Kim Ah-joon is a well-known South Korean actress, model, and singer best known for her award-winning performance in the film ‘200 Pounds Beauty,’ in which she portrays an obese singer who undergoes plastic surgery and becomes an overnight pop sensation. She even sang her own songs for the film’s soundtrack. Kim graduated from Dongduk University with a degree in broadcasting and then studied hotel management in Switzerland. She began her career in show business as a model for various brands and quickly established herself as a sought-after personality in South Korea’s film and television industries. Her performance in the television drama ‘The Bizarre Bunch’ earned her the KBS Drama Awards’ Best New Actress Award and the 42nd Baeksang Arts Awards’ Popularity Award. She is a well-known celebrity who has appeared as a guest on numerous television talk shows, including ‘Strong Heart’ and ‘Healing Camp, Aren’t You Happy?’ ‘My PS Partner’, ‘Catch Me’, and ‘The King’ are among her recent popular films. ‘Emperor of the Sea’, ‘The Accidental Couple’, and ‘Live Up to Your Name, Dr Heo’ are among her other television serials. She has been involved in a number of controversies, including a tax evasion case against her for which she was ordered to pay a hefty fine. Additionally, she fulfilled her day’s good deed by personally distributing free watches to single mothers in order to empower them. Kim is active on social media, where she has a sizable fan base eager for updates on her boyfriend, who appears to be extremely evasive at the moment.
Childhood & Adolescence
Kim Ah-joong was born in Seoul, South Korea on 16 October 1982. Additionally, she is known by her family name, Kim Ah-jung. As a child, she was undecided about whether to pursue a career in hospitality or entertainment.
She graduated from Hwikyung Girls High School and went on to earn a degree in broadcasting from Women’s Dongduk University. She later attended a Korean university and eventually earned a degree in hotel management from a Swiss international institute. However, she never joined a hotel and instead began modeling.
During her early years, she participated in a number of advertisement campaigns, which garnered her attention from South Korea’s film and television industries. She was also well-known for her melodic voice and began singing at her friends’ private parties and get-togethers.
Career of Kim
She made her acting debut in 2004 with a cameo appearance in the television series ‘Love Survival’. The same year, she was cast in a minor role as Ha Jin in the television drama serial ‘Emperor of the Sea.’
In 2005, she made her film debut in the film ‘When Romance Meets Destiny’. Around the same time, she landed a major television role with her award-winning performance in the family drama serial ‘Bizarre Bunch’ on the KBS2 network. This boosted her acting career.
Kim is best known for her award-winning performance as Kang Han-na / Jenny in the film ‘200 Pounds Beauty,’ in which she portrays an obese singer who undergoes cosmetic surgery in order to become a pop sensation. Apart from acting, she performed the song ‘Beautiful Girl’ and the Korean version of the song ‘Maria’ that are featured on the film’s soundtrack.
She made a cameo appearance in the SBS network’s serial ‘On Air,’ followed by a lead role in the 2009 serial ‘Accidental Couple.’ She won the Excellence Award for Actress in a Mini Series at that year’s KBS Drama Awards for her outstanding performance in the serial.
Her performances in the romantic comedy films ‘Foxy Festival’ and ‘My PS Partner’ established her as a popular celebrity among Korea’s youth, who identified with her on-screen roles. Additionally, critics lauded her witty on-screen demeanor.
Kim An-joong established her celebrity status by appearing as a guest on the SBS network’s television talk shows ‘Strong Heart’ and ‘Healing Camp, Aren’t You Happy’ in 2010 and 2015. In the interim, she won an award for her performance in the serial ‘Punch,’ in which she played the lead role of Shin Ha-kyung, the serial’s ex-wife. She also starred in the SBS drama ‘Wanted’.
In 2017, she made her television debut as the lead in the medical fantasy serial ‘Live Up to Your Name, Dr Heo’, followed by a supporting role in the film ‘The King’. She has been active on social media in an attempt to connect with her devoted fans and keep them informed about her upcoming ventures into Chinese and American films.
Apart from film and television roles, she has appeared in music videos for artists such as Shin Hye-sung and Youme, where she demonstrated some impressive choreography.
She has established herself as a versatile actress who is at ease in a variety of roles. She is respected in the entertainment industry for her professional demeanor and easygoing demeanor, and she has a bright future ahead of her.
Significant Works of Kim
‘When Romance Meets Destiny’ (2005), ‘200 Pounds Beauty’ (2006), ‘Foxy Festival’ (2010), ‘My PS Partner’ (2012), ‘Catch Me’ (2013), and ‘The King’ (2014) are among her landmark films (2017).
She has starred in a number of television series, 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 in Shin Hye-and sung’s Youme’s music videos. She also contributed the songs ‘Maria’, ‘Byul’, and ‘Beautiful Girls’ to the soundtrack of ‘200 Pounds Beauty’.
Awards and Accomplishments
Her performance in ‘The Bizarre Bunch’ earned her the 2005 KBS Drama Awards’ Best New Actress Award and the 42nd Baeksang Arts Awards’ Popularity Award.
At the 2007 44th Grand Bell Awards ceremony, she received the Korean Popularity Award and the Best Actress Award for her role in ‘200 Pounds Beauty.’
During the same year, she received the Song of the Month Award and the Hot Face Award at the 6th Digital Music Awards and the Elle Style Awards Asia.
Additionally, she was recognized at the 2007 Third Rising Star Awards. Kim received the 2009 KBS Drama Awards’ Excellence Award for Mini Series Actress for her role in ‘The Accidental Couple’. She won the 2015 SBS Drama Awards’ Best Couple Award for her role in the drama serial ‘Punch’.
Private Life of Kim
In 2011, she was charged with tax evasion, for which she was fined heavily and banned from South Korean television from 2011 to 2014.
Though she has been linked to several of her co-stars, she has maintained a single status until now.
Estimated Net Worth
Kim Ah-joong is one of the wealthiest and most popular Movie Actresses. Kim Ah-joong’s net worth is estimated at about $5 million.
Trivia
She is a Roman Catholic and also goes by the name Maria in the Christian tradition. Apart from her success as a singer and actress, Kim Ah-joong is one of South Korea’s most sought-after models, earning her the moniker ‘CF Queen.’
To empower women, she personally distributed free watches to single mothers at a jewelry brand’s 2015 event.