Kim Soo-hyun facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kim Soo-hyun
Kim in August 2024
Born	(1988-02-16) February 16, 1988 (age 37) Seoul, South Korea
Alma mater	Chung-Ang University
Occupation	Actor
Years active	2007 (2007)–present
Agent	Gold Medalist
Works	Full list
Parent(s)	Kim Chung-hoon [ko] (father)
Awards	Full list
Korean name
Hangul	김수현
RR	Gim Suhyeon
MR	Kim Suhyŏn
Signature

Kim Soo-hyun (Hangul: 김수현; born February 16, 1988) is a famous actor from South Korea. He has won many important awards, like five Baeksang Arts Awards. He started acting on TV in 2007 in a show called Kimchi Cheese Smile.

Kim Soo-hyun became very popular after starring in TV dramas like Dream High (2011) and Moon Embracing the Sun (2012). He also appeared in successful movies such as The Thieves (2012) and Secretly, Greatly (2013). His role in the fantasy series My Love from the Star (2013–14) made him a huge star across Asia. After serving in the military, he returned to acting in 2020 with It's Okay to Not Be Okay. More recently, he starred in One Ordinary Day (2021) and Queen of Tears (2024).

About Kim Soo-hyun's Early Life

Kim Soo-hyun was born in Seoul, South Korea, on February 16, 1988. His father, Kim Chung-hoon, was a singer in a band called "Seven Dolphins" in the 1980s. Kim's parents separated when he was young. He was raised by his mother and considered himself an only child.

When Kim was in school, his mother encouraged him to take acting classes. This helped him become less shy. He started to dream of becoming an actor during middle and high school. His first big acting role was in a play by Shakespeare called A Midsummer Night's Dream. He played the character of Puck. He also acted in musicals like Grease and plays like Hamlet.

After finishing school in Gangnam District, Seoul, Kim started his TV acting career in 2007. In 2009, he began studying Film and Theater at Chung-Ang University.

Kim Soo-hyun's Acting Journey

Starting His Career (2007–2010)

Kim Soo-hyun first appeared on TV in 2007 in the sitcom Kimchi Cheese Smile. In 2008, he got a main role in the drama Jungle Fish. This show was about real-life school issues like cheating and blogging. Jungle Fish won several awards, including the US Peabody Award. Kim also hosted a food show called Delicious Quiz and appeared in a short film called Cherry Blossom.

In 2009, he acted in another short film called Worst Friends. This film won an award at the Mise-en-scène Short Film Festival. He also worked with actor Choi Min-soo in the drama special Father's House. Kim also co-hosted a music show called Boys & Girls Music Countdown.

In 2010, Kim signed with a new management company, KeyEast. He became more well-known by playing younger versions of main characters in dramas like Will It Snow for Christmas? and Giant. He won the Best New Actor award for Giant at the SBS Drama Awards.

Becoming a Star (2011–2013)

Kim Soo-hyun became a household name in 2011 with the high school musical drama Dream High. He played a country boy who turned out to be a musical genius. The show was very popular in Korea and other countries. Kim, being the only young actor among many K-pop idols, trained for three months to sing and dance for the show. He even sang two songs for the drama's soundtrack.

Kim as King Lee-hwon at a press conference for Moon Embracing the Sun, January 2012

His popularity grew even more when he starred in the hit historical drama Moon Embracing the Sun as King Leehwon. This drama was incredibly popular, reaching over 42% viewership. It was 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 by appearing in 17 product advertisements at the same time. He also won the Best Actor award at the 48th Baeksang Arts Awards.

Kim made his first movie appearance in the film The Thieves in 2012. This movie was a big success, selling over 12.9 million tickets. It became one of the highest-grossing Korean movies ever.

In 2013, Kim played a North Korean spy in the movie Secretly, Greatly. He acted as a village idiot who was secretly a spy. This movie also broke records and was very successful, attracting 7 million viewers. Kim won Best New Actor awards for this film at the 50th Grand Bell Awards and the 50th Baeksang Arts Awards.

Global Fame (2014–2017)

From 2013 to 2014, Kim starred in the fantasy romance series My Love from the Star with Jun Ji-hyun. He also released two songs for the drama's soundtrack. This show became incredibly popular across Asia, especially in China. It influenced fashion, makeup, and even restaurants.

Kim at a press conference for The Producers, May 2015

Kim's fame exploded throughout Asia. He became one of the most sought-after stars for advertisements, appearing in 35 different product campaigns. He won the Daesang (Grand Prize), which is the highest award for television, at the 7th Korea Drama Awards.

In 2015, Kim starred in the drama The Producers. This show also had good ratings and was sold to many countries. Kim won the Daesang again at several award shows for his acting in this drama.

His wax figures were put on display at Madame Tussauds in Hong Kong and Musée Grévin in Seoul in 2015. In 2016, Forbes magazine included him in their "30 Under 30 Asia list" for influential people.

Kim then starred in the action film Real in 2017. The movie did not do well in Korea and received mixed reviews. However, it was liked in Taiwan. In 2017, Kim took a break from acting to complete his mandatory military service.

Return to Acting (2019–Present)

Kim Soo-hyun returned to acting with special appearances in the dramas Hotel del Luna and Crash Landing on You. In January 2020, he joined a new entertainment agency called Gold Medalist.

Kim in an interview for It's Okay to Not Be Okay, June 2020

In 2020, Kim took on the lead role of Moon Gang-tae in the romantic comedy It's Okay to Not Be Okay. This was his first main TV role in five years. While it had lower TV ratings than his previous shows, it was very popular on Netflix in South Korea. The New York Times called it one of "The Best International Shows of 2020". Kim won the Daesang (Grand Prize) at the 5th Asia Artist Awards for his performance.

In 2021, Kim starred in the TV series One Ordinary Day. He played Kim Hyun-soo, a college student whose life changes when he becomes a suspect in a murder case. In December 2021, his agency announced they would create a digital version of Kim Soo-hyun. This digital human would look like him and could be used in movies, advertising, and the metaverse.

In 2022, Kim was confirmed to star in the romantic comedy series Queen of Tears. He worked again with writer Park Ji-eun, who wrote My Love from the Star and The Producers. Kim also sang a song called "Way Home" for the show's soundtrack, which was his first time singing for a drama in 10 years. The series premiered on March 9, 2024, and was a huge success both in Korea and internationally. It became the highest-rated tvN series and stayed on Netflix's Global Top 10 for 15 weeks. He was nominated for Best Drama Actor and won Most Popular Actor at the 60th Baeksang Arts Awards. In 2024, Kim was confirmed to star in the Disney+ series Knock-Off.

Other Activities

Event Appearances

Kim at the 2014 Asian Games opening ceremony

In 2014, Kim Soo-hyun attended two big international sports events. On August 16, 2014, 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 Incheon, South Korea. He joined other stars to share a message of "One Asia."

Ambassador Roles

At the appointment ceremony for the Seoul Goodwill Ambassador

Kim Soo-hyun has been an ambassador for many organizations. In 2011, he was an ambassador for the Korea Goyang International Flower Festival. In 2012, the Korea Tourism Organization made him an Honorary Ambassador for Korean tourism. He was also a Public Relation Ambassador for Lotte Hotel Busan. In 2014, his university, Chung-Ang University, appointed him as a Public Relations Ambassador. In 2015, he became a Goodwill Ambassador for the city of Seoul and an Honorary Ambassador for the Incheon International Airport. In 2016, he became a Promotional Ambassador for Paradise City.

Helping Others (Philanthropy)

Since 2012, Kim Soo-hyun and his fans have donated a lot of rice to charity every year. In April 2014, he donated about ₩200 million (Korean Won) to the China Children & Teenager's Fund. He also joined the Yellow Ribbon Campaign and donated ₩300 million to help young victims of the Sewol ferry tragedy. In January 2017, Kim joined 32 other stars in an online fundraising event called Give Love to help children's rights organizations. In February 2020, Kim donated ₩100 million to help families with low incomes who were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Product Endorsements

Kim Soo-hyun is known as the "King of product endorsements" because he has advertised so many different things. He has been the face of food, clothes, electronics, and even cars. After his drama Giant, he started getting many advertising offers. When he starred in Moon Embracing the Sun, he set a record by advertising 17 products at the same time. After My Love from the Star, he appeared in over 30 advertisements, including many in China and other Asian countries. He has also advertised for Jeju airlines and was a character in a Chinese video game.

In 2015, Kim, along with Yuna Kim, won awards for helping to improve Korea's image around the world. In July 2021, Kim joined the Philippine clothing brand Bench as an endorser. On September 13, 2021, he became a global ambassador for Tommy Hilfiger. In 2022, Dunkin' Donuts named him their newest endorser. On August 17, 2023, Kim became the new brand ambassador for the outdoor fashion brand Eider. In January 2025, Kim became the brand ambassador for the Italian luxury fashion brand Prada.

Personal Life

In March 2015, Kim was recognized as a model taxpayer for paying his taxes correctly. In July 2015, it was shared that he has a paternal half-sister named Kim Ju-na, who is a singer.

Bowling Hobby

Kim Soo-hyun loves bowling. In October 2016, he tried out to become a professional bowler. He did very well in his first try-out, ranking 10th out of 114 participants. However, 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 began his mandatory military service on October 23, 2017. He had a heart condition that might have allowed him to serve in public service instead of active duty. But he chose to get re-examined and was cleared to serve in combat. He started his basic training in Paju, Gyeonggi Province.

In November 2017, Kim's agency announced that he finished his basic training as an outstanding trainee. He was rewarded with a vacation and was assigned to the First Reconnaissance Battalion. In February 2019, Kim was promoted early to Sergeant because of his good conduct. Kim finished his military service on July 1, 2019.

Kim Soo-hyun's Works

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)

Music by Kim Soo-hyun

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Kim Soo-hyun para niños