KIM YOO JUNG - 8 TH BEATY OUT OF 10 KOREAN ACTRESS IN 2017

KIM YOO JUNG - 
8 TH BEATY OUT OF 10 KOREAN ACTRESS IN 2017

Kim Yoo-jung (Hangul: 김유정; Hanja: 金裕貞; born September 22, 1999) is a South Korean actress. After her acting debut in 2003, she became one of the best known child actresses in Korea and since then, has transitioned into teen roles by starring in television series Moon Embracing the Sun (2012), May Queen (2012) and Angry Mom (2015).[1] She hosted music show Inkigayo from November 2014 to April 2016 and took on her first adult leading role in KBS2's historical drama Love in the Moonlight (2016).

Considered "Korea's Little Sister" when she was a child actress, Kim has since been dubbed "Sageuk Fairy" after starring in several acclaimed historical period dramas in her career.[2][3] In 2017, she ranked 8th on Forbes Korea Power Celebrity list, the youngest to be included in the Top 10 at 17 years old.[4]

2003–2011: Beginnings as a child actress[edit source]

After Kim's acting debut when she was 4, she quickly became one of the most in-demand child actresses in Korea.[5] By the time she was a fifth grader, Kim had already appeared in 13 TV dramas and 15 movies.
In July 2010
In 2008, she received her first acting award as "Best Child Actress" for action-adventure series Iljimae. This was followed by acclaimed performances in Dong Yi (2010) and Flames of Desire (2010).[6] Grudge: The Revolt of Gumiho (2010) marked Kim's first major role that wasn't the childhood counterpart of the female protagonist.[7][8][9]
2012–2014: Rising popularity[edit source]

She rose to popularity in 2012 when she starred in the fantasy-period drama Moon Embracing the Sun, which reunited Kim with Grudge: The Revolt of Gumiho costar Lee Min-ho and Iljimae costar Yeo Jin-goo.[10][11] Moon surpassed 40% ratings and gained "national drama" status. She followed this with a well-received turn in May Queen (2012)[10] and a supporting role in the 2013 film Commitment,[12] and family drama Golden Rainbow (2013).[13]
At a fan-signing event for Love in the Moonlight, October 2016

In 2014, Kim's performance as a teenage bully in Thread of Lies drew critical acclaim.[14] She next played a traditional funeral singer (or "gok-bi") in the single-episode Drama Special anthology,[15] and was cast in the horror mystery Room 731, an English-language graduate thesis film by USC filmmaker Young-min Kim.[16] This was followed by a starring role in the period drama Secret Door.[17] Kim also began hosting music show Inkigayo in November 2014 and left the show in April 2016.[18]
2015–present: Transition to lead roles[edit source]
In 2015 she starred in the television series Angry Mom which tackled bullying and school violence.[19] The same year, she reprised her role as a cat-turned-woman in Love Cells, a two-season web series adapted from the webtoon of the same title and played a murderer's daughter in the thriller film Circle of Atonement.[20][21]
In August 2016, Kim starred in her first adult leading role, alongside Park Bo-gum, in the youth historical drama Love in the Moonlight.[22] A domestic and international hit, Moonlight achieved peak audience rating of 23.3% and its popularity was referred to as "Moonlight Syndrome".[23][24][25] Kim won "Excellence Award, Actress in a Mid-length Drama" for portraying Moonlight's cross-dressing heroine at the 30th KBS Drama Awards.[26][27]

In 2017, she starred with Cha Tae-hyun in the romantic-comedy film Because I Love You.[28] Kim also had her first overseas fan meeting tour with Taipei, Taiwan as the first stop, at ATT Show Box on February 4, 2017.[29]