Kim Ji-won

These roles contributed to her prominence as a hallyu figure.

• Name — Kim Ji-won • Born — 19 October 1992 • Birthplace — Seoul, South Korea • Education — Dongguk University (B.A. in Theatre Studies) • Occupation — Actress • Years Active — 2010–present • Agent — HighZium Studio

Kim Ji-won was born on October 19, 1992, in Geumcheon District, Seoul, South Korea, as the younger of two daughters. She developed an interest in acting during elementary school and participated in school plays. During middle school, she played the piano at church and participated in Christmas performances. She has stated that she is a Christian. During her first year of middle school, Kim spent nearly a year in Chicago, Illinois, United States, living with maternal relatives. After returning to South Korea, she was required to repeat a school year before re-enrolling. She later left formal education and passed the General Educational Development (GED) examination before entering high school. In 2007, Kim was scouted on the street and signed with Lion Media, where she trained for three years in singing, dancing, and acting. In 2008, while still a trainee, she worked as a keyboardist and backing vocalist for Younha and appeared in the music video for the song "Gossip Boy". She was initially set to debut as a singer under the stage name "JessicaK", but ultimately chose acting instead. Following her 2010 debut, she enrolled in the Department of Theatre at Dongguk University in 2011, majoring in acting.

Kim Ji-won made her acting debut in the 2011 romance omnibus film Romantic Heaven. She gained attention for her role in the sitcom High Kick: Revenge of the Short Legged. She later appeared in the musical drama What's Up. In 2012, Kim starred in the high school series To the Beautiful You, and portrayed a kidnapped student in the horror anthology film Horror Stories.

• Illustration — Kim at the press conference for Descendants of the Sun in 2016 In 2013, Kim appeared in the KBS Drama Special Waiting for Love. She also starred in Horror Stories 2, portraying a student involved in black magic. That year, she played an heiress in the teen drama The Heirs, written by Kim Eun-sook. The series achieved over one billion views on Youku, contributing to increased recognition for her role. Kim received the New Star Award at the 2013 SBS Drama Awards for her performance. In 2014, Kim portrayed a high school student and webtoon artist in the crime thriller Gap-dong. She also appeared in a supporting role in the KBS Drama Special The Reason I'm Getting Married. In December, she signed a contract with King Kong Entertainment. In 2015, Kim starred in the romance web series One Sunny Day, portraying a woman who meets a stranger while traveling to Jeju Island. Later that year, she made a cameo appearance in the tvN drama Hidden Identity as the girlfriend of Kim Bum's character. In 2016, Kim reunited with writer Kim Eun-sook in the KBS2 military romance drama Descendants of the Sun, playing an army surgeon. She won the Excellence Award at the 2016 KBS Drama Awards and the Best Supporting Actress award at the 5th APAN Star Awards for her performance. The series recorded peak viewership ratings of 38.8% and won the Grand Prize – Television at the 52nd Baeksang Arts Awards. Its international popularity increased Kim's overseas visibility. That year, she co-hosted the 2016 KBS Drama Awards with Park Bo-gum and Jun Hyun-moo.

• Illustration — Kim at the 2017 KBS Drama Awards In 2017, Kim starred in her first leading role in KBS2's romantic comedy drama Fight for My Way, portraying Choi Ae-ra, a department store information desk employee aspiring to become an announcer, alongside Park Seo-joon. The series was noted for its portrayal of young adults facing career challenges and concluded with ratings of 13.8%. Kim won the Excellence Award at the 2017 KBS Drama Awards for her performance. In 2018, Kim appeared in the period comedy-mystery film Detective K: Secret of the Living Dead, playing a woman with memory loss involved in an investigation. That same year, Kim and her Descendants of the Sun co-star Jin Goo made cameo appearances in the historical drama Mr. Sunshine. In 2019, Kim starred in the historical fantasy drama Arthdal Chronicles as Tanya, the spiritual leader and successor of the Wahan tribe's priesthood. The drama served as a reunion with Song Joong-ki, following their appearance in the 2016 series Descendants of the Sun. In December, Kim's contract with King Kong Entertainment expired, and she chose not to renew it. In February 2020, Kim signed with Salt Entertainment. Later that year, she starred in the romance web series Lovestruck in the City, portraying Lee Eun-oh, a woman living under a false identity who becomes involved in a complex urban romance. For the role, Kim underwent surfing training and overcame her childhood aquaphobia. In 2022, Kim starred in the slice-of-life drama My Liberation Notes, portraying Yeom Mi-jeong, an introverted office worker struggling to escape her monotonous life. She was nominated for Best Actress – Television at the 59th Baeksang Arts Awards for her performance in the series. In June, Kim's contract with Salt Entertainment expired, and she chose not to renew it. In September, she signed with HighZium Studio.

• Illustration — Kim at the press conference for Queen of Tears in 2024 In 2024, Kim starred in the tvN drama Queen of Tears as Hong Hae-in, a chaebol heiress. The series became the highest-rated tvN drama with a nationwide viewership of 24.9% for its finale. It also remained in Netflix's Global Top 10 Non-English TV series rankings for 15 consecutive weeks. Kim received the Prime Minister's Commendation at the Korean Popular Culture and Arts Awards, and ranked third in Gallup Korea's Television Actor of the Year survey.

Korean media highlighted Kim's clear diction and pronunciation, earning her the nickname "Diction Fairy". Her aegyo scene in Fight for My Way gained attention on social media and inspired a dubbing challenge. Following her performance in Queen of Tears, several media outlets referred to her as "Queen of Romantic Comedy". Korean media have also described Kim as a prominent figure in the Korean Wave. Kim ranked third in Gallup Korea's Television Actor of the Year in both 2024 and 2025. Kim maintains a private life and has a limited presence on social media. In an interview with Cosmopolitan, she stated, "I tend to separate my work and private life. When people watch the dramas I appear in, I want them to focus solely on the character."

On February 8, 2025, Kim was selected as the ambassador for Orange Run 2025, a charity marathon festival held in collaboration with the Korea Welfare Service and Hanwha General Insurance to celebrate International Women's Day.

• Illustration — Kim attended the Bulgari event held in Seoul in 2024 Kim began her advertising career in 2010 as an endorser for LG Electronics' Cyon Lollipop 2 alongside Bigbang. From 2014 to 2017, she served as a brand ambassador for the skincare brand Dr.G. In 2016, following her appearance in Descendants of the Sun, she was referred to by media outlets as the "CF Queen" after securing endorsement deals with more than ten brands. From 2017 to 2021, she served as a global ambassador for the skincare brand Mediheal. In 2024, she became a brand ambassador for Bulgari, becoming its first Korean ambassador for jewelry, watches, and fragrance. She also served as a global ambassador for LG H&H's luxury cosmetics brand The Whoo, and was appointed brand ambassador for the jewelry brand Stonehenge and the Italian luxury outerwear brand Duvetica.

In February 2014, Kim participated in Vogue Girls "Pink Wings" campaign, with proceeds donated to support low-income families. On November 29, 2016, she joined the Korean Committee for UNICEF's "We Action" child protection campaign. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Kim donated 20 million to World Share in February 2020 to support medical staff and patients at Keimyung University Dongsan Hospital in Daegu. The following month, she served as a voice donor for MBC Radio's "Citizen Support Project" for people affected by the pandemic. In June 2022, Kim volunteered for Big Issue, a magazine that supports people experiencing homelessness. In October 2024, she took part in W Koreas "Love Your W" breast cancer awareness campaign. On March 27, 2025, Kim donated 50 million to the Hope Bridge National Disaster Relief Association to aid victims of the 2025 South Korea wildfires. On August 7, 2026, Kim Ji-won donated KRW 100 million to support ward environment improvements at Seoul National University Children's Hospital and medical expenses for low-income patients. The donation will be used to help reduce the financial burden of treatment for children with severe, rare, and intractable diseases and their families who travel from across South Korea, as well as to provide a safer and more comfortable environment for treatment.

• Year — Title — Role — Notes — Ref. Reference(s) • 2011 — High Kick: Revenge of the Short Legged — Kim Ji-won • What's Up — Park Tae-yi • 2012 — To the Beautiful You — Seol Han-na • 2013 — Waiting for Love — Choi Sae-rom — KBS Drama Special • The Heirs — Yoo Rachel • 2014 — The Reason I'm Getting Married — Kim Ji-young — KBS Drama Special • Gap-dong — Ma Ji-wool • 2015 — Hidden Identity — Min Tae-hee — Cameo (Episodes 1–2, 9–10) • 2016 — Descendants of the Sun — Yoon Myung-joo • 2017 — Fight for My Way — Choi Ae-ra • 2018 — Mr. Sunshine — Kim Hui-jin — Cameo (Episode 1) • 2019 — Arthdal Chronicles — Tan-ya — Season 1 • 2020–2021 — Lovestruck in the City — Lee Eun-oh / Yoon Seon-ah • 2022 — My Liberation Notes — Yeom Mi-jeong • 2024 — Queen of Tears — Hong Hae-in • 2026 — Doctor X: Age of the White Mafia — Gye Su-jeong • TBA — Detective Park Mi-ok — Park Mi-ok

• Year — Title — Role — Ref. Reference(s) • 2014 — One Sunny Day — Kim Ji-ho

• Year — Title — Notes — Ref. Reference(s) • 2016 — 30th KBS Drama Awards — With Jun Hyun-moo and Park Bo-gum

• Year — Title — Artist — Ref. Reference(s) • 2008 — "Gossip Boy" — Younha • 2010 — "Lollipop Pt. 2" — BigBang

• Title — Year — Album — Ref. Reference(s) • "Pick a Star from the Sky" — 2010 — OranC Commercial • "Over the Rainbow" — 2012 — High Kick: Revenge of the Short Legged OST

Name of publisher, year listed, name of listicle, and placement • Publisher — Year — Listicle — Placement — Ref. Reference(s) • Forbes — 2025 — Korea Power Celebrity 40 — 23rd • Gallup Korea — 2024 — Gallup Korea's Favorite Television Actor — 2nd • 2024 — Gallup Korea's Television Actor of the Year — 3rd • 2025 — 3rd

Name of the award ceremony, year presented, category, nominee of the award, and the result of the nomination • Award Ceremony — Year — Category — Nominee / Work — Result — Ref. Reference(s) • APAN Star Awards — 2016 — Best Supporting Actress — Descendants of the Sun • 2022 — Excellence Award, Actress in a Miniseries — My Liberation Notes • 2024 — Top Excellence Award, Actress in a Miniseries — Queen of Tears • Asia Artist Awards — 2016 — Best Celebrity Award, Actress — Kim Ji-won • Baeksang Arts Awards — 2023 — Best Actress – Television — My Liberation Notes • Brand of the Year Awards — 2024 — Actress of the Year – Television (Domestic) — Queen of Tears • Actress of the Year (Vietnam) • Elle Style Awards — 2016 — Young Icon Award — Kim Ji-won • Fundex Awards — 2024 — Best Actress – Television — Queen of Tears • Global Film & Television Huading Awards — 2023 — Best Global Leading Actress – Television — My Liberation Notes • iMBC Awards — 2025 — Best Actress — Queen of Tears • KBS Drama Awards — 2016 — Best Couple Award — Kim Ji-won (with Jin Goo) Descendants of the Sun • Best New Actress — Descendants of the Sun • Excellence Award, Actress in a Miniseries • 2017 — Best Couple Award — Kim Ji-won (with Park Seo-joon) Fight for My Way • Excellence Award, Actress in a Miniseries — Fight for My Way • Popularity Award, Actress — Kim Ji-won • Korea Drama Awards — 2019 — Excellence Award, Actress — Arthdal Chronicles • 2024 — Best Couple Award — Kim Ji-won (with Kim Soo-hyun) Queen of Tears • Popularity Award, Actress — Kim Ji-won • Top Excellence Award, Actress — Queen of Tears • Korea First Brand Awards — 2025 — Best Actress (Vietnam) • SBS Drama Awards — 2013 — New Star Award — The Heirs • Seoul International Drama Awards — 2018 — Outstanding Korean Actress — Fight for My Way

Name of country or organization, year given, and name of honor • Country or Organization — Year — Honor — Ref. Reference(s) • Korean Popular Culture and Arts Awards — 2025 — Prime Minister's Commendation