Kim Soo-hyun facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kim Soo-hyun
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Kim in August 2024
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| Born | February 16, 1988 Seoul, South Korea
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| Alma mater | Chung-Ang University |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 2007–present |
| Agent | Gold Medalist |
| Parent(s) |
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| Relatives | Kim Ju-na (younger half-sister) |
| Awards | Full list |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul |
김수현
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| Hanja |
金秀賢
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| Revised Romanization | Gim Suhyeon |
| McCune–Reischauer | Kim Suhyŏn |
| Signature | |
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Kim Soo-hyun (Hangul: 김수현) is a famous South Korean actor. He was born on February 16, 1988. He is known as one of the highest-paid actors in South Korea. Kim Soo-hyun has won many important awards for his acting. These include five Baeksang Arts Awards and two Grand Bell Awards. He has also been featured in Forbes magazine.
Kim Soo-hyun started acting to help him overcome being shy. He took many acting classes when he was younger. He first appeared on TV in 2007 in a family show called Kimchi Cheese Smile. He became very popular with lead roles in TV dramas like Dream High (2011) and Moon Embracing the Sun (2012). He also starred in successful movies like The Thieves (2012) and Secretly, Greatly (2013). His role as King Lee Hwon in Moon Embracing the Sun earned him a top acting award.
He became a huge international star, part of the Korean Wave (Hallyu). This happened with his fantasy series My Love from the Star (2013–14). He also starred in The Producers (2015). After serving in the military, he returned to acting in 2020. His recent works include It's Okay to Not Be Okay (2020) and Queen of Tears (2024).
Contents
Early Life and School Days
Kim Soo-hyun was born on February 16, 1988. His father, Kim Chung-hoon, was a singer in a band called "Seven Dolphins." His parents separated when he was very young. He grew up with his mother as an only child.
Kim's mother encouraged him to take acting classes. This helped him become less shy. He really wanted to be an actor during middle and high school. His first big acting role was in a play called A Midsummer Night's Dream. He played the character Puck. He also acted in musicals like Grease and plays like Hamlet.
In 2006, Kim finished school in Gangnam, Seoul. He started acting on TV in 2007 after trying out for roles. In 2009, he began studying Film and Theater at Chung-Ang University.
Acting Career
Starting Out (2007–2010)
Kim Soo-hyun first appeared on TV in 2007. He had a small role in the show Kimchi Cheese Smile. In 2008, he got a main role in the drama Jungle Fish. This show was about school cheating and blogging. It won several awards, including the US Peabody Award.
He also hosted a food show called Delicious Quiz. In 2009, he acted in a short film called Worst Friends. He also worked with famous actor Choi Min-soo in the drama Father's House. Kim also co-hosted a music show called Boys & Girls Music Countdown.
In 2010, Kim signed with a new company called KeyEast. He became more well-known by playing younger versions of main characters. These roles were in dramas like Will It Snow for Christmas? and Giant. He won an award for Best New Actor for his role in Giant.
Becoming a Star (2011–2013)
Kim Soo-hyun became very famous in 2011. He starred in the high school musical drama Dream High. He played a country boy who was a musical genius. The show was very popular in Korea and other countries. Kim was the only young actor among many K-pop idols. He trained for three months to sing and dance for the show. He even sang two songs for the drama's soundtrack.
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His popularity grew even more with the drama Moon Embracing the Sun. He played King Leehwon in this historical show. The drama was incredibly successful, with over 42% of people watching it. It became known as a "national drama" in Korea. It was also sold to many countries in Asia. Kim also sang two songs for this drama's soundtrack.
Because of his huge popularity, Kim set a new record. He was the face of 17 different products at the same time! He also won the Best Actor award at the 48th Baeksang Arts Awards. He said he was thankful but also felt like he had a lot of work to do to be worthy of the award.
Kim then made his first movie appearance in The Thieves. This movie was like the Korean version of Ocean's Eleven. It sold over 12.9 million tickets, becoming one of the highest-grossing Korean movies ever.
In 2013, Kim played a North Korean spy in the movie Secretly, Greatly. He pretended to be a village idiot. This movie also broke records and was a big hit. It attracted 7 million viewers. Kim won Best New Actor awards for this film.
Global Fame (2014–2017)
From 2013 to 2014, Kim starred in the fantasy romance series My Love from the Star. He acted alongside Jun Ji-hyun. He also released two songs for the drama's soundtrack. This show became incredibly popular across Asia, especially in China. It had billions of views online. It even started new trends in fashion and makeup.
Kim's fame exploded throughout Asia. He became one of the most wanted stars for advertisements. He endorsed 35 different products. He won the Daesang (Grand Prize), which is the highest award for TV, at the 7th Korea Drama Awards.
In 2015, Kim starred in the drama The Producers. The same writer from My Love From the Star wrote this show. It was popular in Korea and sold to many other countries. Kim won the Daesang (Grand Prize) again for his acting in this drama.
Wax figures of Kim were made and displayed at Madame Tussauds in Hong Kong and Musée Grévin in Seoul. In 2016, Forbes magazine included him in their "30 Under 30 Asia list." This list features 30 influential people under 30 years old.
Kim then starred in the action film Real in 2017. The movie did not do well in Korea and got negative reviews. However, some critics praised Kim's acting. After this, Kim took a break from acting for his military service.
Return to Acting (2019–Present)
Kim made a special return to acting in 2019. He made guest appearances in the dramas Hotel del Luna and Crash Landing on You. In January 2020, Kim signed with a new company called Gold Medalist.
In 2020, Kim took on the lead role in the romantic comedy It's Okay to Not Be Okay. He played a psychiatric aide. This was his first main TV role in five years. Even though it had lower TV ratings than his past shows, it was very popular on Netflix. The New York Times called it one of "The Best International Shows of 2020." Critics praised Kim's acting, saying he brought his character to life perfectly. He won the Daesang (Grand Prize) at the 5th Asia Artist Awards.
In 2021, Kim starred in the TV series One Ordinary Day. He played a college student whose life changes when he becomes a suspect in a murder case. His company also announced plans to create a "digital human" version of Kim Soo-hyun. This digital version will look like a real person and can be used in movies and advertising.
In 2022, Kim was confirmed to star in the romantic comedy Queen of Tears. This drama was written by the same person who wrote My Love from the Star. The show premiered in March 2024 and was a huge success. It became the highest-rated tvN series ever. Kim also sang a song for the drama's soundtrack, his first in 10 years. He was nominated for Best Drama Actor and won Most Popular Actor at the 60th Baeksang Arts Awards.
In 2024, it was announced that Kim will star in the Disney+ series Knock-Off. He will play a character who becomes a king in the fake market. This show is set to be released in 2025.
Other Activities
Special Appearances
In 2014, Kim attended two big international sports events. He sang the official theme song "Light up the Future" at the opening ceremony of the 2014 Summer Youth Olympics in China. He also took part in the opening ceremony of the 2014 Asian Games in South Korea. He joined other stars to share a message of "One Asia."
Being an Ambassador
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Kim Soo-hyun has been an ambassador for many different things. In 2011, he was an ambassador for the Korea Goyang International Flower Festival. In 2012, he became an Honorary Ambassador for Korean tourism. He was also an ambassador for Lotte Hotels & Resorts. In 2014, his university, Chung-Ang University, made him a Public Relations Ambassador. In 2015, he became a Goodwill Ambassador for the city of Seoul. He also served as an Honorary Ambassador for the Incheon International Airport. In 2016, he became a Promotional Ambassador for Paradise City.
Helping Others
Since 2012, Kim and his fans have donated a lot of rice every year to help people in need.
In April 2014, during his Asia tour, Kim donated about ₩200 million (Korean money) to a children's fund in China. He also joined the Yellow Ribbon Campaign. He donated ₩300 million to help young victims of the Sewol ferry tragedy.
In 2017, Kim joined 32 other stars in an online fundraising event. It was called Give Love and helped groups that protect children's rights. In February 2020, Kim donated ₩100 million to help families affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Product Endorsements
Kim Soo-hyun is often called the "King of product endorsements." This means he is chosen to advertise many different products. He has promoted food, clothes, electronics, and even cars. He became very popular for ads after his role in Giant. After Moon Embracing the Sun, he set a record by being the face of 17 products at once. After My Love from the Star, he appeared in over 30 advertisements. These included 10 ads in China and other Asian countries. He has also been the face of Jeju airlines and a character in a Chinese video game.
In 2014, Kim appeared in an ad for a Chinese bottled water company. This caused some negative reactions from South Korean fans. The company listed the water source using a Chinese name instead of the Korean name. Both Kim and his co-star tried to cancel their contracts. However, Kim decided to continue with the ad, which disappointed some fans.
In 2015, Kim and Yuna Kim won awards for helping improve Korea's brand image.
More recently, Kim joined the Philippine clothing brand Bench in 2021. In September 2021, he became a global ambassador for Tommy Hilfiger. In 2022, Dunkin' Donuts announced him as their new endorser. In 2023, he became the brand ambassador for the outdoor fashion brand Eider.
Personal Life
In March 2015, Kim was recognized for being a model taxpayer. This means he paid his taxes correctly and on time.
In July 2015, it was shared that Kim has a younger half-sister named Kim Ju-na. She is a singer.
Bowling Hobby
Kim Soo-hyun loves bowling. In October 2016, he tried to become a professional bowler. He did very well in his first try-out, ranking 10th. But he just missed the score needed in the second try-out. Kim showed off his bowling skills on the TV show Infinite Challenge.
Military Service
Kim started his mandatory military service on October 23, 2017. In South Korea, all young men must serve in the military. He was supposed to work in public service because of a past heart surgery. But he asked for more exams and was cleared for active combat duty. He went to a military camp in Paju for his basic training.
In November 2017, Kim's agency announced that he finished his training. He was one of the top trainees. He received a reward and was sent to the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion. In February 2019, Kim was promoted early to Sergeant. This was because of his excellent behavior in the military. Kim finished his military service on July 1, 2019.
Selected Filmography
- Dream High (2011)
- Moon Embracing the Sun (2012)
- The Thieves (2012)
- Secretly, Greatly (2013)
- My Love from the Star (2013–2014)
- The Producers (2015)
- It's Okay to Not Be Okay (2020)
- One Ordinary Day (2021)
- Queen of Tears (2024)
Discography
Kim Soo-hyun has also sung songs for some of his dramas. He recorded "Dreaming" for Dream High OST in 2011. In 2012, he sang "The One and Only You" for Moon Embracing the Sun OST. For My Love from the Star OST in 2014, he sang "If I" and "Promise". Most recently, in 2024, he recorded "Way Home" for the Queen of Tears OST. He has also recorded commercial songs for advertisements.
Awards and Nominations
You can find a full list of awards and nominations received by Kim Soo-hyun here: List of awards and nominations received by Kim Soo-hyun.
Images for kids
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Kim Soo-hyun's signature
See also
In Spanish: Kim Soo-hyun para niños
