Kim Ji-won Profile: From Scene-Stealer to Leading Lady – Outshining Song Hye Kyo and Park Shin Hye
Who is Kim Ji-won?
- Real Name: Kim Ji-won
- Stage Name: Kim Ji-won
- Date of Birth: October 19, 1992
- Nationality: Korean
- Instagram: @geewonii
Kim Ji-won was born on October 19, 1992, in Geumcheon-gu, Seoul, South Korea. She has an elder sister who is two years older than her.
It is known that Kim Ji-won actually trained to become a K-pop idol for over 3 years, after being scouted by an entertainment agency in middle school.
Among netizens and the public, Kim Ji-won is widely recognized for her natural beauty with no traces of plastic surgery, to the point of being called a “little Kim Tae-hee”.
Career
Before acting debut
With a pure and gorgeous appearance, Kim Ji Won caught the eye of Lion Media when she was only in 9th grade. She was quickly scouted by this company. During her trainee days, she learned many skills, from singing to acting and dancing. She was first introduced to the public on SBS’s music show Inkigayo, as a backup vocalist and then in Younha’s MV “Gossip Boy”. However, she couldn’t make an impression on the audience back then.
After many years of efforts but failed to reap any significant results in the music industry, Kim Ji Won then changed direction. In 2010, she debuted as a model and mainly appeared in CF videos. Thanks to her outstanding visuals in various CFs, she was remembered by the public as the “Oran C girl”, “Lollipop girl” or “Little Kim Tae Hee”.
Kim Ji Won made her acting debut in “Mrs. Saigon”, however, the movie did not resonate. In 2011, she landed roles in the dramas “High Kick season 3”, “What’s Up?” and the movie “Romantic Heaven”. Unfortunately, these projects failed to bring Kim Ji Won any breakout roles. She made an early debut compared to same-aged actors, but it took Kim Ji Won years to find a place in the industry.
After acting debut
Kim Ji Won landed a lead role in the early days of her debut. However, she shot to stardom thanks to supporting roles. In 2013, she received great attention from the audience by starring in “The Heirs”. Playing the rich and mean girl Yoo Rachel, she impressed viewers with both her outstanding beauty, aura and acting. Kim Ji Won is said to even steal the spotlight from the female lead Park Shin Hye. At the time, Kim Ji Won was only 21 years old, but from the time she started her trainee life until she finally rose to fame, it was not a short journey.
After The Heirs, Kim Ji Won’s career still couldn’t hit its peak when she only starred in a few more projects that were not too successful. Her career only really turned to a new page when she participated in the blockbuster “Descendants of the Sun“, playing the supporting role of the female medical soldier Yoon Myung Ju. After this work, Kim Ji Won’s name really rose to the top in the Korean film industry. She continuously took part in famous works such as “Fight For My Way”, “Arthdal Chronicles” and most recently, “My Liberation Notes“. Not all of her works become a hit but Kim Ji Won has had the chance to try different roles with different colors, which helps her ability to be more recognized by the audiences.
Awards
Across her career, Kim Ji-won has earned fair share of awards and nominations. Notable ones include being nominated for Best Actress at the 2023 Baeksang Arts Awards, winning “Best Actress” and Best Couple Awards at the 2016 and 2017 KBS Drama Awards, and winning the New Star Awards at the SBS Drama Awards.
Controversies
Kim Ji-won is known as a “scandal-free” actress, as she is well known for her stellar personality, never stumbling across any personal controversy.
However, Kim Ji-won’s latest work, “Queen of Tears”, is currently under backlash for allegedly promoting coffee brand Starbucks. It is known that Starbucks is a target of a boycott movement to show support for Palestine – which is undergoing a humanity crisis due to attacks from Israel, so promotion of it is being considered as tone-deaf.
