About Kim Youngrin
Lived 1936 – 2015 (aged 78). Kim Youngrin was a Korean and North Korean actor.
Kim Ryong-lin (; 29 July 1936 – June 2015) was a North Korean actor and director. A recipient of the Kim Il Sung Prize and honored with the title of People's Actor, he appeared in over 100 films across his career. Along with and So Kyong-sop, he was considered one of the three greatest North Korean actors. Biography Kim was born on 29 July 1936 in Pungsan-ri, Hoeryong, North Hamgyong Province, Korea, Empire of Japan. He came from a family of teachers and attended Kyongsong Senior Middle School No. 1, where he graduated in 1956. After receiving his education, he served as a tunnel worker at the Kyongsong Coal Mine and a lumberjack for the Kyongsong Forestry Enterprise.
Kim joined the Korean Art Film Studio in 1963, that year starring as a country party secretary in the film Son of the Earth . Among his most notable roles were as Junho in Five Guerilla Brothers (, 1968), Dalsam in Sea of Blood (, 1969), Duseok in (, 1970), Cheollyong in The Flower Girl (, 1972), Choi Gyeong-un in A Fire Burning All Over the World (, 1977), Yu Rim in Unsung Heroes (, 1978–1981), Hyeongcheol in Thawing Snow in Spring , Won Seok-hae in Guarantee (, 1986), and Daesik in Nation and Destiny . In an 1981 interview, Kim remarked that people had begun calling him Yu Rim instead of his real name after the series began, which he enjoyed because of his admiration for the character. According to the government-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), his success was through his "ability to quickly grasp a character's inner world and complex psychology, bringing the role to life with vivid authenticity".
Kim was honored with the Order of the National Flag, first class, and the Order of Labour. He was married to Kang Yeo-son, who held the title of Merited Actor. He died in June 2015, at the age of 78. A floral tribute was sent by Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un, and the KCNA, in announcing his death on 20 June, reported, "Comrade Kim Jong-un expressed deep condolences over the passing of Kim Ryong-lin, a laureate of the Kim Il Sung Prize and a 'People's Actor' who served as an actor at the Korean Art Film Studio."
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Important facts
People in Kim Youngrin's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Kim Youngrin's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Kim Youngrin?
North Korean actor
When was Kim Youngrin born?
Kim Youngrin was born on 29 July 1936 in Kankyō-hoku Prefecture, Hoeryong.
When did Kim Youngrin die?
Kim Youngrin died on 20 June 2015.
What was Kim Youngrin's occupation?
Kim Youngrin was an actor.
What nationality was Kim Youngrin?
Kim Youngrin was Korean and North Korean.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Kim Youngrin. https://biography.guide/kim-youngrin/
MLA: "Kim Youngrin." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/kim-youngrin/.
Chicago: "Kim Youngrin." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/kim-youngrin/.
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