Kim So-eun

1. Overview

Kim So-eun is a prominent South Korean actress who rose to fame in 2009 with her supporting role in the popular television drama Boys Over Flowers. Her career spans various genres across film and television, where she has taken on both leading and supporting roles, demonstrating her versatility. Notable works include the dramas Happiness in the Wind (2010), A Thousand Kisses (2011-2012), Liar Game (2014), Scholar Who Walks the Night (2015), Our Gap-soon (2016-2017), Evergreen (2018), and Three Bold Siblings (2022-2023). Beyond her acting, Kim has engaged in various public activities, including modeling, endorsements, and serving as a goodwill ambassador for cultural events and organizations. Her contributions to the entertainment industry have been recognized with several accolades, including the Best New Actress award at the 2009 KBS Drama Awards and the Special Acting Award at the 2016 SBS Drama Awards.

2. Early Life and Education

Kim So-eun was born on September 6, 1989, in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. She pursued higher education at Chung-Ang University, where she majored in Theater and Film. In her childhood, Kim So-eun trained professionally as a national athletic skier. Her promising skiing career was put on indefinite hold when she was scouted as a professional model in 2003 during a junior advanced skiing and snowboarding competition held in Pyeongchang, Gangwon Province. Despite this career shift, she maintained her interest in the sport, later appearing in 2012 instructional videos for Hongcheon's Vivaldi ski resort.

3. Acting Career

Kim So-eun has established a diverse acting career across various media, contributing significantly to Korean entertainment through her roles in television dramas, films, and web series.

3.1. Television Dramas

Kim So-eun's television drama career began with minor roles and gradually progressed to leading parts, establishing her as a prominent actress. Her first leading role was in the 2010 daily drama Happiness in the Wind (also known as A Good Day For The Wind To Blow), which further elevated her profile within the Korean Wave. She then starred in the weekend drama A Thousand Kisses (2011-2012), a series that explored themes of age differences in relationships. In 2012, she ventured into Chinese television with the ten-episode drama Secret Angel, which was distributed on the portal website Sohu.com. She subsequently returned to Korean television in the cable drama Happy Ending.

Following her portrayal of Princess Sukhwi in the historical epic Horse Doctor (also known as The King's Doctor, 2012-2013), Kim took on a leading role in Liar Game (2014), a Korean drama adaptation of the titular Japanese manga by Shinobu Kaitani. In 2015, she starred in the webtoon adaptation Scholar Who Walks the Night, where she played dual roles as Choi Hye-ryung, a nobleman's daughter, and Lee Myung-hee, a vampire's past love. From 2012 to 2013, she also appeared in Music and Lyrics, a reality show in which an actress and a male musician are paired together to collaborate, as lyricist and composer respectively, in creating a song. Kim and Lee Junho (from boyband 2PM) composed the song "Love is Sad," which Lee also recorded; it was released as a single and featured on the soundtrack of Feast of the Gods. From 2016 to 2017, she played the title character Shin Gap-soon in the family drama Our Gap-soon. In 2017, Kim starred in the KBS Drama Special You're Closer than I Think as Hong Tae-ra. Her next major role was in the 2018 romance comedy series That Man Oh Soo (also known as Evergreen), where she starred opposite CNBLUE's Lee Jong-hyun. In 2020, she appeared as Lee Na-eun in Lonely Enough to Love. She made a special appearance in 2021 in episodes 8 and 9 of Monthly Magazine Home as Nam Sang-soon's girlfriend, Cutie Pie. In 2022, she was featured in the KBS Drama Special - The Distributors as Im Seon-ae. Most recently, from 2022 to 2023, Kim So-eun starred as Kim So-rim in the drama Three Bold Siblings.

Year	English Title	Korean Title	Role	Notes
2005	Sisters of the Sea	자매바다Korean	young Song Jung-hee
2005	Sad Love Story	슬픈연가Korean	young Park Hye-in
2006	Drama City "First Love"	드라마 시티 - 첫사랑Korean	Jung-hee
2007	Chosun Police 1	별순검 1Korean	Soo-hee	Cameo appearance (episode 9)
2009	Empress Cheonchu	천추태후Korean	young Hwangbo Soo
2009	Boys Over Flowers	꽃보다 남자Korean	Chu Ga-eul
2009	He Who Can't Marry	결혼 못하는 남자Korean	Jeong Yoo-jin
2010	Happiness in the Wind	바람 불어 좋은 날Korean	Kwon Oh-bok
2011	A Thousand Kisses	천번의 입맞춤Korean	Woo Joo-mi
2012	Happy Ending	해피엔딩Korean	Kim Eun-ha
2012	The King's Doctor	마의Korean	Princess Sukhwi
2014	Liar Game	라이어 게임Korean	Nam Da-jung
2015	Scholar Who Walks the Night	밤을 걷는 선비Korean	Choi Hye-ryung / Lee Myung-hee	Dual role
2016-2017	Our Gap-soon	우리 갑순이Korean	Shin Gap-soon
2017	You're Closer Than I Think	당신은 생각보다 가까이에 있다Korean	Hong Tae-ra	KBS Drama Special
2018	Evergreen	그남자 오수Korean	Seo Yoo-ri
2020	Lonely Enough to Love	연애는 귀찮지만 외로운 건 싫어!Korean	Lee Na-eun
2021	Monthly Magazine Home	월간 집Korean	Cutie Pie (Nam Sang-soon's girlfriend)	Cameo appearance (episode 8-9)
2022	KBS Drama Special - The Distributors	드라마 스페셜 :유포자들Korean	Im Seon-ae
2022-2023	Three Bold Siblings	삼남매가 용감하게Korean	Kim So-rim

4. Television Appearances

Beyond her scripted acting roles, Kim So-eun has frequently appeared on various television programs, including variety shows, talk shows, and as an MC, showcasing her personality and engaging with a wider audience. In 2013, she co-hosted Glitter on KBS W with Victoria Song from the girl group f(x), a variety show that explored the lives of trendy twenty-somethings. From 2014 to 2015, Kim So-eun gained significant popularity as a cast member on the fourth season of the reality show We Got Married, where she was paired with actor Song Jae-rim in a "virtual" marriage. Their on-screen chemistry boosted their popularity as a couple and as individual celebrities. She has also made multiple guest appearances on talk shows such as Happy Together Season 3 in 2009, 2010, and 2014, and Knowing Bros in 2017 and 2022. Other notable television appearances include being a contestant on Battle Trip (2017) with Jo Bo-ah, a panelist on Wednesday Food Talk (2019), and a host for multiple seasons of the beauty program Style Me (2021-2023).

Kim So-eun has also been a guest on various radio programs, including K.Will's Youngstreet and Gong Hyung-jin's Cine Town in 2014, and served as a special DJ for Yoo In-na's Let's Crank Up the Volume from December 2015 to January 2016. She also appeared on Kim Young-chul's Power FM and Jang Ye-won's Cine Town in 2020.

5. Music Video Appearances

Kim So-eun has appeared in several music videos, lending her acting skills to visual narratives for various artists.

6. Music Work

Beyond her acting roles, Kim So-eun has also contributed to the music industry, primarily as a lyricist for original soundtracks. In 2012, she penned the lyrics for the song "Love is Sad," which was featured in Music and Lyrics Part 2 and also included on the soundtrack for the drama Feast of the Gods, performed by Lee Jung. In 2018, she lent her vocals to the song "Love, Love," which was released as part of the original soundtrack for her drama That Man Oh Soo.

7. Modeling and Endorsements

Kim So-eun has had a significant career in modeling and endorsements, reflecting her public image and commercial appeal across various industries. Her modeling debut was in 2003 with an advertisement for Orion Choco Pie. She has since endorsed a wide range of products, including Nongshim Jjolbyung Snack (2005), KTFreetel (2005), Lotte Chilsung Beverage Del Monte (2006), and Dong-A Otsuka Pocari Sweat (2009), following in the footsteps of notable actresses like Jang Jin-young, Han Ji-min, and Son Ye-jin.

Her endorsements also include technology and beauty brands such as Samsung Anycall Bodyguard Phone (2009), Johnson & Johnson Clean & Clear (2009), and Estée Lauder Clinique (2015). In 2015, she became the first official Asian model (excluding China and Japan) for the professional hair brand WELLA, demonstrating her growing international recognition. She has also endorsed food products like Bonjuk (2009) and Lotte Ham I-Time (2010), and fashion brands such as Yeonseung Apparel Clyde & (2009) and Indief Y'sb (2013). Her commercial activities extended to mobile games like King Candy Crush Soda (2015) and online games like Nexon Sudden Attack (2015), as well as security software 360 Total Security in China (2015). More recently, she has endorsed beauty brands like Saimdang Cosmetics (2013), Emiri Botanic Farm (2014), Natural One Lohacell (2016), and Jilgyungyi (2018), along with apparel brands like BYC Lingerie Le Song (2018) and telecommunications services like LG U+ (2018).

In addition to her commercial work, Kim So-eun has been featured in numerous fashion and lifestyle magazines, including Allure Korea, High Cut, Vogue Korea, InStyle Korea, Elle Girl Korea, Harper's Bazaar, CeCi, L'Officiel, Esquire Korea, and Nylon Korea.

8. Ambassador Roles

Kim So-eun has actively engaged in public service and cultural initiatives, serving as a goodwill ambassador for various film festivals, events, and organizations. A consistent advocate for art films, youth activism, and eco-living, she has utilized her public platform to promote these causes.

Her ambassador roles include:

• 2009: 5th Korea International Youth Film Festival
• 2009: J.ESTINA Image Girl
• 2009: University Fashion Week
• 2010: G20 Summit Success Supporter Star
• 2011: 12th Jeonju International Film Festival
• 2013: 34th Golden Cinema Festival
• 2014: 35th Golden Cinema Festival
• 2014: 11th Seoul Green Film Festival (Eco-Friends)
• 2015: Financial Supervisory Service of Korea Public Relations Ambassador

9. Awards and Nominations

Kim So-eun has received several awards and nominations throughout her acting career, recognizing her performances in both television dramas and variety shows.