Kim Ji-won (actress)
Kim Ji-won (Korean: 김지원; born October 19, 1992) is a South Korean actress. She gained attention through her roles in television series The Heirs (2013) and Descendants of the Sun (2016), before taking on leading roles in Fight for My Way (2017), Arthdal Chronicles (2019), Lovestruck in the City (2020–2021), My Liberation Notes (2022) and Queen of Tears (2024).
Early life and education
Kim Ji-won was born on October 19, 1992, in Geumcheon District, Seoul, South Korea, and has an elder sister who is two years older than her. While still a teenager in 2007, she was scouted on the street and signed with an entertainment agency, she subsequently became a trainee for over three years while preparing for her debut. During her first year of junior high school, she spent six months to a year studying in Chicago, Illinois, United States, where her maternal relatives lived. After finally entering the industry in 2010, she continued her education by enrolling at Dongguk University's Department of Theater in 2011.
Career
2008–2012: Beginnings
Kim was trained in singing, dancing, and acting but eventually chose to pursue the latter. She was a background vocalist for the singer Younha, performing as a keyboardist and background vocalist in various performances as well as appearing in Younha's music video "Gossip Boy" in 2008. During this time there were plans for her to debut as a singer with the stage name "JessicaK".[unreliable source?] Prior to her official debut, Kim made an appearance in the drama Mrs. Saigon. Kim then officially entered the industry in 2010 in a commercial for LG Cyon's Lollipop 2 featuring the group Big Bang and thus became known as the "Lollipop Girl". She later appeared in a carbonated drink commercial in which she performed a song and dance number and became known as the "Oran C Girl". She was also called Little Kim Tae-hee due to her resemblance to the actress.
Kim's first role after her debut was the romance omnibus film Romantic Heaven, however she first gained attention as an actress after starring in the 2011 sitcom High Kick: Revenge of the Short Legged. She then appeared in another major television series in the musical drama What's Up. Kim then starred in the high school drama To the Beautiful You and headlined the horror film Horror Stories, playing a kidnapped high school student. Kim also appeared in Baek Seung Heon's debut music video "Till the Sun Rises" alongside JYJ's Kim Jae-joong.
2013–2016: Rising popularity and breakthrough
In 2013, Kim starred as one of the lead roles in the KBS Drama special Waiting for Love, about how four different youths with different views toward love start seeing each other as well as the film Horror Stories 2, the sequel to the previous Horror Stories film, playing a student obsessed with black magic. The same year Kim co-starred in teen drama The Heirs, in which she played a chic and haughty heiress. The Kim Eun-sook-penned drama was viewed over one billion times on Youku and its popularity raised Kim's profile, winning her the New Star Award at the SBS Drama Awards.
In 2014, Kim starred in the crime thriller Gap-dong as a high school student and a webtoon artist.The same year, she played a supporting role in the KBS Drama special The Reason I'm Getting Married. In December 2014, Kim signed an exclusive contract with King Kong Entertainment.
In 2015, Kim starred alongside So Ji-sub in the romance web series One Sunny Day in 2015. The same year, Kim made a cameo appearance in TVN drama Hidden Identity as Kim Bum's girlfriend.
In 2016, Kim co-starred in another project written by Kim Eun-sook, KBS2's military romance drama Descendants of the Sun, playing an army surgeon. The drama was a pan-Asia hit with ratings peaking at 38.8% and winning the Grand Prize in television at the 52nd Baeksang Arts Awards as well being declared the Most Popular Show of the year by Korea Broadcasting Advertising Corporation. Its success brought Kim further recognition outside Korea. She hosted the year end KBS Drama Awards with Park Bo-gum and Jun Hyun-moo, where she won the Excellence Award. Kim also won the Best Supporting Actress award at the APAN Star Awards.
In 2016, Kim co-starred in another project written by Kim Eun-sook, KBS2's military romance drama Descendants of the Sun, playing an army surgeon. The drama was a pan-Asia hit with ratings peaking at 38.8% and winning the Grand Prize in television at the 52nd Baeksang Arts Awards as well being declared the Most Popular Show of the year by Korea Broadcasting Advertising Corporation. Its success brought Kim further recognition outside Korea. She hosted the year end KBS Drama Awards with Park Bo-gum and Jun Hyun-moo, where she won the Excellence Award. Kim also won the Best Supporting Actress award at the APAN Star Awards.
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