Kim Ji-won's Profile
- Full Name: Kim Ji-won
- Native Name: 김지원
- Nicknames: Worry Doll
- Birthday: Oct 19, 1992 (32 years old)
- Blood Type: A
- Height/Weight: 164 cm (5’5”) / N/A
- Gender: Female
- Zodiac Sign: Libra
- Fandom: WONEDAY
- Debut: 2010
- Birthplace: Geumcheon District, Seoul, South Korea
-
Nationality:
South Korean
- Profession: Actress
- Language Skills: Korean (Native), English (Basic)
- Current Agency: HighZium Studio
- Active Years: 2010 – present (15 years)
Kim Ji-won (김지원), born on October 19, 1992, in Guro-gu, Seoul, is a South Korean actress under HighZium Studio. She has built a strong career in both film and television, gaining recognition for her performances in The Heirs (2013), Descendants of the Sun (2016), Fight for My Way (2017), Arthdal Chronicles (2019), and most recently, Queen of Tears (2024).
Her role in Descendants of the Sun marked a major breakthrough, bringing her widespread popularity across Asia. Today, Kim Ji-won is regarded as one of the most sought-after actresses in the Korean entertainment industry and a leading Hallyu star.
Early life
Kim Ji-won is the youngest in her family and has an older sister who is two years her senior. In her ninth grade year, she was scouted by Lion Media and became a trainee, where she received training to debut as an idol singer. Her training covered vocal performance, dance, acting, and foreign languages. At one point, she was set to debut under the stage name “Jessica K.” In 2008, she appeared in the music video for Gossip Boy and also provided background vocals for singer Younha.
Kim Ji-won officially entered the entertainment industry in 2008 at the age of 18, starting out as a commercial model. Early in her career, she gained public attention through advertisements and was affectionately nicknamed “Oran C Girl,” “Lollipop Girl,” and even “Little Kim Tae-hee” due to her resemblance to actress Kim Tae-hee. Despite her initial idol training, she ultimately chose to pursue acting as her main career path.
Career
Kim Ji-won’s career in the entertainment industry began in 2007 when she was discovered by Lion Media and signed as a trainee. She spent three years training in singing, dancing, and acting, with initial plans to debut under the stage name “JessicaK.” During this time, she performed as a keyboardist and backup vocalist for Younha and appeared in the 2008 music video Gossip Boy.
In 2010, Kim officially entered the spotlight as a commercial model for LG Cyon Lollipop 2, where she gained recognition as the popular “Lollipop Girl.” That same year, she endorsed the soft drink Oran C, earning the nickname “Oran C Girl.” She also took part in the musical Mrs. Saigon before making her official acting debut.
In 2011, Kim appeared in the sitcom High Kick: Revenge of the Short Legged and the drama What’s Up. She later starred in To the Beautiful You (2012) before landing her breakthrough role as Yoo Rachel in The Heirs (2013), which significantly raised her public profile.
From 2014 to 2015, she made appearances in projects such as Gap-dong and Hidden Identity in cameo roles. In 2016, she achieved widespread fame with her portrayal of Yoon Myung-joo in Descendants of the Sun, a global hit that firmly established her status as a Hallyu actress.
Kim Ji-won continued her momentum with her first leading role in Fight for My Way (2017), starring alongside Park Seo-joon. In 2018, she ventured into historical fantasy with the film Detective K: Secret of the Living Dead and made a cameo appearance in Mr. Sunshine.
In 2019, she reunited with Song Joong-ki in the fantasy epic Arthdal Chronicles, playing the role of Tan-ya. By February 2020, she had signed with Salt Entertainment. Toward the end of that year, she co-starred with Ji Chang-wook in the romantic drama Lovestruck in the City, which premiered in December 2020.
In 2022, Kim took on the lead role of Yeom Mi-jeong in My Liberation Notes. Her contract with Salt Entertainment ended in June 2022, and she chose not to renew. On September 29, 2022, she signed with HighZium Studio.
In 2023, Kim began filming Queen of Tears, which aired in 2024 and went on to become one of the highest-rated cable dramas in South Korea. Marking her 14th year in the industry, she held her first fan meeting, Be My One, in Seoul in June 2024.
In September 2024, she was appointed as a brand ambassador for luxury jewelry house Bvlgari in South Korea.
Beyond acting, Kim Ji-won has been actively involved in endorsements and has graced the covers of numerous fashion magazines. She continues her career under HighZium Studio after parting ways with Salt Entertainment.
In July 2025, she is set to return to the screen in the drama Doctor X: Age of the White Mafia, co-starring Kim Woo-seok.
Fun Facts
- Fans once jokingly nicknamed her “Auntie with short hair” after her role in Fight for My Way.
- She has a legendary “blank stare” meme from a press conference that fans still use.
- Fans call her “CEO Ji-won” because of her overly serious vibe in certain scenes.
- Her drunk scene in Fight for My Way is constantly remixed into funny viral clips.
- Her eating expressions often get turned into chat stickers among fans.
- In one interview, her answers were so short and blunt that even the host burst out laughing.
- Her “cute swearing” moment in the drama became a catchphrase that fans loved to imitate.
- She earned the title “Reaction Queen” thanks to her lightning-fast facial expressions.
- On a variety show, she was nicknamed “Robot Ji-won” because of her stiff, awkward sitting posture.
- Behind the scenes, she’s known for striking random, silly poses that make her co-stars laugh.
- Fans often call her the “Nation’s Next-Door Unnie” for her approachable and funny vibe.
- Her clueless look when listening to co-stars’ stories has become a running joke among fans.
- A behind-the-scenes clip of her practicing lines while making frustrated faces went viral as the “brain overload meme.”
- During a prank on set, she screamed and jumped like a cartoon character, cracking everyone up.
- In a magazine photoshoot, she accidentally posed like a statue, and fans dubbed her “Art Ji-won.”
