2009 to 2014: Early career In 2009, Kim made her acting debut in
A Perfect Sight, which won Best Short Film at the
30th Blue Dragon Film Awards. After graduating, she appeared in various independent and low-budget films. In 2011, she ventured into theater, debuting in the open-run play
Rooftop Cat as a multi-girl. Under her stage name Kim E-jeong, she made her feature film debut in Kim Seung-hyun's independent film '''', where she portrayed Hee-young, a femme fatale and bar hostess. After appearing on invitation at the New Currents section of the Busan International Film Festival to positive reviews, Kim described herself as motivated to further her career. In 2014, Kim starred as the female lead in the short film
A Familiar Taste, directed by Kim In-sun. She played Kyung-eon, an elementary school teacher facing her father's absence following her mother's remarriage. The film, which explored themes of distance and reconnection, appeared at several film festivals, winning some awards. In the following year Kim acted in short films
Sunshine. Also in 2015, she starred in the film
Byeong-gu (Allergy), opposite actor
Seo Hyun-woo, which won the Grand Prize at the 2016 Fukuoka Independent Film Festival.
2016 to 2017: Rising career in independent film industry In 2016 Kim reunited with Seo Hyun-woo in Choi Ki-yoon's independent film
A Man in the Basement, in the supporting role. The short film
Love Triangle, directed and written by Hyung Seul-woo and produced by Cho Hyun-yeol, premiered in 2016 at the 42nd Seoul Independent Film Festival in the Special Invitation Category. The story follows close friends Min-ji (Kim Min-jung) and Han-na (Kim Han-na), both in love with Jun-ho (Jo Hyeong-rae), as they experience an awkward moment while driving to the beach. In 2017, the film was also featured at several festivals: the 27th
Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival in Japan, the 16th Mise-en-scène Short Film Festival the 11th Guam International Film Festival, where Kim Han-na won the Acting Award, and the 3rd Gosichon Short Film Festival, where it received the Silver Award. In 2018, it was invited to the 1st Hongseong International Short Film Festival in the Domestic Competition. Kim also acted in Kwon Hang's short film
Terrific Weather. It was screened at the 19th
Korea National University of Arts' Film Department Graduation Film Festival in February 2017. The movie begins with weather forecaster Yeon-joo (played by Kim Min-jung) predicting the weather. The story revolves around people who perceive weathercasters as mere eye candy for broadcasting rather than professionals are discussing different aspects. In the same year, Kim achieved a career milestone through her supporting roles in two feature films by
Hong Sang-soo, namely
Yourself and Yours, followed by
On the Beach at Night Alone. Also in 2017, she made her television debut in the
SBS drama series
Temperature of Love. 2017 to 2019: Rebrand with new the stage name and further acclaim in independent film industry In 2018, she received acclaim for her performances in the drama
Familiar Wife, where she played a supporting role. Notably, Grass also featured actors including
Kim Min-hee, Jeong Jin-young, Ki Joo-bong, Seo Yeong-hwa, and Kim Sae-byeok.
Grass had its premiere at the
68th Berlin International Film Festival on 16 February 2018, and it was also screened in the "Korean Cinema Today – Panorama" program at the
23rd Busan International Film Festival. In that same year, Gong also did several independent film projects. In Oh Jeong-min's short film
Coming of Age, Gong acted opposite
Kim Mi-kyung as Baek-seol, a 29-year-old college student in Seoul facing a crossroads after failing to secure a full-time job. The film was invited to several festivals in 2018, including the 16th Asiana International Short Film Festival, the 19th Jeonju International Film Festival, the 17th Mise-en-scène Short Film Festival, the 19th Daegu Short Film Festival, the 23rd Indie Forum New Film Exhibition and the 20th Jeongdongjin Independent Film Festival. In the following year, it was also invited to the 17th Florence Korean Film Festival. In Lee Ga-hong's short film
I Should Have Killed That Bastard, Gong acted alongside Lim Seong-mi,
Kim Ye-eun, and Jeong Soo-ji. The story revolves around the crisis faced by the drama "Descendants of Unicorn" due to the departure of male actors. Officials, unable to halt the airing, convene an emergency response meeting. It was screened at the 2018 20th Jeongdongjin Independent Film Festival and the 17th Mise-en-scène Short Film Festival. In Park Je-beom's independent film
I Am Home, Gong portrayed Gyeong-ran, the best friend of Lee Yoo-young's character Eun-seo. The film was premiered in the 'Today - Panorama' section of the Korean Film Festival at the
24th Busan International Film Festival in October. Also in 2019, she reached a career milestone by taking on the role of Kim Eun-young, the eldest of three siblings, in Kim Do-young's feminist-themed film
Kim Ji-young: Born 1982. Gong expressed a strong desire to portray Eun-young during auditions, stating her preference despite being offered other roles. Director Kim Do-young, moved by Gong's audition, wiped away her tears and remarked that her performance was exceptional, saying she couldn't envision anyone else in the role. received numerous accolades and achieved commercial success, with 3.7 million admissions and grossing $27.16 million. In the omnibus film
Midday Picnic, Gong appeared in the third segment titled "Call Me If You Need Me," directed by Lim Oh-jeong. The film premiered at the 44th Seoul Independent Film Festival in November 2019. The storyline follows Choi Young-shin (portrayed by Gong), who leaves home after a disagreement with her husband and unexpectedly visits Woo-hee (Lee Woo-jeong), a freelance designer in her 30s living alone. The film explores themes of emotional coldness and the longing for warmth, highlighting Young-shin's unawareness of her own loneliness and her realization of being stuck in a stagnant phase of life. In December 2019, Gong made a supporting appearance in the second feature-length film by director Lee Sang-deok,
Film Adventure. In March 2020, Gong signed an exclusive contract with Star Village Entertainment. She played Ji-won in Cho Hee-young's short film
Two Waters and a Lighter alongside Moon Hye-in. Gong also portrayed Geum-hee, the third daughter, in Jeong Seung-oh's debut feature film
Move the Grave,
Move the Grave received widespread recognition, winning the CGV Arthouse Award at the Jeonju International Film Festival, the Grand Prize in the New Director Competition, Gong received the Fantastic Best Actor Special Mention Award at the
24th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival for her performance.
2021 to present: Mainstream popularity and accolades In 2021, Gong portrayed Hee-soo in Jeong Gam-won's independent film
The Train Passed By. Hee-soo embodies a woman who exists and does not exist simultaneously. As the protagonist, she embarks on a tranquil, solitary journey between the Daegu Dyeing Industrial Complex and a fishing village in Gangwon-do. Along the way, she briefly encounters various individuals, including her former lover, a grandmother with a broken radio, a middle-aged woman at a guesthouse, and a male student on a bicycle. In May, Gong began filming the drama series
Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha, remake of the 2004 film
Mr. Handy, Mr. Hong, in Pohang. Gong achieved some success with the role of Pyo Mi-seon, a dental hygienist and the best friend of
Shin Min-a's character, Yoon Hye-jin. Gong mentioned that she made an effort to fully immerse herself in the role. The atmosphere on set was so delightful that she would occasionally forget she was acting. When she was in Seoul, fans would recognize her on the streets and warmly greet her as "Unnie Mi-seon." Moreover, her parents requested her autograph for their acquaintances for the first time. Gong regards
Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha as an endearing and fulfilling project. In November, Gong made a return to independent film with the movie
Sprinter. The film was screened at the 47th Seoul Independent Film Festival, which took place at CGV Art House Apgujeong and CGV Apgujeong from 25 November to 3 December. Prior to the screening, Gong participated in a press conference held at Art Nine in Sadang-dong on December 3rd alongside her co-actors from the film, Lim Ji-ho, Jeon Hwan-hwan, Song Deok-ho, Choi Jun-hyuk, and Choi Seung-yeon. On 29 November 2021, the Korea Independent Film Association announced a special exhibition titled "Isn't It Our Sphere?" at the Naver Indie Theater, scheduled to run from 29 November to 28 December 2021. The exhibition showcased five films featuring Gong, including
Family Portrait and
I Should Have Killed That Bastard, both directed by
Kim Hye-jun. In that same month, her film
Nothing Serious was released. For her role as Seon-bin, best friend of
Jeon Jong-seo's character Ja-young, She was nominated in best supporting actress in
58th Grand Bell Awards. In April 2022, Gong signed an exclusive contract with HB Entertainment. That year, she reunited with director Cho Hee-young for two consecutive projects: the short film
The Owners, which screened at the
Jeonju International Film Festival, In June 2022, Gong played Yook Min-jeong in the
Just for Laugh! short omnibus project, specifically in the third sequence,
Family Portrait directed by Kim Hyeon. In 2022, Gong played a supporting role as Jang Ma-ri, a reporter at YBC news agency, in the
tvN drama series
Little Woman. This was followed by her performance as Na Ye-jin, a prosecutor with a high-end lifestyle, in
One Dollar Lawyer, which earned her the Best Supporting Actress award at the
2022 SBS Drama Awards. In 2024, Gong portrayed Yang Joo-ran in the drama series
Marry My Husband, where she is the assistant manager of U&K Food Marketing Team 1 and the assistant to Kang Ji-won (
Park Min-young). Initially timid, her character undergoes significant transformation due to Ji-won's influence. Adapted by Shin Yoo-dam from a
web novel and a
webtoon of the same name, it achieved triple box office success, ranking first in average viewership among all tvN Monday-Tuesday dramas and topping domestic and global daily TV show rankings on TVING and
Amazon Prime Video, respectively. As a result, Gong took her first reward vacation to Vietnam in March. In October 2024, she signed with a new agency,
Fantagio. == Personal life ==