Kim Hee-ae

Kim Hee-ae (; born April 23, 1967) is a South Korean actress. She is best known for her leading roles in Korean dramas such as Sons and Daughters, Perfect Love (2003), My Husband's Woman (2007), How Long I've Kissed (2012), Secret Affair (2014), and The World of the Married (2020). She has received multiple acting awards including two Daesang (Grand Prize) and four Best Actress Awards for Television at the Baeksang Arts Awards. In 2020, she was selected as Gallup Korea's Television Actor of the Year.

Early life Kim Hee-ae was born in Seoul. Her father is from Hallim, Jeju City, Jeju Island. Kim was a freshman at Hyehwa Girls' High School when she was discovered by the younger sister of one of her teachers while visiting the school. This led to her first modeling job in a commercial for a school uniform brand in 1982, which marked her entertainment debut. She also appeared in Cheil Industries commercials that same year.

Career

1983–2003: Acting debut and stardom In 1983, Kim made her acting debut in a small role in the film The First Day of the Twentieth Year. In March 1985, she became an exclusive model for Hankook Cosmetics. Her full-fledged acting career began in 1985, after graduating from high school. After entering the Department of Theater and Film at Chung-Ang University, she starred in films such as My Love Jjanggu and Memories of Fire. Later that year, she took on leading roles in MBC Bestseller Theater - Unknowable Things and KBS Hometown of Legends, though she remained primarily known as a commercial model. She worked again with Kim a year later in Precious Family (also known as Letters to My Parents), playing a woman who marries into a rich family who treats her badly after she gives birth to a baby with autism. Kim next starred in the melodrama Snow Flower.

Her third collaboration with Kim Soo-hyun was 2007's My Husband's Woman, but unlike her previous saintly characters, this time she was cast against type as a sexy, worldly woman having an affair with her best friend's husband. The adultery drama was a hit with a peak viewership rating of 38.7%, and Kim yet again won the Daesang at the Korea Drama Awards and the SBS Drama Awards.

2010–2012: Hiatus, Midas, and Sister Over Flowers

Afterwards, Kim went on a brief hiatus, during which she continued to appear in commercials and magazines, gaining a reputation as a style icon by inspiring middle-aged Korean women to embrace younger and edgier fashion trends.

Kim returned to acting four years later with Midas, starring as a wealthy chaebol heiress who fosters greed and ambition in a young lawyer. She then won Best Actress at the 49th Baeksang Arts Awards for her portrayal of a housewife increasingly stifled by her husband's obsession with status, who finds herself falling for her son's dentist in How Long I've Kissed, one of the inaugural dramas of the new cable channel JTBC in 2012.

The year 2013 marked Kim's first regular appearance in a reality show with Sisters Over Flowers, created by director Na Yeong-seok and screenwriter Lee Woo-jung as a spin-off of Grandpas Over Flowers. In the program, she joined Youn Yuh-jung, Kim Ja-ok, Lee Mi-yeon and Lee Seung-gi go on a backpacker tourism trip around Croatia and Turkey.

2014–2019: Return to the big screen and continued success In 2014, Kim returned to the big screen after a 21-year absence in Thread of Lies, a film adaptation of Kim Ryeo-ryeong's novel Elegant Lies about teen bullying which leads to a young girl's suicide. Kim said she accepted the project because the script was "faultless" and she felt empathy for the characters, and one review described her performance as "excellent as the grieving mother [...] understated but somehow believable, touching and honest." For this role, Kim earned her Best Actress nominations at both the 35th Blue Dragon Film Awards and the 50th Baeksang Arts Awards.

That same year, Kim reunited with the writer and director of How Long I've Kissed in Secret Affair, about an art foundation director who embarks on a passionate affair with a poor but talented pianist 20 years her junior. Her acclaimed performance earned her multiple accolades, including the Top Excellence Award for Actress in a Miniseries at the 3rd APAN Star Awards and Best Actress at the 9th Seoul International Drama Awards, along with a nomination for Top Excellence Award for Actress at the 7th Korea Drama Awards.

She next played the muse of real-life folk music group Twin Folio in the 2015 film C'est Si Bon, named after a music lounge located in Myeong-dong which was famous in the 1970s and 1980s for its live performances. She returned to the small screen with the police procedural drama Mrs. Cop, playing a violent crime detective who struggles to become a good mother. In 2016, Kim signed with YG Entertainment. The same year, she starred in the family melodrama Second to Last Love. thumb In 2018, Kim returned to the big screen, with two films. Her first one starring was the psychological thriller The Vanished. Kim starred as Moon Jung-sook in the drama film Herstory, based on the real story of comfort women. It also featured Kim Hae-sook, Ye Soo-jung, Moon Sook, and Lee Yong-nyeo as her costars. For her powerful performance in Herstory, Kim Hee-ae received several accolades, including the Best Actress award at the 27th Buil Film Awards, the Actress of the Year at the 6th Marie Claire Asia Star Awards, and Best Actress at the 2nd Korea China International Film Festival.

In 2019 Kim starred in Lim Dae-hyung's film Moonlit Winter. She played Yoon-hee, a divorced mother whose hidden past resurfaces when her daughter, Sae-bom, finds an old love letter from Jun, a friend from her high school days in Japan. Sae-bom, secretly arranged a trip to Otaru, hoping she'd reconnect with Jun. The film won Best Director and Best Screenplay for Lim Dae-hyung at the 41st Blue Dragon Film Awards, and Kim was honored with Best Actress at the 7th Korean Film Producers Association Awards.

2020–2024: Career resurgence In 2020, Kim starred in the JTBC drama The World of the Married, an adaptation of the BBC One series Doctor Foster. In the series, Kim Hee-ae portrayed Ji Sun-woo, a successful doctor whose seemingly perfect life unravels after she discovers her husband's affair, leading to a complex and intense narrative of betrayal and revenge. Her powerful performance as Ji Sun-woo garnered significant critical praise, and for this role, she won the Best Actress award at the 56th Baeksang Arts Awards and Grand Prize in APAN Star Awards.

Kim features in the 2023 film A Normal Family, directed by Hur Jin-ho and also starring Sul Kyung-gu, Jang Dong-gun, and Claudia Kim. Based on Herman Koch's novel The Dinner, the suspenseful drama centers on two wealthy families who convene over dinner to decide how to handle a violent crime committed by their children. Kim portrays Yeon-kyung, a mother grappling with the moral dilemma. The film has gained international recognition, being invited to numerous prestigious festivals including the Gala Presentation section of the 48th Toronto International Film Festival in September 2023, and has also been screened at the Udine Far East Film Festival, London Korean Film Festival, and Palm Springs International Film Festival, among others.

Kim returns to small screen with two Netflix political dramas: Queenmaker and The Whirlwind. In the 2023 Netflix series Queenmaker, she portrayed Hwang Do-hee, a brilliant image-maker who leaves her corporate role to help human rights lawyer Oh Kyung-sook (Moon So-ri) become the mayor of Seoul, navigating the cutthroat world of political campaigns. She then reunited with veteran actor Sul Kyung-gu in the 2024 Netflix political thriller The Whirlwind. In the series Kim Hee-ae plays Jeong Su-jin, the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, who finds herself in a fierce political clash with Prime Minister Park Dong-ho (Sul Kyung-gu) after he attempts to assassinate a corrupt president. The series delves into intense power struggles and the dark side of politics, showcasing a compelling dynamic between the two lead characters.

Kim starred as the astute political consultant Shim Yeo-sa in the 2024 Ha Joon-won's crime thriller film Dead Man. The film follows Lee Man-jae (Cho Jin-woong), falsely imprisoned as a "dead man" for embezzlement, who seeks to reclaim his identity upon his return. Shim Yeo-sa approaches him with a cryptic offer. Kim's portrayal of the powerful and manipulative figure has been highly praised, with director Bong Joon-ho specifically commending her charisma and sharp eyes in the role.

2025–present: Agency change and return to variety programming In March 2025, Kim left YG Entertainment and signed with new agency KeyEast. Kim Hee-ae and Cha Seung-won were announced as cast members for Coupang Play's Bonjour Bakery on February 13, 2026, with the final lineup confirmed on April 2. The cast is divided into two teams: the Hall Team features Kim as café manager and Kim Seon-ho as barista, both receiving professional beverage training prior to filming, while the Kitchen Team consists of pâtissier Cha Seung-won and assistant Lee Ki-taek. The show aired on Coupang Play from May 8 to June 29 and began rebroadcasting on KBS2 on August 5, marking the first time KBS has broadcast original OTT platform content.

Personal life Kim is a Roman Catholic, and her baptismal name is Maria. She was one of fifty Catholic celebrities who appeared in the 2014 music video for the digital single "Koinonia" to commemorate Pope Francis' visit to South Korea, which marked the first papal visit to Asia in nineteen years.

Kim married , CEO of the web portal DreamWiz, in 1996,

Mi-hye

Young-mi

Jung-won

Thread of Lies Yoo Hyun-sook

C'est Si Bon Min Ja-young (40s)

The Vanished Yoon Seol-hee Herstory Moon Jeong-sook

Moonlit Winter Yoon-hee

The Moon Yoon Moon-young A Normal Family Yeon-kyung

Dead Man Mrs. Shim Television series + Year Title Role 1986 A Woman's Heart Song Da-young 1987 Mother Terms of Endearment Kim Won-mi 1988 Forget Tomorrow Seo In-ae 1989 Your Toast Jeon Yeo-ok 1990 What Do Women Want Cha Young-gun Winter Wanderer Da-hye 500 Years of Joseon: Daewongun Empress Myeongseong I'm Still Loving You Wan-joo 1991 The Beginning of the End Jung Hye-jung Beyond the Mountains Kang Myung-ae 1992 Namok Kyung-ah The Kingdom of Anger Min Jae-kyung Sons and Daughters Lee Hoo-nam 1993 The Stormy Season Lee Hong-joo 1994 Kareisky Sung Nam-young 1995 Love and Marriage Yoon Soo-bin Love Formula Choi Jeong-hee 1999 You're One-of-a-Kind Jang Seo-young 2003 Wife Kim Na-young Perfect Love Ha Young-ae 2004 Precious Family Ahn Sung-sil 2006 Snow Flower Lee Kang-ae 2007 My Husband's Woman Lee Hwa-young 2011 Midas Yoo In-hye 2012 How Long I've Kissed Yoon Seo-rae 2014 Secret Affair Oh Hye-won 2015 Mrs. Cop Choi Young-jin 2016 Second to Last Love Kang Min-joo 2020 The World of the Married Ji Sun-woo 2023 Queenmaker Hwang Do-hee 2024 The Whirlwind Jeong Su-jin

Television shows + Year Title Role Notes 2013 Sisters Over Flowers Cast Member with Youn Yuh-jung, Kim Ja-ok, Lee Mi-yeon and Lee Seung-gi 1994–2022 New Life for Children Co-host with Ha Sung-woon and Lee Dae-hwi (2019)with Lee Sang-yeob (2021)with Kim Cho-rong (2022) 2021 Off The Grid Main Cast 2026 Bonjour BakeryMain Castwith Cha Seung-won, Kim Seon-ho, and Lee Ki-taek

Radio program + Year English title Korean title Station 1986 Popular Music FM with Kim Hee-ae 김희애의 FM인기가요 KBS Happy FM

Accolades

Awards and nominations + Name of the award ceremony, year presented, naward category, nominated work, and the result of the nomination Award Year Category Nominated work Result APAN Star Awards 2014 Top Excellence Award, Actress in a Miniseries Secret Love Affair 2021 Grand Prize (Daesang) The World of the Married Asia Contents Awards 2020 Best Actress The World of the Married Baeksang Arts Awards 1987 Best New Actress (TV) A Woman's Heart 1993 Grand Prize (Daesang) for TV Sons and Daughters Most Popular Actress (TV) 1995 Best Actress (TV) Kareisky 2003 Wife 2004 Grand Prize (Daesang) for TV Perfect Love 2008 Best Actress (TV) 2013 How Long I've Kissed 2014 Best Actress (Film) Thread of Lies 2019 Herstory 2020 Grand Prize (Daesang) for TV The World of the Married Best Actress (TV) The World of the Married Best Actress (Film) Moonlit Winter Blue Dragon Film Awards 1993 Best Leading Actress The 101st Proposition 2014 Thread of Lies 2018 Herstory 2021 Moonlit Winter Buil Film Awards 2018 Best Actress Herstory 2020 Moonlit Winter Chunsa Film Art Awards 2019 Best Actress Herstory 2020 Moonlit Winter 20th Director's Cut Awards 2022 Best Actress in film Moonlit Winter 2nd Elle Style Awards 2018 Timeless Icon Grand Bell Awards 1994 Best Actress The 101st Proposition 2020 Moonlit Winter 16th Grimae Awards 2003 Best Actress Perfect Love KBS Drama Awards 1986 Best New Actress A Woman's Heart 2003 Top Excellence Award, Actress Wife 2005 Precious Family 6th Korea Broadcasting Producer Awards 1994 Best Performer, TV Actress category Sons and Daughters 1996 Love and Marriage 2004 Perfect Love 1st Korea Drama Awards 2007 Grand Prize (Daesang) My Husband's Woman 2014 Top Excellence Award, Actress Secret Love Affair 2nd Korea China International Film Festival 2018 Best Actress Herstory Korea Fashion & Design Awards 2007 Best Dressed 7th Korean Film Producers Association Awards 2020 Best Actress Moonlit Winter 6th Marie Claire Asia Star Awards 2018 Actress of the Year Herstory MBC Drama Awards 1990 Top Excellence Award, Actress Forget Tomorrow 1991 Beyond the Mountains Grand Prize (Daesang) Beyond the Mountains 1993 Grand Prize (Daesang) Sons and Daughters Top Excellence Award, Actress Sons and Daughters 1995 Love and Marriage Our Star Awards 1987 Best New Actress A Woman's Heart SBS Drama Awards 2003 Top Excellence Award, Actress Perfect Love Top 10 Stars SBSi Award 2007 Grand Prize (Daesang) My Husband's Woman Top Excellence Award, Actress Top 10 Stars 2011 Top Excellence Award, Actress in a Special Planning Drama Midas 2015 Top Excellence Award, Actress in a Miniseries Mrs. Cop 2016 Top Excellence Award, Actress in a Romantic-Comedy Drama Second to Last Love Seoul International Drama Awards 2014 Best Actress Secret Love Affair 1st Style Icon Awards 2008 Style Icon, TV actress category My Husband's Woman 7th Style Icon Awards 2014 Top 10 Style Icons 2nd The Seoul Awards 2018 Best Actress (Film) Herstory TV Journal 1993 Star of the Year

State honors + Name of country, year given, and name of honor Country Award ceremony Year Honor South Korea Korean Popular Culture and Arts Awards 2020 Presidential Commendation 51st Savings Day 2014 Presidential Commendation

Listicles + Name of publisher, year listed, name of listicle, and placement Publisher Year Listicle Placement Forbes Korea 2015 Korea Power Celebrity 26th 2021 34th Gallup Korea 2020 Actor of the Year (Television) 1st