From Marrying the Mafia to Strong Girl Nam Soon: Kim Jung Eun's Evolution in K-Drama

The Kdrama industry is full of great talents but few actors have demonstrated the depth and versatility that Kim Jung Eun brings to the screen. She has proven her acting skills from her breakthrough performance in the dramas Marrying the Mafia (2002) to her captivating roles in Lovers in Paris (2004), I Am Legend (2010), and most recently, Strong Girl Nam Soon (2010).

Join us here at The Daebak Company as we take a closer look at Kim Jung Eun’s journey as an actress, from her early days to her prominence as a respected figure.

South Korean actress Kim Jung Eun, was born on March 4, 1976. She started her acting journey with one of her earliest roles in the movie My Old Sweetheart in 1995. She then made it to the movie screen in Fun Movie (2002), where she worked with Dr. Romantic cast Lim Won-Hee and The Miracle We Met’s Kim Soo-Ro.

She won her first award–Best New Actress–in 1999 for Days Of Delight at MBC Drama Awards. In this drama, Kim Jung Eun worked with Kim Sang Kyung and Park Sun Young.
 

And just like the romantic K-dramas, she got her fairytale ending in 2016 when she married her non-celebrity partner. During an episode with SBS Plus’s Stargram, Kim Jung Eun emotionally shared the story behind her marriage, saying:

“His father had passed away the previous year and one day, he said that he needed to tell his father that he’s getting married and so he asked me to go to his father’s grave with him. There, he said, ‘Father, we’re getting married,’ and proposed to me. Since it was a grave, I wasn’t wearing a dress or anything and I was just wearing exercise clothes with no make up on. He told me that he wanted to propose in front of his dad and had even prepared a ring. I cried immediately.”
 

Kim Jung Eun took a break from her acting career after getting married, after which she signed a contract with Yuleum Entertainment in 2019. It is the same home agency for artists like Jo Dong Hyuk (Han River Police), Kim Seo Ra (The Elegant Empire), and Park Min Ji (Cheese in the Trap).

Kim Jung Eun plays the enigmatic Jang Jin-Kyung in this captivating story. She is not your ordinary woman, as her life is full of danger and mystery because of her father, the infamous crime lord, Triple J.confront
 

In a twist of fate, she finds herself waking up next to Park Dae Seo, a tech startup CEO. This unexpected encounter spirals into a series of events as Jin-Kyung's three protective brothers, who are part of the mafia, confronted Dae Seo and insist on marrying their sister and treating her well.

 A lot of people watched the movie, making it the most-watched Korean film in 2002 based on box office records. So, if you enjoy a mix of comedy and gangster elements with a unique storyline, it might be a film worth watching.

Lovers in Paris is a much-loved classic in South Korean romantic drama. Kim Jung Eun played the role of Kang Tae Young who moved to Paris to study after her father died. She dreamt of writing a script and worked as a housekeeper for Han Ki Joo, a rich but indifferent divorcee. As the story went on, Ki Joo and Tae Young started to fall in love.

While the story is amazing, it was the actress who brought the main character to life and made her more lovable and memorable. She worked alongside Park Shin Yang and Lee Dong Gun to make the story come alive. Joo Min Soo from Alchemy of Souls also appeared in the cast as the young Ki Joo.

Watching this K-Drama brought laughter, tears, and butterflies to its viewers. And as we all know, this is just the start of Jung Eun's acting legacy.

Way before popular Kpop bands like Day6, The Rose, and Xdinary Heroes, we have the “Ajumma Band.”

The story is about Jeon-seol, a middle-aged woman who gets married into a chaebol family. However, she is constantly stifled and bullied by her husband's family. Fed up with the situation, she decides to file for a divorce and take back control of her life.
 

To rediscover her youth and passion, being the lead singer of a band and the coolest kid in her high school days, she forms a rock band with a group of other women. Through their music, the women support each other in overcoming life's challenges and standing up for themselves.

In K-drama  Make A Woman Cry, Kim Jung Eun played the role of Deok In who is a former detective. But she traded in her detective hat for an apron!

She said goodbye to solving crimes and hello to running a restaurant right in front of the school her son used to go to before he passed away. As she serves up tasty treats, she's not just cooking; she's cooking up memories of her son.

But that's not all – Deok-In's also playing superhero, watching over the neighborhood kids to keep them safe. And in the midst of it all, she's working on something big – forgiving the ones who had a role in her son's loss. 

If you believe that age doesn’t matter when it comes to love, then this drama is for you. It’s a story where people fall in love in their 30s and 40s and start a new life with their kids. 

Strong Girl Nam-Soon is a spin-off from the 2017 series "Strong Girl Bong-Soon." When she was a kid, Nam Soon went missing in Mongolia, but now she finally meets her mother, Hwang Geum-Ju, who has tried to live a righteous life and is obsessed with doing good deeds. In this series, Nam-Soon, along with her mother Hwang Geum-Ju and grandmother Gil Joong-Gan, team up to fight against a new drug crime in Gangnam.

Guess who else is rocking the screen in Strong Girl Nam Soon? It's none other than the awesome Kim Jung Eun! In this show, Jung Eun plays the role of Hwang Geum-ju, who is not only Nam-soon's mother but also a successful businesswoman.

Powerhouse mama of Nam-soon is the CEO of Gangnam pawnshop "Gold Blue" and has superhuman strength, just like her daughter.

Kim Jung Eun’s role in this drama was not only appreciated by her Korean fans but also gained some known foreign fans. On October 18th through her instagram she thanked super model and global sensation Naomi Campbell who is a fan of K-drama Strong Girl Nam Soon.

She took her gratitude via an Instagram post with the caption: “Ms. Campbell!! Im really happy to have heard you are a fan of my drama!! You are gorgeous and stunning! Im a huge fan of yours! I appreciate it~love you.”

When it comes to versatility in acting, Kim Jung Eun is the champion. Not only was she nominated more or less than 30 times, she won over 20 of them! Why don’t we take a look at a few of the awards she received throughout her career?
 

1. MBC Drama Awards Best New Actress - 1999  Winner (Days of Delight)

2. 23rd Blue Dragon Film Awards Popular Star Award - 2022 Winner (Marrying the Mafia)

3. 39th Baeksang Arts Awards Best Actress (Film) - 2003 Nominee (Marrying the Mafia)

4. 25th Blue Dragon Film Awards Popular Star Award - 2004 Winner (How to Keep My Love)

5. 17th Grimae Awards Best Actress - 2004 Winner (Lovers in Paris)

6. SBS Drama Awards Grand Prize (Daesang) - 2004 Winner (Lovers in Paris)

7. SBS Drama Awards Top Excellence Award, Actress in a Special Planning Drama - 2010 Winner (I am Legend)

8. MBC Drama Awards Top Excellence Award, Actress in a Serial Drama - 2015 Winner (Make a Woman Cry)
 

The legendary actress was recognized for her works in the industry at the Ministry of Public Administration and Security Innovation Forum in 2006, where Kim Jung Eun received the Minister's Award for Contribution to Culture. The year 2010 brought her the Style Icon Award (TV Actress category) at the Style Icon Awards and the Top Excellence Award for Actress in a Special Planning Drama at the SBS Drama Awards.

Actress Kim Jung Eun has had an amazing career. She's not just good at one thing – she shines in movies, TV, and even makes cultural contributions. This shows how versatile and influential she is in the entertainment world. All her awards are proof of her talent and how much people love her – both fans and fellow stars.
 

What other roles and achievements will Kim Jung Eun have in the future? Make sure to stay tuned here at The Daebak Company for updates about your favorite artists and all things Korean!