Kim Ok-bin
Encyclopedia
Kim Ok-bin is a South Korea
n actress. Kim made her debut in an online beauty contest in 2004, and began her acting career with a role in 2005 film Voice. Subsequent appearances include the television drama
series Over the Rainbow and films such as Dasepo Naughty Girls
and The Accidental Gangster and the Mistaken Courtesan. Kim has received several award nominations, and won Best Actress at the 2009 Sitges Film Festival for her role in Thirst
.
, Jeollanam-do
, Kim was born on 29 December 1986 and is the eldest of three siblings. As a child she trained in martial arts
, and has attained third dan
in Hapkido
and second dan in Taekwondo
; she also practices Muay Thai
. Prior to her career as an actress, Kim considered joining the police
.
hosted by web portal
Naver in 2004. Despite having little prior acting experience, she was cast of one of the three leads
in the 2005 film Voice, a role which saw her nominated for "Best New Actress" at both the Blue Dragon Film Awards
and Baeksang Arts Awards.
Kim next starred as the lead actress in Hanoi Bride, a two-part SBS drama
aired during the Chuseok
holidays to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Vietnam war
. Her performance as Vietnam
ese girl Lý Thị Vũ caught the attention of film director E J-yong, who subsequently cast her as the main character in his 2006 film Dasepo Naughty Girls
, based on a popular webcomic
. E commented that, "Not many young actresses would be mature enough to completely understand the heroine who has to support the family by selling herself as a prostitute... But Kim seemed like an actress who had the ability to understand the character." Despite her initial reluctance due to the original comic having some explicit scenes, she ultimately took the part, having faith in the director because of his previous works.
Kim auditioned for a part in the 2006 KBS drama series Hello, God, and after impressing director Ji Yeong-soo with her "intense determination", was handed a leading role as confidence trickster Seo Eun-hye. During filming she expressed self-doubts, saying, "I used to cry two or three times everyday when the shooting began because I felt that I was a rubbish actress", and with a tight schedule that allowed her less than two hours of sleep per day, was reported to have collapsed on set. Later that year, she appeared in MBC
drama Over the Rainbow as aspiring pop
singer Jeong Hee-su, a part which required her to sing and master difficult breakdance moves. Series producer Han Hee complimented Kim, saying, "She is a bold actress. She’s very enthusiastic about her role with an almost perfectionist attitude." However, she caused some concern when she admitted to only eating one meal per day while filming the drama. In her next film, The Accidental Gangster and the Mistaken Courtesan, Kim starred alongside Lee Jung-jae
as a Joseon
-era kisaeng
. Kim said that she found it difficult performing a historical role, but was helped by consultations with director Yeo Gyoon-dong and studied traditional Korean dance
for two months. The film opened in South Korea in December 2008.
Speaking in 2006 of her own ambitions as an actress, Kim said, "I am not attracted to easy and simple roles... I only feel alive when I am challenged with difficult roles that push me to improve my acting skills".
's Thirst
, in a part that required numerous adult scenes with co-star Song Kang-ho
. Kim felt that she learned much from working alongside Song, while Park commended her versatility in showing the different sides to her character. Thirst topped the South Korean box office
over its opening weekend with over one million admissions, and was invited to the 2009 Cannes Film Festival
where it won the Jury Prize
. Richard Corliss
of Time
praised Kim's performance in the film, saying, "it's the lovely Kim, just 22, who is the revelation here. She can play — no, she can be — a creature of mute docility, then searching ardor, then explosive eroticism, then murderous intent. She is Lady Chatterley and Lady Macbeth in one smoldering package". The Hollywood Reporter
s Maggie Lee was more critical, commenting, "[Kim's] high-pitched neurosis is sometimes grating, but for a relative newcomer, she keeps her continuous personality transformations in stride", while Kyu Hyun Kim of OhmyNews
said, "Kim is stunningly sexy in both wilted-housewife and full-blown femme fatale modes, and throws all of herself into the role", but also considered her "a bit too young and contemporary" for the role. She was a co-recipient of the Best Actress award at the 42nd Sitges Film Festival (shared with Elena Anaya
for Hierro
), and received further nominations at the 30th Blue Dragon Film Awards
, the 2010 Green Globe Film Awards, and the 46th Baeksang Arts Awards.
Kim was reunited with director E J-yong for Actresses
, a low-budget film in which she and five other leading Korean actresses portray themselves at a special Vogue
magazine shoot. Like her co-stars, Kim agreed to take part with no guarantee and shared writing credits. The film opened on 10 December 2009.
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
n actress. Kim made her debut in an online beauty contest in 2004, and began her acting career with a role in 2005 film Voice. Subsequent appearances include the television drama
Korean drama
Korean drama refers to televised dramas, in a miniseries format, produced in the Korean language. Many of these dramas have become popular throughout Asia and have contributed to the general phenomenon of the Korean wave, known as "Hallyu", and also "Drama Fever" in some countries...
series Over the Rainbow and films such as Dasepo Naughty Girls
Dasepo Naughty Girls
Dasepo Naughty Girls is a 2006 South Korean musical comedy film. It is based on the popular webcomic Dasepo Girls by B-rate Dal-gung, which has also been adapted into a TV series.-Cast:*Kim Ok-bin ... Poor Girl*Park Jin-woo ... Anthony...
and The Accidental Gangster and the Mistaken Courtesan. Kim has received several award nominations, and won Best Actress at the 2009 Sitges Film Festival for her role in Thirst
Thirst (2009 film)
Thirst is a 2009 horror/drama film, written, produced and directed by Park Chan-wook. It is loosely based on the novel Thérèse Raquin by Émile Zola. The film tells the story of a priest—who is in love with his friend’s wife—turning into a vampire through a failed medical experiment. Park has...
.
Early life
Originally from GwangyangGwangyang
Gwangyang is a city in South Jeolla Province, South Korea. Gwangyang city is the home of POSCO's Gwangyang Steel Works, the largest facility of its kind in the world.The city is also home to K-League soccer side Chunnam Dragons....
, Jeollanam-do
Jeollanam-do
Jeollanam-do is a province in the southwest of South Korea. The province was formed in 1896 from the southern half of the former Jeolla province, remained a province of Korea until the country's division in 1945, then became part of South Korea...
, Kim was born on 29 December 1986 and is the eldest of three siblings. As a child she trained in martial arts
Martial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
, and has attained third dan
Dan rank
The ranking system is a Japanese mark of level, which is used in modern fine arts and martial arts. Originally invented in a Go school in the Edo period, this system was applied to martial arts by Kanō Jigorō, the founder of judo and later introduced to other East Asia countries.In the modern...
in Hapkido
Hapkido
Hapkido is a dynamic and also eclectic Korean martial art. It is a form of self-defense that employs joint locks, techniques of other martial arts, as well as kicks, punches, and other striking attacks...
and second dan in Taekwondo
Taekwondo
Taekwondo is a Korean martial art and the national sport of South Korea. In Korean, tae means "to strike or break with foot"; kwon means "to strike or break with fist"; and do means "way", "method", or "path"...
; she also practices Muay Thai
Muay Thai
Muay Thai is a combat sport from Thailand that uses stand-up striking along with various clinching techniques. It is similar to other Indochinese kickboxing systems, namely pradal serey from Cambodia, tomoi from Malaysia, lethwei from Myanmar and muay Lao from Laos...
. Prior to her career as an actress, Kim considered joining the police
National Police Agency (South Korea)
South Korea has a relatively unified and integrated approach law enforcement. For example, the National Police Agency provides all policing services throughout the country...
.
Early work: 2004–2008
Kim made her debut in an online beauty contestBeauty contest
A beauty pageant or beauty contest, is a competition that mainly focuses on the physical beauty of its contestants, although such contests often incorporate personality, talent, and answers to judges' questions as judged criteria...
hosted by web portal
Web portal
A web portal or links page is a web site that functions as a point of access to information in the World Wide Web. A portal presents information from diverse sources in a unified way....
Naver in 2004. Despite having little prior acting experience, she was cast of one of the three leads
Leading actor
A leading actor, leading actress, star, or simply lead, plays the role of the protagonist in a film or play. The word lead may also refer to the largest role in the piece and leading actor may refer to a person who typically plays such parts or an actor with a respected body of work...
in the 2005 film Voice, a role which saw her nominated for "Best New Actress" at both the Blue Dragon Film Awards
Blue Dragon Film Awards
The Blue Dragon Film Awards is an annual awards ceremony that is presented annually by Sports Chosun for excellence in film in South Korea....
and Baeksang Arts Awards.
Kim next starred as the lead actress in Hanoi Bride, a two-part SBS drama
Korean drama
Korean drama refers to televised dramas, in a miniseries format, produced in the Korean language. Many of these dramas have become popular throughout Asia and have contributed to the general phenomenon of the Korean wave, known as "Hallyu", and also "Drama Fever" in some countries...
aired during the Chuseok
Chuseok
Chuseok , originally known as Hangawi , is a major harvest festival and a three-day holiday in Korea celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar. Like many other harvest festivals, it is held around the Autumn Equinox...
holidays to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Vietnam war
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. Her performance as Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
ese girl Lý Thị Vũ caught the attention of film director E J-yong, who subsequently cast her as the main character in his 2006 film Dasepo Naughty Girls
Dasepo Naughty Girls
Dasepo Naughty Girls is a 2006 South Korean musical comedy film. It is based on the popular webcomic Dasepo Girls by B-rate Dal-gung, which has also been adapted into a TV series.-Cast:*Kim Ok-bin ... Poor Girl*Park Jin-woo ... Anthony...
, based on a popular webcomic
Webcomic
Webcomics, online comics, or Internet comics are comics published on a website. While many are published exclusively on the web, others are also published in magazines, newspapers or often in self-published books....
. E commented that, "Not many young actresses would be mature enough to completely understand the heroine who has to support the family by selling herself as a prostitute... But Kim seemed like an actress who had the ability to understand the character." Despite her initial reluctance due to the original comic having some explicit scenes, she ultimately took the part, having faith in the director because of his previous works.
Kim auditioned for a part in the 2006 KBS drama series Hello, God, and after impressing director Ji Yeong-soo with her "intense determination", was handed a leading role as confidence trickster Seo Eun-hye. During filming she expressed self-doubts, saying, "I used to cry two or three times everyday when the shooting began because I felt that I was a rubbish actress", and with a tight schedule that allowed her less than two hours of sleep per day, was reported to have collapsed on set. Later that year, she appeared in MBC
Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation
Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC (Hangul : 문화방송주식회사, Munhwa Bangsong Jushikoesa) is one of four major national South Korean television and radio networks. Munhwa is the Korean word for "culture". Its flagship terrestrial television...
drama Over the Rainbow as aspiring pop
K-pop
K-pop is a musical genre consisting of electropop, hip hop, pop, rock, and R&B music originating in South Korea...
singer Jeong Hee-su, a part which required her to sing and master difficult breakdance moves. Series producer Han Hee complimented Kim, saying, "She is a bold actress. She’s very enthusiastic about her role with an almost perfectionist attitude." However, she caused some concern when she admitted to only eating one meal per day while filming the drama. In her next film, The Accidental Gangster and the Mistaken Courtesan, Kim starred alongside Lee Jung-jae
Lee Jung-jae
Lee Jung-jae is a South Korean actor.- Career :Lee Jung-jae, apart from being a top star in film and TV, also works as a highly successful fashion model. One year after his debut on television in 1993, Lee was cast in his first film, a feature by Bae Chang-ho. His breakthrough would come in late...
as a Joseon
Joseon Dynasty
Joseon , was a Korean state founded by Taejo Yi Seong-gye that lasted for approximately five centuries. It was founded in the aftermath of the overthrow of the Goryeo at what is today the city of Kaesong. Early on, Korea was retitled and the capital was relocated to modern-day Seoul...
-era kisaeng
Kisaeng
Kisaeng , sometimes called ginyeo , were female Korean official prostitute or entertainers. Kisaeng are artists who work to entertain others, such as the yangbans and kings....
. Kim said that she found it difficult performing a historical role, but was helped by consultations with director Yeo Gyoon-dong and studied traditional Korean dance
Korean dance
Dance in Korea began with shamanistic early rituals five thousand years ago and now ranges from folk dance to newly created and adapted contemporary dance.-Overview:Korean traditional dance originated in ancient shamanistic rituals thousands of years ago...
for two months. The film opened in South Korea in December 2008.
Speaking in 2006 of her own ambitions as an actress, Kim said, "I am not attracted to easy and simple roles... I only feel alive when I am challenged with difficult roles that push me to improve my acting skills".
Successful breakthrough: 2008–present
In February 2008, Kim was announced as the female lead in Park Chan-wookPark Chan-wook
Park Chan-wook is a South Korean film director, screenwriter, producer, and former film critic. One of the most acclaimed and popular filmmakers in his native country, Park is most known for his films Joint Security Area, Thirst and what has become known as The Vengeance Trilogy, consisting of...
's Thirst
Thirst (2009 film)
Thirst is a 2009 horror/drama film, written, produced and directed by Park Chan-wook. It is loosely based on the novel Thérèse Raquin by Émile Zola. The film tells the story of a priest—who is in love with his friend’s wife—turning into a vampire through a failed medical experiment. Park has...
, in a part that required numerous adult scenes with co-star Song Kang-ho
Song Kang-ho
Song Kang-ho is a leading South Korean film actor.- Career:Song Kang-ho never professionally trained as an actor, beginning his career in social theater groups after graduating from Kimhae High School...
. Kim felt that she learned much from working alongside Song, while Park commended her versatility in showing the different sides to her character. Thirst topped the South Korean box office
Box office
A box office is a place where tickets are sold to the public for admission to an event. Patrons may perform the transaction at a countertop, through an unblocked hole through a wall or window, or at a wicket....
over its opening weekend with over one million admissions, and was invited to the 2009 Cannes Film Festival
2009 Cannes Film Festival
The 62nd annual Cannes Film Festival was held from May 13 to May 24, 2009. French actress Isabelle Huppert was the President of the Jury. It was announced on March 19, 2009, that Pixar's film Up would open the festival...
where it won the Jury Prize
Jury Prize (Cannes Film Festival)
The Jury Prize is an award presented at the Cannes Film Festival. It is chosen by the jury from the 'official section' of movies at the festival. It is considered the third most prestigious prize at the film festival, after the Palme d'Or and the Grand Prix....
. Richard Corliss
Richard Corliss
Richard Nelson Corliss is a writer for Time magazine who focuses on movies, with the occasional article on music or sports. Corliss is the former editor-in-chief of Film Comment...
of Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
praised Kim's performance in the film, saying, "it's the lovely Kim, just 22, who is the revelation here. She can play — no, she can be — a creature of mute docility, then searching ardor, then explosive eroticism, then murderous intent. She is Lady Chatterley and Lady Macbeth in one smoldering package". The Hollywood Reporter
The Hollywood Reporter
Formerly a daily trade magazine, The Hollywood Reporter re-launched in late 2010 as a unique hybrid publication serving the entertainment industry and a consumer audience...
s Maggie Lee was more critical, commenting, "[Kim's] high-pitched neurosis is sometimes grating, but for a relative newcomer, she keeps her continuous personality transformations in stride", while Kyu Hyun Kim of OhmyNews
OhmyNews
OhmyNews is a South Korean online newspaper website with the motto "Every Citizen is a Reporter". It was founded by Oh Yeon Ho on February 22, 2000....
said, "Kim is stunningly sexy in both wilted-housewife and full-blown femme fatale modes, and throws all of herself into the role", but also considered her "a bit too young and contemporary" for the role. She was a co-recipient of the Best Actress award at the 42nd Sitges Film Festival (shared with Elena Anaya
Elena Anaya
Elena Anaya is a Spanish actress whose career dates back to 1995.Anaya is the youngest of 5 children. She first received international attention in 2001 for her role in the sexually explicit drama Lucía y el sexo and also appeared in Pedro Almodóvar's Hable con ella .Her best-known Hollywood film...
for Hierro
Hierro (film)
Hierro is a 2009 psychological thriller directed by Gabe Ibáñez and starring Elena Anaya, Kaiet Rodríguez, Bea Segura, and Andrés Herrera.- Plot :...
), and received further nominations at the 30th Blue Dragon Film Awards
Blue Dragon Film Awards
The Blue Dragon Film Awards is an annual awards ceremony that is presented annually by Sports Chosun for excellence in film in South Korea....
, the 2010 Green Globe Film Awards, and the 46th Baeksang Arts Awards.
Kim was reunited with director E J-yong for Actresses
Actresses (film)
Actresses is a 2009 South Korean film directed by E J-yong.- Plot :Six actresses—Yoon Yeo-jeong, Lee Mi-sook, Ko Hyeon-jeong, Choi Ji-woo, Kim Min-hee and Kim Ok-bin, each portraying themselves—come together for a Vogue magazine photo shoot on Christmas Eve, resulting in a clash of egos between...
, a low-budget film in which she and five other leading Korean actresses portray themselves at a special Vogue
Vogue (magazine)
Vogue is a fashion and lifestyle magazine that is published monthly in 18 national and one regional edition by Condé Nast.-History:In 1892 Arthur Turnure founded Vogue as a weekly publication in the United States. When he died in 1909, Condé Montrose Nast picked up the magazine and slowly began...
magazine shoot. Like her co-stars, Kim agreed to take part with no guarantee and shared writing credits. The film opened on 10 December 2009.
Criticism incident
Kim faced criticism after appearing on a TV show and saying, "I don’t like men who use discount cards at fancy restaurants", with some calling her , a term referring to women who rely on rich parents or boyfriends rather than their own income. The incident had a negative impact on her popularity, though she later stated that her comments were taken out of context.Filmography
| Year | Title | Medium | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Voice | Film | Yeong-eon | |
| 2005 | Hanoi Bride | Television | Lý Thị Vũ | |
| 2006 | Hello, God | Television | Seo Eun-hye | |
| 2006 | Arang Arang (film) Arang is a 2006 South Korean horror film.-Synopsis:A veteran detective So-young and her rookie partner Hyun-gi come across an incendiary homicide case. They discover that the present case is related to the mysterious death of a girl ten years prior... |
Film | Cameo appearance. | |
| 2006 | Over the Rainbow | Television | Jeong Hee-su | Also sang "Start" on the soundtrack. |
| 2006 | Dasepo Naughty Girls Dasepo Naughty Girls Dasepo Naughty Girls is a 2006 South Korean musical comedy film. It is based on the popular webcomic Dasepo Girls by B-rate Dal-gung, which has also been adapted into a TV series.-Cast:*Kim Ok-bin ... Poor Girl*Park Jin-woo ... Anthony... |
Film | Poor Girl | |
| 2007 | War of Money War of Money War of Money is a 2007 Korean drama, starring Park Shin Yang. Airing on SBS, the originally 16-episode run was extended to 20, due to its popularity.-Details:*Title: 쩐의 전쟁/War of Money... |
Television | Soo-young | Appeared only in the four bonus episodes. |
| 2008 | The Accidental Gangster and the Mistaken Courtesan | Film | Seol-ji | |
| 2009 | Thirst Thirst (2009 film) Thirst is a 2009 horror/drama film, written, produced and directed by Park Chan-wook. It is loosely based on the novel Thérèse Raquin by Émile Zola. The film tells the story of a priest—who is in love with his friend’s wife—turning into a vampire through a failed medical experiment. Park has... |
Film | Tae-joo | |
| 2009 | Actresses Actresses (film) Actresses is a 2009 South Korean film directed by E J-yong.- Plot :Six actresses—Yoon Yeo-jeong, Lee Mi-sook, Ko Hyeon-jeong, Choi Ji-woo, Kim Min-hee and Kim Ok-bin, each portraying themselves—come together for a Vogue magazine photo shoot on Christmas Eve, resulting in a clash of egos between... |
Film | Herself | Also co-writer. |
Music videos
- "A Cold Heart" — Lee Seung-chul (2004)
- "Tomorrow" — Hwanhee (2006)
- "위태로운 이야기" ("Dangerous Love") — Lena ParkLena ParkLena Park, also known as Park Jung-hyun, , is a Korean-American R&B singer. Early in her life, Park showed talent for singing, mainly in the choir of her father's church in Downey with her siblings Brian and Uriah. She also learned to play saxophone and piano...
(2006) - "물끄러미" ("Absentmindedly") — Zi-A (2007)
Awards and nominations
| Year | Group | Award | Film/Series | Result | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Blue Dragon Film Awards Blue Dragon Film Awards The Blue Dragon Film Awards is an annual awards ceremony that is presented annually by Sports Chosun for excellence in film in South Korea.... |
Best New Actress | Voice | |||
| 2006 | Baeksang Arts Awards | Best New Actress | Voice | |||
| 2006 | MBC Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC (Hangul : 문화방송주식회사, Munhwa Bangsong Jushikoesa) is one of four major national South Korean television and radio networks. Munhwa is the Korean word for "culture". Its flagship terrestrial television... Drama Awards |
PD Award | n/a | |||
| 2009 | Sitges Film Festival | Best Actress | Thirst | Shared with Elena Anaya Elena Anaya Elena Anaya is a Spanish actress whose career dates back to 1995.Anaya is the youngest of 5 children. She first received international attention in 2001 for her role in the sexually explicit drama Lucía y el sexo and also appeared in Pedro Almodóvar's Hable con ella .Her best-known Hollywood film... for Hierro Hierro (film) Hierro is a 2009 psychological thriller directed by Gabe Ibáñez and starring Elena Anaya, Kaiet Rodríguez, Bea Segura, and Andrés Herrera.- Plot :... . |
||
| 2009 | Blue Dragon Film Awards Blue Dragon Film Awards The Blue Dragon Film Awards is an annual awards ceremony that is presented annually by Sports Chosun for excellence in film in South Korea.... |
Best Actress | Thirst | |||
| 2010 | Green Globe Film Awards | Best International Actress | Thirst | |||
| 2010 | Baeksang Arts Awards | Best Actress | Thirst |