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.
2.1. Debut and Early Roles
Kim So-eun's entry into the entertainment industry began with her debut as a model in 2003 through an advertisement for Orion Choco Pie titled "Watercolor". Her acting debut followed in 2004 with a minor role in the film Two Guys, which she took on while still in junior high school. She continued to appear in various minor roles in both television and film. On television, she was seen in Sisters of the Sea (2005) as the young Song Jung-hee, Sad Love Story (2005) as the young Park Hye-in, and in the KBS Drama City episode "First Love" (2006) as Jung-hee. In 2007, she made a cameo appearance as Soo-hee in episode 9 of Chosun Police 1. Her early film appearances also included Family Matters (2006) as Su-jeong, Fly, Daddy, Fly (2006) as Jang Da-mi, The Show Must Go On (2007) where she played Hee-soo, the daughter of a character portrayed by Song Kang-ho, and Someone Behind You (2007) as Kim Ga-yeon.
2.2. Rise to Prominence
Kim So-eun achieved significant public recognition in 2009 with her supporting role as Chu Ga-eul, the heroine's best friend, in the highly successful television drama Boys Over Flowers. This role greatly contributed to her rising popularity. In the same year, she garnered critical acclaim for her versatile portrayal of the childhood counterpart of Hwangbo Soo (played by Chae Shi-ra) in the historical epic Empress Cheonchu. For this demanding role, Kim dedicated herself to learning both horse riding and archery. Following these successes, she took on a more mature role as Jeong Yoo-jin, a woman in her mid-20s, in the romantic comedy series He Who Can't Marry, which was a remake of the Japanese drama Kekkon Dekinai Otoko.
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 |
3.2. Films
Kim So-eun has also built a filmography that includes roles in various genres, from horror to romance. In 2014, she starred in the horror film Mourning Grave, where she played a ghost girl who develops a friendship with a high school boy capable of seeing ghosts, portrayed by Kang Ha-neul. This was followed by her appearance in Entangled the same year. In 2015, she was part of Sky Lantern (also known as Lover of Days Past), a Korean-Chinese co-production where she starred opposite Taiwanese singer-actor Aaron Yan. She returned to the silver screen in 2020 with the romance fantasy film Are We In Love?, playing the lead role of So-jung. In 2022, she appeared in The Distributors as Im Seon-ae.
| Year | English Title | Korean Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Two Guys | 투가이즈Korean | Bit part | |
| 2006 | Family Matters | 모두들, 괜찮아요?Korean | Su-jeong | |
| 2006 | Fly, Daddy, Fly | 플라이대디Korean | Jang Da-mi | |
| 2007 | The Show Must Go On | 우아한 세계Korean | Hee-soo | |
| 2007 | Someone Behind You | 두 사람이다Korean | Kim Ga-yeon | |
| 2014 | Mourning Grave | 소녀괴담Korean | Se-hee (Ghost girl) | |
| 2014 | Entangled | 현기증Korean | Kkot-nip | |
| 2015 | Sky Lantern | 풍등Korean | Mei Lin | Korean-Chinese co-production |
| 2020 | Are We In Love? | 사랑하고 있습니까Korean | So-jung | |
| 2022 | The Distributors | 유포자들Korean | Im Seon-ae | Waave film |
3.3. Web Series
Kim So-eun has also expanded her acting presence into web-based drama productions, adapting to the evolving landscape of digital content. In 2012, she starred in the Chinese web drama Secret Angel as Angel L. This was followed by her role as herself in After School: Lucky or Not (2013), a web series distributed through various online and mobile platforms including SK Telecom's portals. In 2015, she played Ban Ha-na in Falling for Challenge, a web drama produced by Samsung Group. She continued her work in web dramas with Thumping Spike 2 in 2016, where she portrayed Han Da-woon (also known as Han Ah-reum).
| Year | English Title | Korean Title | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Secret Angel | 시크릿 엔젤Korean | Angel L |
| 2013 | After School: Lucky or Not | 방과 후 복불복Korean | Kim So-eun |
| 2015 | Falling for Challenge | 도전에 반하다Korean | Ban Ha-na |
| 2016 | Thumping Spike 2 | 두근두근 스파이크 2Korean | Han Da-woon / Han Ah-reum |
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.

| Year | English Title | Korean Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Imagination Plus | 상상플러스Korean | Guest | |
| 2009 | Happy Together Season 3 | 해피투게더 3Korean | Guest | Episode 102 |
| 2010 | Happy Together Season 3 | 해피투게더 3Korean | Guest | Episode 137 |
| 2012 | Music and Lyrics | 그 여자 작사 그 남자 작곡Korean | Cast Member | with Lee Junho |
| 2012 | Top Gear Korea Season 3 | 탑 기어 코리아 3Korean | Guest | |
| 2013 | Glitter | 글리터Korean | MC | with Victoria Song |
| 2014 | Happy Together Season 3 | 해피투게더 3Korean | Guest | Episode 378 |
| 2014-2015 | We Got Married Season 4 | 우리 결혼했어요 시즌4Korean | Cast Member | with Song Jae-rim |
| 2014 | One Night of TV Entertainment | 한밤의 TV연예Korean | Interview | |
| 2016 | StarGram | 스타그램Korean | Guest | |
| 2017 | Knowing Bros | 아는 형님Korean | Guest | |
| 2017 | Battle Trip | 배틀트립Korean | Contestant | Episode 59-60; with Jo Bo-ah |
| 2019 | Wednesday Food Talk | 수요미식회Korean | Panelist | Episode 204 - Present |
| 2019 | Five Cranky Brothers | 괴팍한 5형제Korean | Guest | |
| 2020 | Video Star | 비디오스타Korean | Guest | |
| 2021 | Trend Record 2 | 트렌드 레코드 2Korean | Cast Member | |
| 2021-2023 | Style Me | 스타일 미Korean | Host | Season 1-2, 4-6 |
| 2022 | Black: I Saw the Devil | 블랙 : 악마를 보았다Korean | Guest | |
| 2022 | Knowing Bros | 아는 형님Korean | Guest | |
| 2024 | My Little Old Boy | 미운 우리 새끼Korean | Video appearance | Kim Seung-soo's segment |
5. Music Video Appearances
Kim So-eun has appeared in several music videos, lending her acting skills to visual narratives for various artists.
| Year | Song Title | Korean Title | Artist | Co-star |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | "Let's Separate" | 헤어지자고Korean | Yoon Gun | |
| 2005 | "Bye Bye Bye" | Monday Kiz | Monday Kiz | |
| 2009 | "Bodyguard" | 보디가드Korean | Shinee | Kim Bum, Boom |
| 2009 | "Goodbye My Love" | 잘가요 내사랑Korean | 8Eight | Jeong Jinwoon, Jung Gyu-woon |
| 2012 | "First Love's Melody" | 첫사랑의 멜로디Korean | Acoustic Collabo | Lee Hyun-woo |
| 2013 | "Spring Expectation" | 봄에게 바라는 것Korean | The Position |
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.
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Mnet 20's Choice Awards | Hot New Star | Boys Over Flowers | Nominated |
| 2009 | Arirang TV 1000th Episode Poll | Best Couple Award (with Kim Bum) | Boys Over Flowers | Won |
| 2009 | KBS Drama Awards | Best New Actress | Boys Over Flowers, He Who Can't Marry, Empress Cheonchu | Won |
| 2010 | DienAnh.Net Movie Awards (DMA) | Favorite Couple (with Kim Bum) | Boys Over Flowers | Won |
| 2010 | KBS Drama Awards | Excellence Award, Actress in a Daily Drama | Happiness in the Wind | Nominated |
| 2011 | MBC Drama Awards | Best New Actress | A Thousand Kisses | Nominated |
| 2012 | MBC Drama Awards | Best New Actress | The King's Doctor | Won |
| 2014 | Korean Wave Awards | Popular Culture Award | - | Won |
| 2014 | MBC Entertainment Awards | New Star of the Year | We Got Married | Nominated |
| MBC Entertainment Awards | Best Female Newcomer | We Got Married | Nominated | |
| MBC Entertainment Awards | Best Couple Award (with Song Jae-rim) | We Got Married | Won | |
| 2016 | SBS Drama Awards | Special Acting Award, Actress in a Serial Drama | Our Gap-soon | Won |
| SBS Drama Awards | Best Couple Award (with Song Jae-rim) | Our Gap-soon | Nominated | |
| 2022 | KBS Drama Awards | Best Actress in Drama Special/TV Cinema | The Distributors | Won |
| 2022 | KBS Drama Awards | Excellence Award, Actress in a Serial Drama | Three Bold Siblings | Nominated |
| KBS Drama Awards | Best Couple Award (with Kim Seung-soo) | Three Bold Siblings | Nominated |