Kim Go-eun

2012: A Muse and critical acclaim

In 2012, Kim was catapulted from obscurity into the heart of white-hot media attention when she was cast as Eun-gyo, a 17-year-old high school student who awakens the lust of two men, in A Muse.^[6][7][8][9] Her performance swept the Best New Actress awards that year.^[10]

The 21-year-old had never appeared in a film or TV drama before, not even in a minor role; she had only previously acted in student productions or school plays. She met A Muse director Jung Ji-woo through a circle of friends and was not even aware that auditions for the film were being held.^{[11][unreliable source?]} "I ended up having an audition after chatting with the director. There wasn't even any time for me to prepare," Kim recalled. She was chosen from among some 300 actresses who auditioned for the part. Jung said Kim grew up through the film, saying, "Her facial expressions in the last few scenes of the film are strikingly different from the ones in the beginning. I wanted to capture the moments when she realizes how precious she is to herself and to others," adding that she showed off qualities that can only be found in someone who is unaware of her own beauty and what she is capable of.^[5]

Describing her feelings about her profession, Kim said, "When I stood on the stage for the first time, I was so nervous that I thought it would be so hard if I had to do this for the rest of my life. But from my second performance, I felt ecstatic, as if I had wings on my back, and I never wanted to step off the stage. I keep on acting because I want to hold on to that feeling."^[3] Regarding her decision to limit her appearance in advertisements, she said, "I never thought about my image or potential endorsement deals when choosing the next film project. What worries me is what impact my appearance in commercials would have on my roles."^[12]

2013–2015: Hiatus and return to film

Despite many offers following A Muse, Kim took a break from acting and went back to college to complete her degree. She returned to the screen in 2014, showcasing her versatility in the thriller Monster where she played a developmentally disabled woman whose younger sister is murdered by a ruthless serial killer; her grief and rage drives her almost psychotic, and she plans her revenge.^{[13][14][15][16]}

In 2015, she and Kim Hye-soo were cast in Coin Locker Girl, a female-driven thriller based on the 1980 Japanese novel Coin Locker Babies. She was invited to the 2015 Festival de Cannes with the director and cast for this film, her first time there.^[17][18] Kim next starred in martial arts period drama Memories of the Sword, in which she acted opposite her longtime role model, actress Jeon Do-yeon.^[19][20][21] This was followed by courtroom film The Advocate: A Missing Body, where she played an aggressive prosecutor;^[22] and family film Canola, about a reunion between a girl and her grandmother alongside veteran actress Youn Yuh-jung.^[23][24]

2016–present: Television debut and popularity

Kim made her television debut in the hit cable series Cheese in the Trap, based on the webtoon of the same title.^[25][26][27] She also contributed vocals to the track "Attraction" by Tearliner for the drama's OST.^[28] Kim won the Baeksang Arts Award for Best New Actress (Television) for her performance.^[29] Later in 2016, she co-starred in Kim Eun-sook's megahit fantasy drama Guardian: The Lonely and Great God alongside Gong Yoo.^[30] The drama was a pan-Asian hit and a darling of the critics while also becoming a cultural phenomenon in South Korea.^[31] It was also the first Korean cable drama to surpass 20% in ratings, and as of June 2021, it is the fifth-highest rated Korean drama in cable television history.^{[32][citation needed]}

In 2018, Kim played a secondary character in the film Sunset in My Hometown directed by Lee Joon-ik. For her role as a wild country girl, Kim gained 8 kg and learned a regional dialect.^[33][34][35] The same year, she was cast in the period romance Tune in for Love.^[36]

In 2019, Kim was cast in the fantasy drama The King: Eternal Monarch. The series was highly anticipated due to its great cast, renowned screenwriter, extensive publicity, and budget of over 30 billion won (US$25 million).^[37][38] It set a record on broadcast of its first episode as SBS's highest-rated Friday-Saturday drama premiere, and maintained the No.1 spot on the weekly Wavve drama chart for eight consecutive weeks.^[39][40] However, it was criticised for its screenplay and convoluted plot, which led to lower-than-expected domestic popularity.^[41][42][43]

That same year she was cast in South Korea's first ever musical film Hero, which is based on the hit stage musical of the same name. The film is based on the life of freedom fighter An Jung-geun and his assassination of Itō Hirobumi, the first Prime Minister of Japan and Resident-General of colonized Korea. Kim played the role of a former Gungnyeo turned Geisha who joins the Korean independence movement.^[44][45] The movie was originally scheduled to be released in July 2020, but was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.^{[citation needed]} It was finally released in December 2022 and grossed over $24 million at the domestic box office, making it South Korea's 6th highest-grossing film of the year.^[46]

In 2021 and 2022, Kim starred in Korea's first live action animation, romantic comedy drama Yumi's Cells, a tvN TV series based on the eponymous webtoon which ran for two seasons.^[47] The drama resonated with viewers and was well-received; NME placed it on its list of 10 best Korean dramas of 2021.^[48] Kim's top-billed turn in particular received widespread attention; India Today lauded her performance as "impeccable",^[49] and Cosmopolitan Philippines called Kim "a chameleon...[who] manages to create a great character out of her roles".^[50]

Also in 2022, Kim starred in the TV series Little Women, loosely adapted from Louisa May Alcott's novel of the same name. It follows the story of three sisters who, after an unforeseen incident, make their way out of poverty and find themselves on the wrong side of one of the country's richest and most influential families.^[51] The show holds a perfect 100% rating on review aggregator platform Rotten Tomatoes.^[52] Kim received widespread critical acclaim for her performance as the eldest sister, On In-ju.^[53][54]

In 2024, Kim starred alongside actor Choi Min-sik in the occult-thriller film Exhuma, in which she plays a shaman. The film premiered at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival, where it was screened in the Forum section. It topped the South Korean weekend box office in its opening weekend and crossed 5 million admissions in a record-breaking 10 days.^[55] As of May 8, 2024, Exhuma grossed US$95 million at the box office and crossed 11 million admissions; it is the 6th highest-grossing film (domestic) of all time in South Korea, and the highest-grossing film of 2024.^[56][57] Kim received rave reviews from critics and fans alike. The Korea Herald extolled her "fine acting", calling her a "veteran actor" who "captivat[ed] the audience with her terror-inducing songs, oracles and prayers."^[58] For her performance, she won Best Actress (Film) at the 60th Baeksang Arts Awards, South Korea's most prestigious entertainment awards ceremony.^[59]

Kim will next be seen in the film adaptation of the bestselling novel Love in the Big City by Sang Young Park. The film will focus on the first part of the novel, which follows the friendship between a "free-spirited" young woman and an HIV-positive gay man as they live together and endure ups and downs in their love lives in modern-day Seoul.^[60][61]

Ambassadorship

In 2019, Kim was named a Chanel Ambassador for South Korea, and was later selected to be one of the seven faces of Chanel's "J12 Turns 20" campaign in 2020.^[62]

In August 2019, at a press conference held at the Korea Press Center, Kim was appointed as an honorary ambassador for Korea's Ministry of the Environment's Resource Circulation.^[63]

Philanthropy

In April 2019, Kim donated ₩20 million (approx. US$17,460) to the victims of the Gangwon Province Wildfire.^{[citation needed]} In late February 2020, the Korean NGO Good Neighbors revealed that she had made a donation of ₩100 million (approx. US$82,640) to provide 40,000 masks for low-income families in South Korea during the COVID-19 pandemic.^[64] In honor of Korean National Children's day, Kim donated ₩50 million won (approx. $44,000) to the Children's Hospital of the Seoul National University Hospital on May 5, 2021.^{[citation needed]}

On March 5, 2022, Kim donated ₩50 million through the National Disaster Mitigation Association (Hope Bridge) to help villagers affected by the Uljin wildfire.^[65] On August 11, 2022, she donated ₩50 million through the Hope Bridge Korea Disaster Relief Association to help those affected by the 2022 South Korean floods .^[66] To celebrated her 10th anniversary as an actress, Kim donated ₩100 million to Seoul National University Children's Hospital in October 2022.^[67]

On February 9, 2023, Kim donated 30 million won through an NGO specializing in children's rights worldwide to relief efforts to the 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquake.^[68]

In March 2025, Kim donated 50 million won through the Hope Bridge National Disaster Relief Association to help with recovery efforts from wildfires that have occurred in the Ulsan, Gyeongbuk, and Gyeongnam regions.^[69]

Film

Television series

Television shows

Awards and nominations

Listicles