Kim Go-eun facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kim Go-eun
Kim at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival
Born	(1991-07-02) July 2, 1991 (age 34) Seoul, South Korea
Alma mater	Korea National University of Arts
Occupation	Actress
Years active	2012–present
Agent	BH Entertainment
Korean name
Hangul	김고은
RR	Gim Goeun
MR	Kim Koŭn
Signature

Kim Go-eun (Hangul: 김고은) is a famous South Korean actress. She was born on July 2, 1991. She first started acting in the movie A Muse in 2012. For this role, she won many awards for Best New Actress in South Korea.

Kim Go-eun is also well-known for her roles in popular TV shows. These include Cheese in the Trap (2016), Guardian: The Lonely and Great God (2016–2017), Yumi's Cells (2021–2022), and Little Women (2022). She has also starred in movies like Coin Locker Girl (2015) and Hero (2022).

In 2024, Kim Go-eun received many important awards for her acting in the movie Exhuma. These awards included the Baeksang Arts Awards and the Blue Dragon Film Awards.

Kim Go-eun's Early Life and School

Kim Go-eun was born in Seoul, South Korea, in 1991. When she was three years old, in 1994, her family moved to Beijing, China. She lived there for 10 years, which helped her become very good at speaking Mandarin Chinese.

After watching the movie Together many times, Kim Go-eun decided she wanted to become a filmmaker. However, she ended up getting into acting by chance. When she returned to South Korea, she went to Kaywon High School of the Arts. Later, she studied drama at the Korea National University of Arts.

Director Jung Ji-woo once said about Kim Go-eun, "She is naturally curious and brave. She is strong because she isn't easily swayed by others. She doesn't just do things because everyone else does them."

Kim Go-eun's Acting Journey

Starting Her Career in 2012

In 2012, Kim Go-eun became very famous quickly. She was chosen to play Eun-gyo, a 17-year-old high school student, in the movie A Muse. Her acting in this film earned her many Best New Actress awards that year.

Before this movie, Kim Go-eun, who was 21 at the time, had never acted in a film or TV show. She had only performed in student plays. She met the director of A Muse, Jung Ji-woo, through friends. She didn't even know there were auditions for the movie. Kim Go-eun remembered, "I ended up auditioning after just chatting with the director. I didn't even have time to get ready." She was chosen from about 300 actresses who tried out for the part.

Director Jung Ji-woo said that Kim Go-eun grew a lot during the film. He noted that her facial expressions changed a lot from the beginning to the end of the movie. He felt she showed special qualities that come from someone who doesn't even realize how talented and beautiful they are.

Kim Go-eun shared her feelings about acting. She said, "When I first stood on stage, I was so nervous. I thought it would be very hard if I had to do this for my whole life." But from her second performance, she felt amazing, "as if I had wings." She never wanted to leave the stage. She continues acting because she wants to hold onto that feeling.

Taking a Break and Returning to Movies (2013–2015)

Kim Go-eun at the 34th Blue Dragon Film Awards in 2013

Even though she received many offers after A Muse, Kim Go-eun took a break from acting. She went back to college to finish her degree. She returned to acting in 2014 in the thriller movie Monster. In this film, she played a woman whose younger sister is killed. Her sadness and anger make her want revenge.

In 2015, she starred with Kim Hye-soo in Coin Locker Girl. This was a thriller movie about women. She was invited to the 2015 Festival de Cannes for this film, which was her first time at the famous festival. Next, Kim Go-eun acted in the martial arts movie Memories of the Sword. In this film, she worked with Jeon Do-yeon, an actress she had looked up to for a long time.

After that, she appeared in the courtroom movie The Advocate: A Missing Body, where she played a strong prosecutor. She also starred in the family movie Canola, about a girl reuniting with her grandmother. She acted alongside the experienced actress Youn Yuh-jung in this film.

TV Debut and Growing Popularity (2016–Present)

Kim Go-eun made her first appearance on television in the popular show Cheese in the Trap in 2016. This show was based on a popular webtoon. She also sang a song called "Attraction" for the show's soundtrack. Kim Go-eun won the Baeksang Arts Award for Best New Actress (Television) for her role.

Later in 2016, she starred in the very successful fantasy drama Guardian: The Lonely and Great God with Gong Yoo. This drama became a huge hit across Asia and was loved by critics. It also became a big cultural event in South Korea. It was the first Korean cable drama to get more than 20% in ratings. As of June 2021, it was the fifth-highest rated Korean drama in cable TV history.

In 2018, Kim Go-eun had a supporting role in the movie Sunset in My Hometown. For this role, she gained 8 kg and learned a special regional accent. In the same year, she was cast in the romance movie Tune in for Love.

In 2019, Kim Go-eun starred in the fantasy drama The King: Eternal Monarch. This series was highly anticipated because of its great cast, famous writer, and large budget. It set a record for its first episode as SBS's highest-rated Friday-Saturday drama premiere. It also stayed at the top of the weekly Wavve drama chart for eight weeks. However, some people criticized its story, which led to it being less popular in South Korea than expected.

Kim Go-eun for Marie Claire Korea in 2020

In 2019, she was also cast in South Korea's first musical film, Hero. This movie is based on a popular stage musical. The film tells the story of freedom fighter An Jung-geun. Kim Go-eun played a former palace woman who becomes a geisha and joins the Korean independence movement. The movie was supposed to be released in July 2020 but was delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was finally released in December 2022 and earned over $24 million in South Korea. It became the 6th highest-grossing film of the year in the country.

In 2021 and 2022, Kim Go-eun starred in Yumi's Cells. This was Korea's first live-action animation romantic comedy drama. It was a tvN TV series based on a webtoon and ran for two seasons. The drama was well-received by viewers. NME listed it as one of the 10 best Korean dramas of 2021. Kim Go-eun's main role in the show received a lot of attention. India Today praised her acting as "impeccable." Cosmopolitan Philippines called Kim Go-eun "a chameleon" who "manages to create a great character out of her roles."

Also in 2022, Kim Go-eun starred in the TV series Little Women. This show was loosely based on Louisa May Alcott's novel. It tells the story of three sisters who, after an unexpected event, try to escape poverty. They find themselves against one of the country's richest and most powerful families. The show has a perfect 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Kim Go-eun received wide praise for her acting as the oldest sister, Oh In-ju.

In 2024, Kim Go-eun starred with actor Choi Min-sik in the thriller film Exhuma. In this movie, she plays a shaman. The film was shown at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival. It was the top movie at the South Korean box office during its opening weekend. It reached 5 million viewers in a record-breaking 10 days. As of May 8, 2024, Exhuma had earned US$95 million and had over 11 million viewers. It is the 6th highest-grossing film of all time in South Korea and the highest-grossing film of 2024.

Kim Go-eun received excellent reviews from critics and fans for her performance. The Korea Herald praised her "fine acting." They called her a "veteran actor" who "captivated the audience with her terror-inducing songs, oracles, and prayers." For her role, she won Best Actress at the 60th Baeksang Arts Awards and 45th Blue Dragon Film Awards. These are two of South Korea's most important award ceremonies.

Kim Go-eun will next appear in the movie Love in the Big City. This film is based on a popular novel. It will focus on the friendship between a free-spirited young woman and a gay man as they live together in modern-day Seoul.

Other Activities

Being an Ambassador

In 2019, Kim Go-eun was chosen as a Chanel Ambassador for South Korea. Later, in 2020, she was one of seven faces for Chanel's "J12 Turns 20" campaign.

In August 2019, Kim Go-eun was also named an honorary ambassador for Korea's Ministry of the Environment. Her role was to promote resource recycling.

Helping Others

Kim Go-eun is also known for her charity work.

• In April 2019, she donated ₩20 million (about US$17,460) to help people affected by the Gangwon Province Wildfire.
• In February 2020, she donated ₩100 million (about US$82,640) to provide 40,000 masks for low-income families in South Korea during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• On May 5, 2021, for Korean National Children's Day, she donated ₩50 million (about $44,000) to the Children's Hospital of the Seoul National University Hospital.
• On March 5, 2022, she donated ₩50 million to help villagers affected by the Uljin wildfire.
• On August 11, 2022, she donated ₩50 million to help those affected by the 2022 South Korean floods.
• To celebrate her 10th anniversary as an actress, Kim Go-eun donated ₩100 million to Seoul National University Children's Hospital in October 2022.
• On February 9, 2023, she donated ₩30 million to help with relief efforts for the 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquake.
• In March 2025, Kim Go-eun donated ₩50 million to help with recovery efforts from wildfires in the Ulsan, Gyeongbuk, and Gyeongnam regions.

Movies and TV Shows

Movies

Television Series

Television Shows

Awards and Recognitions

Kim Go-eun has won many awards for her acting. Here are some of the most important ones:

• 2012: Won Best New Actress at the Blue Dragon Film Awards for A Muse.
• 2016: Won Best New Actress – Television at the Baeksang Arts Awards for Cheese in the Trap.
• 2022: Won Best Leading Actress at the Blue Dragon Series Awards for Yumi's Cells.
• 2024: Won Best Actress – Film at the Baeksang Arts Awards for Exhuma.
• 2024: Won Best Actress at the Blue Dragon Film Awards for Exhuma.

See also

In Spanish: Kim Go-eun para niños