Photo: 뉴스인스타 / CC BY 3.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
I have an enormous amount of respect for Kim Hye-ja — she's one of those rare actors who doesn't just play a role, she becomes a cultural institution. For decades, South Korean audiences basically grew up watching her portray the quintessential Korean mother in beloved dramas like Country Diaries and What Is Love?, and she made that archetype feel warm, real, and heartbreaking all at once. Then Bong Joon-ho cast her in Mother (2009), and she completely shattered that wholesome image in the most stunning way possible — the performance is a masterclass in controlled desperation, grief, and moral ambiguity. Graduating from Ewha Womans University and building a career spanning film, stage, and television, she's the kind of veteran who makes everything around her better just by showing up. Genuinely one of Korea's all-time greats.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Kim Hye-ja
- Name (Japanese)
- キム・ヘジャ
- Reading
- きむ・へじゃ
- Born
- October 25, 1941 (age 84)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Scorpio / Snake
- Origin
- Seoul, South Korea
- Occupation
- actor / film actor / stage actor / television actor
2. Background
- University
- Ewha Womans University
Awards & achievements
- Asian Film Award for Best Actress
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Kim Hye-ja born?
Born October 25, 1941 (age 84).
Where is Kim Hye-ja from?
Kim Hye-ja is from Seoul, South Korea.
What does Kim Hye-ja do?
Kim Hye-ja works as actor, film actor, stage actor, television actor.
Actor — see all → · Film actor — see all → · More people from South Korea →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.