The Myth

Background:

Hee-seon Kim is a South Korean actress hailed from Seoul. She has acted in a number of Korean television dramas and films since the early 1990s. Her film credits include “Out Live” (2000), “Wanee and Junah” (2001), “The Myth” (2005) and “The Warring States” (2011). She has amassed various awards such as Dec. Performance's Budding Actress Award (1995), Dec. KBS Drama's Top Excellence Award (1996), Mar. Paeksang Arts's New TV Actress Award (1996), Dec. KBS Drama's Popularity Award (1997 & 1998), Dec. SBS Drama's Grand Prize Receive (1998), Mar. Paeksang Arts's TV Popularity Award (2000), Dec. SBS Drama's Popularity Award (2000), Dec. Chung Yong Film's Popularity Award ( 2000) and Blue Dragon Film's Most Popular Actress (2001). Besides, she won the 1999 Mar. Honorary Ambassador of Goodwill to France and the 2001 Jun. Honorary Ambassador, Community Chest of Korea.

Kim is the mother of one.

Seoul Native

Childhood and Family:

Hee-seon Kim was born on February 25, 1977, in Seoul, South Korea. She began appearing on television at age 11 and later majored in Drama at Chung-Ang University.

At age 30, Hee-seon married Ju-Young Park on October 21, 2007. She gave birth to her first child, daughter Yeon-A, on January 21, 2009.

Out Live

Career:

During the 1990s, Hee-seon Kim appeared in many television drama such as “SBS Agatha Christie” (SBS, 1994), “ The Son of the Wind” (KBS, 1995), “Faraway Country Sauna Guys” (KBS, 1996), “Mister Q” (SBS, 1998), “To the end of the world” (MBC, 1998), “Wedding Dress” ( KBS, 1998), “Tomato” (SBS, 1999), “Sun Flower” (MBC, 1999) and “Goodbye My Love” (MBC, 1999). She, however, did not start transformation to film until 1997 with a starring role as Eun-hae on the South Korean romance “Repechage,” opposite Dong-gun Jang and Jin-woo Lee.

Kim reunited with Kwang-hoon Lee, the director of “Repechage,” for his nest film, “Ghost in Love” (aka. “Jaguimo,” 1998), where she starred alongside Sung-jae Lee and Seung-won Cha. In the next year, she portrayed Ji-hee in in the film “Calla,” directed by Hae-sung Song.

Kim's big break arrived in 2000 when she landed the role of Sullie, the daughter of a Mongolian general falling for her childhood sweetheart, in the South Korean martial arts film “Out Live” (aka. “ Bichunmoo”), which was written and directed by Young-jun Kim. Through the film, she was able to cement her position as one of leading actresses in Korea in her native country as well as in mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and throughout South-east Asia.

In 2001, Kim starred as a young animator in Yong-gyun Kim's drama film, “Wanee and Junah,” opposite Jin-mo Ju. Her performance received good reviews from critics. The film, however, was a box office disappointment.

In 2003, Kim starred as So-hie in the drama film “A Letter from Mars” (aka. “Hwaseongeuro gan sanai”), opposite Ha-kyun Shin and So-hyeon Park. The same year, she also returned to Korean television drama with “My Fair Lady” (SBS). She went on to play Hae-in in the television miniseries “Seulpeun yeonga” (2005).

In 2005, Kim was cast as Princess Ok-Soo in the Hong Kong martial arts film “The Myth,” opposite Jackie Chan, Tony Leung Ka-Fai and Mallika Sherawat. Helmed by Stanley Tong, the film

grossed HK $17,062,608, making it the third highest grossing domestic release in Hong Kong that year. It also won favorable reviews from critics. Kim shared a Hong Kong Film nomination for Best Original Film Song for the song “Endless Love,” which she performed with Jackie Chan.

In 2006, Kim starred with Dong-geon Lee and Jin-wook Lee in the television series “Smile Again” (SBS).

Recently, in 2011, Kim returned to features with “The Warring States,” a Chinese film directed by Chen Jin. Despite mixed reception, the film was a box office success upon its release.

Awards:

• Blue Dragon Film: Most Popular Actress, 2001

• Honorary Ambassador, Community Chest of Korea, 2001

• Chung Yong Film: Popularity Award, 2000

• SBS Drama: Popularity Award, 2000

• Paeksang Arts: TV Popularity Award, 2000

• Honorary Ambassador of Goodwill to France, 1999

• SBS Drama: Grand Prize Receive, 1998

• MBC Drama: Popularity Award, 1998

• KBS Drama: Popularity Award, 1997

• Paeksang Arts: New TV Actress Award, 1996

• KBS Drama: Top Excellence Award, 1996

• Performance: Budding Actress Award, 1995