# Kim Hye-soo

Kim Hye-soo (Korean: 김혜수; Korean pronunciation:; born September 5, 1970) is a South Korean actress. Kim was one of the most popular teen stars in the 1980s and 1990s. She is known for her headstrong independence and regularly playing strong-willed, sophisticated women.
Kim began her career in an advertisement for Nestlé Milo in 1985. She made her film debut as a leading actress in the film Kambo (1986), for which she received her first accolade as Best New Actress at 1987 Baeksang Arts Awards. She was the youngest winner of the Blue Dragon Film Award for Best Leading Actress in First Love (1993). Her most commercially successful role was Madam Jeong in the crime film Tazza: The High Rollers (2006), which also won her third Blue Dragon Film Award for Best Actress.
Aside from her performances in films, Kim has appeared in many successful television series, including Partner (1994–1998), Did We Really Love? (1999), Royal Story: Jang Hui-bin (2002), The Queen of Office (2013), Signal (2016), Hyena (2020), Juvenile Justice (2022), and Under the Queen's Umbrella (2022).

## Early life and education

Kim Hye-soo was born on September 5, 1970, in Busan, Dongnae District, the second of five children. She moved to Seoul Midong Elementary School while she was in third grade at Busan National Elementary School due to her father's work. While in elementary school, she was a member of the national Taekwondo children's demonstration team, and in April 1982 was the flower girl to present a bouquet to Juan Antonio Samaranch, the seventh President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

## Career
### 1985–1991: Career beginnings and break into cinema

In 1985, Kim featured in a commercial for Nestlé Milo and as well as the first K-pop music video, Cho Yong-pil's title song Empty In The Air. In 1986, Kim made her film debut on Kambo when she was a first-year high school student. She also won Best New Actress for Kambo at 23rd Baeksang Arts Awards. Kim went on to play the leading roles in the television series Samogok (1987), Sun Shim-yi (1988), and Senoya (1989). She co-starred with Roh Joo-hyun in When The Flowers Bloom And The Birds Cry (1990). In 1991, she landed the main role in Lost Love.

### 1992–1998: Television series and film success

Kim is referred to as a "Pencil Board Star" of the 1980s due to the popularity of pencil boards printed with her image. She has also been named a part of the "Troika of the 1990s" in Korea along with her contemporaries Kim Hee-sun and Shim Eun-ha for their nationwide fame. In 1993, Kim led the main role in the film First Love and gained critical acclaim for her portrayal of the archetypal innocent girl, winning a Blue Dragon Film Award for Best Leading Actress and earning her the title "Nation's First Love" although the film was a box-office failure.

### 1999–2004: Development of her career

Over two decades, she amassed a sizeable filmography of leading and supporting roles, notably in the television series Did We Really Love? with Bae Yong-joon and Revenge and Passion with Ahn Jae-wook, as well as the film Tie a Yellow Ribbon (1998). In the 2000s, Kim focused more on her career in film rather than television, featuring in Kick the Moon, YMCA Baseball Team and Three. At this time, she reinvented her image as a glamorous and confident femme fatale in Hypnotized (2004),

### 2005–2011: Revival by Tazza

Kim's roles in The Red Shoes (2005) and Tazza: The High Rollers (2006) were her most recognised and ushered her into the highest ranks of the Korean film industry A-list. Various film roles followed, such as a housewife secretly dating a college student in A Good Day to Have an Affair; a non-plussed aunt in Shim's Family; a prostitute in Eleventh Mom and a bar singer in Modern Boy (2008). She considers her collaboration with Han Suk-kyu in 2010's Villain and Widow as one of the highlights of her acting career. In 2009, Kim returned to television with Style, which was set in the fashion industry. She followed that with the mystery melodrama Home Sweet Home in 2010.
A frequent host of film awards ceremonies and TV variety shows, Kim became a host of MBC current affairs show W in 2015. Kim, an avid documentary fan, was considered a perfect it for the programme as it shifted its focus more to environmental and global issues. W with Kim Hye-soo premiered in July 2010, but was cancelled in October 2010, with Kim criticizing the network's decision.

### 2012–2015: Film success

In 2012, she reunited with Tazza director Choi Dong-hoon in The Thieves. Set amongst the casinos of Macau, the heist film became one of the highest-grossing films in Korean cinema history. Kim won the Award for Best Actress in a Film at the 20th Korean Culture and Entertainment Awards This was followed with a supporting role in Han Jae-rim's historical film The Face Reader.
In 2013, she headlined the romantic comedy The Queen of Office (also known as Goddess of the Workplace), an adaptation of the 2007 Japanese drama Haken no Hinkaku ("Pride of the Temp").
Kim next starred in Coin Locker Girl (also known as Chinatown) in 2015, the rare female-driven noir film. She said she didn't mind looking unattractive for her role as a ruthless crime boss, with makeup artists adding age spots to her face, gray to her hair, and flab to her stomach and hips with prostheses. Kim said it was "mentally agonizing" deciding whether to accept the role, but once she did, she felt "a surge of excitement" every time she stepped onto the set, and considered the film "a new challenge that (made her) heart race and (scared her) at the same time."

### 2016–present: Return to television and film

Kim made her small-screen comeback in 2016 with tvN's Signal, which was both critically and commercially successful. Kim as Cha Soo-hyun, acted opposite Lee Je-hoon and Cho Jin-woong as the first female police officer in the Special Task Force, later becoming the leader of the Seoul Cold Case Aquad. She won Best Actress at the 52nd Baeksang Arts Awards and the tvN10 Awards for her performance.
   "First of all, I write down everything that comes into my eyes. In the case of an artist, I am not a casting director, but I remember and recommend it when there is a good work or a character that is suitable for the actor has come out. If you look at my memo, there is the person who are over 70 years old.
   In general, if you remember the days when an actor wasn't in the spotlight but got impressed by yourself, 'Huh? I saw that actor before. I thought it was really good.' Don't you want to say that? The same goes for me. It's best when I'm with good actors."
Kim then starred in the comedy drama Familyhood, a film directed by Kim Tae-gon, co-starring Ma Dong-seok and Kim Hyun-soo. Kim was nominated for Best Actress at 25th Buil Film Awards, 37th Blue Dragon Film Awards, and the 53rd Baeksang Arts Awards
In 2017, Kim also starred in the noir film A Special Lady. Directed by Lee An-gyu, Kim played Na Hyun-jung,a woman who becomes the second-in-command of a gangster organization-turned-leading business entity, opposite Lee Sun-kyun and Lee Hee-joon.
"Kim Hye-soo's Refugee Diary" was a documentary that aired on KBS1 in September 2017. Directed by Park Hye-ryeong, Jang Hyun-ho, and Lee Byung-han, with the script written by Kwon Hyeon-jeong. The documentary followed Kim Hye-soo's visits to refugees who had survived near-death experiences in the Mediterranean. During her travels in June 2017 to Serbia, Italy, and Greece, which were major refugee destinations, she witnessed the challenges faced by refugees. Despite restrictions, the number of refugees, especially children, continued to rise. Kim Hye-soo shared vivid stories of their journeys and expressed admiration for their resilience, particularly among children living alone without family or guardians.
In 2018, Kim starred in the IMF crisis film, Default, alongside Yoo Ah-in. She was nominated for Best Actress at the 55th Baeksang Arts Awards. Then she was cast in the science fiction film Return.
in June 2019, Kim signed on to appear in The Day I Died: Unclosed Case, Park Ji-wan's directorial debut. The film was released on November 12, 2020. Kim was nominated at the 57th Baeksang Arts Awards for the Best Actress in a Film category.
In 2020, Kim starred in the legal drama Hyena. She played Jung Geum-ja, a hyena who chased money and success no matter the cost. It aired on SBS TV from February 21 to April 11, 2020. She was nominated for Best Actress at the 56th Baeksang Arts Awards. She was honoured with Excellence Award at the 2020 Asia Contents Awards & Global OTT Awards for her performance in Hyena.
In March 2022, Kim gained international recognition for her lead role as judge Shim Eun-seok in the Netflix series Juvenile Justice, the most popular non-English show for two weeks straight. She was nominated for Best Actress at the 58th Baeksang Arts Awards. The same year she starred in the tvN historical drama Under the Queen's Umbrella as Queen Im Hwa-ryeong.

## Personal life
### Public image and character

Kim has been a popular Korean sex symbol since she wore a low-cut dress as a Blue Dragon Film Awards host and Best Actress winner in 1993, and came to epitomize the era's sexual revolution.
Kim is known for caring about younger actors, and has been described by co-star Ma Dong-seok in Familyhood (2016) to be "the most considerate person to care for others." Her co-star Lee Sang-hee in the TV series Juvenile Justice said "Kim would write down unknown actors' names when she thought their acting was good, so that she could recommend them for suitable scripts in the future." Many actresses had expressed special thanks and gratitude to Kim for her care, including Son Ye-jin, Han Ji-min, Kim Nam-joo, and Yum Jung-ah.
Kim has a bachelor's in theater and film from Dongguk University. In 2013, Kim admitted to having plagiarized her master's thesis "A Study on Actor Communication," with parts copied verbatim from at least four books. She apologized for her actions, which she said stemmed from her busy schedule and ignorance of the seriousness of plagiarism. Kim consequently forfeited her master's degree in journalism and mass communications.

### Relationships

Kim and character actor Yoo Hae-jin first met in 2001 after shooting the film Kick the Moon and became close in 2006 after appearing together in Tazza: The High Rollers. Rumors of the two dating surfaced starting 2008 although both continuously denied any romantic involvement until early 2010 when paparazzi photographs of the two were released, and the couple officially confirmed their relationship. Kim and Yoo broke up in 2011.

## Philanthropy

In 2008, Kim donated the full amount of the narration fees of the documentary film "Forgiveness, Are You at the End of the Way" to the crime victim support fund.
In April 2009, Kim displayed her pop art at the Seoul Open Art Fair. One of her collage paintings was sold for ₩5 million, and she donated the sum to charity.
On July 7, 2009, Kim participated in the "Style Meets Art" campaign co-hosted by cable channel OnStyle and Korean National Commission for UNESCO and donated the proceeds of her donated works to the Korean National Commission for UNESCO.
Kim donated ₩100 million for forest fire victims affected by the Goseong Fire of 2019.
In 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic exposed a shortage of masks, Kim donated ₩100 million to Hope Bridge Disaster Relief Association.
On March 7, 2022, Kim donated ₩100 million to the Hope Bridge Disaster Relief Association to help the victims of the 2022 Uljin and Samcheok wildfire [ko] as emergency relief funds.
On August 9, 2022, Kim donated ₩100 million to help those affected by the 2022 South Korean floods through the Hope Bridge Korea Disaster Relief Association.
On February 10, 2023, Kim donated ₩100 million through UNICEF to help children who were effected by 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquake and in the same month Kim posted a photo of the briquette service, which were the briquettes she donated.
On July 17, 2023, Kim donated ₩100 million to aid recovery from the 2023 South Korea floods through Hope Bridge National Disaster Relief Association.

## Filmography
### Film

Film performances :
| Year | Title | Title | Role | Note | Ref. |
| Year | English | Korean | Role | Note | Ref. |
| 1986 | Ggambo | 깜보 | Na-young | | |
| 1986 | My Daughter Saved from the Mire, Part II | 수렁에서 건진 내 딸 2 | Yu-ri | | |
| 1988 | Grown-ups Just Don't Understand | 어른들은 몰라요 | Yu-ra | | |
| 1988 | That Last Winter | 그 마지막 겨울 | Young-ae | | |
| 1990 | Oseam | 오세암 | Sister Angela | | |
| 1991 | Lost Love | 잃어버린 너 | Kim Yoon-hee | | |
| 1993 | First Love | 첫사랑 | Park Young-shin | | |
| 1994 | I Wish for What is Forbidden | 나는 소망한다 내게 금지된 것을 | | Cameo | |
| 1994 | Life and Death of the Hollywood Kid | 헐리우드 키드의 생애 | | Cameo | |
| 1994 | Blue Seagull | 블루시걸 | Chae-rin (voice) | | |
| 1995 | Dr. Bong | 닥터봉 | Hwang Yeo-shin | | |
| 1995 | The Eternal Empire | 영원한 제국 | Yoon Sang-ah | | |
| 1995 | Bitter and Sweet | 남자는 괴로워 | Kim Hye-soo | | |
| 1997 | Change | 체인지 | Ko Eun-bi | Special appearance | |
| 1997 | Mister Condom | 미스터 콘돔 | Sung-hee | | |
| 1998 | Too Tired to Die | 투 타이어드 투 다이 | Anouk | | |
| 1998 | Tie a Yellow Ribbon | 찜 | Chae-young | | |
| 1999 | Doctor K | 닥터 K | Dr. Pyo Ji-soo | | |
| 2001 | Kick the Moon | 신라의 달밤 | Min Ju-ran | | |
| 2002 | Three | 쓰리 | Wife | | |
| 2002 | YMCA Baseball Team | YMCA 야구단 | Min Jong-rim | | |
| 2004 | Hypnotized | 얼굴없는 미녀 | Ji-su | | |
| 2005 | The Red Shoes | 분홍신 | Sun-jae | | |
| 2006 | Tazza: The High Rollers | 타짜 | Madam Jeong | | |
| 2007 | A Good Day to Have an Affair | 바람 피기 좋은 날 | Dew | | |
| 2007 | Skeletons in the Closet | 좋지 아니한가 | Mi-kyung | | |
| 2007 | Eleventh Mom | 열한번째 엄마 | Woman | | |
| 2008 | Modern Boy | 모던보이 | Jo Nan-sil | | |
| 2008 | Forgiveness | 용서 | Narrator | Documentary | |
| 2010 | Villain and Widow | 이층의 악당 | Hyun-joo | | |
| 2012 | The Thieves | 도둑들 | Pepsee | | |
| 2013 | The Face Reader | 관상 | Yeon-hong | | |
| 2015 | Coin Locker Girl | 차이나타운 | Ma Woo-hee | | |
| 2016 | Familyhood | 굿바이 싱글 | Joo-yeon | | |
| 2017 | A Special Lady | 미옥 | Na Hyun-jung | | |
| 2018 | Default | 국가부도의 날 | Han Shi-hyeon | | |
| 2020 | The Day I Died: Unclosed Case | 내가 죽던 날 | Hyeon-soo | | |
| 2023 | Smugglers | 밀수 | Cho Chun-ja | | |
| TBA | Return | 귀환 | TBA | | |

### Television series

Television series performances :
| Year | Title | Title | Role | Note | Ref. |
| Year | English | Korean | Role | Note | Ref. |
| 1986 | Best Selling Theater: "Doll's Classroom" | 베스트셀러극장 - 인형의 교실 | Oh Hye-sook | | |
| 1986 | TV Literary Museum: "Young Zelkova Tree" | TV문학관 - 젊은 느티나무 | | | |
| 1987 | Samogok | 사모곡 | Bo-wook | | |
| 1988 | 1988 Summer Olympics Special: "Chunhyangjeon" | | Sung Chun-hyang | | |
| 1988 | Sun Shim-yi | 순심이 | Sun Shim-yi | | |
| 1989 | Senoya | 세노야 | Kang Jung-ae | | |
| 1990 | Erased Woman | 지워진 여자 | Jung Soo-min | | |
| 1990 | When The Flowers Bloom and the Birds Cry | 꽃 피고 새 울면 | Mi-kyung | |
| 1990 | Three Families in One House 2 | 한지붕 세가족 시즌2 | Hye-sook | | |
| 1990 | Fun World | 재미있는 세상 | Seo Byung-sook | | |
| 1991 | Best Theater: "Midsummer Night's Dream" | 베스트극장 - 한여름 밤의 꿈 | | | |
| 1991 | Best Theater: "Neighbor" | 베스트극장 - 이웃집 은이 | | | |
| 1991 | Chuseok Special: "Gosu" | 추석 특집극 - 고수 | Oh Jung-hee | | |
| 1991 | Rosy Life | 장미빛 인생 | Chae Jung-seo | | |
| 1992 | New Year Special: "Cheonsa is a Tomboy" | 신년 특집극 - 천사는 말괄량이 | Cheon-sa | | |
| 1992 | Best Theater: "Reasons to Love Someone" | 베스트극장 - 누군가를 사랑하려는 이유 | Kang-ju | | |
| 1992 | Rainbow in Mapo | 마포 무지개 | Park Young-mi | | |
| 1993 | Pilot | 파일럿 | Lee Ji-won | | |
| 1993 | A Woman's Man | 여자의 남자 | Kim Eun-young | | |
| 1994 | Dokkaebiga Ganda | 창사특집극 - 눈먼 새의 노래 | Choi In-young | | |
| 1994 | Changsa Special: "Song of a Blind Bird" | 창사특집극 - 눈먼 새의 노래 | Seok Kyung-sook | | |
| 1994–1998 | Partner | 짝 | Cha Hae-soon | | |
| 1995 | Love Pro, Marriage Amateur | 사랑과 결혼 | Seo Ye-hee | | |
| 1995 | The Basics of Romance | 연애의 기초 | Il-young | | |
| 1995 | Drama Game: "Twilight of the Gods" | 드라마게임 - 신들의 황혼 | | | |
| 1996 | Oxtail Soup | 곰탕 | | | |
| 1996 | Scent of Apple Blossoms | 사과꽃 향기 | Seo Kyung-joo | | |
| 1997 | Changsa Special: "Young" | 창사 특집극 - 새끼 | Sun-ju | | |
| 1997 | Ms. & Mr. | 미스&미스터 | | | |
| 1997 | Revenge and Passion | 복수혈전 | Jung Mi-kyung | | |
| 1999 | Did We Really Love? | 우리가 정말 사랑했을까 | Lee Shin-young | | |
| 1999 | Kuk-hee | 국희 | Min Kuk-hee | | |
| 2000 | Golden Era | 황금시대 | Kim/Choi Hee-kyung | | |
| 2001 | Best Theater: "Dear Hye-soo" | 베스트극장 - 사랑하는 혜수 언니 | Herself | | |
| 2002–2003 | Royal Story: Jang Hui-bin | 장희빈 | Jang Hui-bin | | |
| 2004–2005 | Han River Ballad | 한강수타령 | Yoon Ga-young | | |
| 2009 | Style | 스타일 | Park Ki-ja | | |
| 2010 | Home Sweet Home | 즐거운 나의 집 | Kim Jin-seo | | |
| 2011 | Cool Guys, Hot Ramen | 꽃미남 라면가게 | tarot fortuneteller | Cameo (episode 1) | |
| 2013 | The Queen of Office | 직장의 신 | Miss Kim / Kim Jeom-seon | | |
| 2016 | Signal | 시그널 | Cha Soo-hyun | | |
| 2017 | Dr. Romantic | 낭만닥터 김사부 | Lee Young-jo | Cameo (episodes 20 & 21) | |
| 2020 | Hyena | 하이에나 | Jeong Geum-ja | | |
| 2022 | Juvenile Justice | 소년 심판 | Sim Eun-seok | | |
| 2022 | Under the Queen's Umbrella | 슈룹 | Queen Im Hwa-ryeong | | |
| 2025 | Unmasked | 트리거 | Oh So-ryong | | |
| 2026 | Second Signal | 두 번째 시그널 | Cha Soo-hyun | |

### Hosting

| Year | Title | Notes |
| 1993–1995 | Saturday Saturday Is Fun | |
| 1993–1995 1997 1999–2023 | Blue Dragon Film Awards | Last hosted at 44th awards in her 30th Anniversary of Hosting the event. |
| 2010 | World Wide Weekly | |

## Stage
### Theater

Theater plays performances :
| Year | Title | Title | Role | Theater | Date | Ref. |
| Year | English | Korean | Role | Theater | Date | Ref. |
| 1993 | Agnes of God | 신의 아그네스 | Agnes | Grand Theater of the Daehakro Culture and Arts Center in Seoul | March 31 to April 12 | |
| 1993 | Agnes of God | 신의 아그네스 | Agnes | Busan Citizens' Center on | April 18 and 19 | |
| 1993 | Agnes of God | 신의 아그네스 | Agnes | Daejeon's Yuseong Arts Center | April 25 and 26 | |
| 1993 | Agnes of God | 신의 아그네스 | Agnes | Daegu Kyungpook National University Auditorium | May 2 and 3 | |
| 1993 | Agnes of God | 신의 아그네스 | Agnes | Masan MBC Hall | May 9 and 10 | |
| 1993 | Agnes of God | 신의 아그네스 | Agnes | Ulsan Arts Center | May 16 and 17 | |
| 1993 | Agnes of God | 신의 아그네스 | Agnes | Jeonju Arts Center on the | May 23 and 24 | |
| 1993 | Agnes of God | 신의 아그네스 | Agnes | Incheon Arts Center | June 7 and 8 | |

## Discography

| Year | Song title | Notes |
| 2008 | "Why Don't You Do Right?" | Track from Modern Boy OST |
| 2008 | "Blues of Colors" | Track from Modern Boy OST |
| 2008 | "개여울" (Japanese Ver.) | Track from Modern Boy OST |
| 2013 | "Love is" | Track from The Queen of Office OST |