Kim Ah-joong

She was involved in a tax evasion case in 2011 due to which she had to pay a huge fine and was banned from South Korean television from 2011 to 2014.

Though she has been associated with several of her co-stars, her status has remained single till now.

Kim Ah-joong was born on 16 October 1982 in Seoul, South Korea. She is also known by the family name Kim Ah-jung. As a child she was in two minds about joining the hospitality or entertainment industry.

She completed her schooling from Hwikyung Girls High School and went on to do a Broadcasting degree from the Women’s Dongduk University. Later she attended the Korean University and finally ended up doing a degree in Hotel Management from an international Institute in Switzerland. However, she never joined any hotel and started modelling instead.

During her early years she did a number of advertisement campaigns that got her noticed by the film and television industry of South Korea. She was also known for her melodious voice and began singing for private parties and get-togethers of her friends.

She made her acting debut in 2004 in the television serial ‘Love Survival’, where she played a cameo role of herself. She also got a minor role as Ha Jin in the television drama serial ‘Emperor of the Sea’ the same year.

Her movie debut came in 2005 with her role in ‘When Romance Meets Destiny’. She also got a big break on television with her award winning performance in the family drama serial ‘Bizarre Bunch’ on KBS2 network about the same time. This boosted her career as an actress.

Kim is best known for her award winning performance in the film ‘200 Pounds Beauty’ where she plays the role of Kang Han-na / Jenny, who is an obese singer who undergoes cosmetic surgery to become a pop sensation. Besides acting, she has done her own singing for the numbers ‘Beautiful Girl’ and the Korean version of the song ‘Maria’ that are part of the soundtrack of the movie.

She had a cameo role in the serial ‘On Air’ on SBS network that was followed by her lead role in the serial ‘Accidental Couple’ in 2009. She was recognised by the Excellence Award, Actress in a Mini Series at the KBS Drama Awards that year for her spectacular performance in the serial.

Her performances in the romantic comedy films ‘Foxy Festival’ and ‘My PS Partner’ made her a popular star among the youth of Korea who identified with her roles in reality. Critiques also gave her the thumbs up for her witty demeanour on screen.

Her landmark films are ‘When Romance Meets Destiny’ (2005), ‘200 Pounds Beauty’ (2006), ‘Foxy Festival’ (2010), ‘My PS Partner’ (2012), ‘Catch Me’ (2013) and ‘The King’ (2017).

She has appeared in a number of television serials including ‘Emperor of the Sea’ (2004), ‘Our Attitude to Prepare Parting’ (2005), ‘Bizarre Bunch’ (2005), ‘The Accidental Couple’ (2009), ‘Strong Heart’ (2010), ‘Punch’ (2014), ‘Healing Camp, Aren’t You Happy’ (2015) and ‘Live Up to Your Name, Dr Heo’.

She also appeared on the music videos of Shin Hye-sung and Youme. To add to her music credits are the numbers ‘Maria’, Byul’ and ‘Beautiful Girls’ sung by her for the sound track of ‘200 Pounds Beauty’.