Moon Chae-won (; born November 13, 1986) is a South Korean actress. Moon first attracted attention in 2008 in her supporting role as a

gisaeng Kisaeng (Hangul: 기생, Hanja: 妓生, RR: ''Gisaeng''), also called ginyeo (Hangul: 기녀, Hanja: 妓女), were women from outcast or slave families who were trained to be courtesans, providing artistic entertainment and conversation to men ...

in ''

Painter of the Wind ''Painter of the Wind'' () is a 2008 South Korean historical television series starring Moon Geun-young and Park Shin-yang. Based on the bestselling historical fiction novel by Lee Jung-myung that took artistic license with the premise that perha ...

''. She was next cast in '' Brilliant Legacy'', one of the top-rated

Korean drama Korean dramas (; RR: ''Han-guk deurama''), more popularly known as K-dramas, are television series in the Korean language, made in South Korea. They are popular worldwide, especially in Asia, partially due to the spread of Korean popular cultu ...

s of 2009. 2011 marked Moon's career breakthrough, with leading roles in the television

period 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 ...

The Princess' Man ''The Princess' Man'' () is a 2011 South Korean television series, starring Park Si-hoo, Moon Chae-won, Kim Yeong-cheol, Song Jong-ho, Hong Soo-hyun and Lee Soon-jae. It's a period drama about the forbidden romance between the daughter of Gra ...

'' and the action blockbuster ''

War of the Arrows ''War of the Arrows'' (), alternately titled ''Arrow: The Ultimate Weapon'', is a 2011 South Korean period action film starring Park Hae-il, Ryu Seung-ryong and Moon Chae-won. Set after the Second Manchu invasion of Korea (Qing invasion), the fi ...

''; both were critical and commercial hits. For her performance in the latter, Moon won Best New Actress at the

Grand Bell Awards The Grand Bell Awards (), also known as the Daejong Film Awards, is an awards ceremony presented annually by The Motion Pictures Association of Korea for excellence in film in South Korea. The Grand Bell Awards retains prestige as the oldest co ...

and the

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 ...

. Moon's other notable television series include the revenge melodrama '' The Innocent Man'' (2012), the

medical drama A medical drama is a television show or film in which events center upon a hospital, an ambulance staff, or any medical environment. Most recent medical drama (film and television), dramatic programming go beyond the events pertaining to the chara ...

'' Good Doctor'' (2013), and the thriller melodrama '' Flower of Evil'' (2020).

Early life

Moon Chae-won was born in

Daegu Daegu (, , literally 'large hill', 대구광역시), formerly spelled Taegu and officially known as the Daegu Metropolitan City, is a city in South Korea. It is the third-largest urban agglomeration in South Korea after Seoul and Busan; it is ...

, South Korea. When she was in sixth grade, her family moved to

Seoul Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) as stated iArticle 103 ...

. She studied Western Painting at the

Chugye University for the Arts Chugye University for the Arts is a South Korean institute of higher education in the fine arts. The campus is in Seodaemun-gu in central Seoul, the country's capital. Academics Undergraduate courses are offered toward Bachelor of Arts, Bachelo ...

but dropped out in 2006 to pursue acting.

Career

2007–2010: Beginnings

Moon made her acting debut in 2007 in ''

Mackerel Run ''Mackerel Run'' () is a 2007 South Korean television series that aired on SBS from May 12 to June 30, 2007 on Saturdays at 16:40 ( KST) time slot for 8 episodes. The high school sitcom was originally planned as a 24-episode series, but low vi ...

'', alongside fellow newcomer

Lee Min-ho Lee Min-ho (, born June 22, 1987) is a South Korean actor, singer, model, creative director and businessman. He gained widespread fame worldwide with his role as Gu Jun-pyo in ''Boys Over Flowers'' (2009) which also earned him the Best New Acto ...

; they were among 60 actors who auditioned for the teen

sitcom A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ne ...

. Moon and Lee also appeared in the 2008 comedy film '' Our School's E.T.''. Moon Chae-won at the Golden Disk Awards 2008

Her breakthrough came in 2008 period drama ''

''. In the adaptation of Lee Jung-myung's historical fiction novel, she played a beautiful

who falls for

Shin Yun-bok Shin Yun-bok, better known by his pen name Hyewon (1758–1813), was a Korean painter of the Joseon Dynasty. Like his contemporaries Danwon and Geungjae, he is known for his realistic depictions of daily life in his time. His genre paintings ar ...

(played by

Moon Geun-young Moon Geun-young (; born May 6, 1987) is a South Korean actress. Affectionately called the "Nation's Little Sister," Moon began modeling at the age of 10, then made her acting debut in 1999 as a child actress. She first rose to stardom through he ...

), a female painter passing herself off as a man. Their onscreen chemistry and the

homoerotic Homoeroticism is sexual attraction between members of the same sex, either male–male or female–female. The concept differs from the concept of homosexuality: it refers specifically to the desire itself, which can be temporary, whereas "homose ...

subtext of their characters' relationship was received positively, and the couple subsequently received the most votes in the Best Couple poll at the

2008 SBS Drama Awards The 2008 SBS Drama Awards () is a ceremony honoring the best performances in television on the SBS network for the year 2008. It was held on December 31, 2008, at the SBS Open Hall in Deungchon-dong, Seoul, and was hosted by Ryu Si-won and Han Y ...

. It was the first time in

history that two actresses won the Best Couple Award, despite the sexual conservatism of Korean network television. Moon's further raised her profile with '' Brilliant Legacy'', in which she played a privileged girl who alternately antagonizes and pities her stepsister. ''Brilliant Legacy'' became one of the top-rated Korean dramas of 2009, with a peak viewership rating of 47.1%. The success of the drama boosted Moon's popularity as an actress. Another supporting role followed in ''

My Fair Lady ''My Fair Lady'' is a musical based on George Bernard Shaw's 1913 play ''Pygmalion'', with a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe. The story concerns Eliza Doolittle, a Cockney flower girl who takes speech lessons f ...

'', where she played an upbeat shoe designer who lives next door to her crush, a butler. In October 2010, she signed with talent agency Barunson Entertainment (later renamed MSTeam). Afterwards, Moon landed her first leading role in ''

It's Okay, Daddy's Girl ''It's Okay, Daddy's Girl'' () is a South Korean television series that aired on SBS from November 22, 2010 to January 28, 2011. Plot Being the youngest and spoiled in her family, Eun Chae-ryung would completely rely on her father. When he has ...

'', playing an immature daughter who transforms into a mature professional woman after a family tragedy.

2011: Breakthrough

Moon Chae-won at The Princess' Man poster shooting 163

In 2011, Moon was offered the sole female role in ''

'', an action blockbuster set during the

Second Manchu invasion of Korea The Qing invasion of Joseon (Korean: Byeongja Horan) occurred in the winter of 1636 when the newly-established Qing dynasty invaded the Joseon dynasty, establishing the former's status as the hegemon in the Imperial Chinese Tributary System a ...

. Along with her costars

Park Hae-il Park Hae-il (born 26 January 1977) is a South Korean actor. He began his acting career in theater, but soon gained the film industry's attention in 2003 with ''Jealousy Is My Middle Name'' and ''Memories of Murder''. Park's film career took off, ...

and

Ryu Seung-ryong Ryu Seung-ryong (born November 29, 1970) is a South Korean actor. Ryu began his acting career in theater, subsequently becoming one of the most versatile supporting actors in Korean film and television. In 2013, he headlined '' Miracle in Cell N ...

, Moon underwent serious archery and horse-riding lessons. ''War of the Arrows'' eventually went on to become the highest grossing Korean film of 2011, with 7.48 million admissions. Moon was praised for her portrayal of a feminine yet feisty woman abducted by a foreign army on her wedding day, yet who isn't a typical

damsel in distress The damsel in distress is a recurring narrative device in which one or more men must rescue a woman who has either been kidnapped or placed in general peril. Kinship, love, or lust (or a combination of those) gives the male protagonist the motiv ...

and instead survives by her wits and sheer will. She later received Best New Actress recognition at the

and the

for her performance. Moon returned to the small screen in the

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 drama ''

'', about a fictional forbidden romance between the daughter of Grand Prince Suyang and the son of Kim Jongseo (played by

Park Si-hoo Park Si-hoo (born Park Pyeong-ho on April 3, 1978) is a South Korean actor. He began his entertainment career as an underwear model and stage actor, then made his official television debut in 2005. After several years in supporting roles, Park r ...

), whose fathers were real-life political enemies. ''The Princess' Man'' was well-received critically and commercially, and though initially criticized for her acting, Moon won viewers over as the series went on, eventually winning a Top 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 ...

. She also received a Best Dressed nod from the Korea Lifestyle Awards for giving a boost to the

hanbok The (; term used in South Korean standard language, South Korea), also called () n North Korean standard language, North Korea and China, is an Hyponymy and hypernymy, umbrella term which is used to refer to traditional ethnic Koreans, Korean ...

fashion industry via her two period projects, and was named Honorary Prosecutor by the Supreme Prosecutors' Office.

2012–present: Acclaim

In 2012, Moon starred in the

Lee Kyung-hee Lee Kyung-hee (born 26 July 1969) is a South Korean television screenwriter. Career Early works Lee Kyung-hee began her television drama writing career penning star vehicles, among them ''Model'' (1997) with Kim Nam-joo and Jang Dong-gun, ...

-penned melodrama '' The Innocent Man'' opposite

Song Joong-ki Song Joong-ki (; born September 19, 1985) is a South Korean actor. He rose to fame in the historical coming-of-age drama ''Sungkyunkwan Scandal'' (2010) and the variety show '' Running Man'' (2010–2011) as one of the original cast members. S ...

. She drew praise for her performance as a cold, cynical woman groomed to take over her father's conglomerate, who later reverts to helpless innocence after losing her memory. Ratings for ''The Innocent Man'' topped its timeslot during its run and led to Moon winning a Top Excellence Award at the

for the second year in a row. This was followed by the 2013

'' Good Doctor'' revolving around an

autistic savant Savant syndrome () is a rare condition in which someone with significant mental disabilities demonstrates certain abilities far in excess of average. The skills that savants excel at are generally related to memory. This may include rapid calcu ...

resident Resident may refer to: People and functions * Resident minister, a representative of a government in a foreign country * Resident (medicine), a stage of postgraduate medical training * Resident (pharmacy), a stage of postgraduate pharmaceuti ...

(played by

Joo Won Joo Won (; born Moon Jun-won on September 30, 1987) is a South Korean actor best known for his roles in '' King of Baking, Kim Takgu'' (2010), ''Ojakgyo Family'' (2011), ''Bridal Mask'' (2012), '' Good Doctor'' (2013), '' Fatal Intuition'' (2015 ...

). To prepare for her role as

pediatric surgeon Pediatric surgery is a subspecialty of surgery involving the surgery of fetuses, infants, children, adolescents, and young adults. History Pediatric surgery arose in the middle of the 1879 century as the surgical care of birth defects required ...

, Moon met with real-life doctors in a hospital setting, familiarizing herself with medical terms and observing surgeries first-hand. Moon Chae-won at the premiere for

She next starred in '' Awaiting'', a

short film A short film is any motion picture that is short enough in running time not to be considered a feature film. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes ...

directed by

Kang Je-gyu Kang Je-gyu (born December 23, 1962) is a South Korean film director. Career After graduating from ChungAng University, Kang received his first prize at the Korea Youth Film Festival and Korea Scenario Awards in 1991. Kang's most notable con ...

. Moon played a woman separated from her husband (played by

Go Soo Go Soo (born October 4, 1978), also known as Ko Soo, is a South Korean actor. He has appeared in television series such as ''Piano'', ''Green Rose'' and ''Will It Snow for Christmas?'', as well as the films '' White Night'' and '' The Front Line' ...

) for sixty years by the division of North and South Korea. ''Awaiting'' was one of the four short films comprising ''Beautiful 2014'', an omnibus project that premiered at the 38th

Hong Kong International Film Festival The Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF), is one of Asia’s oldest international film festivals. Founded in 1976, the festival features different movies, filmmakers from different countries in Hong Kong. HKIFF screens around 230 films ...

. Moon returned to the big screen in a 2015

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 ...

directed by

Park Jin-pyo Park Jin-pyo (born 1966) is a South Korean film director and screenwriter. He directed ''Too Young to Die'' (2002), ''You Are My Sunshine'' (2005), '' Voice of a Murderer'' (2007), '' Closer to Heaven'' (2009), and '' Love Forecast'' (2015). Car ...

, which reunited her with previous ''Brilliant Legacy'' costar

Lee Seung-gi Lee Seung-gi (; born January 13, 1987) is a South Korean singer, actor, host, and entertainer. He has numerous hit songs as a singer such as "Because You're My Woman", "Will You Marry Me", "Return" and "The Ordinary Man". He has garnered furt ...

. In ''

Love Forecast ''Love Forecast'' (; lit. ''Today's Love'') is a 2015 South Korean romantic comedy film co-written and directed by Park Jin-pyo. Starring Lee Seung-gi and Moon Chae-won, the film depicts the relationship between men and women as being as delicate a ...

'', she played a weather forecaster whose pretty face belies the glib-talking, hard-drinking personality underneath. The film passed the break-even point with 1.89 million viewers 3 weeks after being released and Moon won the Producer's Choice Award at Bucheon International Film Festival. She then starred opposite

Yoo Yeon-seok Yoo Yeon-seok (born Ahn Yeon-seok on April 11, 1984) is a South Korean actor. After making his acting debut in 2003 with a small role in '' Oldboy'', he resumed his acting career in 2008. His notable works include the films '' Re-encounter'' (2 ...

in ''

Mood of the Day ''Mood of the Day'' () is 2016 South Korean film starring Moon Chae-won and Yoo Yeon-seok. Plot Kim Jae-hyun (Yoo Yeon-seok) is a sports manager and former talented basketball player. His only wish is to send a novice and promising player Kang ...

'', in which they play two strangers who meet on the

KTX Korea Train eXpress (), often known as KTX (), is South Korea's high-speed rail system, operated by Korail. Construction began on the high-speed line from Seoul to Busan in 1992. KTX services were launched on April 1, 2004. From Seoul Station the ...

and spend 24 hours together in the unfamiliar city of

Busan Busan (), officially known as is South Korea's most populous city after Seoul, with a population of over 3.4 million inhabitants. Formerly romanized as Pusan, it is the economic, cultural and educational center of southeastern South Korea, w ...

. Moon then took on the leading female role in MBC's thriller ''

Goodbye Mr. Black ''Goodbye Mr. Black'' () is a 2016 South Korean television series based on the manhwa of the same title, created with The Count of Monte Cristo motif, written by and published in 1983. It aired on MBC on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 21:55 ( KST) ...

'' in 2016, her first television series in three years. The same year, Moon left her former agency MS Team Entertainment and signed with

Namoo Actors Namoo Actors Co. Ltd. (), founded in 2004, is a talent management agency based in Seoul, South Korea. The founder and president of the company is Kim Jong-do. History In 2004, Namoo Actors was established under the name "Namoo Actors Co. Ltd.". ...

. In 2017, Moon was cast in the Korean adaption of the American crime drama ''

Criminal Minds ''Criminal Minds'' is an American police procedural crime drama television series created and produced by Jeff Davis (writer), Jeff Davis. The series premiered on CBS on September 22, 2005, and originally concluded on February 19, 2020; it was r ...

''. The same year, Moon was cast in the period film '' Feng Shui'', the third installment of the "divining art trilogy" by

Han Jae-rim Han Jae-rim (born July 14, 1975) is a South Korean film director. He directed '' Rules of Dating'' (2005), ''The Show Must Go On'' (2007), '' The Face Reader'' (2013), '' The King'' (2017), and '' Emergency Declaration'' (2021). Career Born in ...

. In 2018, Moon starred in the romantic fantasy drama '' Tale of Fairy''. In 2020, Moon was cast in the thriller melodrama '' Flower of Evil'', reuniting with ''

'' co-star

Lee Joon-gi Lee Joon-gi (born 17 April 1982) is a South Korean actor, singer, dancer, and model. He rose to fame on his first leading role playing a clown in the critically acclaimed film ''The King and the Clown'' (2005) and gained further recognition in ...

. In 2021, Moon will be joining the cast of the comedy film ''No Kids'' alongside

Kwon Sang-woo Kwon Sang-woo (in Korean: 권상우, ''Kweon Sang-u''; born August 5, 1976) is a South Korean actor. He rose to stardom in 2003 with the romantic comedy film ''My Tutor Friend'' and the melodrama series ''Stairway to Heaven''. Career Kwon Sang ...

. Later in November 2021, Moon signed with YNK Entertainment after the expiration of her contract with the original agency. In December 2021, Moon participated in Korea's first audio drama ''Floor'' with

Lee Je-hoon Lee Je-hoon (born July 4, 1984) is a South Korean actor. He started his career in indie films, then went on to appear in commercial films like '' The Front Line'' (2011), ''Architecture 101'' (2012) and '' My Paparotti'' (2013), and television ...

and

Jeong Jun-ha Jeong Jun-ha (born March 18, 1971) is a South Korean comedian and entertainer. His well-known motto is "(Whether they) give love or not, (he) always gives love: Jeong Jun-ha" (정주나 안정주나 늘정주는 정준하). History Just after ...

. In 2023, Moon made her return to the small screen with the SBS drama ''

Payback Payback may refer to: * Revenge, a harmful action against a person or group in response to a grievance Payback may also refer to: Art, entertainment, and media Fictional entities * Payback, a member of the fictional comics superhero team Shadow ...

'', her return to terrestrial television in seven years since 2016.

Filmography

Film

Television series

Web series

Music video appearances

Discography

Singles

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Moon, Chae-won 21st-century South Korean actresses South Korean film actresses South Korean television actresses South Korean Roman Catholics 1986 births People from Daegu Living people Chugye University for the Arts alumni