Im Soo-hyang

Biographical Overview & Key Facts

Subject:

Im Soo-hyang

Role / Field:

Acclaimed South Korean actress known for roles in 'Gangnam Beauty' and 'Graceful Family'.

Born:

1990-04-19

Century / Era:

1990s Historical Era

Database Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Wikipedia CC BY-SA 4.0

Origins & Early Life

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). 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.

Career & Major Achievements

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.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

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. 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.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1990 (1990-04-19): Birth of Im Soo-hyang — Acclaimed South Korean actress known for roles in 'Gangnam Beauty' and 'Graceful Family'.
2. 2009: 2009 Milestone — 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.
3. 2011: 2011 Milestone — She rose to fame playing leading roles in the television series New Tales of Gisaeng (2011) and Inspiring Generation (2014).
4. 2012: 2012 Milestone — 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).
5. 2016: 2016 Milestone — In 2016, Im played the title character in the prison romance film Eunha.
6. 2017: 2017 Milestone — 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.
7. 2018: 2018 Milestone — 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).
8. 2019: 2019 Milestone — 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.
9. 2020: 2020 Milestone — She then starred in When I Was the Most Beautiful (2020), Woori the Virgin (2022), and Doctor Lawyer (2022).

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Im Soo-hyang

True or False: “Im Soo-hyang first gained significant recognition by starring in the 2018 drama, Gangnam Beauty.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): She initially rose to fame with her breakthrough role in the 2011 television series New Tales of Gisaeng.

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Frequently Asked Questions about Im Soo-hyang