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Kim Go-eun
Kim wearing a white strapless dress and looking at the camera at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival
Kim at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival
Born (1991-07-02) July 2, 1991 (age 33)
Seoul, South Korea
Alma mater Korea National University of Arts
Occupation Actress
Years active 2012–present
Agent BH Entertainment
Korean name
Hangul 김고은
Revised Romanization Gim Goeun
McCune–Reischauer Kim Koŭn
Signature
Signature of Kim Go-eun

Kim Go-eun (Hangul: 김고은; born July 2, 1991) is a South Korean actress. She debuted in the film Eungyo (2012) where she won several Best New Actress awards in South Korea. She is also known for her roles in the television series Cheese in the Trap (2016), Guardian: The Lonely and Great God (2016–2017), Yumi's Cells (2021–2022), and Little Women (2022), as well as the films Coin Locker Girl (2015), Hero (2022), and Exhuma (2024).

Early life and education

Kim was born in Seoul, South Korea in 1991 and in 1994, at the age of three, she moved with her family to Beijing, China. She lived there for 10 years which led to her becoming fluent in Mandarin. After watching Chen Kaige's Together many times, Kim decided she wanted to become a filmmaker, and was led to theater by chance. Upon returning to South Korea, she attended Kaywon High School of the Arts, and went on to study drama at the Korea National University of Arts.

Director Jung Ji-woo commented on Kim, saying, "She is naturally curious and brave. She's strong in a sense that she isn't influenced easily. She doesn't do things just because everyone else does it."

Career

2012: A Muse and critical acclaim

..... Her performance swept the Best New Actress awards that year.

The 21-year-old had never appeared in a film or TV drama before, not even in a minor role; she had only previously acted in student productions or school plays. She met A Muse director Jung Ji-woo through a circle of friends and was not even aware that auditions for the film were being held. "I ended up having an audition after chatting with the director. There wasn't even any time for me to prepare," Kim recalled. She was chosen from among some 300 actresses who auditioned for the part. Jung said Kim grew up through the film, saying, "Her facial expressions in the last few scenes of the film are strikingly different from the ones in the beginning. I wanted to capture the moments when she realizes how precious she is to herself and to others," adding that she showed off qualities that can only be found in someone who is unaware of her own beauty and what she is capable of.

Describing her feelings about her profession, Kim said, "When I stood on the stage for the first time, I was so nervous that I thought it would be so hard if I had to do this for the rest of my life. But from my second performance, I felt ecstatic, as if I had wings on my back, and I never wanted to step off the stage. I keep on acting because I want to hold on to that feeling." Regarding her decision to limit her appearance in advertisements, she said, "I never thought about my image or potential endorsement deals when choosing the next film project. What worries me is what impact my appearance in commercials would have on my roles."

2013–2015: Hiatus and return to film

Kim Ko-Eun
Kim at the 34th Blue Dragon Film Awards in 2013

Despite many offers following A Muse, Kim took a break from acting and went back to college to complete her degree. .....

In 2015, she and Kim Hye-soo were cast in Coin Locker Girl, a female-driven thriller based on the 1980 Japanese novel Coin Locker Babies. She was invited to the 2015 Festival de Cannes with the director and cast for this film, her first time there. Kim next starred in martial arts period drama Memories of the Sword, in which she acted opposite her longtime role model, actress Jeon Do-yeon. This was followed by courtroom film The Advocate: A Missing Body, where she played an aggressive prosecutor; and family film Canola, about a reunion between a girl and her grandmother alongside veteran actress Youn Yuh-jung.

2016–present: Television debut and popularity

160603 백상 김고은
Kim at the 52nd Baeksang Arts Awards in 2016

Kim made her television debut in the hit cable series Cheese in the Trap, based on the webtoon of the same title. She also contributed vocals to the track "Attraction" by Tearliner for the drama's OST. Kim won the Baeksang Arts Award for Best New Actress (Television) for her performance. Later in 2016, she co-starred in Kim Eun-sook's megahit fantasy drama Guardian: The Lonely and Great God alongside Gong Yoo. The drama was a pan-Asian hit and a darling of the critics while also becoming a cultural phenomenon in South Korea. It was also the first Korean cable drama to surpass 20% in ratings, and as of June 2021, it is the fifth-highest rated Korean drama in cable television history.

In 2018, Kim played a secondary character in the film Sunset in My Hometown directed by Lee Joon-ik. For her role as a wild country girl, Kim gained 8 kg and learned a regional dialect. The same year, she was cast in the period romance Tune in for Love.

In 2019, Kim was cast in the fantasy drama The King: Eternal Monarch. The series was highly anticipated due to its great cast, renowned screenwriter, extensive publicity, and budget of over 30 billion won (US$25 million). It set a record on broadcast of its first episode as SBS's highest-rated Friday-Saturday drama premiere, and maintained the No.1 spot on the weekly Wavve drama chart for eight consecutive weeks. However, it was criticised for its screenplay and convoluted plot, which led to lower-than-expected domestic popularity.

Kim Go-eun in 2020 6
Kim for Marie Claire Korea in 2020

That same year she was cast in South Korea's first ever musical film Hero, which is based on the hit stage musical of the same name. The film is based on the life of freedom fighter An Jung-geun and his assassination of Itō Hirobumi, the first Prime Minister of Japan and Resident-General of colonized Korea. Kim played the role of a former Gungnyeo turned Geisha who joins the Korean independence movement. The movie was originally scheduled to be released in July 2020, but was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was finally released in December 2022 and grossed over $24 million at the domestic box office, making it South Korea's 6th highest grossing film of the year.

In 2021 and 2022, Kim starred in Korea's first live action animation, romantic comedy drama Yumi's Cells, a tvN TV series based on the eponymous webtoon which ran for two seasons. The drama resonated with viewers and was well-received; NME placed it on its list of 10 best Korean dramas of 2021. Kim's top-billed turn in particular received widespread attention; India Today lauded her performance as "impeccable", and Cosmopolitan Philippines called Kim "a chameleon...[who] manages to create a great character out of her roles".

Also in 2022, Kim starred in the TV series Little Women, loosely adapted from Louisa May Alcott's novel of the same name. It follows the story of three sisters who, after an unforeseen incident, make their way out of poverty and find themselves on the wrong side of one of the country's richest and most influential families. The show holds a perfect 100% rating on review aggregator platform Rotten Tomatoes. Kim received widespread critical acclaim for her performance as the eldest sister, On In-ju.

In 2024, Kim starred alongside actor Choi Min-sik in the occult-thriller film Exhuma, in which she plays a shaman. The film premiered at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival, where it was screened in the Forum section. It topped the South Korean weekend box office in its opening weekend and crossed 5 million admissions in a record-breaking 10 days. As of May 8, 2024, Exhuma grossed US$95 million at the box office and crossed 11 million admissions; it is the 6th highest-grossing film (domestic) of all time in South Korea, and the highest-grossing film of 2024. Kim received rave reviews from critics and fans alike. The Korea Herald extolled her "fine acting", calling her a "veteran actor" who "captivat[ed] the audience with her terror-inducing songs, oracles and prayers." For her performance, she won Best Actress (Film) at the 60th Baeksang Arts Awards, South Korea's most prestigious entertainment awards ceremony.

Kim will next be seen in the film adaptation of the bestselling novel Love in the Big City by Sang Young Park. The film will focus on the first part of the novel, which follows the friendship between a "free-spirited" young woman and an HIV-positive gay man as they live together and endure ups and downs in their love lives in modern-day Seoul.

Others

Ambassador roles

In 2019, Kim was named a Chanel Ambassador for South Korea, and was later selected to be one of the seven faces of Chanel's "J12 Turns 20" campaign in 2020.

In August 2019, at a press conference held at the Korea Press Center, Kim was appointed as an honorary ambassador for Korea's Ministry of the Environment's Resource Circulation.

Philanthropy

In April 2019, Kim donated ₩20 million (approx. US$17,460) to the victims of the Gangwon Province Wildfire. In late February 2020, the Korean NGO Good Neighbors revealed that she had made a donation of ₩100 million (approx. US$82,640) to provide 40,000 masks for low-income families in South Korea during the COVID-19 pandemic. In honor of Korean National Children's day, Kim donated ₩50 million won (approx. $44,000) to the Children's Hospital of the Seoul National University Hospital on May 5, 2021.

On March 5, 2022, Kim donated ₩50 million through the National Disaster Mitigation Association (Hope Bridge) to help villagers affected by the Uljin wildfire. On August 11, 2022, she donated ₩50 million through the Hope Bridge Korea Disaster Relief Association to help those affected by the 2022 South Korean floods . To celebrated her 10th anniversary as an actress, Kim donated ₩100 million to Seoul National University Children's Hospital in October 2022.

On February 9, 2023, Kim donated 30 million won through an NGO specializing in children's rights worldwide to relief efforts to the 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquake.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2012 Yeong-a Yeong-a Short film
A Muse Han Eun-gyo
2013 Neverdie Butterfly Moon Soo-yeon Cameo
2014 Monster Bok-soon
2015 Coin Locker Girl Il-young
Memories of the Sword Seol-hee / Hong-yi
The Advocate: A Missing Body Jin Sun-mi
2016 Canola Hye-ji
2018 Sunset in My Hometown Sun-mi
2019 Hit-and-Run Squad Min-jae's acquaintance Special appearance
Tune in for Love Kim Mi-soo
2020 Untact Soo-jin Short film
2022 Hero Seol-hee
2024 Dog Days Soo-jeong Special appearance
Exhuma Hwa-rim
Love in the Big City Jae-hee

Television series

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2016 Cheese in the Trap Hong Seol
2016–2017 Guardian: The Lonely and Great God Ji Eun-tak
2020 The King: Eternal Monarch Jung Tae-eul / Luna
2021–2022 Yumi's Cells Kim Yumi Season 1–2
2022 Little Women Oh In-ju

Web series

Year Title Role Ref.
scope="row" 0TBA Two Women Ryu Eun-joong

Television shows

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2021 Sea of Hope Cast member Ocean Guard

Discography

Title Year Peak chart
positions
Album
KOR
Gaon
"Sun, Moon, Stars, And Us"
(Shin Seung-hun ft. Kim Go-eun)
2015 Non-album single
"Attraction"
(Tearliner ft. Kim Go-eun)
2016 Cheese in the Trap OST
"Dark Hearts Will Pass Away Tonight" 2022 Yumi's Cells 2 OST
"My Dream For You" Hero OST
"What Is This Feeling"
"Your Majesty, I Remember you"
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that region.

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 Ref.
APAN Star Awards 2016 Best New Actress Cheese in the Trap Nominated
2021 Popular Star Award, Actress The King: Eternal Monarch Nominated
2022 Top Excellence Award, Actress in an OTT Drama Yumi's Cells Nominated
Popularity Star Award, Actress Nominated
Best Couple Kim Go-eun (with Park Ji-young)
Yumi's Cells
Nominated
Baeksang Arts Awards 2013 Best New Actress – Film Eungyo Nominated
2016 Best New Actress – Television Cheese in the Trap Won
2017 Best Actress – Television Guardian: The Lonely and Great God Nominated
2024 Best Actress – Film Exhuma Won
Most Popular Actress Kim Go-eun Nominated
Beautiful Artist Awards
(Shin Young-kyun Arts and Culture Foundation)
2012 New Artist Award Eungyo Won
Blue Dragon Film Awards 2012 Best New Actress Won
Blue Dragon Series Awards 2022 Best Leading Actress Yumi's Cells Won
Brand of the Year Awards 2024 Best Actress Movie Exhuma Won
Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival 2015 Fantasia Award Coin Locker Girl Won
Jury's Choice Award Special Mention Won
Buil Film Awards 2012 Best New Actress Eungyo Won
2015 Best Actress Coin Locker Girl Nominated
Busan Film Critics Awards 2012 Best New Actress Eungyo Won
Busan International Film Festival with Marie Claire Asia Star Awards 2023 Marie Claire Award Hero Won
Chunsa Film Art Awards 2020 Best Actress Tune in for Love Nominated
Cine21 Film Awards 2012 Best New Actress Eungyo Won
Director's Cut Awards 2023 Best Actress in film Hero Nominated
DramaFever Awards 2017 Best Couple Kim Go-eun (with Gong Yoo)
Guardian: The Lonely and Great God
Won
Grand Bell Awards 2012 Best Actress Eungyo Nominated
Best New Actress Won
Jecheon International Music & Film Festival 2012 Moët Rising Star Award Won
Kinolights Awards 2022 Actress of The Year (Domestic) Little Women 4th
KOFRA Film Awards 2013 Best New Actress Eungyo Won
Korea Drama Awards 2016 Best New Actress Cheese in the Trap Nominated
2017 Top Excellence Award, Actress Guardian: The Lonely and Great God Nominated
Korean Association of Film Critics awards 2012 Best New Actress Eungyo Won
Korean Film Actors' Guild Awards 2015 Popularity Award Coin Locker Girl Won
Korea Youth Film Festival 2016 Favorite Rookie Actor The Advocate: A Missing Body Won
New York Asian Film Festival 2013 Star Asia Rising Star Award Eungyo Won
SBS Drama Awards 2020 Top Excellence Award, Actress in a Miniseries Fantasy/Romance Drama The King: Eternal Monarch Nominated
Best Couple Kim Go-eun (with Lee Min-ho)
The King: Eternal Monarch
Nominated
Style Icon Asia 2016 Amazing Rising Star Kim Go-eun Won

Listicles

Name of publisher, year listed, name of listicle, and placement
Publisher Year Listicle Placement Ref.
Cine21 2024 "Korean Film NEXT 50" - Actors Shortlisted
Elle Japan 2022 Top 16 Hallyu Best Actress 1st
Forbes 2017 Korea Power Celebrity 40 36th
Gallup Korea 2022 Talent Of The Year 9th
Gallup Korea 2024 Favorite Movie Actor 9th

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Kim Go-eun para niños

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