Uhm Ji-won facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Uhm Ji-won
Uhm in July 2025
Born	(1977-12-25) December 25, 1977 (age 47) Daegu, South Korea
Education	Kyungpook National University (Department of Geography)
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1998–present
Agent	C-JeS Studios
Spouse(s)	Oh Young-wook ​ ​ (m. 2014; div. 2021)​
Korean name
Hangul	엄지원
Hanja	嚴志媛
RR	Eom Jiwon
MR	Ŏm Chiwŏn

Uhm Ji-won (Hangul: 엄지원; born December 25, 1977) is a talented actress from South Korea. She is famous for her main roles in movies like Tale of Cinema (2005), Hope (2013), The Silenced (2015), and Missing (2016). She also starred in popular TV shows such as Birthcare Center (2020) and Little Women (2022).

Acting Career

Uhm Ji-won started her acting journey in the late 1990s. One of her first roles was in a Korean special effects series called Vectorman. After that, she appeared in many films and TV dramas.

Early Roles and Recognition

In 2004, Uhm Ji-won acted in the movie The Scarlet Letter. Her performance earned her a nomination for Best Supporting Actress at the Blue Dragon Film Awards.

The next year, in 2005, she took on a main role in Hong Sang-soo's film Tale of Cinema. Critics praised her acting, calling it "engaging" and "emotionally nuanced."

In 2006, Uhm starred in Traces of Love. She played a character who survived a real-life building collapse and was still dealing with the emotional effects years later. To prepare for this role, she studied news and documentaries about the event. She also read books about psychology. Her work in this film led to another nomination for Best Supporting Actress at the Blue Dragon Film Awards. She later won this award at the Chunsa Film Art Awards.

Expanding Her Range

Uhm Ji-won had a small appearance in director Kim Jee-woon's big western movie The Good, the Bad, the Weird in 2008. She then took a main role in another art film by Hong Sang-soo, Like You Know It All. After these, she was cast in her first historical film, Private Eye. In 2010, she returned to lighter roles in the romantic comedy TV series The Woman Who Still Wants to Marry.

In 2011, Uhm appeared in an episode of BBC World's The Third Eye. This documentary series highlights rising countries. The episode about Korea included interviews with Uhm, where she shared her thoughts on Korean culture and movies. She was chosen for her acting skills, natural charm, and ability to speak English well.

Notable Performances

From 2012 to 2013, Uhm Ji-won starred in family dramas written by the famous TV writer Kim Soo-hyun. These included Childless Comfort and Thrice Married Woman. She also gave a well-received performance in the comedy film Man on the Edge.

Uhm then played the mother of a child who experienced a difficult event in the movie Hope. She said this was one of her best works. For this role, Uhm won Best Actress at the Korean Association of Film Critics Awards. She also received nominations at other major awards.

After Hope, she appeared in the historical mystery-thriller The Silenced and the fantasy thriller The Phone. In 2016, she starred in the kidnapping drama Missing, which earned her the Best Actress award at the Women in Film Korea Awards. She also featured in the crime action film Master.

Recent Work

In 2017, Uhm Ji-won returned to TV in the legal thriller Distorted, playing a public prosecutor. In 2019, she starred in the comedy drama Spring Turns to Spring. The same year, she appeared in the zombie comedy film The Odd Family: Zombie On Sale. In May 2019, Uhm joined a new acting agency called C-JeS Entertainment.

Personal Life

Uhm Ji-won is a member of the Yeongwol Eom family clan. She is a devoted Christian and was part of a church group called HaMiMo with actress Han Hye-jin.

Uhm started dating architect Oh Young-wook in 2013. Oh Young-wook founded a well-known architectural firm and has written books about travel and art. They got married on May 27, 2014, in Seoul. On April 6, 2021, Uhm announced that she and her husband had decided to divorce amicably. They remain friends.

Helping Others

Uhm Ji-won is also known for her charitable work. In March 2022, she made a donation to the Hope Bridge Disaster Relief Association to help people affected by a large wildfire in Korea. Later that month, she also donated to Save the Children's Children's Rights Film to help victims of the conflict between Ukraine and Russia.

Filmography

Film

Television series

Web series

Variety shows

Music video appearances

Musical theatre

Awards and Nominations

Images for kids

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  Uhm during Private Eye post-production press conference in February 2009

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  Uhm in November 2013

See also

In Spanish: Uhm Ji-won para niños