Im Soo-jung (Korean임수정; born July 11, 1979) is a South Korean actress and former model. After modeling for teen magazines, Im made her acting breakthrough in Kim Jee-woon's horror film A Tale of Two Sisters (2003), followed by the popular television series I'm Sorry, I Love You (2004). She has since appeared in numerous films, notably Lump Sugar (2006), I'm a Cyborg, But That's OK (2006), Happiness (2007), Jeon Woo-chi: The Taoist Wizard (2009), Finding Mr. Destiny (2010) and All About My Wife (2012), for which she won Best Actress at the 33rd Blue Dragon Film Awards.[2]

Im Soo-jung
Im in August 2023
Born (1979-07-11) July 11, 1979 (age 45)
Seoul, South Korea[1]
OccupationActress
Years active1998–present
AgentMYM Entertainment
Korean name
Hangul
임수정
Revised RomanizationIm Su-jeong
McCune–ReischauerRim Sujŏng
Websiteimsoojung.com
Signature

Recently, she starred in the television series Chicago Typewriter (2017), Search: WWW (2019) and Melancholia (2021).

Career

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Im Soo-jung made her debut in 1998 as a cover model for teen magazines. She then moved onto acting and debuted in the teen drama School 4,[3] but it was Kim Jee-woon's 2003 stylish horror A Tale of Two Sisters that first drew her critical notice and newcomer awards.[4][5]

 
Im in January 2004

A year later in 2004, the hit KBS2 drama series I'm Sorry, I Love You catapulted her into stardom.[6][7] With Im looking much younger than her age, those projects solidified her image as an eternal ingenue, as did touching character study ...ing,[8] horse jockey film Lump Sugar,[9] and Park Chan-wook's surrealist I'm a Cyborg, But That's OK.[10]

In 2007, she began shedding that image by taking on more adult roles,[11] notable among them Hur Jin-ho's romantic melodrama Happiness,[12][13] Choi Dong-hoon's blockbuster fantasy Jeon Woo-chi: The Taoist Wizard,[14][15] romantic comedy Finding Mr. Destiny[16] and Lee Yoon-ki's minimalist breakup indie Come Rain, Come Shine.[17] For her performance in All About My Wife,[18][19] she won Best Actress at the Blue Dragon Film Awards,[20] and the Women in Film Korea Awards.[21][22]

Im and Lee Jung-jae played two artists in a post-apocalyptic environment in the short film El Fin del Mundo ("The End of the World"), which screened at the prestigious contemporary art exhibition dOCUMENTA.[23][24] She also acted opposite veteran Thai actor Sorapong Chatree in Aditya Assarat's short film Phuket, which was commissioned jointly by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Association of Tourism and Hotel Operators of Phuket.[25][26]

Im was previously part of the SidusHQ agency, but moved to being managed by KeyEast. KeyEast launched her official website in June 2012. According to the actress, the online space will be a place where she can converse with her fans directly.[27][28]

 
Im in November 2013

In 2015, Im starred in Perfect Proposal, a remake of British crime thriller Woman of Straw that was partly shot in Macau.[29][30] She next starred in Time Renegades, a time-hopping romantic thriller where she played dual roles.[31]

In October 2015, her contract with KeyEast expired and she decided to sign with new management agency YNK Entertainment.[32][33]

Im then starred in the female-centric indie film The Table directed by Kim Jong-kwan, which premiered at the 21st Busan International Film Festival.[34]

In February 2017, Im was cast in the drama Chicago Typewriter alongside Yoo Ah-in. This marks Im's small screen come back after thirteen years since 2004.[35] The same year, she was named the cultural ambassador for the UK-Korea Creative Futures mutual exchange.[36] She then returned to the big screen with Mothers based on the book Your Request - My Other Mother by Lee Dong-eun, who also directs the film.[37][38]

 
Im in April 2018

In 2019, Im returned to the small screen with the series Search: WWW.[39][40]

In 2020, Im appeared the film Single in Seoul with Lee Dong-wook.

In 2021, Im starred in the tvN drama Melancholia alongside Lee Do-hyun.[41]

In 2022, Im's contract with King Kong by Starship expired in August, and she decided not to renew the contract.[42]

In November 2024, Im signed with new agency MYM Entertainment.[43]

Personal life

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She is a vegan and an advocate of animal rights.[44][unreliable source?]

Filmography

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Film

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Film performances
Year Title Role Ref.
2002 The Romantic President Han Young-hee
2003 A Tale of Two Sisters Bae Su-mi
...ing Kang Min-ah
2005 Sad Movie Ahn Soo-jung [45]
2006 Lump Sugar Kim Shi-eun
I'm a Cyborg, But That's OK Cha Young-goon
2007 Happiness Eun-hee
2009 Jeon Woo-chi: The Taoist Wizard Seo In-kyung
2010 Finding Mr. Destiny Seo Ji-woo
2011 Come Rain, Come Shine Young-shin
2012 All About My Wife Yeon Jung-in
2015 Perfect Proposal Ji-yeon
2016 Time Renegade Seo Yoon-jung / Jung So-eun
2017 The Table Hye-gyeong
2018 Mothers Hyo-jin
2019 Our Cat Narration (voice)
2023 Cobweb Lee Min-jae [46]
Single in Seoul Joo Hyeon-jin

Television series

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Television series performances
Year Title Role Ref.
2001 School 4 Oh Hye-ra
2004 I'm Sorry, I Love You Song Eun-chae
2017 Chicago Typewriter Jeon Seol
2019 Search: WWW Bae Ta-mi
2021 Melancholia Ji Yoon-soo [41]

Music video appearances

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Year Song title Artist Ref.
1999 "Deep Sadness" Y2K
2001 "I'm Sorry" Kim Jang-hoon
2012 "White Night" Nell [47][48]

Awards and nominations

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Year presented, name of the award ceremony, award category, nominated work and the result of the nomination
Year Award ceremony Category Nominee / Work Result Ref.
2003 24th Blue Dragon Film Awards Best New Actress A Tale of Two Sisters Won [49]
2nd Korean Film Awards Best New Actress Won [50]
23rd Korean Association of Film Critics Awards Won [51]
4th Busan Film Critics Awards Won [52]
6th Director's Cut Awards Won [53]
4th Women in Film Korea Awards Nominated
Cine 21 Awards Won [54]
Screamfest Horror Film Festival Best Actress Won [55]
2004 24th Fantasporto Film Festival Best Actress in an International Fantasy Film Won [56]
41st Grand Bell Awards Best New Actress Nominated
KBS Drama Awards I'm Sorry, I Love You Won [57]
Netizen Award Won
Popularity Award Won
Best Couple Award with So Ji-sub Won
2005 41st Baeksang Arts Awards Best New Actress (TV) Nominated
2006 27th Blue Dragon Film Awards Best Leading Actress Lump Sugar Nominated
2nd Premiere Rising Star Awards Best Actress Won [58]
2007 31st Hong Kong International Film Festival I'm a Cyborg, But That's OK Nominated
1st Asian Film Awards Best Actress Nominated
43rd Baeksang Arts Awards Best Actress Nominated
28th Blue Dragon Film Awards Best Leading Actress Happiness Nominated
2008 44th Baeksang Arts Awards Best Actress Nominated
16th Chunsa Film Art Awards Best Actress Nominated
17th Buil Film Awards Nominated
45th Grand Bell Awards Nominated
2012 5th Style Icon Awards Style Icon Won [59]
21st Buil Film Awards Best Actress All About My Wife Nominated
55th Asia-Pacific Film Festival Nominated
49th Grand Bell Awards Nominated
13th Women in Film Korea Awards Won [60]
33rd Blue Dragon Film Awards Best Leading Actress Won [61]
2013 49th Baeksang Arts Awards Best Actress (Film) Nominated
2019 12th Korea Drama Awards Top Excellence Award, Actress Search: WWW Nominated [62]

References

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  1. ^ "Im Soo-jung". HanCinema. Archived from the original on June 20, 2017. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
  2. ^ "LIM Soo-jung". Korean Film Council. Archived from the original on June 15, 2011. Retrieved July 7, 2017.
  3. ^ 임수정 "밝은 역할을 하다보니 변하네요". Hankook Ilbo (in Korean). November 5, 2004. Archived from the original on November 26, 2018. Retrieved November 26, 2018.
  4. ^ [씨네피플]'장화, 홍련' 임수정-문근영 인터뷰. The Dong-a Ilbo (in Korean). June 9, 2003. Archived from the original on October 12, 2013. Retrieved November 26, 2018.
  5. ^ "Lim Soo Jung & director Kim Ji Woon reminisce 'A Tale Of Two Sisters'". Yahoo News. August 26, 2013. Archived from the original on October 31, 2017. Retrieved July 7, 2017.
  6. ^ <미안하다, 사랑한다> 인기 절정... 무채커플·무혁체 등 유행어도 양산. Cine21 (in Korean). December 23, 2004. Archived from the original on November 26, 2018. Retrieved November 26, 2018.
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  8. ^ [영화 프리뷰] 아이엔지. DT (in Korean). December 21, 2003. Archived from the original on October 12, 2013. Retrieved November 26, 2018.
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  23. ^ "Main Film: el Fin Del Mundo". News from Nowhere. Archived from the original on June 17, 2012. Retrieved June 19, 2012.
  24. ^ Lee, Woo-young (June 11, 2012). "Three Korean artists invited to world's largest contemporary art fair". The Korea Herald. Archived from the original on October 22, 2012. Retrieved November 28, 2012.
  25. ^ "Phuket". BIFF.kr. Archived from the original on February 18, 2013. Retrieved November 28, 2012.
  26. ^ "Lim Soo-jung Stars in Thai Indie Movie". The Chosun Ilbo. September 9, 2009. Archived from the original on October 29, 2017. Retrieved July 7, 2017.
  27. ^ Hong, Lucia (June 12, 2012). "Actress Lim Soo-jung launches official website" Archived April 13, 2014, at the Wayback Machine. Asiae.
  28. ^ Sunwoo, Carla (June 14, 2012). "Lim Soo-jung says hello to the cyber world"[usurped]. Korea JoongAng Daily.
  29. ^ Tae, Sang-joon (June 23, 2014). "LIM Soo-jung and YOO Yeon-seok Lead SECRET TEMPTATION Cranks-up". Korean Film Council. Archived from the original on September 28, 2011. Retrieved June 23, 2014.
  30. ^ Jung, Hyun-mok (May 26, 2015). "Im Soo-jung is nervous ahead of return to acting". Korea JoongAng Daily. Archived from the original on May 26, 2015. Retrieved May 26, 2015.
  31. ^ "[Interview] Im Soo-jung brings out her true colors". TV Report. April 6, 2016. Archived from the original on February 7, 2018. Retrieved February 6, 2018.
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  39. ^ "Im Soo-jung gets role in tvN drama". Korea JoongAng Daily. February 19, 2019. Archived from the original on February 19, 2019. Retrieved February 18, 2019.
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  41. ^ a b Kim Soo-young (July 8, 2021). "임수정X이도현, '멜랑꼴리아' 출연 확정...'사제 케미' 예고 [공식]" [Im Soo-jung X Lee Do-hyun confirmed to appear in 'Melancholia'... 'Priest Chemi' Notice [Official]]. The Korea Economic Daily (in Korean). Naver. Archived from the original on October 20, 2021. Retrieved August 25, 2021.
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  59. ^ 임수정 10대 스타일아이콘 선정 "더 의미있는 배우 될것"(스타일아이콘어워즈). Newsen (in Korean). October 25, 2012. Archived from the original on November 26, 2018. Retrieved November 26, 2018.
  60. ^ 임수정, 올해의 여성영화인상 연기상 영예, Lim Soo-jung, Best Actress of the Year Award for Best Actress. No Cut News (in Korean). December 5, 2012. Archived from the original on December 9, 2021. Retrieved September 26, 2020.
  61. ^ 임수정, 청룡영화상 여우주연상 수상..국내 첫 수상 [Im Soo-jung Wins Best Actress for Blue Dragon Film, the nation's first Prime Minister]. starnews (in Korean). November 30, 2012. Archived from the original on May 27, 2022. Retrieved September 26, 2020.
  62. ^ "'2019코리아드라마어워즈(KDA)' 연기대상 후보..김해숙·최수종·염정아·조정석 등". Sedaily (in Korean). September 27, 2019. Archived from the original on September 27, 2019. Retrieved September 28, 2019.
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