Yunjin Kim
Yunjin Kim (Hangul: 김윤진; born November 7, 1973), also known as Kim Yun-Jin is a South Korean-American[1][2][3] film and theater actress. She is best known for her role as Sun on the American television series Lost, and as the North Korean spy Bang-Hee in the South Korean film Shiri. She also starred as Dr. Karen Kim in the ABC drama series Mistresses.
Yunjin Kim | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Kim Yun-jin November 7, 1973 |
| Alma mater | Boston University |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1996–present |
| Spouse(s) | Park Jeong-hyeok (m. after 2010) |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul | |
| Hanja | |
| Revised Romanization | Gim Yunjin |
| McCune–Reischauer | Kim Yunjin |
Early life
Kim was born in Seoul, South Korea on November 7, 1973. She immigrated to the United States with her family in 1980.[4] They lived in Staten Island, New York. She joined the middle school drama club in the 7th grade and performed in the musical My Fair Lady.
Kim attended high school at the prestigious Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, a public high school located in Manhattan. From there, she went on to study drama at the London Academy of Performing Arts and later earned her BFA degree in drama at Boston University. Kim has remarked that in her zeal to become Americanized quickly, she studied acting, academics and pronunciation with equal intensity. She is also a trained dancer and martial arts fighter.[5]
Career
After graduation, Kim devoted herself full-time to acting. She garnered several minor parts on MTV, in soap opera-style dramas on ABC, and on the off-Broadway stage. In 1997, she starred in Splendid Holiday, a Korean TV drama shot on location in New York. Kim decided to return to Korea. She was cast in the TV drama Wedding Dress and was also invited to act in Lee Kwangmo's feature Spring in My Hometown, although she ended up not taking this role. Her breakthrough debut came in the 1999 film Shiri, South Korea's first blockbuster film. Shiri became the highest-grossing film in Korean history at the time. In November 2000, she continued her association with Kang Je-gyu in The Legend of Gingko.
After acting in a Japanese film and a feature set in Los Angeles, Kim appeared in the sci-fi feature Yesterday. Then in 2002, Kim took the lead role in Ardor, the feature film debut of documentarist Byun Young-ju. The film was invited to screen in a non-competitive section at the 2003 Berlin film festival.
In 2004, Kim started appearing in the U.S. television series Lost, which ran for six seasons.
In May 2006, Maxim named Kim number 98 on its annual Hot 100 List.[6] In October 2006 she was featured on the cover of Stuff, as well as an inside spread.
In 2013, she had a leading role in the ABC drama series Mistresses.[7]
In 2018, Kim returned to Korean television by headlining the series Ms. Ma, Nemesis.[8]
Personal life
Kim married her former manager Park Jeong-hyeok in March 2010 on the island of Oahu, after shooting her final scenes for Lost.[9]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Shiri | Lee Myung-hyun | |
| 2000 | The Legend of Gingko | Yeon | |
| 2001 | Rush! | Seo-yeong | |
| 2002 | Iron Palm | Ji-ni | |
| Yesterday | Kim Hisu / No Hisu | ||
| Ardor | Mi-heun | ||
| 2005 | Diary of June | Seo Yun-hee | |
| 2007 | Mother | ||
| 2008 | Seven Days | Yoo Ji-yeon | |
| 2010 | Harmony | Jeong-hye | |
| 2011 | Heartbeat | Chae Yeon-hee | |
| 2012 | The Neighbor | Kyung-hee | |
| 2014 | Ode to My Father | Young-ja | |
| 2017 | House of the Disappeared | Kang Mi-hee | |
| 2020 | Pawn | Myung-ja | Special appearance |
| 2020 | Confession | Yang Shin-ae |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Splendid Holiday (화려한 휴가) | ||
| 1997 | Foreboding (예감) | Jang Se-young | 16 episodes |
| 1998 | Wedding Dress drama (웨딩 드레스) | Gina | 22 episodes |
| 1999 | Love in 3 Colors (유정) | Jang Hee-ju | Main role, 56 episodes |
| 2004–2010 | Lost | Sun-Hwa Kwon | Main role, 88 episodes |
| 2013–2016 | Mistresses | Karen Kim | Main role, 51 episodes |
| 2018 | Ms. Ma, Nemesis | Ms. Ma | Main role, 40 episodes |
Variety shows
| Year | Channel | Show | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | MBC | Knee-Drop Guru | Guest |
| 2017 | JTBC | Let's Eat Dinner Together | Guest |
Video games
| Year | Title | Voice role |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Lost: Via Domus | Sun-Hwa Kwon |
| 2012 | Sleeping Dogs | Tiffany Kim |
Awards and nominations
References
- "Actress Kim in Lost as Sun". 2013-07-17.
- William Keck (January 15, 2006). "Actress Kim gets 'Lost' in generous gifts, jewels". USA Today. Retrieved July 14, 2009.
- Jae-Ha Kim (April 13, 2005). "Asian stars are rising – Latest TV breakthroughs look like the real deal". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on April 9, 2008. Retrieved July 14, 2009.
- Todd Gilchrist (August 29, 2006). "Interview: Yunjin Kim". IGN Entertainment, Inc.
- "Yunjin Kim Pictures, Blog, Interviews, News, Trivia, Yunjin Kim Biography". Buddytv.com. 1973-11-07. Retrieved 2012-05-21.
- "2006 Hot 100 List".
- Matt Webb Mitovich Lost's Yunjin Kim Finds Role on ABC's Mistresses, TV Line, March 16, 2012
- "Yunjin Kim hopes 'Ms. Ma, Goddess of Revenge' becomes her best Korean TV series". Yonhap News. March 17, 2018.
- "Lost's Yunjin Kim gets married in Hawaii". CNN. March 30, 2010.
