Park Soo-ae (; born 16 September 1979), known mononymously as Soo Ae, is a South Korean actress. She began her career on television, but after her breakout role in A Family (2004), she became well-known as a leading actress in films, notably in Sunny (2008), Midnight FM (2010), and The Flu (2013). She also appeared in the popular television dramas Emperor of the Sea (2004), A Thousand Days' Promise (2011), King of Ambition (2013) and Mask (2015).
Career Pre-debut Soo Ae nearly became a member of a K-pop idol group. Fresh out of high school, a record agent approached the young stunner on the street in the trendy Apgujeong area. She spent six months in grueling practice, but in the end had no album to put out. She reminisced in an interview, "I didn't sing well, but the six months I spent with the team was so fun. I was lucky to get into acting.""Soo Ae Sheds Refined Image for Boorish New Role" . The Chosun Ilbo. 17 August 2007.
2002–2008 Soo Ae made her small screen debut in 2002 in a one-act drama on MBC, then went on to star in Love Letter, Merry Go Round, and April Kiss. She rose to fame after starring in 2004 hit historical drama Emperor of the Sea, which was exported to other Asian countries, South America and the Middle East, introducing Soo Ae to a wider international audience."Su Ae Picked Best Actress of 2004 by Internet Users" . KBS Global. 28 January 2005."Emperor of the Sea Drawing Attention of International TV Market" . The Chosun Ilbo. 15 April 2005.
Soo Ae gained the moniker "queen of tears" for her well received takes in melodramas. But she revamped that image in the 2007 romantic comedy Two Outs in the Ninth Inning opposite Lee Jung-jin, playing a 30 year old foul mouthed disheveled and jaded single woman struggling with life and love. Soo Ae in reality was known for her a husky, neutral voice. She once said, "I've been told many times that my voice would be a detriment to my career'. When I first got started, a lot of viewers posted comments online that they changed the channel because of the way I talk. [...] It was odd because I thought of my husky voice as my biggest asset. So I would tell people, "Keep on listening, you'll get to like it."
After a successful big screen debut in A Family,Kim, Gab-sik (25 August 2004). "Suae Sounds Off on Her Role in Family" . The Dong-A Ilbo. Soo Ae starred opposite Jung Jae-young in the comedy Wedding Campaign, and Lee Byung-hun in the melodrama Once in a Summer.
In 2008, she was cast as the titular Sunny in a film about an ordinary housewife who becomes a "consolatory band" singer in order to search for her husband who has been dispatched to fight alongside American troops in the Vietnam War. Director Lee Joon-ik sought to tell a war story from a female-centric point of view, saying the film deals with the meaning of love and humanitarian as it depicts a long voyage of self-discovery.Lee, Hyo-won (1 July 2008). "Sunny to Bring New Light to Vietnam War" . The Korea Times. In a scene where she drinks heavily at a U.S. army base, Soo Ae revealed that she drank more than half a bottle of whisky at the director's criticism that she didn't look convincing enough. As a result of drinking so much alcohol, she became really drunk, adding reality to the scene where she throws up in the toilet and blacks out."Su-ae Admits to Passing Out in Film" . KBS World. 8 August 2008. Her commitment to the film paid off, and Soo Ae received multiple Best Actress awards for her performance.
2009–2012 Her 2009 film The Sword with No Name depicted a desperate romance between the last queen of the Joseon Dynasty and her bodyguard. Empress Myeongseong, a forward-thinking advocate of modernity, wields her political influence to further her ideals, but is often at odds with her orthodox father-in-law, regent Daewon-gun. The movie is loosely based on history, with clearly fictional elements.Yang, Sung-hee (1 October 2009). "Sword presents the softer side of actress Soo-ae" . Korea JoongAng Daily. Soo Ae said the role "was something I had always wanted to do from the moment I started my acting career. When I got the screenplay, I said yes without a moment's hesitation.Park, Sun-young (27 August 2009). "Another side to Empress Myeongseong" . Korea JoongAng Daily. [...] Playing Empress Myeongseong was not easy, because in addition to the mother of the nation, I had to show her womanly and human side, the joy and anguish she felt at being in love." Having to wear heavy wigs and layers of Korean traditional costumes in the steamy hot summer made the job even more difficult. The fact that she had to appear in almost every scene was another challenge."Su-ae on Playing Empress Myeongseong" . The Chosun Ilbo. 17 October 2009. Describing herself as "timid" and "too introverted," Soo Ae credits her co-star Cho Seung-woo for making it easier for her to fully absorb herself in the love aspect of her role, such that it felt "like [they] were actually in a relationship during the shoot."
Frustrated by usually receiving melodrama scripts and wanting to take on roles in different genres, Soo Ae next starred in the 2010 suspense thriller Midnight FM. She said she decided to challenge herself by choosing the role of a strong female character fighting against a villain. She talked about the heightened fear she felt in a confined studio as her radio DJ character receives threatening phone calls from a kidnapper (played by Yoo Ji-tae), as well as the physical difficulty of filming chase and fight scenes in high heels."Soo Ae: 'I Want to Show a Strong Image'" . KBS Global. 15 October 2010."Soo Ae: 'I Felt Relieved After Filming Scenes Heaping Insults'" . KBS Global. 20 September 2010. She tied with Yoon Jeong-hee (Poetry) for Best Actress at the Blue Dragon Film Awards."Today's Photo: November 27, 2010" . The Chosun Ilbo. 27 November 2010.
In her return to television, Soo Ae played a cold-blooded double agent in Athena: Goddess of War, undergoing martial arts training to perform her intense action scenes in the spy series.Chung, Ah-young (9 April 2010). "Su Ae Cast in Sequel to Hit Drama Iris" . The Korea Times.
Then in the miniseries A Thousand Days' Promise by famed drama writer Kim Soo-hyun, Soo Ae impressed critics and audiences with her unsentimental portrayal of a woman who is slowly losing her memory due to Alzheimer's disease.Oh, Jean (12 October 2011). "Kim Rae-won returns in melodramatic sob fest". The Korea Herald."Fear No Barrier for Actress Su-ae After All" . The Chosun Ilbo. 7 January 2012.
2013–present In 2013, she played an amorally ambitious woman who wants to become the First Lady of South Korea in Yawang ("King of Ambition"), from the same manhwa artist as Daemul. This was followed by disaster outbreak film The Flu, in which she said she played a doctor and single mother who searches for a cure after her daughter is infected. Soo Ae said she is attracted to roles with an oeyunaegang quality, which literally translates to "iron fist in a velvet glove," meaning those who appear gentle but are determined and strong.
In September 2013, Soo Ae left Star J Entertainment, her agency of 12 years, and joined Management Soop. She returned to Star J Entertainment in January 2015. Soo Ae next played dual roles in Mask, about a debt-ridden department store clerk who takes on an heiress's identity and marries into a chaebol family. Her performance won her Best Actress at the 28th Grimae Award, an honorable award chosen by directors in every broadcasting station in Korea. She was then cast as a North Korean defector who becomes part of the first South Korean women's national ice hockey team in Take Off 2, the sequel to the 2009 hit sports drama.
Nine years after her last romantic-comedy drama Two Outs in the Ninth Inning, Soo Ae starred in KBS2's romantic-comedy Sweet Stranger and Me in 2016.
In 2018, Soo Ae starred in the drama film High Society. In May 2019, Soo Ae signed with new agency Huayi Brothers.
In November 2022, Soo Ae signed with Ghost Studio.
In August 2023, Soo Ae signed with new agency Makestar.
In November 2025, Soo Ae signed with new agency Nexus E&M.
Filmography Film Year Title Role 2004 A Family Lee Jeong-eun 2005 Wedding Campaign Kim Lara 2006 Once in a Summer Seo Jung-in / Lee Jung-in 2008 Sunny Soon-yi / Sunny 2009 The Sword with No Name Min Ja-young, later Empress Myeongseong 2010 Midnight FM Ko Sun-young 2013 The Flu Kim In-hae 2016 Take Off 2 Ji-won 2018 High Society Oh Soo-yeon
Television Year Title Role 1999 School 2 guest appearance2002 MBC Best Theater:"One Sided Love" The Maengs' Golden Era Heo Joo-yeon 2003 Love Letter Jo Eun-ha Merry Go Round Seong Jin-kyo2004April Kiss Song Chae-won Emperor of the Sea Lady Jung-hwa 2007 Two Outs in the Ninth Inning Hong Nan-hee 2010 Athena: Goddess of War Yoon Hye-in 2011 A Thousand Days' Promise Lee Seo-yeon 2013 King of Ambition Joo Da-hae 2015 Mask Byun Ji-sook / Seo Eun-ha 2016 Sweet Stranger and Me Hong Na-ri2021Artificial City Yoon Jae-hee
Awards and nominations Year Award Category Nominated work Result Ref. 2003 MBC Drama Awards Best New Actress Love Letter, Merry Go Round 2004KBS Drama AwardsExcellence Award, ActressApril Kiss 25th Blue Dragon Film AwardsBest New ActressA Family 3rd Korean Film AwardsBest New Actress 3rd CGV Viewer's Choice of the Year Awards 7th Director's Cut Awards Cine 21 Awards 200542nd Grand Bell Awards 41st Baeksang Arts Awards Best New Actress (Film) 2nd Max Movie Awards Best Actress KBS Drama Awards Excellence Award, ActressEmperor of the Sea Best Couple Award with Song Il-gook 2006 2nd Premiere Rising Star AwardsBest Actress Wedding Campaign 2007 15th Chunsa Film Art Awards Once in a Summer Korea TV Advertising Festival Best Couple Award with Jang Dong-gun Maxim CF 200828th Arts Council KoreaBest Artist of the Year in FilmSunny 31st Golden Cinematography AwardsMost Popular Actress 29th Blue Dragon Film AwardsBest Leading Actress 4th Premiere Rising Star AwardsBest Actress 17th Buil Film Awards 28th Korean Association of Film Critics Awards 200946th Grand Bell Awards 17th Korean Culture and Entertainment Awards 45th Baeksang Arts AwardsBest Actress (Film) 2010 47th Savings Day Prime Minister's Commendation 31st Blue Dragon Film AwardsBest Leading ActressMidnight FM 6th University Film Festival of KoreaBest Actress 2011 8th Max Movie Awards 47th Baeksang Arts Awards Best Actress (Film) 15th Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival Actor's Award 27th Korea Best Dresser Swan Awards Best Dressed, Movie Actress Category SBS Drama Awards Top Excellence Award, Actress in a Special Planning Drama A Thousand Days' Promise Excellence Award, Actress in a Special Planning Drama Athena: Goddess of War Top 10 Stars A Thousand Days' Promise, Athena: Goddess of War 2012 48th Baeksang Arts Awards Best Actress (TV)A Thousand Days' Promise 5th Korea Drama AwardsTop Excellence Award, Actress 2013 2nd APAN Star AwardsKing of Ambition 6th Korea Drama Awards Excellence Award, Actress SBS Drama Awards Top Excellence Award, Actress in a Drama Special 2015 4th APAN Star Awards Top Excellence Award, Actress in a MiniseriesMask 28th Grimae Awards Best Actress 2016KBS Drama Awards Excellence Award, Actress in a MiniseriesSweet Stranger and Me 2017 1st Korean Screenwriter AssociationBest Actress Take Off 2 2018 7th Korea Best Star Awards High Society
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