Kim Hyun-joo

Kim Hyun-joo (; born April 24, 1977) is a South Korean actress. She is best known for her leading roles in the television dramas Glass Slippers, Toji, the Land (2004), Twinkle Twinkle (2011), What Happens to My Family? (2014), I Have a Lover (2015), Watcher (2019), and Hellbound (2021–present).

Career 1996–2001: Early acting credits Kim Hyun-joo began modeling in teen magazines when she was in her third year of high school. In 1996, she made her entertainment debut when she starred in the music video for Kim Hyun-chul's "One's Lifetime". Kim launched her acting career in 1997 in the television drama The Reason I Live (1997). Despite being inexperienced, she was cast in the leading role in the film If It Snows on Christmas (1998) with Park Yong-ha, followed by Calla (1999) with Song Seung-heon.

After doing a few sitcoms, Kim built her resume further by playing supporting roles on television. In 1999, She gained her first major role when she appeared in the Jang Dong-gun show Springtime (also known as Youth), which received low ratings. But the popular Into the Sunlight later that year boosted Kim's career. In early 2000, she appeared in episode 7 of Song Ji-na's omnibus drama Love Story, titled "Insomnia, Manual and Orange Juice". Kim then landed her first TV leading role in Virtue (Deok-yi), followed by more supporting roles in 2001 with Her House (headlined by Kim Nam-joo) and the historical drama Sangdo (based on Choi In-ho's novel about Joseon merchant Im Sang-ok).

2002–2005: Glass Slippers breakthrough Kim achieved mainstream stardom in 2002, with her Cinderella-esque leading role in Glass Slippers, about two sisters who were separated as children and unknowingly encounter each other as adults. Also starring Kim Ji-ho, Han Jae-suk and So Ji-sub, the drama was a hit with ratings of over 30%, and Kim received acting and popularity awards at the SBS Drama Awards. Glass Slippers was also successful in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Vietnam and with Kim's new pan-Asian popularity, she starred opposite Taiwanese actor/singer Vanness Wu in the martial arts movie Star Runner (2003).

For Ms. Kim's Million Dollar Quest (also known as Miss Kim's One Billion Won Project and Miss Kim's Adventures in Making a Million), she and Ji Jin-hee displayed their comedic chops as a girl left at the altar and a bankrupt playboy, respectively, who join forces in a moneymaking scheme. Kim's next role was as Lee Sung-jae's love interest in the body swapping comedy film Shinsukki Blues.

From late 2004 to 2005, Kim played the heroine Choi Seo-hee in Toji, the Land, a television adaptation of Park Kyung-ni's celebrated novel Toji ("The Land"), which portrayed the lives and loves of peasants and the nobility ("yangban") in Korea at the turn of the 20th century, spanning from Japan's colonial rule to the division of the peninsula. The big-budget production was a hit, and Kim received a Best TV Actress nomination at the 2006 Baeksang Arts Awards.

Inspired by the American TV show Joe Millionaire, Marrying a Millionaire (2005) was about an average guy (Go Soo) pretending to be rich as the concept for a dating reality show, who then genuinely falls for one of the contestants (Kim), the only girl who knows the truth. After Marrying a, Millionaire, Kim went on a two-year hiatus. She later said she took a break because she hated being typecast in such sweet, wholesome roles. But as time passed, she said she regretted the decision and should've worked harder instead to develop as an actress.

2007–2010: Resurgence Kim returned to television in 2007 with In-soon Is Pretty, playing the titular character who went to prison for unintentionally killing someone in high school, and after serving her sentence, must face prejudice as an ex-con while rebuilding her life. Despite the drama's low ratings, Kim was praised for her acting and received a Top Excellence Award at the KBS Drama Awards.

In 2009, she was cast in a small supporting role (or extended cameo) as the hero's tough-but-stylish older sister in the highly popular Boys Over Flowers, adapted from the Japanese manga Hana Yori Dango. Then in the legal drama Partner, Kim played a widow-turned-lawyer whose passionate idealism clashes with her colleague's (Lee Dong-wook) detached cynicism.

Kim then spent ten days in Vancouver, Whistler, and Victoria to film the documentary ECO Canada by Kim Hyun-joo, which aired on MBC Life. Also featured as a photo spread in Sure magazine, the shoot promoted environmental awareness by emphasizing Canada's natural backdrops, and showing Kim's green practices such as using canvas instead of plastic bags and unplugging unused electrical appliances.

Her book Hyun-joo's Handcrafted Story was published on December 20, 2009, featuring personal essays and photos about her needlework and knitting.

2010 was a difficult year for Kim, with the deaths of three of her loved ones in close succession: her friend, actor Park Yong-ha committed suicide on June 30, the production company executive who'd cast her in The Land committed suicide on July 1 because of financial difficulties, and her father Kim Tae-beom died on July 7 after a long illness. She spent the rest of the year volunteering in Bangladesh and the Philippines as the goodwill ambassador for Good Neighbors, a humanitarian NGO. She donated the condolence money collected for her father's funeral and a portion of her book sales to Good Neighbors, which was used to build libraries in 11 orphanages in impoverished areas of Dhaka. Kim said, "I literally fled to Bangladesh after a series of personal tragedies, but I was consoled by the smiles of children who are living in these dire conditions. The act of sharing has given me strength to live". She continues to as an instructor for several classes organized by Good Neighbors, teaching Korean elementary schoolchildren about poverty around the world.

2011–2015: Focusing on weekend dramas Kim resumed her acting activities in 2011, playing the daughter from a wealthy publishing company whose life is turned upside down when she learns that she was switched at birth with another baby in Twinkle Twinkle. She also starred in Kim Dae-seung's short film Q&A, which was included in If You Were Me 5, an omnibus film commissioned by the National Human Rights Commission of Korea. Then in Dummy Mommy (2012), she played a fashion magazine editor with a genius-level IQ who is embarrassed by her developmentally disabled mother (Ha Hee-ra).

In a departure from her typical parts, Kim played one of the legendary femme fatales of the Joseon period, Lady Jo (or Jo Gwi-in), in the period drama Blooded Palace: The War of Flowers (2013). She said she was "more than delighted to have been given the opportunity to try something new", adding that, "This role will be a new life story for my acting career. I personally think it will be more interesting for an actress with an innocent image like myself to take up this wicked role". Critics praised Kim's versatility, as Lady Jo transforms from a naive young girl into an ambitious royal concubine who uses her beauty and wiles on King Injo in her lust for power.

In early 2014, Kim began hosting Musical Journey to Yesterday, a music program in which a mix of current idol singers and industry veterans perform live hit songs from the 1970s to 1990s. Later that year, she starred in the weekend drama What Happens to My Family?, which had over 40% ratings. Her performance garnered the Top Excellence award at the KBS Drama Awards.

In 2015, she played dual roles in the melodrama, I Have a Lover. She won the Top Excellence Top Excellence Award from the APAN Star Awards and SBS Drama Awards.

2016–present: Professional expansion Kim starred in the drama series Fantastic, portraying a screenwriter grappling with a terminal illness.

In 2018, she took on the role of Sun Hye-jin in the fantasy melodrama The Miracle We Met, playing a wife who feels trapped in a loveless marriage. Kim described her character as a dormant volcano waiting to erupt, adding depth and complexity to the show's storyline."

In 2019, Kim starred in OCN's drama Watcher, portraying a criminal lawyer who had once been a highly promising prosecutor. Her performance garnered rave reviews, with critics praising her for creating a wholly unique and independent character, unlike any that they had seen before.

In 2020, Kim starred in Undercover, a JTBC's remake of the British BBC drama of the same name. The drama marked her third reunion with Ji Jin-hee, her co-star from the 2015 drama, I Have a Lover. Kim explained her reason for accepting the offer to join the drama, "Last time, for I Have a Lover, Ji helped me a lot on set. The reason viewers liked my character was that Ji made me shine in the series. So this time, I wanted to return that favor. Ji accepted the role first, and I knew that many people would want to see us reunite on screen, so it didn't take me long to decide to join the series".

That same year, Kim was confirmed to join the cast of Hellbound, a Netflix series directed by Yeon Sang-ho. She portrayed the character of Min Hye-jin, an attorney who courageously stands up against religious extremists.

In October 2022, Netflix confirmed that Kim would play one of the lead roles in their upcoming thriller drama, The Bequeathed. In December 2022, Kim starred in SBS's drama Trolley as the wife of a National Assembly member.

In 2023, Kim starred in the Netflix sci-fi film Jung-E directed by Hellbound director Yeon Sang-ho, in the title role of a legendary mercenary who is also the subject of brain-clone testing.

In April 2025, Kim has signed an exclusive contract with the new management company Siseon.

Filmography Film + Year Title Role Note 1998 If It Snows On Christmas Lee Song-hee 1999 Calla Yoon Soo-jin 2003 Star Runner Kim Mi-kyo Hong Kong film 2004 Shinsukki Blues Seo Jin-young 2011 If You Were Me 5: Questions & Answers Jung Hee-joo Omnibus film 2023 Jung_E Jung_E TBA A Little Life (film) Ja-young 2026 Paradise Lost Ryu So-Young

Television series + Year Title Role Notes 1997 Reason I Live For Chun Shim Couple Jung Hee-ryung Ready Go! Na Min-jung 1998 Love You! Love You! Lee Joo-hee Three Guys and Three Girls Kim Hyun-joo Episode 117, 133, 205, 207, 212, 214, 493 I Don't Know Anything But Love Baek Young-gu MBC Best Theater – "Jeondeungsa" Hyo Im 1999 Springtime Cha Won-young The Last War Han Ji-eun Into The Sunlight Lee Yun-hee 2000 Love Story – "Insomnia, Manual and Orange Juice" Seo Young Virtue Jung Kwi-duk Medical Center Soo Kyung Guest appearance (Episode 29) 2001 Her House Park Young-chae The Merchant Park Da-nyung 2002 Glass Slippers Lee Sun-woo/Kim Yoon-hee 2004 Ms. Kim's Million Dollar Quest Kim Eun-jae Toji, the Land Choi Seo-hee 2005 Marrying a Millionaire Han Eun-young 2007 In-soon Is Pretty Park In-soon 2009 Boys Over Flowers Gu Joon-hee Guest appearance Partner Kang Eun-ho 2011 Twinkle Twinkle Han Jung-won 2012 Dummy Mommy Kim Young-joo 2013 Blooded Palace: The War of Flowers Jo Yam-jeon 2014 Can We Fall In Love, Again? Herself Cameo (Episode 13–14) What Happens to My Family? Cha Kang-shim 2015 I Have a Lover Do Hae-kang (Dokgo On-gi)/Dokgo Yong-gi 2016 Fantastic Lee So-hye 2018 The Miracle We Met Sun Hye-jin 2019 Watcher Han Tae-joo 2021 Undercover Choi Yeon-soo 2021–present Hellbound Min Hye-jin Season 1–2 2022 Love All Play President of Eunice Business Team Cameo (Episode 1) Trolley Kim Hye-joo 2024 The Bequeathed Yoon Seo-ha 2026 100 Days of Deception Yoo So-ran

Television shows + Television show appearances Year Title Role Note 1997 Scoop! Entertainment City VJ Popular Song Best 50 Saturday Power Start MC Gwangjang Music with Gung Sun-young Panelist 1998 Super TV Enjoy Sunday MC SBS Inkigayo Episode 18–20 1999 Sunday Sunday Night Section TV Entertainment with Seo Kyung-suk FM Dating with Kim Hyun-joo DJ MBC Drama Awards MC with Shin Dong-ho 2000 Mnet KM Music Festival And e-Wonderful World 2005 SBS Drama Awards with Park Sang-won 2009 Music Village with Kim Hyun-joo DJ ECO Canada by Kim Hyun-joo Herself 2010 SBS Hope TV Host 2014 Musical Journey to Yesterday MC 2015 Lady Action Cast member

Music video appearances + Year Title Artist Notes 1996 "One's Lifetime" ( Kim Hyun-chul "The Day Was Beautiful" ( Seo Ji-won 1997 "Entreaty" Lee Seung-hwan with Jang Hyuk 1998 "Now" Yuno 1999 "To the Bride" Yurisangja 2001 "Already One Year" Brown Eyes with Chang Chen, Lee Beom-soo, Jung Eun-pyo 2002 "Little By Little" with Chang Chen, Lee Beom-soo 2004 "Parting Was Far Away" Han Kyung Il

Book Year Title Author ISBN 2009 Hyun-joo's Handcrafted Story Kim Hyun-joo

Discography + List of singles, showing year released, and name of the album Title Year Album "Sad Fate" 2003 In the Name of Love "Promise" 2009 Partner OST "Forgetfulness" ) 2012

Ambassadorship Ambassador for Busan Contents Market (2022)

Awards and nominations SBSi Award Top 10 Stars Award 2004 Excellence Award, Actress in a Drama Special Ms. Kim's Million Dollar Quest

Listicles + Name of publisher, year listed, name of listicle, and placement Publisher Year Listicle Placement Korean Film Council 2021 Korean Actors 200