Debut and early careers Kim's career beginnings can be attributed to her student-mentor relationship with producer
Kim Soo-ro, who was her acting professor at
Dongguk University. In the autumn of 2015, Kim debuted as a theater actress, playing Yoo Hwa-yi, the female lead in
Jang Jin's play
Taxi Driver. This 12th production of
Taxi Driver was a collaboration between
Jang Jin and producer
Kim Soo-ro as part of
Kim Soo-ro's Project. Subsequently, Kim became a member of Double K Film and Theater agency, which was established by
Kim Soo-ro and
Kim Min-jong. Throughout 2017, Kim remained active in her acting career. She reprised her role as Joan for a special performance of
Interview in Tokyo, Japan. Additionally, she portrayed Natasha in the Korean adaptation of
Maxim Gorky's classic play
The Lower Depths. Her visual and acting interpretation added tension and a fresh twist to the character, earning her the nickname 'Daehak-ro Kim Tae-hee' for her stage presence. Kim's breakthrough came in 2018 when she starred in the 20th production of the musical
Laundry, portraying Son Na-young. Premiered in 2005, the musical depicts the hardships faced by ordinary people through the story of Son Na-young, a bookstore clerk, and Solongo, a Mongolian migrant worker. Kim's final project for the year was her portrayal of Emily in
Disappear Into Thin Air (2018), the Korean adaptation of
Disappearance, a play by Japanese playwright and director Keralino Sandorovich. It was produced by Yeonwoo Stage.
Temple and other theater projects In early 2019, Kim portrayed
Mary Warren in the Korean adaptation of
Arthur Miller's play
The Crucible (1953) at the Lee Haerang Theatre of Art Seoul. Her agency, Double K Film and Theater, produced the show. Kim also took on the role of Chae Kyung in
Hot Summer (2019), a Theater Ganda production, where she was double-cast with
Hong Ji-hee. The musical ran at the Yes24 Stage 3 Hall from May 17 to June 30, 2019. Later that year, Kim secured the lead role in the period musical
Create-ing 2nd Work: Nangrang Kisaeng, produced by Jeongdong Theater. The musical was inspired by the true story of Kang Hyang-ran (姜香蘭), Joseon's first short-haired kisaeng. Kang enrolled at Hannam Kwonbeon at age 14, becoming one of the most popular kisaengs due to her exceptional skills. In her quest to attend school, Kang cut her hair short and disguised herself as a man in a suit. Her secret's revelation caused a scandal, making headlines on the third page of
the Dong-A Ilbo on June 22, 1922. Directed by Kang Yu-mi, the musical ran at Jeongdong Theater from July 26 to August 18, 2019. Kim's notable performance of the year was in the physical play
Temple by Theater Ganda, where she portrayed Temple Grandin. The play's plot was based on the true story of Temple Grandin, an autistic professor at Colorado State University who achieved success as a zoologist. Kim shared the role of Temple with actress Park Hee-jung, having been recommended by assistant director Shim Sae-in, with whom she had worked on
Hot Summer. To prepare, Kim conducted extensive research, reading Temple Grandin's book
The Story of a Certain Autistic Man and drawing inspiration from
Cho Seung-woo in the film
Marathon and
Kim Hyang-gi in
Innocent Witness. The play premiered at the Goyang Cultural Foundation in 2019. Kim later returned to Theater Ganda productions, taking on the role of Ann in the Korean premiere of the musical
Murderer (2019). This work, based on Georg Kaiser's play
The Raft of Medusa, was performed from September 20 to November 17 at Daehangno TOM 2. Kim's year of 2020 was full with various acting projects. From January to March, Kim portrayed Julie, an eccentric weaver who swallowed a magnet, in composer Kim Dae-ri's musical
Julie & Paul (2020), produced by Yeonwoo Stage. Following that, from March to April, Kim played the dual roles of Demian and Sinclair in the musical
Demian (2020), based on the novel by
Hermann Hesse. This
two-hander musical play employed a
gender-blind casting concept, where one male and one female actor alternated playing Sinclair or Demian, also portraying other novel characters like Cromer, Sinclair's father, Pistorius, and Mrs. Eva. From June to September, Kim and Lee Ah-jin alternated playing the supporting role of Layla, a bold and clever character, in the play
Dear Elena (2020). Written in 1980 by Ljudmila Razumovskaya, the play explores humanity's inner conflicts. In October and November, Kim reprised her role as Temple Grandin in the movement play
Temple for Welcome Daehakro-Welcome Theater 2020. Critics noted her growth as an actor, observing a dramatic change in her acting style compared to earlier works like
Julie & Paul and
Demian.''
2021 to present: screen roles and recent stage works From December 2020 to February 2021, Kim portrayed Jin Se-hee in the play ''What's Your Macbeef?
by Shin So-won, which was b on Richard McBeef
by Seung-Hui Cho. Kim had previously participated in a full-length reading of the play on June 21, 2019, when it was selected for the 2019 Juda Creative Contest. What's Your Macbeef?'' is set in an international high school's theater class, where teacher Jeong Dong-woo and three students, Jin Yoo, Lee Ji-soo, and Jin Se-hee, prepare for a performance under their homeroom teacher Yoon Young-jun's recommendation. Kim,
Seo Hye-won, and Yoo Yu-jin were triple-cast as Jin Se-hee. Directed by
Kim Ji-ho, ''What's Your Macbeef?'' premiered at the Dream Art Center Hall 3 in Seoul. In January 2021, Kim was cast as
Yun Shim-deok, Joseon's first soprano, in the play
Government Ferry, directed by Lee Ki-bum for Player Sang Sang, Steps. Set on the Tokujumaru government ferry from Japan to Busan, the play posits that Yun Shim-deok is still alive. Hong Seok-ju, hiding on the boat, saves Yun Shim-deok when she jumps into the sea, leading to their relationship. The play depicts their conflicts in living different lives but also highlights their understanding, shared friendships, and shared hopes.
Government Ferry was performed at the Jayu Theater in Daehangno, Seoul. Kim made her first television appearance in a minor role in the
OCN drama series
Watcher in 2019. In 2021, she had three credited television appearances, all in supporting roles: Jin Ha-young in the miniseries
Do Do Sol Sol La La Sol and a nurse in
Youth of May, both aired on
KBS2. Kim also made a cameo as Han Geu-ra's mom in the Netflix Original Series
Move to Heaven. Her first major supporting television role was in tvN drama
Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha (2021), where she portrayed Ham Yung-kyung, a pregnant young mother who runs a mini-mart named after her daughter Bora. Kim acted alongside her
Temple co-star
Yoon Seok-hyun, who played her husband, Choi Geum-chul. In the same year, Kim confirmed her appearance in her debut film,
Jochiwon Commentary, produced by Blue Cucumber and directed by Choi Yang-hyun. The film is inspired by Shakespeare's
Hamlet, one of his four great tragedies, and incorporates Korean sentiment and Chungcheong Province dialect to maximize the tragedy. Kim made a theater comeback as Emma in the musical
Vampire Arthur (2021–2022) at the Black Theater, Chungmu Art Center in Seoul. Set in 1930s London, the musical tells the story of the growth and love between a vampire named Arthur and Emma, an illiterate girl from a poor background. Directed by Kim Dong-yeon, the show ran from November 9, 2021, to February 6, 2022. For a recent replay of
Vampire Arthur, a new creative team, consisting of writer Park Hae-rim and music director Choi Hee-young, joined as screenwriter and music director, respectively.
Vampire Arthur was originally created by writer Seo Hwi-won and composer Kim De-ri. It premiered in 2017 through the 'Black and Blue Season 4' story writer's debut program. The showcase took place on March 23–24, 2018, and the premiere was staged at the Black Theater, Chungmu Art Center in Seoul from November 30, 2018, to February 2, 2019, also under the direction of Kim Dong-yeon. Kim's next projects included two overlapping works: the play
Helmet and the creative musical
Sylvia Lives. In the fourth performance of
Helmet, Kim had a dual role as Helmet B, alongside Jeong In-jeong, in a gender-blind casting. The play, written by Ji Yi-sun, known for her works
Capone Trilogy and
Bunker Trilogy, was directed by Kim Tae-hyung. It took place at the Small Theater of Hongik University Daehak-ro Art Center from May 17 to August 11, 2022. In
Sylvia Lives, Kim portrayed Pulitzer Prize-winning poet
Sylvia Plath (1932–1963), sharing the role with Ju Da-on and Choi Tae-yi, who had also played the character prior to the 2022 production. To prepare for the role, Kim immersed herself in Plath's persona by reading
The Diary of Sylvia Plath and her poetry. The musical was showcased at Daehak-ro TOM 2 Building from July 12 to August 28, 2022. It was a production by Performance Studio Production, overseen by writer and director Jo Yoon-ji, composer Kim Seung-min, music director Lee Han-mil, and choreographer Choi Seong-dae. The Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture selected
Sylvia Lives following its successful runs at the Arko-Han Ye-jong Musical Academy in 2020 and the Yes24 Stage Showcase in 2021. Kim's musical ''L'art reste'' premiered in September 2022 at Dream Art Center 2 in Daehak-ro. This production tells the story of (1916–2004), a prominent Korean-Asian modern and contemporary artist, and her love life.Kim takes on the role of Byeon Dong-rim, a younger version of Kim Hyang-an, who engages in an affair with the poet Lee Sang. The musical interweaves narratives between Kim Hyang-an and her husband Kim Whan-ki, as well as flashbacks to her youthful self as Byeon Dong-rim. In November 2022, Kim returned to the stage with two plays:
Clumsy People and
Orphans.
Clumsy People, which originally premiered at the Seoul Theater Festival in 1995, is a work by
Jang Jin, that marked the reunion of Kim and the playwright following their collaboration on Kim's debut play,
Taxi Driver. Kim Joo-yeon, Choi Ha-yoon, and Park Ji-ye shared the role of Yoo Hwa-yi, a character known for her lively charm, despite being both talkative and reserved. In the play
Orphans, Kim portrays Philip, alongside Choi Soo-jin, Hyun Seok-jun, and Shin Joo-hyeop. Written by
Lyle Kessler and originally premiered in Los Angeles in 1983, this play received acclaim. Following its successful Korean premiere in 2017 and encore in 2019,
Orphans received positive reviews and sold out shows. It also won the Stagetalk Audience Choice Awards (SACA) in 2017 and 2019. In March 2023, after concluding the aforementioned two plays, Kim was cast as Actress D in the third iteration of the Korean adaptation of the Japanese play
The Dressing Room (Gakuya). Written by Kunio Shimizu, the play centers around four actresses preparing for a staging of Anton Chekhov's
The Seagull. As the narrative unfolds, it becomes apparent that things are not straightforward.
The Dressing Room delves into themes of flawed memory and the enduring presence of memory even after death. In 2025, Kim acted in the Korean premiere of the British play
The Effect, written by
Lucy Prebble. Kim was triple cast as the character Connie Hall, starring alongside Park Jeong-bok and
Ok Ja-yeon. The play is a story about "love and sorrow" centered on four characters: Connie Hall and Tristan Frey, who are participating in a clinical trial for an antidepressant, and the two doctors supervising the test, Dr. Lorna James and Dr. Toby Seeley. The production was directed by
Min Sae-rom, with Park Ji-sun as the screenwriter and Bae Yu-ri as the motion director. The show ran from June 10 to August 31 at the Nol Seo-kyung Square Scone Theater 2. == Filmographies ==