Actor · South Korea
Kim Sun Young
김선영
Kim Sun-young is a South Korean actress who spent a decade on stage before moving to film and television, earning the Baeksang Arts Award for Crash Landing on You and the Blue Dragon Film Award for Three Sisters, and she remains best known for playing Sun-woo's mother in Reply 1988.
Binge Brief
- Born on 10 April 1976 and trained on stage for a decade before her 2005 film debut in She's on Duty.
- Graduated from Hallym University's philosophy department, class of 1995.
- Won Best Supporting Actress, Television, at the 56th Baeksang Arts Awards on 5 June 2020 for Crash Landing on You.
- Took Best Supporting Actress at the 2021 Blue Dragon Film Awards for Three Sisters.
- Signed with Kang Entertainment, which renewed her contract on 9 June 2023.
- Sang on the Reply 1988 10th Anniversary OST track Don't Worry, released 26 December 2025.
Career update and recent work
Kim Sun-young has stayed with Kang Entertainment for most of her career, and the agency renewed her contract on 9 June 2023, citing its long standing trust in her work. She has appeared on the talk show Radio Star, and in 2023 she told interviewers that being typecast into market vendor and ajumma roles after Reply 1988 and Crash Landing on You left her feeling depressed, since she wanted to try other kinds of characters. In December 2025 she lent her voice to Don't Worry, a group vocal track on the Reply 1988 10th Anniversary OST, alongside former co-stars Lee Il-hwa and Ra Mi-ran. Her most recent screen credit is the 2025 series Our Unwritten Seoul, and fans still recognize her most for playing Sun-woo's mother a decade earlier.
Profile data
- Stage name
- Kim Sun Young
- Native name
- 김선영
- Nationality
- South Korean
- Gender
- Female
- Date of birth
- 10 April 1976
- Age
- 50
- Birthplace
- Yeongdeok-gun, North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea
- Zodiac
- Aries
- Chinese zodiac
- Dragon
- Marital status
- Married
- Children
- One daughter with Lee Seung-won
- Confirmed partner
- Lee Seung-won, film director; the couple met on the set of the film Contradiction and have one daughter, a fact she has discussed on talk shows since 2021.
- University
- Hallym University, Philosophy, class of 1995
- 1995
- Made her stage debut in the play After the Play Is Over
- 2005
- Debuted on screen in the film She's on Duty
- 2014
- Took a small role in the MBC series Hotel King
- 2015
- Played Sun-woo's mother in the tvN series Reply 1988
- 2020
- Won Best Supporting Actress, Television, at the 56th Baeksang Arts Awards for Crash Landing on You
- 2021
- Won Best Supporting Actress at the Blue Dragon Film Awards for Three Sisters
- Agency
- Kang Entertainment
- Traits
- Described in the Korean press as a master of realistic, everyday acting, and candid in interviews about wanting roles beyond the market vendor and ajumma parts that made her famous.
- Skills
- Stage-trained actress with a decade of theatre work before moving to screen; shown to be capable of vocal performance on the Reply 1988 10th Anniversary OST.
- Portrait source
- TMDB API
- Rights holder
- TMDB API
- Usage basis
- Identification and commentary
- Metadata source
- English and Korean Wikipedia, AsianWiki, MyDramaList, Hallym University, Baeksang Arts Awards records, Xportsnews, SPOTV News, News1, MHN Entertainment
- Last updated
- 29 September 2026
- Editor
- DAW editorial review, 26 September 2026
Music
Separated by how they appear on the track: soundtrack vocals, music-video appearances, live stages.
| Year | Track or appearance | Credited as | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Don't Worry (Reply 1988 10th Anniversary OST Part 2) | Featured vocalist, with Lee Il-hwa and Ra Mi-ran | OST |
Kim Sun Young shows and movies
Other credits 20 titles
Drama
2024
Drama
2024
Drama
2023
Film
2023
Drama
2023
Drama
2021
Drama
2020
Drama
2020
Drama
2019
Drama
2019
Drama
2019
Drama
2019
Drama
2017
Drama
2016
Drama
2016
Drama
2015
Drama
2014
Drama
2014
Film
Film
Frequently asked questions
How old is Kim Sun-young?
Kim Sun-young was born on 10 April 1976, making her an Aries and a Dragon in the Chinese zodiac.
Who is Kim Sun-young's husband?
Kim Sun-young is married to film director Lee Seung-won, whom she met on the set of the film Contradiction; the couple has one daughter.
What movies has Kim Sun-young been in?
Kim Sun-young's films include She's on Duty, Communication and Lies, Herstory, Three Sisters, Concrete Utopia and Exhuma.
Was Kim Sun-young in Reply 1988?
Yes, Kim Sun-young played Sun-woo's mother in the 2015 to 2016 tvN series Reply 1988.
What is Kim Sun-young's agency?
Kim Sun-young is signed with Kang Entertainment, which renewed her contract on 9 June 2023.
Does Kim Sun-young have a verified Instagram account?
No verified personal Instagram account for Kim Sun-young has been confirmed; her official links on this page are limited to what could be sourced.
What role did Kim Sun-young play in Crash Landing on You?
Kim Sun-young played Na Wol-sook in Crash Landing on You, a supporting role that won her the Best Supporting Actress award at the 56th Baeksang Arts Awards.
Awards and nominations
Every ceremony on record, most recent first. Where we hold a record for the work, it links to it.
| Year | Ceremony | Category | For | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Directors Cut Awards | Best Actress | Concrete Utopia | Won |
| 2023 | Grand Bell Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Concrete Utopia | Won |
| 2021 | Blue Dragon Film Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Three Sisters | Won |
| 2020 | 56th Baeksang Arts Awards | Best Supporting Actress, Television | Crash Landing on You | Won |
Frequently worked with
Counted from shared credits across the database, most shared titles first.
