# Kim Hye-yoon

Kim Hye-yoon (Korean: 김혜윤; born November 10, 1996) is a South Korean actress. She gained recognition for her role as Kang Ye-seo in JTBC's television series Sky Castle (2018–2019), before taking on leading roles in The Girl on a Bulldozer (2022) and Lovely Runner (2024), for which she received several notable accolades, including awards from the Baeksang Arts Awards, Blue Dragon Film Awards, and Grand Bell Awards.

## Early life and education

Kim was born on November 10, 1996, in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. She aspired to become an actress since her third year of middle school and attended an acting academy, auditioned, and took on small roles in preparation for an acting career.
She entered Konkuk University as part of the class of 2015, balancing her studies and acting career while consistently receiving merit-based full-ride scholarship. In 2019, she graduated with a bachelor's degree in film studies.

## Career
### 2013–2018: Career beginnings

Kim debuted as an actress in the 2013 KBS2 TV Novel's Samsaengi, playing the teenage version of a supporting character. After gaining recognition for her role in the 2014 OCN's crime thriller Bad Guys, Kim focused on her studies and only took minor roles to avoid affecting her academic performance, as she had received a full scholarship in 2015 to Konkuk University. Her significant role during this period was a supporting character in the 2017 mystery thriller film Memoir of a Murderer.

### 2019–2021: Rising popularity and transition to lead roles

Leading up to her college graduation in February 2019, Kim began auditioning for more prominent roles. She successfully landed the role of Kang Ye-seo in JTBC's satirical drama Sky Castle, being selected from a pool of 200 applicants. The drama's success contributed to her rising popularity and earned her the Best New Actress award at the 55th Baeksang Arts Awards.
In 2019, Kim starred as the protagonist for the first time with MBC's school fantasy drama Extraordinary You, based on the Daum webtoon July Found by Chance. She received further recognition, winning both New and Excellence Actress at the MBC Drama Awards. During the same year, she was cast as one of the lead in the psychological thriller film Midnight.
Kim received her first leading film role in the 2020 production The Girl on a Bulldozer. In the same year, she also confirmed to star in the 2021 pre-produced JTBC's television series Snowdrop, in which she reunited with the production team of hit drama Sky Castle.
On May 21, 2021, Kim received the offer to star in 2021 tvN's historical procedural Secret Royal Inspector & Joy. The television series premiered ahead of Snowdrop.

### 2022–present: Breakthrough

In 2022, The Girl on a Bulldozer was released theatrically, and Kim's performance as Goo Hye-young has received critical acclaim and garnered her several awards from award ceremonies such as the Blue Dragon Film Awards and Grand Bell Awards for Best New Actress, as well as the Rising Star Asia Award at the New York Asian Film Festival. Notably, Kim was also nominated for the Best New Actress Film category at the 59th Baeksang Arts Awards. With the film's success, Kim earned a total of ten nominations, winning six of them. Her achievements were further recognized by Forbes, which featured her in their Forbes 30 Under 30 list.
After focusing on the promotion and production of The Girl on a Bulldozer and Ditto throughout 2022, Kim returned to the small screen with 2024 tvN's time slip drama Lovely Runner. Her performance in the series garnered praise from both critics and audiences, with media outlets describing her as an “Actress You Can Trust” within the Korean entertainment industry. She was also hailed by journalists as the "Master of Youth Dramas" and "Rom-Com Queen."
In July 2024, Kim embarked on her "Hyeppiness" fan meeting tour, starting in Seoul and extending to international cities such as Yokohama, Osaka, Taipei, and Macau. Following the conclusion of her tour it was later announced that Kim was selected to star in the upcoming SBS' fantasy drama Human from Today, set to air in the first half of 2025.

## Public image

After her portrayal as Kang Ye-seo in the critically acclaimed television series Sky Castle, Kim earned the affectionate nickname "My Melody Princess" from Korean netizens and media outlets. This moniker stemmed from her lovely appearance with the character's fashion choices, which closely resembled the popular Sanrio character, My Melody.
She has also been dubbed by various Korean media as the "Nation's Little Sister".

## Endorsements

With her breakthrough, in 2019, Kim went on to endorse for Ildong Pharmaceutical's vitamin supplement brand Aronamin, Lotte Hi-Mart, Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, Shinsegae's casual clothing brand Design United, dshare's brand 3J Edu, LG Household & Health Care's derma cosmetics brand Dr. Belmeur, KB Financial Group's credit card service KB Kookmin Card, and Dong-A Pharmaceutical's feminine hygiene brand Tempo.
She has also endorsed for Entrepreneur Game application "Live Goddess" (2021), KB Financial Group's mobile payment application KB Pay (2021), Avène (2021), Batiste (2021), and Mentholatum's cosmetics brand Acnes (2023).
In April 2024, she went to endorse for Lotte Chilsung's liquor brand Saero by dubbing the advertisement of the product. In August of the same year, she was selected to endorse for KGC's representative ginseng brand Jung Kwan Jang, and Lion Corporation Korea's cosmetics brand Rawquest. In October 2024, Kim was chosen to become the new muse of the Kodak Apparel brand. In the same month, she is chosen to endorse for LG Pra.L's Skin Booster product.

## Filmography
### Selected filmography

Film
* Midnight (2021)
* The Girl on a Bulldozer (2022)
* Ditto (2022)
Television series
* Sky Castle (2018–2019)
* Extraordinary You (2019)
* Secret Royal Inspector & Joy (2021)
* Lovely Runner (2024)
* Human from Today (2025)

## Ambassadorship

| Year | Title |
| 2019 | Honorary Ambassador for CJ Super Race "Mini Challenge" |
| 2019 | Honorary Ambassador of Seoul City's public awareness campaign "Idoo" |
| 2021 | Honorary Ambassador for the 10th Korea Education Donation Fair |

## Accolades
### 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 | 2021 | KT Seezn Star Award | Kim Hye-yoon | Nominated |
| APAN Star Awards | 2024 | Top Excellence Award, Actress in a Miniseries | Lovely Runner | Nominated |
| APAN Star Awards | 2024 | Best Couple Award | Kim Hye-yoon (with Byeon Woo-seok) Lovely Runner | Won |
| APAN Star Awards | 2024 | Popularity Award – Actress | Kim Hye-yoon | Won |
| Asia Artist Awards | 2020 | Potential Award | Kim Hye-yoon | Won |
| Asia Artist Awards | 2024 | Best Actor Award | Kim Hye-yoon | Won |
| Asia Artist Awards | 2024 | Popularity Award – Actress | Kim Hye-yoon | Won |
| Asia Artist Awards | 2024 | Best Artist Award | Kim Hye-yoon | Won |
| Asia Artist Awards | 2024 | Best Couple Award | Kim Hye-yoon (with Byeon Woo-seok) Lovely Runner | Won |
| Asia Artist Awards | 2024 | Grand Prize (Daesang) | Kim Hye-yoon | Nominated |
| Asia Contents Awards & Global OTT Awards | 2024 | People's Choice Award | Kim Hye-yoon | Won |
| Asia Contents Awards & Global OTT Awards | 2024 | Best Lead Actress | Lovely Runner | Nominated |
| Asia Model Awards | 2019 | Rising Star Award | Kim Hye-yoon | Won |
| Baeksang Arts Awards | 2019 | Best New Actress – Television | Sky Castle | Won |
| Baeksang Arts Awards | 2023 | Best New Actress – Film | The Girl on a Bulldozer | Nominated |
| Blue Dragon Film Awards | 2022 | Best New Actress | The Girl on a Bulldozer | Won |
| Brand of the Year Awards | 2024 | Actress – Hot Trend | Kim Hye-yoon | Won |
| Buil Film Awards | 2022 | Best New Actress | The Girl on a Bulldozer | Nominated |
| Chunsa Film Art Awards | 2022 | Best New Actress | The Girl on a Bulldozer | Nominated |
| Director's Cut Awards | 2023 | Best New Actress | The Girl on a Bulldozer | Nominated |
| Golden Cinematography Awards | 2022 | Jury's Special Award | The Girl on a Bulldozer | Won |
| Grand Bell Awards | 2022 | Best New Actress | The Girl on a Bulldozer | Won |
| Korea Drama Awards | 2024 | Excellence Award, Actress | Lovely Runner | Nominated |
| Korea Drama Awards | 2024 | Best Couple Award | Kim Hye-yoon (with Byeon Woo-seok) Lovely Runner | Nominated |
| Korea Drama Awards | 2024 | Global Star Award | Kim Hye-yoon | Nominated |
| Korea Drama Awards | 2024 | Hot Star Award (Female) | Kim Hye-yoon | Nominated |
| Korea First Brand Awards | 2019 | Rising Star Award, Actress | Kim Hye-yoon | Won |
| Korean Culture and Entertainment Awards | 2019 | Excellence Award, Actress in a Drama | Sky Castle | Won |
| Korean Film Producers Association Awards | 2022 | Best New Actress | The Girl on a Bulldozer | Won |
| MBC Drama Awards | 2019 | Best New Actress | Extraordinary You | Won |
| MBC Drama Awards | 2019 | Excellence Award, Actress in a Wednesday-Thursday Drama | Extraordinary You | Won |
| MBC Drama Awards | 2019 | Best Couple Award | Kim Hye-yoon (with Rowoon and Lee Jae-wook) Extraordinary You | Nominated |
| New York Asian Film Festival | 2022 | Rising Star Asia Award | The Girl on a Bulldozer | Won |
| Seoul International Drama Awards | 2024 | Outstanding Asian Star: Korea Popularity Award (Female) | Kim Hye-yoon | Won |
| Wildflower Film Awards | 2023 | Best New Actress | The Girl on a Bulldozer | Won |

### Honors

Name of country or organization, year given, and name of honor or award :
| Country or Organization | Year | Honor or Award | Ref. |
| Korea Trusted Innovation Awards | 2024 | Cultural and Artistic Innovation Award | |
| Newsis K-Expo Cultural Awards | 2024 | National Assembly Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee Award | |

### Listicles

Name of publisher, year listed, name of listicle, and placement :
| Publisher | Year | Listicle | Placement | Ref. |
| Forbes | 2023 | 30 Under 30 | Placed | |
| Sisa Journal | 2024 | 100 Next Generation Leader | Included | |