Kim Hye-soo (Korean: 김혜수; Korean pronunciation: [kim.he.su]; born September 5, 1970) is a South Korean actress. Kim was one of the most popular teen stars in the 1980s and 1990s. She is known for her headstrong independence and regularly playing strong-willed, sophisticated women.[2]
Kim is referred to as a "Pencil Board Star" of the 1980s due to the popularity of pencil boards printed with her image.[6] She has also been named a part of the "Troika of the 1990s" in Korea along with her contemporaries Kim Hee-sun and Shim Eun-ha for their nationwide fame.[7] In 1993, Kim led the main role in the film First Love and gained critical acclaim for her portrayal of the archetypal innocent girl, winning a Blue Dragon Film Award for Best Leading Actress and earning her the title "Nation's First Love" although the film was a box-office failure.[8][9]
1999–2004: Development of her career
Over two decades, she amassed a sizeable filmography of leading and supporting roles, notably in the television seriesDid We Really Love? with Bae Yong-joon and Revenge and Passion with Ahn Jae-wook, as well as the film Tie a Yellow Ribbon (1998). In the 2000s, Kim focused more on her career in film rather than television, featuring in Kick the Moon, YMCA Baseball Team and Three.[10] At this time, she reinvented her image as a glamorous and confident femme fatale in Hypnotized (2004),[11]
A frequent host of film awards ceremonies and TV variety shows, Kim became a host of MBC current affairs show W in 2015.[27] Kim, an avid documentary fan, was considered a perfect it for the programme as it shifted its focus more to environmental and global issues.[28]W with Kim Hye-soo premiered in July 2010, but was cancelled in October 2010, with Kim criticizing the network's decision.[26]
In 2013, she headlined the romantic comedy The Queen of Office (also known as Goddess of the Workplace), an adaptation of the 2007 Japanese dramaHaken no Hinkaku ("Pride of the Temp").[35][36]
Kim next starred in Coin Locker Girl (also known as Chinatown) in 2015, the rare female-driven noir film. She said she didn't mind looking unattractive for her role as a ruthless crime boss, with makeup artists adding age spots to her face, gray to her hair, and flab to her stomach and hips with prostheses. Kim said it was "mentally agonizing" deciding whether to accept the role, but once she did, she felt "a surge of excitement" every time she stepped onto the set, and considered the film "a new challenge that (made her) heart race and (scared her) at the same time."[37][38][39]
2016–present: Return to television and film
Kim made her small-screen comeback in 2016 with tvN's Signal,[40] which was both critically and commercially successful. Kim as Cha Soo-hyun, acted opposite Lee Je-hoon and Cho Jin-woong as the first female police officer in the Special Task Force, later becoming the leader of the Seoul Cold Case Aquad.[41] She won Best Actress at the 52nd Baeksang Arts Awards and the tvN10 Awards for her performance.[42]
"First of all, I write down everything that comes into my eyes. In the case of an artist, I am not a casting director, but I remember and recommend it when there is a good work or a character that is suitable for the actor has come out. If you look at my memo, there is the person who are over 70 years old.
In general, if you remember the days when an actor wasn't in the spotlight but got impressed by yourself, 'Huh? I saw that actor before. I thought it was really good.' Don't you want to say that? The same goes for me. It's best when I'm with good actors."[43]
In 2017, Kim also starred in the noir film A Special Lady.[46] Directed by Lee An-gyu, Kim played Na Hyun-jung,a woman who becomes the second-in-command of a gangster organization-turned-leading business entity, opposite Lee Sun-kyun and Lee Hee-joon.[47][48][49]
"Kim Hye-soo's Refugee Diary" was a documentary that aired on KBS1 in September 2017. Directed by Park Hye-ryeong, Jang Hyun-ho, and Lee Byung-han, with the script written by Kwon Hyeon-jeong. The documentary followed Kim Hye-soo's visits to refugees who had survived near-death experiences in the Mediterranean. During her travels in June 2017 to Serbia, Italy, and Greece, which were major refugee destinations, she witnessed the challenges faced by refugees. Despite restrictions, the number of refugees, especially children, continued to rise. Kim Hye-soo shared vivid stories of their journeys and expressed admiration for their resilience, particularly among children living alone without family or guardians.[50]
In 2018, Kim starred in the IMF crisis film, Default, alongside Yoo Ah-in.[51] She was nominated for Best Actress at the 55th Baeksang Arts Awards. Then she was cast in the science fiction film Return.[52]
In 2020, Kim starred in the legal drama Hyena.[58] She played Jung Geum-ja, a hyena who chased money and success no matter the cost. It aired on SBS TV from February 21 to April 11, 2020.[59] She was nominated for Best Actress at the 56th Baeksang Arts Awards.[60] She was honoured with Excellence Award at the 2020 Asia Contents Awards & Global OTT Awards for her performance in Hyena.[61]
In March 2022, Kim gained international recognition for her lead role as judge Shim Eun-seok in the Netflix series Juvenile Justice, the most popular non-English show for two weeks straight.[62] She was nominated for Best Actress at the 58th Baeksang Arts Awards. The same year she starred in the tvN historical drama Under the Queen's Umbrella as Queen Im Hwa-ryeong.[63]
Kim is known for caring about younger actors, and has been described by co-star Ma Dong-seok in Familyhood (2016) to be "the most considerate person to care for others."[43] Her co-star Lee Sang-hee in the TV series Juvenile Justice said "Kim would write down unknown actors' names when she thought their acting was good, so that she could recommend them for suitable scripts in the future."[65][66] Many actresses, including Son Ye-jin,[67]Han Ji-min,[68]Kim Nam-joo,[69] and Yum Jung-ah[70] have expressed special thanks and gratitude to Kim for her care.
Kim has a bachelor's in theater and film from Dongguk University.[71] In 2013, Kim admitted to having plagiarized her master's thesis "A Study on Actor Communication," with parts copied verbatim from at least four books. She apologized for her actions, which she said stemmed from her busy schedule and ignorance of the seriousness of plagiarism.[72] Kim consequently forfeited her master's degree in journalism and mass communications.[73][74]
Relationships
Kim and character actorYoo Hae-jin first met in 2001 after shooting the film Kick the Moon and became close in 2006 after appearing together in Tazza: The High Rollers. Rumors of the two dating surfaced starting 2008 although both continuously denied any romantic involvement until early 2010 when paparazzi photographs of the two were released,[75][76] and the couple officially confirmed their relationship.[77][78][79] Kim and Yoo broke up in 2011.[80]
Philanthropy
In 2008, Kim donated the full amount of the narration fees of the documentary film "Forgiveness, Are You at the End of the Way" to the crime victim support fund.[81][82]
In April 2009, Kim displayed her pop art at the Seoul Open Art Fair.[83][84] One of her collage paintings was sold for ₩5 million, and she donated the sum to charity.[85]
On July 7, 2009, Kim participated in the "Style Meets Art" campaign co-hosted by cable channel OnStyle and Korean National Commission for UNESCO and donated the proceeds of her donated works to the Korean National Commission for UNESCO.[86]
In 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic exposed a shortage of masks, Kim donated ₩100 million to Hope Bridge Disaster Relief Association.[88]
On March 7, 2022, Kim donated ₩100 million to the Hope Bridge Disaster Relief Association to help the victims of the 2022 Uljin and Samcheok wildfire [ko] as emergency relief funds.[89]
On August 9, 2022, Kim donated ₩100 million to help those affected by the 2022 South Korean floods through the Hope Bridge Korea Disaster Relief Association.[90]
On February 10, 2023, Kim donated ₩100 million through UNICEF[91] to help children who were effected by 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquake and in the same month Kim posted a photo of the briquette service, which were the briquettes she donated.[92]
On July 17, 2023, Kim donated ₩100 million to aid recovery from the 2023 South Korea floods through Hope Bridge National Disaster Relief Association.[93]
^아름다운 죄, 사랑 때문에[시가 된 노래, 노래가 된 시] 조용필, <그 겨울의 찻집> [A beautiful sin, because of love[A Song that became a poem, a song that became a song]Cho Yong-pil,"That Winter Tea House"]. Korea Policy Briefing. February 16, 2022. Archived from the original on May 22, 2022.
^"하희라·김혜수, 80년대 책받침 스타 '비주얼 여신' ('연중 라이브')" [Ha Hee-ra, Kim Hye-soo, 1980s pencil board stars "Visual Goddess"]. tenasia hankyung. November 15, 2021. Archived from the original on May 4, 2022. Retrieved May 4, 2022.
^Hwang, Joo-won (September 21, 2015). "김혜수·조진웅·이제훈 tvN 드라마 '시그널' 출연 확정". Interview 365 (in Korean). Archived from the original on June 3, 2021. Retrieved August 27, 2019.
^ ab"메모중독 김혜수 무명배우 번호까지 저장하는 이유(인터뷰)" [The reason why Kim Hye-soo even save the unknown actor's cell phone numbers (interview)]. Newsen. June 30, 2016. Archived from the original on May 3, 2022. Retrieved May 4, 2022.
^POP (2017-08-31). "김혜수, 난민 어린이 만났다 "빛나는 아이들 잊을 수 없을 것"" [Kim Hye-soo, I met a refugee child "I will never forget the shining children"]. 헤럴드팝 (in Korean). Archived from the original on 2024-09-28. Retrieved 2024-02-25.
^"김혜수 측 "'내가 죽던 날' 출연" 1년만 스크린 복귀" [Kim Hye-soo's "'The Day I Die' Appeared" Comes back to the screen in one year]. YTN. June 18, 2019. Archived from the original on November 2, 2021. Retrieved October 30, 2020.
^Park, Dong-je (April 12, 2021). "5월 13일 개최 '57회 백상예술대상', TV·영화·연극 부문 최종 후보 공개" ['57th Baeksang Arts Awards' held on May 13th, final nominations for TV·Film·Theatre are revealed]. BreakNews (in Korean). Archived from the original on May 16, 2021. Retrieved April 12, 2021.
^Kim Jin-seok and Jo Yeon-kyung (April 12, 2021). "57회 백상예술대상, TV·영화·연극 부문 최종 후보 공개" [57th Baeksang Arts Awards, final nominations for TV, film, and theater released]. Daily Sport (in Korean). Naver. Archived from the original on April 12, 2021. Retrieved April 12, 2021.
^"이상희 "촬영장서 본 김혜수는 정말 멋있는 분"" [Lee Sang-hee " Kim Hye-soo I saw on the set is really cool."]. Chosun Inbo. March 30, 2022. Archived from the original on September 23, 2023.
^"'청룡영화상' 여우주연상 한지민 "김혜수 선배님께 감사하다"…김혜수 '울컥'" [Blue Dragon Best Actress award winner Han Ji-min "Kim Hye-soo sunbaenim thank you..."Kim Hye-soo 'shed tears']. SBS News. November 23, 2018. Archived from the original on September 23, 2023.
^"김혜수 "김남주 수상 소감, 이심전심…속으로 울컥"" [Kim Hye-soo, "Kim Nam-joo's acceptance speech, I can feel her mind...I was getting choked up."]. SBS News. November 21, 2018. Archived from the original on September 23, 2023.
^"염정아 "김혜수, 혜나가 친딸이냐 물어…언니 응원에 힘냈다"" [Yum Jung-ah "Kim Hye-soo asked me if Hanna is my daughter. I will cheer for you sister."]. SBS News. February 7, 2019. Archived from the original on May 26, 2022.
^"김혜수, SBS '용서' 내레이션 출연료 전액 기부" [Kim Hye-soo Donates Full Fees for SBS 'Forgiveness' Narration]. Osen News. October 27, 2008. Archived from the original on September 23, 2023. Retrieved May 4, 2022.
^"[명품다큐 전성시대④]다큐는 스타 목소리를 타고…" [[Documentary's golden age] Documentary has a star voice...]. Donga News. January 9, 2009. Archived from the original on May 4, 2022. Retrieved May 4, 2022.
^"[단독] 김혜수, 산불 피해 주민 위해 1억원 기부" [[Exclusive] Kim Hye-soo donated 100 million won to victims of forest fires]. Jtbc News. March 7, 2022. Archived from the original on May 27, 2022. Retrieved May 4, 2022.
^"[단독] 김혜수, 코로나19 확산 피해 극복 성금 1억원 기부" [[Exclusive] Kim Hye-soo donated 100 million won to overcome the spread of COVID-19]. Donga Sports. February 26, 2020. Archived from the original on May 4, 2022. Retrieved May 4, 2022.
^Kim Na-young (March 6, 2022). "꾸준한 기부…김혜수, 울진·삼척 산불 피해에 1억 쾌척" [Consistent donations... Kim Hye-soo, 100 million free ships for damage from Uljin and Samcheok forest fires] (in Korean). Mk Sports. Archived from the original on March 7, 2022. Retrieved March 6, 2022 – via Naver.
^Lee Chang-gyu (August 10, 2022). "폭우 피해에 연예계 '기부 행렬'…김혜수→김진우 '선한 영향력' [종합]" [Celebrity 'donation procession' for heavy rain damage... Kim Hye-soo → Kim Jin-woo 'Good Influence' [Comprehensive]] (in Korean). X-ports News. Archived from the original on August 10, 2022. Retrieved August 10, 2022 – via Naver.
^Jung, Hye-won (February 19, 2023). "김혜수, 1억 기부→연탄 봉사까지…미모보다 빛나는 마음씨" [Kim Hye-soo, donating 100 million → briquette service... A heart that shines more than beauty] (in Korean). Sport TV News. Archived from the original on February 21, 2023. Retrieved February 21, 2023 – via Naver.
^Lee, Hyeon-ji (July 17, 2023). "김혜수부터 유재석-임영웅까지, 수해 복구위한 성금 기부 행렬" [From Kim Hye-soo to Yoo Jae-seok and Lim Young-woong, a donation procession for flood recovery] (in Korean). MHN Sports. Archived from the original on August 12, 2023. Retrieved August 13, 2023 – via Naver.
^Kim Bora (June 15, 2023). ""6인 6색" '밀수' 김혜수→고민시, 색다른 변신" ["6 people, 6 colors" 'smuggling' Kim Hye-soo → Go Min-si, a different transformation] (in Korean). OSEN. Archived from the original on July 20, 2023. Retrieved June 15, 2023 – via Naver.
^Moon Ji-yeon (January 25, 2022). "[공식] 존재만으로 신뢰..김혜수 '소년심판' 2월 25일 공개 확정" [[Official] Trust just for existence.. Kim Hye-soo's 'Boys Judgment' will be released on February 25th] (in Korean). Sports Chosun. Archived from the original on January 25, 2022. Retrieved January 25, 2022 – via Naver.
^Kim Na-Yul (November 25, 2020). "김혜수X유연석, '제41회 청룡영화상' MC..3년 연속 호흡[공식]" [Kim Hye-soo X Yoo Yeon-seok, '41st Blue Dragon Film Awards' MC.. 3 years in a row [Official]]. Herald POP (in Korean). Naver. Archived from the original on November 26, 2021. Retrieved November 26, 2021.
^Son Jeong-bin (November 11, 2021). "김혜수, 청룡영화상 28번째 진행 맡는다…유연석과 호흡" [Kim Hye-soo to host the 28th Blue Dragon Film Awards... Yoo Yeon-seok and breathing]. Newsis (in Korean). Naver. Archived from the original on November 11, 2021. Retrieved November 11, 2021.
^Kim Ji-hye (November 18, 2022). "김혜수X유연석, 5년 연속 '청룡영화상' MC…김혜수는 29회 진기록" [Kim Hye-soo X Yoo Yeon-seok, 5 years in a row 'Blue Dragon Film Awards' MC... Kim Hye-soo broke the record in episode 29] (in Korean). SBS Entertainment News. Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. Retrieved November 19, 2022 – via Naver.
^Son Jeong-bin (November 2, 2023). "김혜수 청룡영화상 떠난다…올해가 마지막 진행" [Kim Hye-soo leaves the Blue Dragon Film Awards... This year is the last]. News 1 (in Korean). Naver. Archived from the original on November 2, 2023. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
^Lee, Ki-young (1998-03-05). "<연극> 김혜수, 아그네스로 연극무대 도전" [<Play> Kim Hye-soo challenges the stage as Agnes]. Naver News (in Korean). Archived from the original on 2023-09-02. Retrieved 2023-09-02.
Sources
Kim, Jung-woo; Yim, Jung-sik; Yoon, Yeo-kwang; Kim, In-gu (2014). 김혜수 - 스타 이미지 탐구 2권 [Kim Hye-soo - Star Image Exploration Vol. 2] (in Korean). 이지북 EZbook. ISBN978-89-5624-439-6.