# Im Soo-hyang

Im Soo-hyang (Korean: 임수향; born April 19, 1990) is a South Korean actress. She rose to fame playing leading roles in the television series New Tales of Gisaeng (2011) and Inspiring Generation (2014). After a series of supporting roles, she gained wide recognition for her performances in the campus romance My ID is Gangnam Beauty (2018) and the smash-hit mystery drama Graceful Family (2019). She then starred in When I Was the Most Beautiful (2020), Woori the Virgin (2022), and Doctor Lawyer (2022).

## Career
### 2011–2017: New Tales of Gisaeng and diverse roles

After making a bit-part appearance in the 2009 film 4th Period Mystery while she was still a student at Chung-Ang University, Im landed her breakthrough role when she was cast as Dan Sa-ran, a prideful, lower-middle class dancer, in the 2011 popular television series New Tales of Gisaeng. Cast alongside Sung Hoon and Han Hye-rin, the series explored the premise that the gisaeng, the Korean equivalent of a geisha or courtesan, still existed in modern-day Korea. Im was nominated for several newcomer awards for her performance and won the SBS Drama Award for Best New Star and the Korea Drama Award for Best New Actress. That same year, she had a prominent supporting role in Paradise Ranch and made a cameo appearance in Salamander Guru and The Shadows.
To develop her range, Im increased her profile with starring roles as diverse as a feisty chairman's daughter in I Do, I Do (2012), a cool assassin in Iris II: New Generation (2013), the calculating stepdaughter of a high official in Inspiring Generation (2014), a college dropout in Five Enough (2015) and the female antagonist in Blow Breeze (2015). In 2016, Im played the title character in the prison romance film Eunha.
In 2017, Im was cast in the leading role of a widowed policewoman in Lovers in Bloom, for which she received a KBS Drama Award for Best Actress in a Daily Drama. Also that year, she made a cameo appearance as a serial killer who pretends to be a victim in tvN's crime procedural drama Criminal Minds, based on the American series of the same name.

### 2018–present: My ID is Gangnam Beauty and rising popularity

In 2018, Im rose in popularity when she starred opposite Cha Eun-woo of Astro in the JTBC romantic comedy series Gangnam Beauty. For her performance as Kang Mi-rae, Im won the Top Excellence Award for Actress in a Drama at the 26th Korea Culture and Entertainment Awards.
In 2019, Im received critical acclaim for her portrayal of Mo Seok-hee, a confident, charismatic and savage chaebol heiress, in the mystery drama Graceful Family. The series premiered with high viewership ratings for MBN network and attracted media attention in Korea and internationally. In 2020, Im next starred in the romance melodrama When I Was the Most Beautiful opposite Ji Soo and Ha Seok-jin, portraying an optimistic ceramic artist who falls in love with two brothers. Im was again praised for her acting and she went on to gain the Top Excellence prize at the 39th MBC Drama Awards.
In 2022, she played the titular role of Oh Woo-ri in the SBS romantic comedy drama Woori the Virgin based on American series Jane the Virgin, reuniting with New Tales of Gisaeng co-star Sung Hoon. The same year she starred in the MBC medical-legal drama Doctor Lawyer in the role of a prosecutor. Later in July, Im joined the 'Bubble for Actors' platform.
In 2023, she played the role of Han Gye-jeol in the MBC romantic fantasy drama Kokdu: Season of Deity opposite Kim Jung-hyun portraying an ER doctor who graduated from the lowest-ranking medical school in the country. In 2024, she played the role of Park Do-ra in the KBS2 drama Beauty and Mr. Romantic opposite Ji Hyun-woo.

## Philanthropy

On March 16, 2023, Im donated sanitary napkins for vulnerable women through the NGO G Foundation.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2009 | 4th Period Mystery | Number one fan Im Soo-hyang | Bit part |
| 2013 | Iris 2: The Movie | Kim Yeon-hwa | |
| 2014 | Love of the Sea (海洋之戀) | | Chinese film |
| 2016 | Eun-ha | Eun-ha | |

### Television series

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2011 | New Tales of Gisaeng | Dan Sa-ran | |
| 2011 | Paradise Ranch | Lee Da-eun | |
| 2012 | Salamander Guru and The Shadows | Im Soo-min | Cameo (episode 8) |
| 2012 | I Do, I Do | Yeom Na-ri / Jang Na-ri | |
| 2013 | Iris II: New Generation | Kim Yeon-hwa | |
| 2014 | Inspiring Generation | Teguchi Gaya | |
| 2015 | Great Stories: The Golden Days of Young-ja | Oh Young-ja | |
| 2016 | Five Enough | Jang Jin-joo | |
| 2016 | Blow Breeze | Park Shin-ae / Kang Mi-jung | |
| 2017 | Lovers in Bloom | Moo Goong-hwa | |
| 2017 | Criminal Minds | Song Yoo-kyung | Cameo |
| 2018 | Gangnam Beauty | Kang Mi-rae | |
| 2018 | Top Star U-back | Herself | Cameo (episode 3) |
| 2019 | Graceful Family | Mo Seok-hee | |
| 2020 | When I Was the Most Beautiful | Oh Ye-ji | |
| 2022 | Woori the Virgin | Oh Woo-ri | |
| 2022 | Doctor Lawyer | Geum Seok-yeong | |
| 2023 | Kokdu: Season of Deity | Han Gye-jeol | |
| 2024 | Beauty and Mr. Romantic | Park Do-ra | |

### Television shows

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2015–2016 | Shaolin Clenched Fists | Cast Member | |
| 2017 | Beauty Bible 2017 | Host | |
| 2018 | Romance Package | Host | |
| 2018–2019 | Village Survival, the Eight | Cast Member | Season 1–2 |
| 2019 | The Quack Philosophers | Cast Member | |
| 2022 | Jump Like a Witch | Cast Member | |

## Theater

Theater play performances of Im Soo-hyang :
| Year | Title | Title | Role | Venue | Date | Ref. |
| Year | English | Korean | Role | Venue | Date | Ref. |
| 2023 | Our Little Sister | 바닷마을 다이어리 | Yoshino | Seoul Arts Center | October 8 to November 19 | |

## Discography
### Singles

| Title | Year | Album |
| "Goodbye" | 2022 | Woori the Virgin OST Part 7 |

## Awards and nominations

Name of the award ceremony, year presented, category, nominee of the award, and the result of the nomination :
| Award ceremony | Year | Category | Nominee / Work | Result |
| APAN Star Awards | 2024 | Top Excellence Award, Actress in a Serial Drama | Beauty and Mr. Romantic | Won |
| Baeksang Arts Awards | 2012 | Best New Actress – Television | New Tales of Gisaeng | Nominated |
| KBS Drama Awards | 2014 | Excellence Award, Actress in a Mid-length Drama | Inspiring Generation | Nominated |
| KBS Drama Awards | 2014 | Netizen Award, Actress | Inspiring Generation | Nominated |
| KBS Drama Awards | 2014 | Best Couple Award | Im Soo-hyang with Kim Hyun-joong Inspiring Generation | Nominated |
| KBS Drama Awards | 2016 | Excellence Award, Actress in a Serial Drama | Five Enough | Nominated |
| KBS Drama Awards | 2017 | Excellence Award, Actress in a Daily Drama | Lovers in Bloom | Won |
| KBS Drama Awards | 2024 | Grand Prize (Daesang) | Beauty and Mr. Romantic | Nominated |
| KBS Drama Awards | 2024 | Top Excellence Award, Actress | Beauty and Mr. Romantic | Won |
| KBS Drama Awards | 2024 | Excellence Award, Actress in a Serial Drama | Beauty and Mr. Romantic | Nominated |
| KBS Drama Awards | 2024 | Popularity Award, Actress | Beauty and Mr. Romantic | Nominated |
| KBS Drama Awards | 2024 | Best Couple Award | Im Soo-hyang with Ji Hyun-woo Beauty and Mr. Romantic | Won |
| Korea Culture and Entertainment Awards | 2018 | Top Excellence Award, Actress in a Drama | Gangnam Beauty | Won |
| Korea Drama Awards | 2011 | Best New Actress | New Tales of Gisaeng | Won |
| MBC Drama Awards | 2012 | Excellence Award, Actress in a Miniseries | I Do, I Do | Nominated |
| MBC Drama Awards | 2016 | Golden Acting Award, Actress in a Serial Drama | Blow Breeze | Nominated |
| MBC Drama Awards | 2020 | Top Excellence Award, Actress in a Wednesday-Thursday Miniseries | When I Was The Prettiest | Won |
| MBC Drama Awards | 2020 | Best Couple Award | Im Soo-hyang with Ji Soo When I Was The Prettiest | Nominated |
| MBC Drama Awards | 2022 | Top Excellence Award, Actress in a Miniseries | Doctor Lawyer | Nominated |
| MBC Drama Awards | 2023 | Top Excellence Award, Actress in a Miniseries | Kokdu: Season of Deity | Nominated |
| SBS Drama Awards | 2011 | New Star Award | New Tales of Gisaeng | Won |
| SBS Drama Awards | 2022 | Top Excellence Award, Actress in a Miniseries Romance/Comedy Drama | Woori the Virgin | Nominated |
| SBS Drama Awards | 2022 | Best Couple Award | Im Soo-hyang with Sung Hoon and Shin Dong-wook Woori the Virgin | Nominated |
| Soompi Awards | 2019 | Best Couple Award | Im Soo-hyang with Cha Eun-woo Gangnam Beauty | Nominated |