Kim Ji-won: From Lively CF Model To Well-loved Star Actress In “Queen of Tears”

Kim Ji-won entered the entertainment industry when she was in middle school through a street cast. During her singer trainee days, she appeared in various CFs and the music video “Gossip Boy” by Younha, playing the piano on the stage. Later, she appeared in the sitcom “High Kick: Revenge of the Short Legged” (2011) and took her first step as an actress.

Shortly after that, she got a role in a drama. In 2013, Kim Ji-won aroused attention with her performance as chaebol high school student Rachel Yoo in the drama “The Heirs”. As such, seeing Kim Ji-won’s appearance in “Queen of Tears” as third-generation chaebol Hong Hae-in, many people recalled “The Heirs”, saying “Rachel Yoo grew up and became Hong Hae-in 10 years later.”

The 2016 drama “Descendants of the Sun” is considered the drama that changed Kim Ji-won’s life. She played Yoon Myung-joo, a military doctor deployed to a place in extreme conditions, and created a convincing female military officer by pulling off the military uniform and soldiers’ tone. Through this role, Kim Ji-won was still playing a sub-protagonist. However, her status changed as she took the lead role in later series, such as “Fight For My Way”, “My Liberation Notes” and the period drama “Arthdal Chronicles”.

“My Liberation Notes” is the work that marked the actress’s 30s. The actress mostly played lively and confident characters while in her 20s, however, in “My Liberation Notes”, she appeared as Yeom Mi-jung, a quiet and defensive woman who thinks she won’t be loved but at least won’t be hated. Although Yeom Mi-jung not confident enough to say “I’m sick” or “I love you” like her sister Yeom Mi-ran, she straightforwardly asks Mr. Goo to love her. Kim Ji-won’s portrayal of Yeom Mi-jung proved that the actress had broken her own limits.

After becoming a mature actress, Kim Ji-won is leading the complicated developments of “Queen of Tears”. With her realistic acting, Kim Ji-won smoothly expressed her character’s emotions as a chaebol with limited time who collapsed overnight and went to live in the countryside. The scene where she shouted “Everyone, you guys are not fools” at her family members also gave off a refreshing vibe.

The fact that Kim Ji-won has been cast in three dramas written by star writer Kim Eun-sook, such as “Descendants of the Sun”, “Mr. Sunshine” and “The Heirs”, already certified the actress’s value. It’s very rare for this writer to cast the same actress as the main character several times. Song Hye-kyo and Kim Ji-won are the only ones. This time, Kim Ji-won was selected by Park Ji-eun, another outstanding rom-com writer alongside Kim Eun-sook. 

In fact, many other writers who focus on both the quality of their works and commercial success also favor Kim JI-won. For example, “Fight For My Way” is the debut work by Im Sang-chooon who wrote “When the Camellia Blooms”, and “My Liberation Notes” was written by “My Mister” writer Park Hae-young. As such, Kim Ji-won stands out as the only actress who has starred in dramas by the Top 4 famous writers in the K-drama world.