Kim Joo-yeon

Kim Ju-yeon (; born May 11, 1993) is a South Korean musical, stage and television actress. She is best known for her role in Netflix original series Move to Heaven and Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha (2021).

Early years Kim Ju-yeon was born on May 11, 1993, in Jeju Province, South Korea, the youngest of three daughters. Growing up in Jeju, she had limited exposure to theater or musical performances. Her life path shifted when she met art teacher Ko Seong-woo during her third-grade year of elementary school. Kim played a male role in her school's team for the national folk song competition, and their performance won the grand prize. This experience significantly contributed to gradually transforming her shy personality.

Kim developed a keen interest in music after becoming a fan of the indie band Jaurim. She began taking singing lessons from a former professor at Seoul Institute of The Arts. Based on the professor's recommendation, she enrolled at Anyang Arts High School, where she became a member of the school's musical club. Her first acting experience was participating in the school's production of the musical Beauty and The Beast. This 12th production of Taxi Driver was a collaboration between Jang Jin and producer Kim Soo-ro as part of Kim Soo-ro's Project. Subsequently, Kim became a member of Double K Film and Theater agency, which was established by Kim Soo-ro and Kim Min-jong.

Throughout 2017, Kim remained active in her acting career. She reprised her role as Joan for a special performance of Interview in Tokyo, Japan. Additionally, she portrayed Natasha in the Korean adaptation of Maxim Gorky's classic play The Lower Depths. Her visual and acting interpretation added tension and a fresh twist to the character, earning her the nickname 'Daehak-ro Kim Tae-hee' for her stage presence.

Kim's breakthrough came in 2018 when she starred in the 20th production of the musical Laundry, portraying Son Na-young. Premiered in 2005, the musical depicts the hardships faced by ordinary people through the story of Son Na-young, a bookstore clerk, and Solongo, a Mongolian migrant worker. Kim's final project for the year was her portrayal of Emily in Disappear Into Thin Air (2018), the Korean adaptation of Disappearance, a play by Japanese playwright and director Keralino Sandorovich. It was produced by Yeonwoo Stage.

Temple and other theater projects In early 2019, Kim portrayed Mary Warren in the Korean adaptation of Arthur Miller's play The Crucible (1953) at the Lee Haerang Theatre of Art Seoul. Her agency, Double K Film and Theater, produced the show. Kim also took on the role of Chae Kyung in Hot Summer (2019), a Theater Ganda production, where she was double-cast with Hong Ji-hee. The musical ran at the Yes24 Stage 3 Hall from May 17 to June 30, 2019.

Later that year, Kim secured the lead role in the period musical Create-ing 2nd Work: Nangrang Kisaeng, produced by Jeongdong Theater. The musical was inspired by the true story of Kang Hyang-ran (姜香蘭), Joseon's first short-haired kisaeng. Kang enrolled at Hannam Kwonbeon at age 14, becoming one of the most popular kisaengs due to her exceptional skills. In her quest to attend school, Kang cut her hair short and disguised herself as a man in a suit. Her secret's revelation caused a scandal, making headlines on the third page of the Dong-A Ilbo on June 22, 1922. Directed by Kang Yu-mi, the musical ran at Jeongdong Theater from July 26 to August 18, 2019. Quote box "While playing the role of Temple, I came to realize that I had prejudices against people with autism. I believe this was largely due to the fact that I had not been around many autistic individuals before. However, my attitude changed after I spent several months studying autism in preparation for the show. Once I removed my own prejudices about autism, I was able to portray the character more accurately. I hope that this work will help to dispel prejudices and misconceptions about autism." — Kim on Temple (2021)

Kim later returned to Theater Ganda productions, taking on the role of Ann in the Korean premiere of the musical Murderer (2019). This work, based on Georg Kaiser's play The Raft of Medusa, was performed from September 20 to November 17 at Daehangno TOM 2.

Kim's year of 2020 was full with various acting projects. From January to March, Kim portrayed Julie, an eccentric weaver who swallowed a magnet, in composer Kim Dae-ri's musical Julie & Paul (2020), produced by Yeonwoo Stage. Following that, from March to April, Kim played the dual roles of Demian and Sinclair in the musical Demian (2020), based on the novel by Hermann Hesse. This two-hander musical play employed a gender-blind casting concept, where one male and one female actor alternated playing Sinclair or Demian, also portraying other novel characters like Cromer, Sinclair's father, Pistorius, and Mrs. Eva. From June to September, Kim and Lee Ah-jin alternated playing the supporting role of Layla, a bold and clever character, in the play Dear Elena (2020). Written in 1980 by Ljudmila Razumovskaya, the play explores humanity's inner conflicts.

In October and November, Kim reprised her role as Temple Grandin in the movement play Temple for Welcome Daehakro-Welcome Theater 2020. Critics noted her growth as an actor, observing a dramatic change in her acting style compared to earlier works like Julie & Paul and Demian.

2021 to present: screen roles and recent stage works From December 2020 to February 2021, Kim portrayed Jin Se-hee in the play What's Your Macbeef? by Shin So-won, which was b on Richard McBeef by Seung-Hui Cho. Kim had previously participated in a full-length reading of the play on June 21, 2019, when it was selected for the 2019 Juda Creative Contest. What's Your Macbeef? is set in an international high school's theater class, where teacher Jeong Dong-woo and three students, Jin Yoo, Lee Ji-soo, and Jin Se-hee, prepare for a performance under their homeroom teacher Yoon Young-jun's recommendation. Kim, Seo Hye-won, and Yoo Yu-jin were triple-cast as Jin Se-hee. Directed by Kim Ji-ho, What's Your Macbeef? premiered at the Dream Art Center Hall 3 in Seoul.

In January 2021, Kim was cast as Yun Shim-deok, Joseon's first soprano, in the play Government Ferry, directed by Lee Ki-bum for Player Sang Sang, Steps. Set on the Tokujumaru government ferry from Japan to Busan, the play posits that Yun Shim-deok is still alive. Hong Seok-ju, hiding on the boat, saves Yun Shim-deok when she jumps into the sea, leading to their relationship. The play depicts their conflicts in living different lives but also highlights their understanding, shared friendships, and shared hopes. Government Ferry was performed at the Jayu Theater in Daehangno, Seoul.

Kim made her first television appearance in a minor role in the OCN drama series Watcher in 2019. In 2021, she had three credited television appearances, all in supporting roles: Jin Ha-young in the miniseries Do Do Sol Sol La La Sol and a nurse in Youth of May, both aired on KBS2. Kim also made a cameo as Han Geu-ra's mom in the Netflix Original Series Move to Heaven. Her first major supporting television role was in tvN drama Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha (2021), where she portrayed Ham Yung-kyung, a pregnant young mother who runs a mini-mart named after her daughter Bora. Kim acted alongside her Temple co-star Yoon Seok-hyun, who played her husband, Choi Geum-chul. In the same year, Kim confirmed her appearance in her debut film, Jochiwon Commentary, produced by Blue Cucumber and directed by Choi Yang-hyun. The film is inspired by Shakespeare's Hamlet, one of his four great tragedies, and incorporates Korean sentiment and Chungcheong Province dialect to maximize the tragedy.

Kim made a theater comeback as Emma in the musical Vampire Arthur (2021–2022) at the Black Theater, Chungmu Art Center in Seoul. Set in 1930s London, the musical tells the story of the growth and love between a vampire named Arthur and Emma, an illiterate girl from a poor background. Directed by Kim Dong-yeon, the show ran from November 9, 2021, to February 6, 2022. For a recent replay of Vampire Arthur, a new creative team, consisting of writer Park Hae-rim and music director Choi Hee-young, joined as screenwriter and music director, respectively. Vampire Arthur was originally created by writer Seo Hwi-won and composer Kim De-ri. It premiered in 2017 through the 'Black and Blue Season 4' story writer's debut program. The showcase took place on March 23–24, 2018, and the premiere was staged at the Black Theater, Chungmu Art Center in Seoul from November 30, 2018, to February 2, 2019, also under the direction of Kim Dong-yeon.

Kim's next projects included two overlapping works: the play Helmet and the creative musical Sylvia Lives. In the fourth performance of Helmet, Kim had a dual role as Helmet B, alongside Jeong In-jeong, in a gender-blind casting. The play, written by Ji Yi-sun, known for her works Capone Trilogy and Bunker Trilogy, was directed by Kim Tae-hyung. It took place at the Small Theater of Hongik University Daehak-ro Art Center from May 17 to August 11, 2022.

"I believe my strength lies in my flexibility. I am able to adapt to different people and situations, which allows me to understand and empathize with characters when analyzing a script. Even if I feel that I am lacking in a particular role, I enjoy the challenge of thinking about how I can improve in the future." — Kim Joo-yeon on her strength (2021)

Kim's musical L'art reste premiered in September 2022 at Dream Art Center 2 in Daehak-ro. This production tells the story of (1916–2004), a prominent Korean-Asian modern and contemporary artist, and her love life.Kim takes on the role of Byeon Dong-rim, a younger version of Kim Hyang-an, who engages in an affair with the poet Lee Sang. The musical interweaves narratives between Kim Hyang-an and her husband Kim Whan-ki, as well as flashbacks to her youthful self as Byeon Dong-rim.

In November 2022, Kim returned to the stage with two plays: Clumsy People and Orphans. Clumsy People, which originally premiered at the Seoul Theater Festival in 1995, is a work by Jang Jin, that marked the reunion of Kim and the playwright following their collaboration on Kim's debut play, Taxi Driver. Kim Joo-yeon, Choi Ha-yoon, and Park Ji-ye shared the role of Yoo Hwa-yi, a character known for her lively charm, despite being both talkative and reserved. In the play Orphans, Kim portrays Philip, alongside Choi Soo-jin, Hyun Seok-jun, and Shin Joo-hyeop. Written by Lyle Kessler and originally premiered in Los Angeles in 1983, this play received acclaim. Following its successful Korean premiere in 2017 and encore in 2019, Orphans received positive reviews and sold out shows. It also won the Stagetalk Audience Choice Awards (SACA) in 2017 and 2019.

In March 2023, after concluding the aforementioned two plays, Kim was cast as Actress D in the third iteration of the Korean adaptation of the Japanese play The Dressing Room (Gakuya). Written by Kunio Shimizu, the play centers around four actresses preparing for a staging of Anton Chekhov's The Seagull. As the narrative unfolds, it becomes apparent that things are not straightforward. The Dressing Room delves into themes of flawed memory and the enduring presence of memory even after death.

In 2025, Kim acted in the Korean premiere of the British play The Effect'', written by Lucy Prebble. Kim was triple cast as the character Connie Hall, starring alongside Park Jeong-bok and Ok Ja-yeon. The play is a story about "love and sorrow" centered on four characters: Connie Hall and Tristan Frey, who are participating in a clinical trial for an antidepressant, and the two doctors supervising the test, Dr. Lorna James and Dr. Toby Seeley. The production was directed by Min Sae-rom, with Park Ji-sun as the screenwriter and Bae Yu-ri as the motion director. The show ran from June 10 to August 31 at the Nol Seo-kyung Square Scone Theater 2.

Filmographies

Film +Film performances Year Title Role Notes English KoreanTBA Jochiwon's commentary 조치원 해문이 Oh Tae-ri 2021 Do Do Sol Sol La La Sol 도도솔솔라라솔 Jin Ha-youngSupport Role KBS2 Drama May It Please the Court 변론을 시작하겠습니다 Lee Soon-young Cameo

Music video YearTitleArtist(s)2021 Confession Lee Sa-wol

Stage credits Musical

Theater

Awards and nominations +List of Award(s) and Nomination(s)YearAward ceremonyCategoryNominee / WorkResult 2015Stage Talk Audience's Choice Awards (SACA) Best Rookie Actress Theater The Interview 2023 Interpark Best Actress in a Play