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 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

Kim Go-eun (Hangul: 김고은; born July 2, 1991) is a famous actress from South Korea. She started her acting career in the movie Eungyo (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 films like Coin Locker Girl (2015), Hero (2022), and Exhuma (2024).

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. This time helped her become very good at speaking Mandarin Chinese.

After watching the movie Together many times, Kim decided she wanted to become a filmmaker. By chance, she found her way into theater and acting. 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, "She is naturally curious and brave." He also added that "She doesn't do things just because everyone else does it."

Kim Go-eun's Acting Career

Starting with A Muse (2012)

Kim Go-eun made her acting debut in the film Eungyo (also known as A Muse) in 2012. Her performance in this movie was highly praised. She won many Best New Actress awards that year.

Before A Muse, the 21-year-old actress had never been in a film or TV show. She had only acted in school plays. Kim met the director of A Muse, Jung Ji-woo, through friends. She didn't even know auditions for the movie were happening. Kim remembered, "I ended up having an audition after chatting with the director." She was chosen from about 300 actresses.

Kim shared her feelings about acting. She said, "When I stood on the stage for the first time, I was so nervous." But after her second performance, she felt "ecstatic, as if I had wings on my back." She added, "I keep on acting because I want to hold on to that feeling."

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

After the success of A Muse, Kim Go-eun took a break from acting. She went back to college to finish her degree.

In 2015, she starred with Kim Hye-soo in Coin Locker Girl. This was a thriller movie about two women. She was invited to the 2015 Cannes Film Festival for this film. It was her first time at the famous festival.

Next, Kim starred in the martial arts drama Memories of the Sword. In this movie, she acted alongside Jeon Do-yeon, an actress she had always looked up to. She then appeared in the courtroom film The Advocate: A Missing Body. In this film, she played a strong prosecutor. After that, she was in the family movie Canola. This film was about a girl reuniting with her grandmother, played by veteran actress Youn Yuh-jung.

TV Debut and Growing Popularity (2016–Present)

Kim Go-eun at the 52nd Baeksang Arts Awards in 2016

Kim Go-eun started acting in TV shows in 2016. Her first TV role was in the popular series Cheese in the Trap. This show was based on a popular webtoon (online comic). She also sang a song called "Attraction" for the show's soundtrack. Kim won the Baeksang Arts Award for Best New Actress for her role in this series.

Later in 2016, she starred in the very popular fantasy drama Guardian: The Lonely and Great God. She acted alongside Gong Yoo in this show. The drama was a huge hit across Asia. It also became a big cultural event in South Korea. It was the first Korean cable drama to get over 20% in ratings. As of June 2021, it is one of the highest-rated Korean dramas ever on cable TV.

In 2018, Kim had a supporting role in the film Sunset in My Hometown. For this role, she gained 8 kg and learned a special regional way of speaking. In the same year, she was cast in the romantic movie Tune in for Love.

In 2019, Kim starred in the fantasy drama The King: Eternal Monarch. This series was highly anticipated. It had a great cast, a famous writer, and a large budget. It set a record for its first episode's ratings. The show stayed number one on the weekly drama chart for eight weeks.

Kim Go-eun for Marie Claire Korea in 2020

That same year, she was 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 played a former palace woman who joins the Korean independence movement. The movie was released in December 2022. It earned over $24 million and was the 6th highest-grossing film in South Korea that year.

In 2021 and 2022, Kim starred in Yumi's Cells. This was Korea's first live-action animation romantic comedy drama. It was a TV series based on a webtoon. The show ran for two seasons and was well-liked by viewers. Kim's acting in the show received a lot of attention. India Today called her performance "impeccable."

Also in 2022, Kim starred in the TV series Little Women. This show was inspired by Louisa May Alcott's famous novel. It tells the story of three sisters who try to escape poverty. They find themselves against one of the country's richest families. The show has a perfect 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Kim received great reviews for her role as the oldest sister, Oh In-ju.

In 2024, Kim 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 quickly became number one at the South Korean box office. It reached 5 million viewers in just 10 days. As of May 8, 2024, Exhuma earned US$95 million. It is the 6th highest-grossing film of all time in South Korea. Kim received excellent reviews for her performance. The Korea Herald praised her "fine acting." For her role, she won Best Actress (Film) at the 60th Baeksang Arts Awards. This is one of South Korea's most important entertainment awards.

Kim will next appear in the film Love in the Big City. This movie is based on a popular novel. It will focus on the friendship between a young woman and an HIV-positive gay man. They live together and experience ups and downs in their love lives in modern Seoul.

Other Activities and Good Deeds

Being an Ambassador

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

In August 2019, Kim was also named an honorary ambassador. This role was for Korea's Ministry of the Environment's Resource Circulation.

Helping Others (Philanthropy)

Kim Go-eun has shown great kindness by donating to various causes.

• In April 2019, she gave ₩20 million (about US$17,460) to help victims of the Gangwon Province Wildfire.
• In February 2020, she donated ₩100 million (about US$82,640) to provide 40,000 masks. These masks were for low-income families in South Korea during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• On May 5, 2021, she donated ₩50 million (about $44,000) to the Children's Hospital of the Seoul National University Hospital. This was in honor of Korean National Children's Day.
• On March 5, 2022, Kim donated ₩50 million to help people 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 donated ₩100 million to Seoul National University Children's Hospital in October 2022.
• On February 9, 2023, Kim donated 30 million won to help with relief efforts for the 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquake.

Filmography

Film

Television series

Web series

Television shows

Discography

Awards and Recognitions

Awards and Nominations

Listicles

See also

In Spanish: Kim Go-eun para niños