Kim Ji-soo (actress, born 1972)

Quick Facts: Who was Kim Ji-soo (actress, born 1972)?

Subject:

Kim Ji-soo (actress, born 1972)

Known for:

Acclaimed South Korean actress known for versatile roles in film and television.

Born:

1972-10-24

Century / Era:

1972s Historical Era Archive

Verified Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

Kim Ji-soo (Korean: 김지수; born October 24, 1972), birth name Yang Sung-yoon (양성윤), is a South Korean actress. A graduate of Kaywon High School of the Arts, Kim made her acting debut in 1992. She worked as a television actress for over a decade before branching out into film, saying in an interview that, "I was getting older by the second, and I hated becoming complacent." In 2005, Kim made her first big screen appearance with a leading role in Lee Yoon-ki's This Charming Girl, a character study of a twenty-something single woman working at a post office. The film was well received by critics, and Kim herself was singled out for praise, with The Japan Times commenting, "Kim's performance is a masterful balance of understatedness and open-wounded vulnerability." Kim won Best Actress at the Singapore International Film Festival, and Best New Actress at the Blue Dragon Film Awards, Busan Film Critics Awards, and Korean Film Awards, with a further nomination at the Grand Bell Awards. Due to the success of This Charming Girl on the international film festival circuit, and in recognition of her role in promoting Korean culture overseas, Kim was invited to a Blue House luncheon, where she met then-South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun and First Lady Kwon Yang-suk.

Career & Major Achievements

In 2006 Kim appeared in several films, first with Jo Jae-hyun in the melodrama Romance, though she was publicly critical about the lack of depth to her character. In October 2006, she portrayed a victim of the Sampoong Department Store collapse in Traces of Love, which was selected as the opening film of the 11th Pusan International Film Festival. In November 2006, Kim starred opposite Han Suk-kyu in the romantic drama Solace, receiving a nomination for Best Actress at the Korean Film Awards. Kim returned to television in May 2008 with a leading role in the drama Women of the Sun. Her turn as a complex antiheroine garnered praise, and she won a Top Excellence Award in Acting at the year-end KBS Drama Awards and a nomination for Best TV Actress at the Baeksang Arts Awards.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

In 2010 she starred in her first historical series The King of Legend which focuses on Geunchogo, the 13th ruler of Baekje. Shortly before the drama's premiere, Kim was involved in a drunken hit-and-run accident (this was her second offense; her first DUI was in 2000 for which she lost her license). Amidst a wave of complaints demanding that she be fired from the drama, broadcast station KBS stuck by the actress, and Kim released an official apology and paid the fine of ₩10 million. She was later listed among the top 10 highest-paid entertainers on KBS for the year 2011, with a salary of ₩400 million. Starring roles followed in Love Again (2012) and One Warm Word (2013).

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1972 (1972-10-24): Birth of Kim Ji-soo (actress, born 1972) — Acclaimed South Korean actress known for versatile roles in film and television.
2. 1992: 1992 Milestone — A graduate of Kaywon High School of the Arts, Kim made her acting debut in 1992.
3. 2000: 2000 Milestone — Shortly before the drama's premiere, Kim was involved in a drunken hit-and-run accident (this was her second offense; her first DUI was in 2000 for which she lost her license).
4. 2005: 2005 Milestone — " In 2005, Kim made her first big screen appearance with a leading role in Lee Yoon-ki's This Charming Girl, a character study of a twenty-something single woman working at a post office.
5. 2006: 2006 Milestone — In 2006 Kim appeared in several films, first with Jo Jae-hyun in the melodrama Romance, though she was publicly critical about the lack of depth to her character.
6. 2008: 2008 Milestone — Kim returned to television in May 2008 with a leading role in the drama Women of the Sun.
7. 2010: 2010 Milestone — In 2010 she starred in her first historical series The King of Legend which focuses on Geunchogo, the 13th ruler of Baekje.
8. 2011: 2011 Milestone — She was later listed among the top 10 highest-paid entertainers on KBS for the year 2011, with a salary of ₩400 million.
9. 2012: 2012 Milestone — Starring roles followed in Love Again (2012) and One Warm Word (2013).

Notable Quotes by Kim Ji-soo (actress, born 1972)

“I don't want to take nude scenes to prove my passion for acting, which I have always had.”

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Kim Ji-soo (actress, born 1972)

True or False: “Kim Ji-soo made her film debut in a leading role in 2005.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): She actually made her acting debut on television in 1992 before achieving a major film breakthrough with This Charming Girl in 2005.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• A-Mei — Contemporary (Born in 1972) (1972): Iconic Taiwanese singer, producer, and cultural voice of Mandopop.
• Abraham Joshua Heschel — Contemporary (Died in 1972) (1972): Leading 20th-century American rabbi, theologian, and philosopher.
• Ahn Jae-hwan — Contemporary (Born in 1972) (1972): South Korean actor known for roles in films like Beautiful Temptation and Show Show Show.
• Ahmad Shah of Pahang — Shared historical date (10-24 · Born) (1930): Sultan of Pahang and 7th Yang di-Pertuan Agong (King of Malaysia) from 1979–1984.
• Alfred Radcliffe-Brown — Shared historical date (10-24 · Died) (1955): Pioneering social anthropologist who developed structural functionalism.
• Alessandro Nivola — Historical peer (Born in 1972) (1972): Versatile American actor known for film and stage work, building a notable career.
• Alison Stone (philosopher) — Historical peer (Born in 1972) (1972): British philosopher specializing in feminist and continental European thought.
• 21 Savage — Historical peer (Born in 1992) (1992): Atlanta-based rapper known for his distinctive style and career evolution.
• 6lack — Historical peer (Born in 1992) (1992): American R&B singer, songwriter, and rapper known professionally as 6lack.
• Ahmed Zaki (actor) — Historical peer (Died in 2005) (2005): Iconic Egyptian actor celebrated for intense dramatic performances and masterful impersonation.
• 1972 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1972
• October 24 (10-24) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on October 24

Frequently Asked Questions about Kim Ji-soo (actress, born 1972)