Actor You Need to Know: Kim Hye-yoon
The ‘Lovely Runner’ actress is Korea’s ‘Nation’s Little Sister.’ Her superbly subtle portrayals could seem relatable or not—but in any way, she is sure to leave an impression
Kim Hye-yoon plays Im Sol in 'Lovely Runner.' Photo courtesy of tvN
Kim Hye-yoon has been burning bright right from the time when she was in the academic circle. Kim, an erudite film studies major, often stole the show for her works, becoming a student film festival’s favorite. Her career beginnings—since 2013—include stints in a barrage of television dramas while she was still pursuing studies at Korea’s prestigious Konkuk University. Her major break at the time was her role in the big-hit thriller Memoir of a Murderer in 2017.
During its run, Sky Castle (2018), a satirical black comedy and the highest-rated drama in Korean cable television history, marked a milestone moment in the rookie actor’s life. Kim played Kang Ye-seo, an impetuous, success-driven student, which earned her the 55th Baeksang Arts Awards for Best New Actress.
Kim Hye-yoon, in what I think, can be the archetypal K-drama actress, but one who might as well shatter familiar tropes. There’s good grace, innocence, beauty, and likability, but there’s also great acting infusing the screen with her solid presence, and that best defines the 27-year-old—reminiscent of her starring role in the 2019 high school fantasy drama Extraordinary You, for which she took home the Best New Actress award at the MBC Drama Awards that same year.
Her debut film, The Girl on a Bulldozer (2022), is just another fine instance of her seasoned acting skills. Kim comes across as a realistic depiction of the titular “girl,” Goo Hye-young, an irascible, violent “troublemaker” given to picking fights with no control over her temper. Her father is a needy restaurant owner crippled by gambling and drinking problems. Abruptly, when he falls victim to a mysterious accident, Hye-young feels obligated to investigate and watch after her younger brother.
The Girl on a Bulldozer was a staggering success, with Kim nabbing multiple honors for her work, notably a Best New Actress award at the 2022 Blue Dragon Film Awards, Grand Bell Awards, and a Rising Star Asia Award at the New York Asian Film Festival.
Kim, to my mind, is quite good at being affable, caring, and lovable. She has a bubbly charm and is alive with humor, coloring those traits more in such characters, but each time in an approach that speaks more to their appeal, as she did so effectively in the 2021 period comedy Secret Royal Inspector & Joy just as much as she does in her most recent, the ongoing time-slip redemption romance drama Lovely Runner.
With its winning blend of romance, warmth, and fantasies, Lovely Runner is already gaining steam. It speaks of Im Sol (Kim), a die-hard fan of idol Ryu Sun-jae (Byun Woo-seok), who suddenly finds her life in ruins after a paralyzing tragedy and takes refuge in Sun-Jae’s music. That said, Sun-Jae dies tragically, leaving Sol inconsolable. Oddly, fifteen years in the past, she awakens in a classroom and realizes it’s her only chance to change the trajectory of fate and save Sun-jae, the love of her life.
Kim Hye-yoon’s superbly subtle portrayals remain her finest artistic accomplishments. She is Korea’s “Nation’s Little Sister,” bringing entertaining narratives where she could seem relatable or not—but in any way, she is sure to leave an impression.
