Kim You-jung
A performer who grew up in the spotlight, evolving from Korea's beloved child actress into a commanding and nuanced leading lady.
Born 1999 (age 27)·South Korean actress·Birthday: September 22·Generation Z
Biography
Kim You-jung has spent more of her life on camera than off it. Beginning as a four-year-old model, she became a fixture in Korean households, a child actress whose emotional depth in dramas like 'Moon Embracing the Sun' earned her the affectionate title 'Nation's Little Sister'. The true test, however, is the transition to adult roles, a leap many child stars fail to make. You-jung stuck the landing. Her starring role in 2016's 'Love in the Moonlight' was a cultural reset, proving she could carry a prime-time romance and captivating a new generation of fans. She has since carefully selected diverse projects, from historical epics to romantic comedies and intense thrillers, deliberately shedding her youthful image to reveal a versatile, compelling actress with a sharp understanding of her craft and career.
Generation Z
1997–2012
Born into smartphones, social media, and school shootings. The most diverse generation in history. Pragmatic about money, fluid about identity, anxious about the climate. They do not remember a world before the internet.
Kim was born in 1999, placing them squarely in the Generation Z. The events that shaped this generation — social media, climate anxiety, and a pandemic — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Kim Was Born
The biggest hits of 1999
#1 Movie
Star Wars: Episode I
Best Picture
American Beauty
#1 TV Show
ER
Kim's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1999Born
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2004Started school
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
2012Became a teenager
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2015Could drive
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2017Could vote
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2020Turned 21
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 27 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Became the youngest winner of the Best Young Actress award at the Baeksang Arts Awards in 2013 for her role in 'Moon Embracing the Sun'.
- Starred as the female lead in the hit historical drama 'Love in the Moonlight', which achieved peak viewership ratings over 20%.
- Hosted the music program 'Inkigayo' for two years, demonstrating her versatility as an entertainer.
- Ranked in the Forbes Korea Power Celebrity list top 10 at age 17, the youngest to do so at the time.
Did You Know?
She is ambidextrous, though she primarily writes with her left hand.
She attended Hanlim Multi Art School, a prestigious performing arts high school, with many other idols and actors.
She holds a third-degree black belt in Taekwondo.
She is the younger sister of fellow actress Kim Yoo-an.
“I want to be an actress who is remembered for a long time, not just for a moment.”
