Photo: 롯데엔터테인먼트 / CC BY 3.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Kim Young-ok is genuinely one of those performers who earns the title "National Grandma" not through a PR campaign but through sheer decades of showing up and being real on screen. Born in 1937 in Seoul, she debuted in 1957 and has been a fixture in Korean film and television ever since — the kind of face that makes any scene feel instantly warmer and more grounded. What I love about her is that she never needed a flashy gimmick; she just brings this deep, lived-in authenticity to every grandmother role, and audiences across generations respond to it without even thinking twice. Receiving the Order of Cultural Merit in 2018 felt like the industry finally putting a formal stamp on what everyone already knew: this woman is a cornerstone of Korean entertainment. Respecting her craft for that long, that consistently, is its own form of greatness.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Kim Young-ok
- Name (Japanese)
- キム・ヨンオク
- Reading
- きむ・よんおく
- Born
- December 5, 1937 (age 88)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Sagittarius / Ox
- Origin
- Seoul, South Korea
- Occupation
- actor / film actor / television actor / dub actor
2. Background
- High school
- Gyeseong High School
Awards & achievements
- 2018 Order of Cultural Merit, 3rd class
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Kim Young-ok born?
Born December 5, 1937 (age 88).
Where is Kim Young-ok from?
Kim Young-ok is from Seoul, South Korea.
What does Kim Young-ok do?
Kim Young-ok works as actor, film actor, television actor, dub 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.