Lim Ji-yeon

Lim Ji-yeon

Lim in July 2023

Born June 23, 1990 (age 33)

Seongdong District, Seoul, South Korea

Education Korea National University of Arts (BFA in

acting)

Occupation Actress

Years active 2011–present

Agent Artist Company

Korean name

Hangul 임지연
 Hanja 林智妍[1]

Revised Romanization Im Ji-yeon

McCune–Reischauer Im Chiyŏn

Lim Ji-yeon (Korean: 임지연; born June 23, 1990) is a South Korean actress. After
appearing in a number of short films and plays, she had her first feature film role
in Obsessed (2014).[2][3] The role earned her a Best New Actress nomination at the 35th
Blue Dragon Film Awards, and wins at the 51st Grand Bell Awards and 51st Baeksang
Arts Awards, among other accolades. She subsequently starred in the film The
Treacherous (2015) and the television series High Society (2015), and gained
international acclaim for the Netflix hit series The Glory (2022–2023); the latter brought
Lim the Best Supporting Actress trophy at the 59th Baeksang Arts Awards.
Early life and education[edit]
Lim dreamed of becoming an actress after watching the musical Cats as a child. Due to
her parents concerns, she went to study in humanities high school. Eventually, she
entered the Korea National University of Arts, where she majored in acting and started
walking the path of an actress after persuading her parents.[4][5]
Career[edit]
2011–2021: Early career beginnings[edit]
Lim debuted in 2011 through the short film Dear Catastrophe. She also appeared in
other short films such as When September Ends in 2013.[6][7] In 2013, Lim was cast to
make her feature debut film in Obsessed directed by Kim Dae-woo while still being a
student at Korea National University of Arts.[8] The film was released in 2014,[9] and her
role as Jong Ga-heun earned her a few accolades such as Best New Actress in 51st
Grand Bell Awards and nominated in 51st Baeksang Arts Awards.[10] Three months after
the release of the film, Lim was selected as the model for Amorepacific Hanyul
cosmetics, citing her oriental elegance and modern beauty fit well with the brand
pursuing Korean Beauty.[11]
 Lim in May 2015
In 2015, Lim took the role of ambitious concubine Dan-hee in a period drama film The
Treacherous directed by Min Kyu-dong.[12] June 2015, she made her small screen debut
through High Society. Her bubbly and lovely character as Lee Ji-yi won her New Star
Award at SBS Drama Awards,[13] and Best New Actress at Korea Drama Awards.[14] She
also ventured into hosting of MBC Section TV Entertainment News[15] and the 2015 SBS
Drama Awards, along with Lee Hwi-jae and Yoo Jun-sang. The same year, she won
Excellence Award in Music/Talk Category – Female at MBC Entertainment Awards.[16]
In 2016, Lim appeared in another period drama The Royal Gambler as Dam-seo who
take revenge upon king due to a painful family history.[17] In August 2016, she starred in
weekend drama Blow Breeze as a cheerful and positive North Korean woman defector
who lives in South Korea, for which she practiced the North Korean dialect.[18] For her
role as Kim Mi-poong, she won Excellence Award, Actress in a Serial Drama at 2017
MBC Drama Awards. She made a cameo appearance on the popular drama The
Doctors because of her close relationship with writer Ha Myung-hee, whom she
previously worked with High Society.[19] The same year, she starred in comedy film Luck
Key directed by Lee Gae-byok.[20]

Lim in August 2019

Lim returned to small screen in 2019 Welcome 2 Life fantasy romantic comedy series
about a skilled lawyer who enters a parallel world due to an unfortunate accident.[21] For
her role, she won Top Excellence Award, Actress in a Monday-Tuesday Miniseries at
2019 MBC Drama Awards.[22] The same year, she starred in crime drama in gambling
world film Tazza: One Eyed Jack as Young-mi. Her web series The Magic was pre-
filmed in 2017 and was released through OTT media service Seezn in 2021.[23] She also
starred in the 2021 mystery action fantasy film Spiritwalker, and received a nomination
in 58th Grand Bell Awards for Best Supporting Actress for the role.[24][25]
In May 2020, Lim signed with the Artist Company.[26]
2022–present: Rise in popularity and wide recognition through The
Glory[edit]
In 2022, Lim lead the role of Gi-na in the web series Rose Mansion, alongside Yoon
Kyun-sang, a mystery drama that pursues the truth of finding her missing sister among
suspicious neighbors and discover more dark secrets about the apartment.[27] December
the same year, she appeared in the part 2 of Netflix's original series Money Heist:
Korea – Joint Economic Area where she played the role of Seoul, a character that was
not in the original work.[28]

Lim during The Glory press conference in December

2022
At the end of 2022, Lim challenged her first villain role in the Netflix's original series The
Glory, where she played the role of Park Yeon-jin, a weather presenter who led the
group of delinquents in bullying and physically abusing the protagonist during high
school. The series was popular and well-received among audiences, and her portrayal
was met with favorable reviews and is said to be her life's character.[29][30][31] For her
performance in The Glory, she won Best Supporting Actress – Television at the 59th
Baeksang Arts Awards[32] and Best Supporting Actress at the 2nd Blue Dragon Series
Awards.[33]
In June 2023, Lim starred alongside Kim Tae-hee in a suspense thriller drama and
mystery Lies Hidden in My Garden.[34] Her performance as a domestic violence victim
was praised for being able to transform 180° from her previous role in The Glory.[35] In
particular, one of her scenes in the drama went viral for raising viewers' appetites and
praised by critics for showing liberation and a hint of madness well after the death of her
husband.[36] She also starred in the crime thriller drama The Killing Vote, which
premiered in August 2023.[37]
In August 2023, Lim was selected by the Korean Film Directors Association at the 2023
Bechdel Day award as Actor of the Year (series category) for her performance in The
Glory and Lies Hidden in My Garden. Judges evaluated her performance in The
Glory as did not confined the character as just "flat villain" but carved a path of
complicated villain desire that they had never seen before. For her acting in Lies Hidden
in My Garden, she showed that even in the chilling moment of revenge, the animalistic
acting of not wanting to starve her child in the belly convinced the extreme temperature
difference within one person.[38]
Ambassadorship[edit]
On May 30, 2023, Lim was appointed as an honorary police officer for the Seodaemun-
gu Police Agency in Seoul, where she would be "publicizing major police policies,
various security activities, and drug crime prevention for the next 2 years".[39]
Personal life[edit]
Relationship[edit]
On April 1, 2023, Artist Company confirmed that Lim is dating actor Lee Do-hyun, whom
she met while filming The Glory.[40][41]
Filmography[edit]
Film[edit]

Year Title Role Notes Ref.

2011 Dear Catastrophe [42]

2012 Poker Face Girl [42]

Short
film
Just You [42]

2013
When September Ends [ko] [43]
Year Title Role Notes Ref.

Obsessed Jong Ga-heun [44]

2014
Romance in Seoul [ko] [45]

2015 The Treacherous Dan-hee [46][47]

2016 Luck Key Eun-joo [48][49]

2019 Tazza: One Eyed Jack Young-mi [50]

2021 Spiritwalker Moon Jin-ah [51][52]

TBA Revolver Jeong Yoon-sun [53]

Television series[edit]

Year Title Role Notes Ref.

2015 High Society Lee Ji-yi [54]

The Royal Gambler Dam-seo [55]

The Doctors Lee Soo-jung Cameo (Episode 7–8) [56]

2016

Kim Mi-
Blow Breeze [57]

poong

2019 Welcome 2 Life Ra Si-on [58]

Year Title Role Notes Ref.

Lies Hidden in My
Chu Sang-eun [59]

Garden
2023

The Killing Vote Joo Hyeon [60]

2024 Mrs. Ok Ok Tae-yeong [61]

Web series[edit]

Year Title Role Notes Ref.

2021 The Magic So Joong-hee [62]

The Mansion Gi-na [63]

2022
Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic
Seoul Part 2 [64]

Area

2022–2023 The Glory Park Yeon-jin Part 1–2 [65][66]

Television shows[edit]

Year Title Role Notes Ref.

2015 Section TV MC [67]

Son Hyun-joo's Simple with Son Hyun-joo and Kim Jun-

2021 [68]

Station hyun
Cast member

2022 Besties in Wonderland [69]

Hosting[edit]
Year Title Notes Ref.

2015 2015 SBS Drama Awards with Yoo Jun-sang and Lee Hwi-jae

2018 Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival With Choi Min-ho [70]

with Leeteuk, Ahn Hyo-

2019 4th Asia Artist Awards [71]

seop and Nancy

Accolades[edit]
Awards and nominations[edit]

Name of the award ceremony, year presented, category, nominee of the award, and the result of the
nomination

Award ceremony Year Category Nominee / Work Result Ref.

APAN Star Awards 2015 Best New Actress High Society Won [72]

AAA Best Emotive [73][unreliable

Asia Artist Awards 2019 Lim Ji-yeon Won source?]
(Actor)

Asia Contents
Awards & Global 2023 Best Supporting Actress The Glory Won [74]

OTT Awards

Asia Model Awards 2019 Korean Model Star Lim Ji-yeon Won [citation needed]

Asian Academy 2023 Best Actress in a The Glory

Creative Awards Supporting Role (Grand Won [75]

Final Winners)

[76][77]
Best Actress in a Won
Supporting Role (National
Name of the award ceremony, year presented, category, nominee of the award, and the result of the
nomination

Award ceremony Year Category Nominee / Work Result Ref.

Winners – Korea)

2015 Best New Actress – Film Obsessed Nominated [78]

Best Supporting Actress –

2023 The Glory Won [79]

Television
Baeksang Arts
Awards
Lies Hidden in My
Best Actress – Television Pending
Garden
2024 [80][81]

Most Popular Actress Lim Ji-yeon Pending

The Glory and Lies

Bechdel Day 2023 2023 Actor of the Year Hidden in My Won [82]

Garden

Blue Dragon Film

2014 Best New Actress Obsessed Nominated [83]

Awards

Blue Dragon Series

2023 Best Supporting Actress The Glory Won [84]

Awards

Brand of the Year

2023 Best Actress – OTT The Glory Won [85]

Awards

Buil Film Awards 2014 Best New Actress Obsessed Won [86]

[87]
Grand Bell Awards 2014 Won
Name of the award ceremony, year presented, category, nominee of the award, and the result of the
nomination

Award ceremony Year Category Nominee / Work Result Ref.

2022 Best Supporting Actress Spiritwalker Nominated [88]

Kinolights Awards 2023[A] Best Actress The Glory Won [89]

Korea Drama
2015 Best New Actress High Society Won [90]

Awards

Korea First Brand Best Actress – Drama

2024 Lim Ji-yeon Won [91]

Awards (Vietnam)

Korean Association
of Film Critics 2014 Won [92]

Awards

Best New Actress Obsessed

Korean Film Actors'
Won [93]

Guild Awards
2015

Max Movie Awards Nominated [citation needed]

MBC Drama Awards Excellence Award,

2016 Blow Breeze Won [94]

Actress in a Serial Drama

[95]
2019 Grand Prize (Daesang) Nominated

Welcome 2 Life
Top Excellence, Actress
in a Monday-Tuesday Won
Miniseries

Best Couple Award Lim Ji-yeon with Rain Nominated

 Name of the award ceremony, year presented, category, nominee of the award, and the result of the
nomination

Award ceremony Year Category Nominee / Work Result Ref.

Welcome 2 Life

Excellence Award in
MBC Entertainment
2015 Music/Talk Category – Section TV Won [96]

Awards
Female

2015 New Star Award High Society Won [97]

SBS Drama Awards

Top Excellence Award,
2023 Actress in a Miniseries The Killing Vote Nominated [98]

Genre/Action Drama

Listicles[edit]

Name of publisher, year listed, name of listicle, and placement

Publisher Year Listicle Placement Ref.

Gallup Korea 2023 Gallup Korea's Television Actor of the Year 18th[B] [99]