This week our spotlight falls on Kim Yoo-jung, one of the most acclaimed and successful child actors in dramaland over the last decade. Kim Yoo-jung was born in 1999 in Seoul, South Korea, and debuted a few years later at the age of four. Her career continued at a strong pace throughout her childhood, as Kim Yoo-jung was clearly a gifted actor with a wonderful presence on screen.
Unlike other child actors whose careers faded as they aged, Kim Yoo-jung and her agency have been quite successful in transitioning her roles from child actress, to teen actress, to leading lady. It’s not an easy transition to make, since public perception often takes some time to shift. Timing is also important, as roles can transition an actor too swiftly, or not swiftly enough. For Kim Yoo-jung, teen roles like her character in Angry Mom, and then her young leading lady role Moonlight Drawn By Clouds, have played a big part in her successful evolution. Her current drama, JTBC’s Clean With Passion for Now, is in its final weeks. It’s had a good run for a cable network and has certainly been a great role for her resume.
Here are some highlights from Kim Yoo-jung’s drama career, followed by her full filmography.
The Moon That Embraces the Sun (2012)
The Moon That Embraces the Sun was a massive sageuk hit reaching a high of 35% ratings at its peak, and it raked in awards too. The story followed the romance of a fictional Joseon king and a female shaman. The show was rife with the politics, strife, and romance you would expect from a drama about palace life. The Moon That Embraces the Sun was a career-defining drama not only for leads Kim Soo-hyun and Han Ga-in, but for their younger counterparts as well: Yeo Jin-gu and Kim Yoo-jung, respectively. Kim Yoo-jung was around thirteen-years-old while shooting, and though she was already adept at portraying the younger versions of drama stars, this role was an important start in her career transition. In addition to the leading couple, Jung Il-woo, Song Jae-rim, and Kim Min-seo also deserve a shout-out here. This is one of those dramas I’m embarrassed to have missed, since it’s become such a beloved sageuk.
Angry Mom (2015)
Angry Mom was a really nice transitional role for Kim Yoo-jung. She played the daughter of Kim Hee-sun, bullied and tormented in high school to the point where her mother got back in touch with her inner gangster and enrolled in the school as her daughter’s classmate to take on the bullies. The drama was interesting with its parallel storylines and the first lead and second lead heroines being mother and daughter. Though Kim Yoo-jung was very much the younger and sweeter end of the storyline, this teen heroine kind of role — and seeing her act opposite Kim Hee-sun — was a great moment in her acting career. The drama was as dark as the high school that was filled with shady secrets, but a tale of good versus evil never grows old. And neither does Ji-soo for that matter, with his noona crush on Kim Yoo-jung’s drama mother.
Moonlight Drawn By Clouds (2016)
Moonlight Drawn By Clouds, the coming-of-age youth sageuk that stole hearts, was another hugely successful sageuk role for Kim Yoo-jung. In addition to being a one of those high-ratings + high-quality drama phenomenons, Moonlight Drawn By Clouds is considered by many to be Kim Yoo-jung’s first official leading lady role. Not to be confused with the earlier moonlight-related sageuk hit, in Moonlight Drawn By Clouds, Kim Yoo-jung starred as the girl-in-disguise who lived at court, and played opposite Park Bo-gum who played the crown prince. Their roles (and romance) in this sweet story became a national sensation.
Clean With Passion for Now (2018)
Clean With Passion for Now, adapted from a popular webtoon, is just finishing up its run on JTBC. Kim Yoo-jung stars as the grubby heroine on the hunt for a full-time job who happens to fall in love with her polar opposite. Needless to say, she’s got her hands full. I’ve only watched the beginning of this show so far, but it sets up a strong dichotomy between the slovenly heroine and germaphobe hero (played by Yoon Kyun-sang) and has lots of color and comedy (that horse head chase scene!). Clean With Passion for Now is a great project for Kim Yoo-jung as she continues to make her way as a leading lady after the success of Moonlight Drawn By Clouds. It’s young and fresh but also feels authentic, and doesn’t push her forward too fast as a mature romantic lead. One thing I find difficult about “opposites attract” rom-coms is that often the second lead is more convincing as a match for the heroine. “Likes attract likes” might be less entertaining, but it’s much more believable. Regardless, this one is on my list to finish, even with the promise of hours of future heartache with Song Jae-rim as the second lead.
Kim Yoo-jung’s full filmography: