of form, harmony, melody, rhythm or otherwise expressive content. Exact definitions of music vary considerably around the world, though it is an aspect ...
'' and
survival reality show ''
Under Nineteen'' in 2019.
Kim has been nicknamed by the Korean medias as the "
Nation's Little Sister", "Queen of Child Actresses", "Goddess of
Historical Drama
A historical drama (also period drama, costume drama, and period piece) is a work set in a past time period, usually used in the context of film and television. Historical drama includes historical fiction and romance film, romances, adventure f ...
" and also the "
Sageuk
(Hangul: 사극, Hanja: 史劇; ) in Korean denotes historical dramas, including traditional drama plays, films or television series. In English language literature usually refers to historical films and television series (of South Korea). In ...
Goddess", after starring and appearing in various acclaimed historical period dramas throughout her career, and having gained experience working as an actress from childhood to the present day.
Korean medias also recognised her as the next generation of "Nation's First Love" from her performance in ''
Pure Love '' (2016) movie.
She has established herself as a top
Hallyu star. For her performance in ''
River Where the Moon Rises
''River Where the Moon Rises'' () is a 2021 South Korean television series starring Kim So-hyun, Na In-woo, Lee Ji-hoon and Choi Yu-hwa. Based on the 2010 novel ''Princess Pyeonggang'' by film director and screenwriter Choi Sagyu, it aired on ...
'', she was nominated for
Baeksang Arts Award for Best Actress – Television, becoming one of the youngest nominees for the award.
Kim consistently promotes her television work on
Instagram
Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can ...
.
She was awarded the '2018 Most Grown Instagram Account' with 7.1 million followers.
At the age of 21, Kim became the youngest
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
n actress to have more than 10 million followers on social media, alongside actor
Lee Min-ho.
Early life and education
Kim So-hyun was born on June 4, 1999, in
Australia, and has a younger brother.
She moved to South Korea in 2003, when she was four years old.
Her father died when she was nine years old.
Kim transferred from Hoe-ryong Elementary School in
Gyeonggi-do
Gyeonggi-do (, ) is the most populous province in South Korea. Its name, ''Gyeonggi'', means "京 (the capital) and 畿 (the surrounding area)". Thus, ''Gyeonggi-do'' can be translated as "Seoul and the surrounding areas of Seoul". Seoul, the na ...
to Towol Elementary School and graduated in February 2012. She then graduated from Yongin Munjung Middle School in 2015.
She was subsequently
homeschooled
Homeschooling or home schooling, also known as home education or elective home education (EHE), is the education of school-aged children at home or a variety of places other than a school. Usually conducted by a parent, tutor, or an onlin ...
for her
secondary education
Secondary education or post-primary education covers two phases on the International Standard Classification of Education scale. Level 2 or lower secondary education (less commonly junior secondary education) is considered the second and final ph ...
, and passed her high school graduation exams by 2017. The same year, she enrolled at
Hanyang University
Hanyang University (Korean: 한양대학교) is a private research university in South Korea. The main campus is located in Seoul and its satellite campus, the Education Research Industry Cluster (ERICA campus), is in Ansan. ''Hanyang'' (한양, ...
's Department of Theater, through
rolling admission. Kim attended the 79th entrance ceremony held at Hanyang University in
Seongdong-gu
Seongdong District (Seongdong-gu) is one of the 25 '' gu'' which make up the city of Seoul, South Korea. It is situated on the north bank of the Han River. It is divided into 20 ''dong'' (neighbourhoods).
Administrative divisions
Seongdong Dist ...
,
Seoul
Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the Capital city, capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the North Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea ...
on February 28, 2018.
In 2016, according to
Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
's national newspaper ''
The Straits Times
''The Straits Times'' is an English-language daily broadsheet newspaper based in Singapore and currently owned by SPH Media Trust (previously Singapore Press Holdings). ''The Sunday Times'' is its Sunday edition. The newspaper was establish ...
'', Kim revealed in an email interview with the paper why she chose homeschooling instead of enrolling in high school. She said that while managing her acting career, she barely had time to study during her mid-school days (which made her have to take her exams unprepared) and missed out in activities with her classmates, and this similarly occurred in her elementary school days. Kim chose homeschooling for her high school education because she did not want to give up her education and career. With this decision, Kim felt it would allow her to dedicate more time to both filming and studying.
Career
2006–2011: Beginnings as a child actress
Kim debuted as a
child actress in 2006, playing a supporting role in the ''
Drama City
Drama City (''Deurama Siti'', 드라마 시티) is the KBS to broadcast via KBS2TV in a collection of usually single episode short dramas, shown weekly. Each episode is a different story, and the cast changes every week.
1984's "Drama Game" ...
'' special "Ten Minute Minor". Then, she diligently increased her appearances from ''
A Happy Woman'' (2007), ''
Que Sera Sera'' (2007), ''Hometown of Legends'' (2008), ''My Name Is Pity'' (2008), ''Wife and Woman'' (2009) and ''
Ja Myung Go
''Ja Myung Go'' (; also known as ''Princess Ja-myung'') is a 2009 South Korean television series starring Jung Ryeo-won, Park Min-young and Jung Kyung-ho. It aired on SBS from March 9 to July 21, 2009 on Mondays and Tuesdays at 21:55 ( KST) for ...
'' (2009).
She signed a management contract with
SidusHQ in 2010. That year, she would go on to be cast in ''
Becoming a Billionaire
''Becoming a Billionaire'' (; lit. "Birth of the Rich") is a 2010 South Korean television series starring Ji Hyun-woo, Lee Bo-young, Lee Si-young and Namkoong Min. It aired on KBS2 from March 1 to May 4, 2010 on Mondays and Tuesdays at 21:55 f ...
'' and ''
King of Baking, Kim Takgu''. Kim was confirmed to make her big-screen debut in ''
Man of Vendetta'' (2010) as Joo Hye-rin, a daughter of a well-respected pastor who gets kidnapped. Kim was cast through a competition of 500:1. She continued to portray the child counterparts of the female protagonists in television series such as ''
The Thorn Birds
''The Thorn Birds'' is a 1977 novel by Australian author Colleen McCullough. Set primarily on Drogheda – a fictional sheep station in the Australian Outback named after Drogheda, Ireland, the story focuses on the Cleary family and spans 1 ...
'' (2011), ''
The Duo'' (2011) and ''
Sin of a Family'' (2011). She then starred in a family comedy film, ''Spy Papa'', about parents and children's relationship during inter-Korean relations in 1974.
2012–2014: Rising popularity and teenage roles
In 2012, Kim appeared in six works in the first half of the year: a
romantic
Romantic may refer to:
Genres and eras
* The Romantic era, an artistic, literary, musical and intellectual movement of the 18th and 19th centuries
** Romantic music, of that era
** Romantic poetry, of that era
** Romanticism in science, of that e ...
fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy literature and drama ...
television series
A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed ...
, ''
Padam Padam''; a historical comedy film, ''
I Am the King''; a fantasy-period drama ''
Moon Embracing the Sun
''Moon Embracing the Sun'' (, also known as ''The Moon that Embraces the Sun'' or ''The Sun and the Moon'') is a 2012 South Korean television drama series, starring Kim Soo-hyun, Han Ga-in, Jung Il-woo, and Kim Min-seo. It aired on MBC from ...
'', in which she gained recognition as the younger version of the second female lead, Kim received commend from the audience and the director of how well she portrayed the
antagonist's desire realistically the drama came to rank number one in its time slot throughout its run and achieved a peak recorded viewer rating of 42.2%, thereby earning the "national drama" status Kim simultaneously became "Korea's little sister"; followed by a fantasy-comedy ''
Rooftop Prince'' in the role as an evil sister; ''
Love Again'' and a high school student whose roommate is a female idol star in ''
Ma Boy''.
Kim reunited with co-stars from ''Rooftop Prince'' (
Park Yoo-chun
Park Yoo-chun (born June 4, 1986), formerly known as Micky Yoochun and better known by the mononym Yoochun, is a South Korean singer-songwriter and actor. He is a former member of the South Korean boy bands JYJ and TVXQ. He has starred in dram ...
) and ''Moon Embracing the Sun'' (
Yeo Jin-goo) respectively, in a melodrama ''
Missing You Missing You, Missin' You, or Missing U may refer to:
Film and television
* ''Missing You'' (2008 film), a Singaporean film
* ''Missing You'' (2016 film), a South Korean film
* ''Missing U'' (film), a 2013 short animated film by Brooke Wagstaff
...
''. Being dubbed the "Queen of Child Actors" by the Korean press,
she was one of the most praised child actors of her generation. She played the role of Lee Soo-yeon, bullied by her schoolmates and called "the daughter of the murderer", who gets kidnapped and sexually assaulted while trying to save her friend. Kim and Yeo shared the highest one-minute viewer rating scene of 10.4% in the drama. She received her first acting award as "Best Child Actress" at the 1st
K-Drama Star Awards for ''Ma Boy'' and ''Missing You''.
In 2013, Kim made a surprise appearance on ''
Iris II: New Generation'' as the childhood counterpart of the female protagonist and starred in ''
The Secret of Birth'' as a girl with a genius-level brain. Then, she played the younger version of
Lee Bo-young's character in the popular Korean drama ''
I Can Hear Your Voice''. On June 20, Kim co-host
MBC's music program ''
Music Core
Music is generally defined as the art of arranging sound to create some combination of form, harmony, melody, rhythm or otherwise expressive content. Exact definitions of music vary considerably around the world, though it is an aspect ...
'' along with
Minho of
SHINee
Shinee ( ; ko, 샤이니, Syaini; ja, シャイニー, Shainī; stylized as SHINee) is a South Korean boy band formed by SM Entertainment in 2008. The group's musical impact in their native country has earned them numerous accolades and the ...
and
Noh Hong-chul. The three received much attention because of the combination of singers, actors, and broadcasters even though they initially showed a bit of immature progress, but amplified expectations of how they expressed their charms despite having different careers. She then was cast in ''
The Suspicious Housekeeper
''The Suspicious Housekeeper'' () is a 2013 South Korean television series starring Choi Ji-woo, Lee Sung-jae, Wang Ji-hye and Kim So-hyun. It aired on SBS from 23 September to 26 November 2013 on Mondays and Tuesdays at 21:55 for 20 episodes. ...
'', a Korean
remake
A remake is a film, television series, video game, song or similar form of entertainment that is based upon and retells the story of an earlier production in the same medium—e.g., a "new version of an existing film". A remake tells the sa ...
of the Japanese
drama
Drama is the specific Mode (literature), mode of fiction Mimesis, represented in performance: a Play (theatre), play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on Radio drama, radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a g ...
,
Kaseifu no Mita. In the same year, Kim was reported along with
Kim Yoo-jung
Kim Yoo-jung (; born September 22, 1999) is a South Korean actress. She debuted as a model for a confectionery brand at the age of four. After her acting debut in 2003, she became one of the best known child actresses in Korea since then, aft ...
and Yeo Jin-goo as the top three child actors who earn above-average salaries for child actors. It was reported that Kim received 4-6 million won per episode.
In 2014, Kim was cast as a child actor beside
Oh Yeon-soo in the MBC drama,
''Triangle''. Kim challenged her first
dual role
A dual role (also known as a double role) refers to one actor playing two roles in a single production. Dual roles (or a larger number of roles for an actor) may be deliberately written into a script, or may instead be a choice made during produc ...
and first genre through OCN's new drama ''
Reset''. Later, she was cast in
KBS2
The Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) () is the national broadcaster of South Korea. Founded in February 1927, it is one of the leading South Korean television and radio broadcasters.
KBS operates seven radio networks, ten television channels, ...
special drama, ''We All Cry Differently'', which won the 2013 KBS Screenplay Contest.
2015–2016: Transition to lead roles and hosting
In 2015, Kim made a special appearance as the sister of the male lead in ''
A Girl Who Sees Smells'',
played by Park Yoo-chun, whom she reunited with for the third time after ''Rooftop Prince'' and ''Missing You''. On April 18, Kim stepped down from her ''Music Core''
MC posts after two years. Kim starred in
KBS's school series ''
Who Are You: School 2015'', playing dual roles as twins Lee Eun-bi and Go Eun-byul. She was awarded "Star of the Year" at the eighth
Korea Drama Awards
The Korea Drama Awards () is an awards ceremony for excellence in television in South Korea. It was established in 2007, and is held annually in October in Jinju, South Gyeongsang Province as the official main event of the annual Korea Drama Fes ...
for her performance.
On November 21, Kim held her first overseas promotion schedule at
Sunshine City,
Hong Kong
Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delta i ...
. At the end of the year, Kim became the MC of the
2015 KBS Drama Awards
The 2015 KBS Drama Awards (), presented by Korean Broadcasting System (KBS), took place on December 31, 2015 in Yeouido, Seoul. It was hosted by Jun Hyun-moo, Park Bo-gum and Kim So-hyun.
Winners and nominees
''(Winners denoted in bold)''
Ref ...
with
Jun Hyun-moo and
Park Bo-gum.
In 2016, she returned to the big screen in a romance film ''
Pure Love'' opposite
Do Kyung-soo
Doh Kyung-soo (; born January 12, 1993), also known by his stage name D.O. (), is a South Korean singer and actor, best known as a member of the South Korean-Chinese boy group Exo. Apart from his group's activities, D.O. has starred in various ...
, playing the heroine of the film who has a beautiful voice but suffers from a leg injury. Kim then starred in a mystery-school web drama ''Nightmare Teacher'' alongside
Lee Min-hyuk, playing a class president who discovers mysterious secrets of the school. The drama was filmed and featured nine students at Hosan University. The same year, Kim starred in
Park Hye-ryun
Park Hye-ryun (Korean: 박혜련) is a South Korean screenwriter. She is known for her writing of the popular Korean television dramas ''Dream High'' (2011), ''I Can Hear Your Voice'' (2013), ''Pinocchio'' (2014-2015), '' While You Were Sleeping ...
's three-episode drama special ''
Page Turner'' opposite actors
Ji Soo and
Shin Jae-ha. She played the role of a "piano genius" who lost her sight after an accident. The number of video previews released in the web and mobile achieved 600,000 views which was considered "an unusual number" as a
one-act play
A one-act play is a play that has only one act, as distinct from plays that occur over several acts. One-act plays may consist of one or more scenes. The 20-40 minute play has emerged as a popular subgenre of the one-act play, especially in writ ...
. Kim's first fan meeting Lovely Day in
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the northe ...
was held at
Ming Chuan University on April 9.
She was dubbed as the "Korean Wave Fairy" by the Taiwanese media.
On June 4, Kim hosted the
2016 Dream Concert with
Leeteuk and
Hong Jong-hyun. She made her next acting move in the horror-comedy ''
Hey Ghost, Let's Fight'' with
Ok Taec-yeon
Ok Taec-yeon (; born December 27, 1988), known mononymously as Taecyeon, is a South Korean rapper, singer, songwriter, actor and entrepreneur. He is the main rapper of the South Korean boy band 2PM.
In 2010, Ok debuted as an actor in the Kor ...
, and played as the 13-year-old
Princess Deokhye in the film ''
The Last Princess'', for which Park A-reum of ''
K-pop Herald'' praised Kim for her in-depth emotional acting in the scene before her farewell to her mother (which Park called heartbreaking), as well as the high sync rate with
Son Ye-jin. Also, Jung An-ji of ''Sports Chosun'' praised her for the historical accuracy of portraying the princess: citing she acted "perfectly" with the life of a girl during the Korean Empire. She had a recurring guest role in the hit fantasy drama ''
Guardian: The Lonely and Great God''. Kim showed an overwhelming presence and increased
audience immersion Audience immersion is a storytelling technique which attempts to make the audience feel as though they are a part of the story or performance, a state which may be referred to as "transportation" into the narrative, permitting high levels of suspens ...
in the early stage of the drama making a big impact as a
cameo.
2017–2018: Adult roles, career instability and taking other activities
In 2017, Kim participated in Korean dubbing for the character Mitsuha Miyamizu in the
anime
is hand-drawn and computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japanese, (a term derived from a shortening of ...
drama film
In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super ...
''
Your Name
is a 2016 Japanese animated romantic fantasy film produced by CoMix Wave Films. It depicts a high school boy in Tokyo and a high school girl in the Japanese countryside who suddenly and inexplicably begin to swap bodies. The film was commissio ...
''. She switched back to live-action and co-led the historical and political drama ''
The Emperor: Owner of the Mask'' with
Yoo Seung-ho, which premiered on May 10. This marked her first adult historical drama after five years since ''Moon Embracing the Sun''. Despite of its high ratings, the time of the drama's original run coincided with her slump period — Kim expressed how she made efforts to understand her character as a heroine. She felt lost and started losing confidence in herself as an actress. As everybody was praising her acting and visual, she felt embarrassed because she could not come to a full understanding of who her character was.
Kim held her first domestic fan meeting "Lovely Day" on June 3.
She made a special appearance in drama ''
While You Were Sleeping'' to show her support for scriptwriter Park Hae-ryun, who she worked with on KBS's ''Page Turner''. In August 2017, she ended her contract with
SidusHQ after seven years. On November 11, Kim completed her second Taiwan fan meeting ''Sweet Dream'' with Allets.
In December, Kim launched her one-person agency,
E&T Story Entertainment, in partnership with
LOEN Entertainment
Kakao M (; formerly Seoul Records, YBM Seoul Records and LOEN Entertainment) was a South Korean entertainment company established by Min Yeong-bin in 1978. It is currently one of the largest co-publisher companies in South Korea. The company op ...
. The agency is currently led by Park Chan-woo, Kim's manager in her SidusHQ days.
In 2018, Kim was cast in the romance drama ''
Radio Romance'', which began airing on January 29. She played a radio scriptwriter who isn't exactly talented in writing. On January 24, a photo was shared on SNS saying that Kim was shooting underwater. The photo shows a woman wearing a hanbok in the water on January 21. On this day, the lowest temperature was recorded below minus 16 degrees. During the press conference for the premiere of ''Radio Romance'' held on January 25, the PD addressed online criticism regarding the outdoor water filming, despite the weather warnings. He issued an apology stating that "Kim So Hyun's outdoor water filming wrapped up on Sunday
anuary 21 We debated on it a lot since she would be getting in the water. We ensured safety equipment nearby and a camping car on set and finished filming in the shortest amount of time possible. Due to time constraints, an action stunt double filmed additional outdoor water scenes yesterday
anuary 24 It was filmed by an action actor, not Kim So-hyun, wearing a winter suit and shot in a similar situation. The number of shots was done with one take and protection was taken right away. We apologize for causing concerns with this matter. The filming set is our lives. Naturally, safety is important." At the press conference, Kim's hand was visually seen red.
On the same day, she co-hosted the 27th
Seoul Music Awards
The Seoul Music Awards (; SMA) is a major South Korean music awards show presented by the newspaper ''Sports Seoul''. The award winners are selected based on a combination of criteria, including music sales, popular votes, and expert judges' op ...
with
Kim Hee-chul and
Shin Dong-yup. She held her first
Japan fan meeting ''Kim So Hyun 1st Premium Fanmeeting'' with 800 people on July 1. After 10 years of debut, Kim hosted her own
travel reality show ''Because'' ''This is My First Twenty - Kim So-hyun's YOLO Solo California'', where she challenged herself and discovered her true identity in a foreign country. On October 12, she was named as one of the first tenth generation MCs to host a survival reality show ''
Under Nineteen'' on MBC. Kim received positive feedback from viewers of the premiere for her strengths as a host, as noted by
''Korea Economic TV'' — audience engagement, her "steady" voice, charisma, as well as her styling, which the publication deemed "colorful".
2019–present: Regaining acting acclaim
By early-2019, Kim So-hyun, Kim Hee-chul and Shin Dong-yup were selected for two consecutive years as the MCs for the Seoul Music Awards, hosting the 28th ceremony. She held her second fan meeting Sso.Affirmation.Happiness: Kim So Hyun's Little & Indeed, Happiness in Korea, ahead of her birthday with an attendance of 300 people.
On June 29, she also held her first-anniversary fan meeting in
Tokyo
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and List of cities in Japan, largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, ...
, Japan. Kim played the lead role in
Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a ...
's original production ''
Love Alarm'', based on the popular
webtoon
Webtoons (), are a type of digital comic that originated in South Korea usually meant to be read on smartphones.
While webtoons were mostly unknown outside of Korea during their inception, there has been a surge in popularity internationally t ...
of the same name. Kim explained her character is experiencing the emotion of love for the first time, and it reminded of herself. She decided to tap into those feelings as she wanted to portray a living and breathing character with Jo-jo. Kim Yoo-jin of ''Exsports News'' said that Kim showed a high sync rate and a "rich and stable" acting performance in the series. ''
Forbes
''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also r ...
'' Joan MacDonald said that Kim fit well with the character Jojo. Further, the Netflix series was ranked the platform's 8th most loved work in South Korea in 2019.
The same year, she was cast alongside
Jang Dong-yoon in a
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 typic ...
drama set in the
Joseon dynasty
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 ...
, ''
The Tale of Nokdu'' as a clumsy and hot-tempered
Kisaeng trainee.
Chon Kye-young
Chon Kye-young (born December 10, 1970) is a South Korean manhwa author. One of Korea's most popular graphic novelists since her debut in 1996, her major works include ''Unplugged Boy'' (1997), ''Audition'' (1998), ''Girl in Heels'' (2007–2010) ...
and Hye Jin-yang, the author of both webtoons named Kim as their first choice in casting the leading woman.
Shin Ji-won of ''
Hankyung
Han Geng (Chinese: 韩庚; Pinyin: Hán Gēng; ) (born February 9, 1984) is a Chinese Mandopop singer and actor. He started his career in 2001, when he was chosen by S.M. Entertainment to become a member of South Korean boy band Super Juni ...
'' said that Kim So-hyun's character was able to mesmerize the viewers because Kim blended well with her character. Jang Dong-yoon stated, "I was convinced that there would be no better actress to play Dong Joo other than So-hyun, I was very grateful to have met my best partner in her." The pair were donned the nickname "
Manhwa
(; ) is the general Korean term for comics and print cartoons. Outside Korea, the term usually refers to South Korean comics. is greatly influenced by Japanese Manga comics. Modern Manhwa has extended its reach to many other countries. T ...
tearing" chemistry by the viewers for capturing everything from laughter to excitement and adding their colours to the original characters. Her role as Dong Joo earned her the Excellence Award at the year end
KBS Drama Awards
The KBS Drama Awards () is an awards ceremony presented by the Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) for outstanding achievements in Korean dramas aired on its network. It is held annually on 31 December. The highest honor of the ceremony is the "Gra ...
.
The series was the 10th most talked primetime Korean dramas aired in 2019.
On October 1, an official statement from
Kakao M
Kakao M (; formerly Seoul Records, YBM Seoul Records and LOEN Entertainment) was a South Korean entertainment company established by Min Yeong-bin in 1978. It is currently one of the largest co-publisher companies in South Korea. The company op ...
revealed that Kim received 815 shares (about 100 million won) of it to resolve issue rights to strengthen solidarity with affiliates and entertainers. Kim is one of many Kakao M-affiliated artists who received stocks from the company, which, according to reports, is preparing to rejoin
Korea Exchange
Korea Exchange (KRX) is the sole securities exchange operator in South Korea. It is headquartered in Busan, and has an office for cash markets and market oversight in Seoul.
History
The Korea Exchange was created through the integration of Ko ...
through a
re-IPO. On October 29, Netflix confirmed that Kim would reprise her role as Kim Jo-jo in the second season of the drama series ''Love Alarm''.
In 2020, Kim's travel reality show ''Because This Is My First Twenty'' surpassed 6 million views as of May 2020 on
YouTube
YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second most ...
, Naver TV and
Facebook
Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin ...
.
On January 15, 2021, E&T Story Entertainment released an official statement stating that Kim would be leaving the agency. On January 18, Kim signed an exclusive contract with the
Culture Depot.
In February 2021, Kim starred as the alter-ego protagonists in the historical drama ''
River Where the Moon Rises
''River Where the Moon Rises'' () is a 2021 South Korean television series starring Kim So-hyun, Na In-woo, Lee Ji-hoon and Choi Yu-hwa. Based on the 2010 novel ''Princess Pyeonggang'' by film director and screenwriter Choi Sagyu, it aired on ...
'' which premiered on February 15. She plays as a female general, who was born as a princess but raised as a general, and chases for her goal to straighten the ruined status of her country,
Goguryeo
Goguryeo (37 BC–668 AD) ( ) also called Goryeo (), was a Korean kingdom located in the northern and central parts of the Korean Peninsula and the southern and central parts of Northeast China. At its peak of power, Goguryeo controlled mos ...
. The drama was caught in a controversy following
bullying accusations made against Ji Soo, who played the show's male protagonist. Director Yoon Sangho talked about Kim: "It is not easy to re-film the scenes that have already done with a different actor. That's why I told her before re-filming "we can't do this without you, you are the main priority in this drama, I hope you can persevere until the end as the lead.
heaccepted and continued filming
..For this, I am nothing but thankful." Co-actors
Lee Ji-hoon Lee Ji-hoon may refer to:
* Lee Ji-hoon (entertainer) (born 1979) South Korean singer and actor
* , South Korean actor
* Lee Ji-hoon (actor, born 1988) South Korean actor
* Lee Ji-hoon (sledge hockey) (born 1989)
* Woozi
Lee Ji-hoon (; born N ...
, Lee Hae-young, Kim Jung-young, Ki Eun-se, and writer Han Ji-hoon also conveyed their gratitude towards Kim and
Na In-woo (
Ji Soo's replacement) who endured the difficult situations. In an interview with ''Y Noblesse'' magazine for the July 2021 edition, Kim revealed she did not get paid for the re-shoots out of love and affection for the drama and her character. She gained praises for her solid performance and sword skills, and her portrayal of three different characters; Assassin Yeom Ga-jin,
Princess Pyeonggang and the queen of Goguryeo Queen Yeon, for which she was nominated for a
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 ...
in
Best Actress - Television, becoming one of the category's youngest nominees. At the end of the year, Kim became the MC of the
2021 KBS Drama Awards with
Sung Si-kyung and
Lee Do-hyun This is a return to MC in 6 years since 2015.
In 2022, Kim signed with Leeum Hashtag. She then returned to the small screen in a webtoon-based romantic comedy-drama ''
Is It Fate?
''Is It Fate?'' () is an upcoming South Korean television series directed by Song Hyun-wook and starring Kim So-hyun, Chae Jong-hyeop, Yoon Ji-on, and Kim Da-som. It is based on Naver
Naver (Hangul: 네이버) is a South Korean online ...
'' by
Song Hyun-wook, where she played a woman who meets her first love again after ten years.
Personal life
Kim suffered with "growing pains" and "transition period" after seven months of filming ''
The Emperor: Owner of the Mask''. She felt emptiness in her schedule and feeling uncomfortable even though she was resting.
In January 2018, the
Pyeongchang Organizing Committee for the 2018 Olympic & Paralympic Winter Games (POCOG) chose Kim and
Yoo Seong-min
Yoo Seong-min (, born 7 January 1958), also known as Yoo Seung-min, is a South Korean economist and politician. Yoo is former a member of the Korean Parliament and was the Bareun Party's presidential nominee in the 2017 South Korean presidenti ...
as the National Representative of Honorary Smile to represent Korea's smile and kindness.
Other ventures
Philanthropy
In 2014, Kim joined in the HAPPY Together Briquette Donation Campaign to donate 1 million briquette for the elderly, disabled families, and low-income families for heating during cold season.
In 2017, Kim and
Ji Chang-wook donated their dubbing fees for
Your Name
is a 2016 Japanese animated romantic fantasy film produced by CoMix Wave Films. It depicts a high school boy in Tokyo and a high school girl in the Japanese countryside who suddenly and inexplicably begin to swap bodies. The film was commissio ...
to the Korea Barrier-Free Film Commission.
On April 21, 2018, Kim participated in S.E.S 10th Green Heart Bazaar held by the first generation
K-pop
K-pop (), short for Korean popular music, is a form of popular music originating in South Korea as part of South Korean culture. It includes styles and genres from around the world, such as pop, hip hop, R&B, experimental, rock, jazz, g ...
girl group
A girl group is a music act featuring several female singers who generally harmonize together. The term "girl group" is also used in a narrower sense in the United States to denote the wave of American female pop music singing groups, many of who ...
,
S.E.S. Kim and many other celebrities gave generous good deeds by selling items at the bazaar. The proceeds that were collected are donated to the Green Umbrella Children's Foundation and
KARA.
On April 5, 2019, Kim donated ₩10 million to help support the victims of Sokcho Fire. Kim also donated ₩10 million with her fans to Ajou University Hospital Trauma Center. This is the result of the fans giving support towards Kim's idea who wanted to achieve and sharing on her June 4 birthday. Her fans also donated 61 blood donation certificates to the hospital along with the fund to help patients who were living with difficulties. On December 13, she donated 100 kg of rice to the social welfare corporation network for underprivileged and undernourished children in the future.
On February 25, 2020, Kim donated 10 million won through Hope Bridge Association of the National Disaster Relief to prevent the spreading of the
COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
The COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea is part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 () caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (). The first case in South Korea was announced on 20 January 2020. The numb ...
. According to the organization, the donation was to help the vulnerable people and purchasing health and hand sanitizers to prevent the spread of the disease. On August 5, Kim donated 20 million won to help flood victims who suffered from the heavy rain. In October, Kim participated in the "MANNA Charity Bazaar" to support the treatment costs of children suffering from rare diseases. A representative official said, "People who have been consistently sponsoring and volunteering have been together under the name of Manna."
Ambassadorship
Artistry
Influences
Kim has cited
Son Ye-jin and Canadian actress
Rachel McAdams
Rachel Anne McAdams (born November 17, 1978) is a Canadian actress. After graduating from a theatre degree program at York University in 2001, she worked in Canadian television and film productions, such as the drama film '' Perfect Pie'' (20 ...
as her main influences because of their sophisticated and graceful look.
She has also cited
Moon Geun-young as someone who inspired her to digest various roles after watching Moon's acting in ''
Painter of the Wind''.
In 2019, Kim expressed that she has no role models. She commented, "I don't even know myself. I think it's time to get to know myself more than the role model. If I find myself, I can find my role model then."
Kim's work has influenced numerous child actresses, including
Kim Ji-young, Lee Ja-in, Hwang Yeon-ji,
Busters' Jisoo, Jeon Yu-lim, and Park Da-yeon.
Acting style
In an interview in 2013, she revealed she had never been formally trained for acting. While filming for ''Pure Love'', she lived in Goheung. Kim said that, when there was no filming, she went around the city alone and listened to the stories of the residents. She explained she looked around every corner of the village setting for how she could be part of it.
To prepare for a role, Kim listens to music that matches the emotions of her role before shooting a scene.
For the role of a blind person in ''Page Turner'', she changed everything from the tone and way of speaking to the eye contact when reciting her dialogues.
[
She had stated that when she received a script, she set plenty of time to understand fully and know the character like a real person and try her best to express the character genuinely. Kim prefers having many projects because she feels more comfortable and happy continuing acting rather than resting.] In particular, the charm of Kim's tone shines in the drama from a plump romantic comedy to a complex, subtle feeling of conflict between the family's revenge and the love she felt for the first time in her life. A broadcast official said, "The deeper the emotions in the play, the more shining of Kim's inner space will be".
Image
Kim plays a role in stimulating her colleague actors. ''Who Are You: School 2015'' co-star Yook Sung-jae shared, "Despite her young age, imSo-hyun leads the entire drama. When seeing her with a smile on her face during working in spite of the exhaustion due to lack of sleep, I feel and learn a lot." Chun Jung-myung
Chun Jung-myung (, born November 29, 1980) is a South Korean actor. Chun made his break into the entertainment industry in the KBS teen drama ''School 2'' (1999). He is best known for his leading roles in TV dramas such as ''Fashion 70's'' (2005) ...
gave her his recognition, "She is polite and always looks strong. So Hyun possesses such an outstanding charm that I believe she might become the greatest actor of this era." Actor Nam Joo-hyuk also praised, "Like an adult and trustworthy. She is a positive person that never shows any hints of negativity even when facing hardship. I have a lot to learn from her." As an experienced former child actress, Kim So-hyun has acted with many actors who are older than her. Many of her co-stars described her as an "older sister" to them. Such as, Yoo Seung-ho, who is six years older than her, confessed he couldn't stop speaking to her like she was older: "She seems like an older sister. She's extremely mature." L said, "So-hyun is very mature. Though she's seven years younger than me, she sometimes feels like an older sister", and the same goes to Yoon Do-joon.
Various actors, actresses, and film crew praised Kim for her acting skills, strong mentality, work ethic, and kindness. Actress Jo Soo-hyang, "Kim So-hyun is amazing. When we were filming, her schedule was very hectic. At first, I would play around with her after we were done filming, but she looked more and more tired as the days went on, and I couldn't do that anymore." She continued, "But when the camera starts rolling, she puts on a smile and acts really well. As I saw her doing that, I just thought, she's amazing." Despite the freezing temperatures during filming ''The Emperor: Owner of the Mask'', Kim gave affection for the child actor that was working with her, be on set at a very early time and showed no signs of tiredness while on set. A staff member said, "Kim So-hyun is cheerful and kind both on and off-camera, making her the best energizer. Kim So-hyun's bright smile helps everyone on set have a good time while filming." Jung Ga-ram
Jung Ga-ram (born February 23, 1993) is a South Korean actor. He rose to prominence for his roles in the films ''4th Place'' (2016) and '' The Poet and the Boy'' (2017). He is also known for his roles in television series such as '' Standby'' ( ...
describes her as "very serious and a really great actress". Song Kang talked about working with Kim, saying that she gave a lot of advice about many heart-fluttering points. As a senior actor he saw on TV, he was worried that it would inconvenience her. Still, she contacted him whenever there were difficult scenes and congratulated him at the end of the day.
Lee Na-jung, her director in '' Love Alarm'', said, "the acting skills were as important as the synchronisation rate. Jo-jo was a difficult role and needed great acting skills." She continued, "I saw Jo-jo's eyes in Kim So-hyun's eyes." According to director Kim Dong-hwi of ''The Tale of Nokdu'', "Kim So-hyun is a rainbow-like actress. She is pretty, cute and cool, and has colourful charms from laughter to tears. I am always admiring her detailed and sincere acting while filming".
In the media
Kim was given several nicknames throughout her career, such as " Nation's Little Sister", "Queen of Child Actresses" and "Korean Wave Fairy". Kim earned the nickname, "Little Son Ye-jin", due to the resemblance of Ye-jin's early works, '' Lover's Concerto'' and '' The Classic''. Besides, the two actors, also resemble the coexistence of clean, pure and mature images with subtle expressions and perfect eyes acting. She was also dubbed as "3金 Troika" alongside Kim Yoo-jung
Kim Yoo-jung (; born September 22, 1999) is a South Korean actress. She debuted as a model for a confectionery brand at the age of four. After her acting debut in 2003, she became one of the best known child actresses in Korea since then, aft ...
and Kim Sae-ron due to impressive performances since childhood and a veteran actor with more than 10 years of acting career. Previously, the nickname was given to Kim Tae-hee
Kim Tae-hee (; born 29 March 1980) is a South Korean actress. Considered one of South Korea's most beautiful actresses, she is best known for her roles in Korean dramas such as ''Stairway to Heaven'' (2003), '' Love Story in Harvard'' (2004), ' ...
, Song Hye-kyo, and Jun Ji-hyun
Jun Ji-hyun (born Wang Ji-hyun on 30 October 1981), also known by her English name Gianna Jun, is a South Korean actress and model. She has received multiple awards, including two Grand Bell Awards for Best Actress and a Daesang (Grand Prize) f ...
in the early 2000s. Kim was named "Teardrop Goddess" for her deep sensitivity and dense tears in ''The Emperor: Owner of the Mask''. Following the release of hit dramas ''Love Alarm'' and ''The Tale of Nokdu'', the press gave Kim "Come-out-of-manhwa girl" due to the perfect sync rate with the original characters and emotional performance. After starring in several historical period dramas, she received the title "Goddess of Historical Drama" and "Sageuk Goddess" because of her quick character exploration skills, varied expressions through eye contact and emotional acting. In 2016, Kim was recognized by Korean medias as the next generation of "Nation's First Love" after she had successfully potrayed the first love character in '' Pure Love '' movie.
Endorsements and impact
Kim is an active celebrity endorser for several brands and products. Her first endorsements were fabric softener Downey and junior apparel brand, Apple Pink. She became the face of Nintendo 3DS
The is a handheld game console produced by Nintendo. It was announced in March 2010 and unveiled at E3 2010 as the successor to the Nintendo DS. The system features backward compatibility with Nintendo DS video games. As an eighth-generati ...
real-time pet simulation video game
Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device to gener ...
, '' Nintendogs + Cats'' with Kim Yoo-jung, Yuhan-Kimberly's "Teen's Nature" brand, Union Bay with Park Seo-joon
Park Seo-joon (born Park Yong-kyu; December 16, 1988) is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his starring roles in the television series ''Kill Me, Heal Me'' (2015), ''She Was Pretty'' (2015), '' Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth'' (2016 ...
and Lee Hyun-woo, and Nongshim's Shin Ramyun with Yoon Doo-joon.
In 2015, Kim has become one of the most in-demand endorsers after her hit drama ''Who Are You: School 2015''. She was chosen to become the face of a women's clothing brand, Soup because of her "girl's liveliness and a romantic lady's vibe". Kim was selected as the 25th "Pocari Girl" for Pocari Sweat due to her "pure innocence and cheerful image". A photograph went viral on social media after Kim retweeted and left a comment, "Graduation (Graduation Photo) ㅋㅋㅋ" of a Uijeongbu High School male-student who recreates Kim's signature drinking pose, wearing short shorts and almost lying on the floor for his graduation photo. In response, Dong-A Otsuka gifted the student several Pocari Sweats, Oronamin C and named him the "Pocari Man". In 2015–16, she was featured in Domino's Pizza
Domino's Pizza, Inc., trading as Domino's, is an American multinational pizza restaurant chain founded in 1960 and led by CEO Russell Weiner. The corporation is Delaware General Corporation Law, Delaware domiciled and headquartered at the Domino ...
's advertisement with Kim Woo-bin. Two of Kim So-hyun's costume in Domino's Pizza advertisement went on for an online-auction and the donating proceeds to the Green Umbrella Children's Foundation. She also appeared in commercials for the Post cereal Honey Oh's, and Korea's school uniform Elite. Kim became the longest Elite endorsement model from 2014 until 2016. She has worked alongside Winner, Shin Ae-ra, and BtoB
}
BtoB ( ; ; acronym for Born to Beat; often stylized as BTOB) is a South Korean boy band formed in 2012 by Cube Entertainment. The group consists of Seo Eun-kwang, Lee Min-hyuk, Lee Chang-sub, Im Hyun-sik, Peniel Shin and Yook Sung-jae. O ...
.
By April 16, 2016, Kim was selected for two consecutive years to become the 2016 Pocari Sweat model to commemorate the brand's 30th anniversary. It is the first time in 15 years since Son Ye-jin in 2001. The same year, G-Market announced Kim as their model for the launch of Korea's first integrated brand lift package through cable channels and online.
In 2015–17, Kim was appointed as the face for young girls' makeup brand Peripera. In three days, Peripera "Ink Airy Velvet" has sold 30,000 quantities. Kim's image was the main contributor that leads a successful product to sell 700,000 quantities in two months, sold out "Ink Airy Velvet No. 2" and "Ink Color Cara" winning in the Glow Peak Beauty Awards mascara category. In August 2019, Korean media reported Soup to become Korea's first young casual brand to record ₩100 billion sales in Korea after commissioning Kim as their promotional model for their 2019 Fall/Winter collection.
Kim continued endorsing various products that ranged from food to clothing and cosmetics such as, Norwegian fashion shoes brand Skono, chicken brand Pelicana Chicken, Samsung Securities, naturalism-oriented cosmetics Hanyul, colour contact lenses Bausch & Lomb
Bausch + Lomb is an eye health products company based in Vaughan, Ontario, Canada. It is one of the world's largest suppliers of contact lenses, lens care products, pharmaceuticals, intraocular lenses, and other eye surgery products. The compan ...
's Lacelle, and Soup as a representative and model since 2015. In April 2020, Samsung Electronics
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (, sometimes shortened to SEC and stylized as SΛMSUNG) is a South Korean multinational electronics corporation headquartered in Yeongtong-gu, Suwon, South Korea. It is the pinnacle of the Samsung chaebol, a ...
introduced Bixby Celebrity Voice, an AI voice assistant with Kim as their speakers. Kim's "Celeb Alarm" gained popularity in South Korea and overseas, and topped the Popular Download Ranking in the Galaxy Store. In August 2022, she was selected as the global ambassador for skin care brand JM Solution.
Filmography
Discography
Soundtrack appearances
Awards and nominations
Listicles
References
External links
*
*
Stand By
The official fan club of Kim So-hyun
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kim, So-hyun
1999 births
Living people
Australian emigrants to South Korea
South Korean television actresses
South Korean television presenters
South Korean women television presenters
South Korean voice actresses
South Korean film actresses
South Korean child actresses
South Korean web series actresses
21st-century South Korean actresses