Im Soo-hyang
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Im Soo-hyang (; born April 19, 1990) is a South Korean actress. She rose to fame playing leading roles in the
television series A television show, TV program (), or simply a TV show, is the general reference to any content produced for viewing on a television set that is broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, and cable, or distributed digitally on streaming plat ...
''
New Tales of Gisaeng ''New Tales of Gisaeng'' (; also known as ''New Gisaeng Story'') is a 2011 South Korean television series starring Im Soo-hyang, Sung Hoon, and Han Hye-rin. Written by Im Sung-han and directed by Son Moon-kwon, it aired on SBS from January 23 t ...
'' (2011) and ''
Inspiring Generation ''Inspiring Generation'' () is a 2014 South Korean television series starring Kim Hyun-joong, Im Soo-hyang and Jin Se-yeon. It aired on KBS2 from January 15 to April 3, 2014 on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 21:55 for 24 episodes. Based on the ...
'' (2014). After a series of supporting roles, she gained wide recognition for her performances in the campus romance '' My ID is Gangnam Beauty'' (2018) and the smash-hit mystery drama ''
Graceful Family ''Graceful Family'' () is a 2019 South Korean television series starring Im Soo-hyang, Lee Jang-woo, and Bae Jong-ok. It aired on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 23:00 ( KST) of MBN and Dramax from August 21 to October 17, 2019. Besides receiving ...
'' (2019). She then starred in '' When I Was the Most Beautiful'' (2020), ''
Woori the Virgin ''Woori the Virgin'' () is a 2022 Korean drama, South Korean television series written and directed by Jeong Jeong-hwa, and starring Im Soo-hyang in the lead role as Oh Woo-ri, with Sung Hoon (actor), Sung-hoon, Shin Dong-wook and Hong Ji-yoon. ...
'' (2022), and ''
Doctor Lawyer ''Doctor Lawyer'' () is a 2022 South Korean television series starring So Ji-sub, Shin Sung-rok, and Im Soo-hyang. It premiered on MBC TV on June 3, 2022, and aired every Friday and Saturday at 21:50 ( KST) for 16 episodes. It is also available ...
'' (2022).


Career


2011–2017: ''New Tales of Gisaeng'' and diverse roles

After making a bit-part appearance in the 2009 film '' 4th Period Mystery'' while she was still a student at
Chung-Ang University Chung-Ang University (CAU; ) is a private research university in Seoul, South Korea. The university operates two campuses: main campus located in Dongjak District, Seoul, and an additional campus in Anseong, Gyeonggi Province. CAU consists of 1 ...
, Im landed her
breakthrough role A breakthrough role, also known as a breakout role, is a term in the theatre, film and television industry to describe the performance of an actor or actress which contributed significantly to the development of their career and beginning of crit ...
when she was cast as Dan Sa-ran, a prideful, lower-middle class dancer, in the 2011 popular television series ''
New Tales of Gisaeng ''New Tales of Gisaeng'' (; also known as ''New Gisaeng Story'') is a 2011 South Korean television series starring Im Soo-hyang, Sung Hoon, and Han Hye-rin. Written by Im Sung-han and directed by Son Moon-kwon, it aired on SBS from January 23 t ...
''. Cast alongside
Sung Hoon Sung Hoon or Sunghoon () is an alternative romanization of Seong-hoon, a Korean masculine given name. It may also refer to: * Sung Hoon (actor) (born 1983), South Korean actor * Sung Hoon (singer, born 1980), South Korean singer, former member of ...
and
Han Hye-rin Han Hye-rin (; born November 6, 1988) is a South Korean actress. She played the leading role in the television drama In film and television show, television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or docudrama, semi-fiction) ...
, the series explored the premise that the
gisaeng ''Kisaeng'' (), also called ''ginyeo'' (), were enslaved women from outcast or enslaved families who were trained to be courtesans, providing artistic entertainment and conversation to men of upper class. First emerging in Goryeo dynasty. were ...
, the Korean equivalent of a
geisha {{Culture of Japan, Traditions, Geisha {{nihongo, Geisha{{efn, {{IPAc-en, lang, ˈ, ɡ, eɪ, ., ʃ, ə, {{IPA, ja, ɡei.ɕa, ɡeː-, lang{{cite book, script-title=ja:NHK日本語発音アクセント新辞典, publisher=NHK Publishing, editor= ...
or
courtesan A courtesan is a prostitute with a courtly, wealthy, or upper-class clientele. Historically, the term referred to a courtier, a person who attended the court of a monarch or other powerful person. History In European feudal society, the co ...
, still existed in modern-day Korea. Im was nominated for several newcomer awards for her performance and won the SBS Drama Award for Best New Star and the Korea Drama Award for Best New Actress. That same year, she had a prominent supporting role in ''
Paradise Ranch ''Paradise Ranch'' () is a 2011 South Korean television series that aired on SBS. It stars Lee Yeon-hee and Shim Chang-min as a divorced couple who married when they were 19, then meet six years later and rediscover their feelings for each oth ...
'' and made a cameo appearance in ''
Salamander Guru and The Shadows ''Salamander Guru and The Shadows'' () is a 2012 South Korean sitcom starring Choi Min-ho, Ryu Hyun-kyung, Im Won-hee, Lee Byung-joon and Oh Dal-su. It aired on SBS from January 27 to March 30, 2012 on Fridays at 23:00 for 10 episodes. It is ...
''. To develop her range, Im increased her profile with starring roles as diverse as a feisty chairman's daughter in '' I Do, I Do'' (2012), a cool assassin in '' Iris II: New Generation'' (2013), the calculating stepdaughter of a high official in ''
Inspiring Generation ''Inspiring Generation'' () is a 2014 South Korean television series starring Kim Hyun-joong, Im Soo-hyang and Jin Se-yeon. It aired on KBS2 from January 15 to April 3, 2014 on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 21:55 for 24 episodes. Based on the ...
'' (2014), a college dropout in ''
Five Enough ''Five Enough'' () is a 2016 South Korean television series starring Ahn Jae-wook, So Yoo-jin, Shim Hyung-tak, Shim Yi-young, Im Soo-hyang, Shin Hye-sun, Sung Hoon (actor), Sung Hoon and Ahn Woo-yeon. It aired on KBS2 from February 20 to August ...
'' (2015) and the female antagonist in ''
Blow Breeze ''Blow Breeze'' () is a 2016 South Korean weekend drama. It stars Son Ho-jun, Lim Ji-yeon, Han Joo-wan, Oh Ji-eun, Hwang Bo-ra, and Jang Se-hyun, and was aired on MBC on Saturdays and Sundays at 20:40 for 50 episodes from August 27, 2016. Pl ...
'' (2015). In 2016, Im played the title character in the prison romance film ''Eunha''. In 2017, Im was cast in the leading role of a widowed policewoman in ''
Lovers in Bloom ''Lovers in Bloom'' () is a 2017 South Korean television series starring Im Soo-hyang, Do Ji-han, Lee Chang-wook, Lee Eun-hyung, and Nam Bo-ra. The series aired daily on KBS1 from 8:25 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. ( KST) from May 29 to November 10 ...
'', for which she received a KBS Drama Award for Best Actress in a Daily Drama. Also that year, she made a cameo appearance as a serial killer who pretends to be a victim in tvN's crime procedural drama ''
Criminal Minds ''Criminal Minds'' is an American police procedural crime drama television series created by Jeff Davis that premiered on CBS on September 22, 2005. It follows a group of criminal profilers who work for the FBI as members of its Behavioral ...
'', based on the American series of the same name.


2018–present: ''My ID is Gangnam Beauty'' and rising popularity

In 2018, Im rose in popularity when she starred opposite
Cha Eun-woo Lee Dong-min (; born March 30, 1997), known professionally as Cha Eun-woo (), is a South Korean singer and actor. He is a member of the South Korean boy band Astro (South Korean band), Astro, and debuted as a solo artist with the extended play ...
of
Astro Astro may refer to: Entertainment and media * Astro (South Korean band), a South Korean boy band * Astro (UB40) (born Terence Wilson) (1957–2021), rapper and member of the British reggae band UB40 * Astro (Chilean band), a Chilean indie ro ...
in the
JTBC JTBC (shortened from Joongang Tongyang Broadcasting Company; ; stylized in all lowercase) is a South Korean nationwide pay television network. Its primary shareholder is JoongAng Holdings, with a 25% stake. It was launched on December 1, ...
romantic comedy series ''
Gangnam Beauty ''Gangnam Beauty'' () is a 2018 South Korean television series starring Im Soo-hyang, Cha Eun-woo, Jo Woo-ri and Kwak Dong-yeon. Based on the webtoon of the same name published in 2016 by Naver, it centers on the life of a college student who had ...
''. For her performance as Kang Mi-rae, Im won the Top Excellence Award for Actress in a Drama at the 26th Korea Culture and Entertainment Awards. In 2019, Im received critical acclaim for her portrayal of Mo Seok-hee, a confident, charismatic and savage
chaebol A chaebol ( , ; , ) is a large industrial South Korean conglomerate run and controlled by an individual or family. A chaebol often consists of multiple diversified affiliates, controlled by a person or group. Several dozen large South Kore ...
heiress, in the mystery drama ''
Graceful Family ''Graceful Family'' () is a 2019 South Korean television series starring Im Soo-hyang, Lee Jang-woo, and Bae Jong-ok. It aired on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 23:00 ( KST) of MBN and Dramax from August 21 to October 17, 2019. Besides receiving ...
''. The series premiered with high viewership ratings for MBN network and attracted media attention in Korea and internationally. In 2020, Im next starred in the romance melodrama '' When I Was the Most Beautiful'' opposite
Ji Soo Kim Ji-soo (; born 30 March 1993), professionally known as Ji Soo, is a South Korean actor currently based in the Philippines. Early life and education In elementary school, Ji Soo was a judo athlete and competed at national level before givi ...
and
Ha Seok-jin Ha Seok-jin (born March 4, 1982) is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his roles in TV drama series such as '' Radiant Office'' (2017), '' Drinking Solo'' (2016), ''Shark'' (2013), and '' 4 Legendary Witches'' (2014), for which he receiv ...
, portraying an optimistic ceramic artist who falls in love with two brothers. Im was again praised for her acting and she went on to gain the Top Excellence prize at the 39th
MBC Drama Awards The MBC Drama Awards () is an awards ceremony presented by Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) for outstanding achievements in Korean dramas aired on its network. It is held annually in December. Unlike its counterparts in KBS and SBS, MBC ...
. In 2022, she played the titular role of Oh Woo-ri in the SBS
romantic comedy Romantic comedy (also known as romcom or rom-com) is a sub-genre of comedy and Romance novel, romance fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount all obstacles. Ro ...
drama ''
Woori the Virgin ''Woori the Virgin'' () is a 2022 Korean drama, South Korean television series written and directed by Jeong Jeong-hwa, and starring Im Soo-hyang in the lead role as Oh Woo-ri, with Sung Hoon (actor), Sung-hoon, Shin Dong-wook and Hong Ji-yoon. ...
'' based on American series ''
Jane the Virgin ''Jane the Virgin'' is an American romantic comedy-drama and satirical telenovela developed by Jennie Snyder Urman. The series premiered October 13, 2014, on The CW and concluded on July 31, 2019. It is a loose adaptation of the Venezuelan te ...
'', reuniting with ''
New Tales of Gisaeng ''New Tales of Gisaeng'' (; also known as ''New Gisaeng Story'') is a 2011 South Korean television series starring Im Soo-hyang, Sung Hoon, and Han Hye-rin. Written by Im Sung-han and directed by Son Moon-kwon, it aired on SBS from January 23 t ...
'' co-star
Sung Hoon Sung Hoon or Sunghoon () is an alternative romanization of Seong-hoon, a Korean masculine given name. It may also refer to: * Sung Hoon (actor) (born 1983), South Korean actor * Sung Hoon (singer, born 1980), South Korean singer, former member of ...
. The same year she starred in the MBC
medical Medicine is the science and Praxis (process), practice of caring for patients, managing the Medical diagnosis, diagnosis, prognosis, Preventive medicine, prevention, therapy, treatment, Palliative care, palliation of their injury or disease, ...
-
legal Law is a set of rules that are created and are law enforcement, enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior, with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been variously described as a Socia ...
drama ''
Doctor Lawyer ''Doctor Lawyer'' () is a 2022 South Korean television series starring So Ji-sub, Shin Sung-rok, and Im Soo-hyang. It premiered on MBC TV on June 3, 2022, and aired every Friday and Saturday at 21:50 ( KST) for 16 episodes. It is also available ...
'' in the role of a prosecutor. Later in July, Im joined the 'Bubble for Actors' platform. In 2023, she played the role of Han Gye-jeol in the MBC romantic fantasy drama '' Kokdu: Season of Deity'' opposite Kim Jung-hyun portraying an ER doctor who graduated from the lowest-ranking medical school in the country. In 2024, she played the role of Park Do-ra in the
KBS2 KBS 2TV is a South Korean free-to-air Free-to-air (FTA) services are television (TV) and radio services broadcast in unencrypted form, allowing any person with the appropriate receiving equipment to receive the signal and view or listen ...
drama '' Beauty and Mr. Romantic'' opposite
Ji Hyun-woo Ji Hyun-woo (born Joo Hyung-tae on 29 November 1984) is a South Korean actor and musician. He was formerly the lead guitarist for Korean indie rock band and is best known for his leading roles in the cable Korean drama, TV series ''Queen and I ...
.


Philanthropy

On March 16, 2023, Im donated sanitary napkins for vulnerable women through the NGO G Foundation.


Filmography


Film


Television series


Television shows


Theater


Discography


Singles


Awards and nominations


Notes


References


External links


Im Soo-hyang
at FN Entertainment * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Im, Soo-hyang Actresses from Busan South Korean television actresses South Korean film actresses 1990 births Living people People from Haeundae District Chung-Ang University alumni