1999–2002: Early career Before her acting debut on a
television drama series, Moon filmed several commercials and
modeled for various magazines. She started modeling at the age of 12, and first appeared onscreen on the 1999
documentary drama
On the Road directed by Choi Jae-eun. Moon's rise to fame came in 2000 when she starred as the younger counterpart of
Song Hye-kyo's character in the pan-Asia hit drama
Autumn in My Heart. She won the Best Young Actress award at the 2000
KBS Drama Awards for her role, together with her co-star
Choi Woo-hyuk. Following her early success, she returned to the screen in 2001 as the young
Empress Myeongseong (
Lee Mi-yeon played the adult version) in the historical drama
Empress Myeongseong.
2003–2007: Breakthrough Moon was launched as a major star with her role in
Kim Jee-woon's critically acclaimed horror film
A Tale of Two Sisters (2003).
A Tale of Two Sisters ranks among the highest-grossing Korean horror films and was the first to be screened in American theaters. In 2004, Moon headlined the
romantic comedy film
My Little Bride. It was the second most popular Korean film of the year, behind the blockbuster hit
Taegukgi. In the film, Moon plays an ordinary high school girl who has to marry an older man (played by
Kim Rae-won) due to a pact their grandfathers made during the
Korean War. Following the release of
My Little Bride, the press gave Moon the title "
Nation's Little Sister". In 2005, Moon starred in
Innocent Steps where she played the role of an ethnic Korean living in China, who finds herself to be a complete fish out of water after moving to South Korea.
Innocent Steps was a hit, and its success along with
My Little Bride established Moon as a genuine box office draw. That year, Moon ranked first among actresses in the Korean film industry as the most bankable star. Moon and actor
Cho Seung-woo also received the 2005 Good Model award from the Korea Advertisers Association; 200 members voted for the winners based on how much they contributed to boosting the sales of products and enhancing the image of advertisers. In 2006, Moon starred in
Love Me Not, a Korean big-screen remake of popular
Japanese TV drama Ai nante iranee yo, natsu ("I Don't Need Love, Summer"), where she played a cold-hearted blind heiress. Later that year, Moon and veteran actor
Ahn Sung-ki hosted the 2006
Pusan International Film Festival (PIFF), the biggest international film festival in South Korea.
2008–present: Acting acclaim |left In 2008, Moon returned to television in the period epic
Painter of the Wind, where she played the lead role of
Shin Yun-bok, a painter who disguises herself as a man and becomes mentored by the master
Kim Hong-do (played by
Park Shin-yang). Shin was a real-life historical figure, a painter who lived during the
Joseon period (1392–1910) and was known for his realistic and delicate depictions of daily life. Moon received acting acclaim for her performance, including Best Actress at the 2008
Grimae Awards (presented by the Korean Broadcasting Directors Association), Best TV Actress at the
45th Baeksang Arts Awards, and the Daesang ("Grand Prize") at the
2008 SBS Drama Awards, making her the youngest recipient of a Daesang in the drama awards history of all three networks. Later in the year, she starred in the romantic comedy
Mary Stayed Out All Night alongside
Jang Keun-suk. 2010 also marked the year she made her theater debut, in the Korean staging of
Patrick Marber's play
Closer. She caused a stir as the strip dancing, promiscuous Alice, opposite
Um Ki-joon's Dan. Moon returned to TV, playing a struggling young designer in
Cheongdam-dong Alice (2012). She then starred in
Goddess of Fire (2013), playing Yoo Jung, a character based on Baek Pa-sun, the first female
potter and porcelain artist of the Joseon period. This is her second
historical drama (or
sageuk), five years after
Painter of the Wind. Moon made her long-awaited return to the big screen in
Lee Joon-ik's period film
The Throne, in which she played
Lady Hyegyŏng, the wife of
Crown Prince Sado. This is followed by the mystery thriller series ''
The Village: Achiara's Secret''. in 2022 In 2016, Moon starred in her second theater play,
Romeo and Juliet alongside
Park Jeong-min. She was also cast in the mystery film
Glass Garden, which premiered at the
Busan International Film Festival in 2017. In 2019, Moon was confirmed to make her small-screen comeback in the tvN's crime drama
Catch the Ghost. In 2022, Moon signed a contract with Cree Company. ==Personal life==