Kim Ha-neul

Her television work includes Romance (2002), On Air (2008), A Gentleman's Dignity (2012), and 18 Again (2020). She is recognized for her roles in both film and television, particularly in romantic comedies. Ha-neul has received awards at both the SBS Drama Awards and the Grand Bell Awards. In addition to her acting career, she also enjoys a strong following in China.

• Born — 21 February 1978 • Birthplace — Seoul, South Korea • Occupation — Actress • Years Active — 1996–present • Children — 1 • Agent — Billions • Education — Seoul Institute of the Arts (BFA in Film)

Kim Ha-neul was born on February 21, 1978, in Seoul, South Korea. Her given name "Ha-neul" means "sky" in Korean. Her immediate family consists of her parents and one younger brother. She attended the Seoul Institute of the Arts.

Kim Ha-neul started her career by modeling for clothing brand Storm in 1996. She then made her acting debut in the 1998 film Bye June alongside Yoo Ji-tae. In 1999, she starred a medical drama film Doctor K, which earned her first acting award nomination. In the same year, she made appearances in television dramas Happy Together and Into the Sunlight, and featured in the music video for "To Heaven" by Jo Sung-mo. Later, she reunited with Yoo Ji-tae in 2000's sci-fi romance Ditto, and rose to fame as an actress.

Kim's breakout role was in romance melodrama series Piano, in which she played a pure, fragile young woman. The series was the second most successful drama of 2001, achieving a peak rating of 40.2%. She then starred in 2002 hit Romance alongside Kim Jae-won, which led her to stardom and won her Top Excellence Award in acting. In 2003, she raised her profile through the huge box-office hit My Tutor Friend, where she acted as a college girl tasked with helping a delinquent student her own age graduate from high school alongside her opposite Kwon Sang-woo. In 2004, she starred in Too Beautiful to Lie, as an ex-convict who pretends to be the fiancée of a man being pressured to marry by his nosy, close-knit family. Due to the success of her films, Kim was dubbed "the queen of romantic comedies" by the Korean press. In 2004, she starred in mountain-climbing drama Ice Rain, horror film Dead Friend and the melodrama Stained Glass. Kim then returned to the familiar romance genre with 2006 romantic comedy Almost Love, in the role of an aspiring actress with stage fright, which also reunited her with My Tutor Friend co-star Kwon Sang-woo. This was followed by Lovers of Six Years, about a longtime couple facing relationship problems.

• Illustration — Kim during My Girlfriend Is an Agent press conference in March 2009 In 2008, Kim starred in On Air, a Kim Eun-sook penned drama which gives viewers a behind-the-scenes look at a television drama production. Kim plays a top actress with an arrogant personality in the series. The drama raised Kim's popularity and earned her acting recognition at the Korea Drama Awards. The following year, Kim starred in spy romantic comedy My Girlfriend Is an Agent. The film was a box-office success, and earned positive reviews for its quality and performance. In 2010, Kim played a medical student torn between two soldiers in Korean War drama Road No. 1. Despite strong hype and a 13 million budget, the series received low ratings. • Illustration — Kim in November 2011 She bounced back in 2011 with serial killer thriller Blind, where she challenged herself by portraying a visually impaired former detective who becomes witness to a murder. Her performance won her Best Actress honors at the Grand Bell Awards and Blue Dragon Film Awards. This was followed by another rom-com You're My Pet, adapted from the Japanese josei manga Kimi wa Petto. In 2012, Kim returned to the small screen as a high school ethics teacher who falls for a playboy architect (played by Jang Dong-gun) in the hit drama A Gentleman's Dignity. Made by the same team behind On Air (writer Kim Eun-sook and director Shin Woo-chul), the series revolved around the love lives of four male friends in their forties.

In 2015, Kim was cast in her first Chinese film, romantic comedy Making Family opposite Aarif Rahman. In 2016, Kim starred in crowdfunded indie feature Don't Forget Me opposite Jung Woo-sung. In September, she made her small-screen comeback in four years, starring in romance melodrama On the Way to the Airport opposite Lee Sang-yoon. • Illustration — Kim in January 2017 In 2017, she starred in Misbehavior, playing an unloved teacher at a boys' high school. Kim then featured in fantasy blockbuster Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds. In 2019, Kim returned to the small screen in JTBC melodrama The Wind Blows. In 2020, Kim starred in the romance drama 18 Again, based on the 2009 film 17 Again. In March 2021, Kim signed a contract with IOK Company.

Kim married a businessman, on March 19, 2016. On October 9, 2017, Kim announced that she is expecting her first child. On May 27, 2018, she gave birth to a daughter.

She is a Roman Catholic and her baptismal name is Cecilia.

• Year — Title — Role — Notes — Ref. Reference(s) • 1999 — Happy Together — Jin Soo-ha • Into the Sunlight — Kang Soo-bin • 2000 — Secret — Lee Hee-jung • 2001 — Piano — Lee Soo-ah • 2002 — Romance — Kim Chae-won • 2004 — Stained Glass — Shin Ji-soo • 2006 — 90 Days, Time to Love — Go Mi-yeon • 2008 — On Air — Oh Seung-ah • 2009 — Paradise — Mi-kyung — Telecinema • 2010 — Road No. 1 — Kim Soo-yeon • 2012 — A Gentleman's Dignity — Seo Yi-soo • 2016 — On the Way to the Airport — Choi Soo-ah • 2019 — The Wind Blows — Lee Soo-jin • 2020 — 18 Again — Jung Da-jung • 2022 — Kill Heel — Woo Hyun • 2024 — Nothing Uncovered — Seo Jeong-won • Red Swan — Oh Wan-soo

• Year — Song title — Artist — Ref. Reference(s) • 1998 — "To Heaven" — Jo Sung-mo • 2002 — "Last Promise" (마지막 약속) — Position • 2009 — "I Was Happy" (행복했었다) — Jo Sung-mo