Kim Nam-joo (; born May 10, 1971) is a South Korean actress. Kim rose to stardom in the 1990s in television series such as Model, The Boss and Her House. After 2001, Kim went into semi-retirement, appearing only in commercials, particularly after she married actor Kim Seung-woo in 2005 and they started a family. Then in 2009, she made her comeback with Queen of Housewives, written by Park Ji-eun. Housewives was a rating hit, and Kim went on to collaborate with Park on Queen of Reversals (2010) and top-rated series My Husband Got a Family, which established Kim's continuing star status. In 2018, Kim received critical acclaim for her role in the series Misty.
Thanks to the growing popularity of TV dramas that portray the lives of working women in their 30s and 40s, Kim is considered one of the few established Korean actresses in their 30s, 40s and even 50s, reversing an ageist trend that dictated casting for decades.
Early life Kim was born in Seoul, South Korea. When she was two years old, her father's business failed, which resulted in the family moving to Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, where Kim spent her childhood and adolescence. After graduating from high school, she enrolled as a Dance major at Suwon Women's College. When she was a sophomore, Kim joined the Miss Korea pageant, and the experience led her to quit school to pursue modeling in September 1992.
Career Kim won fourth place in a talent search by broadcaster SBS in 1994, and quickly became a popular television star in her twenties. Her characters in the hit TV series City Men and Women (1996), Model (1997), The Boss (1999) and Her House (2001), made her the epitome of a sophisticated, urban career woman in 1990s Korea. But after Her House, Kim went into semi-retirement, only appearing in lucrative commercials, mostly for cosmetics and luxury goods. She married actor Kim Seung-woo in 2005, and for several years she lived as a full-time housewife and mother.
In 2007, she stretched some acting muscle opposite Sul Kyung-gu in Voice of a Murderer, about the tormenting and ultimately unsuccessful attempts of two parents to bring their kidnapped son back home. Based on the true story of a nine-year-old child found dead in 1991, the film faithfully follows the harrowing 44-day quest to find the missing boy.
Kim made a successful television comeback in Queen of Housewives (also known as My Wife is a Superwoman) in 2009. A comedy drama that depicts the life of housewives who devote their entire lives to their husbands' success, it became one of the most-watched shows during its run, topping Korea's TV ratings charts for three consecutive weeks. It also created new trends among married women in terms of confidence, fashion and makeup. Kim's character Chun Ji-ae was once the most popular girl in high school, and she's determined to help her smart but clueless husband climb the corporate ladder once she realizes that he is an underperformer at work. Chun meets her match, however, when she discovers that his boss is the husband of her high school frenemy. Her portrayal of a modern Korean housewife won Kim numerous accolades.
Kim reunited with Queen of Housewives writer Park Ji-eun in another workplace romantic dramedy, the 2010s Queen of Reversals. This time Kim played a strong and decisive character, a careerwoman, trying to balance work and married life. Her character Hwang Tae-hee experiences the many ups, downs, and reversals of work, family, and romance as she falls in and out of love and marriage. Ratings-wise Queen of Reversals was less successful than its predecessor, though Kim was awarded the highest award (Daesang or "Grand Prize") at MBC's year-end drama awards ceremony.
She also released her book that year, called Kim Nam-joo's House. The collection of essays and photographs is a candid discussion of her family life and home.
Kim then led the 2012 weekend family drama My Husband Got a Family (also known as You Who Rolled in Unexpectedly and Unexpected You), which took a comedic and serious approach to the trials and tribulations of a TV director dealing with her in-laws when her husband reunites with his biological parents. Kim and Park's third collaboration was a big hit with audiences, it was number one on the 2012 yearly TV ratings chart with average ratings of 33.1 percent and a ratings peak of 52.3 percent, and Kim won another Daesang at the KBS Drama Awards.
Kim returned to television after a six-year hiatus, starring in the romance thriller, Misty. The drama was both a ratings and critical success and Kim earned praise for her portrayal of a controversial character.
Kim returned to television after a six-year hiatus, starring in the revenge thriller, Wonderful World. and won the Best Acting Award, Actress at the MBC Drama Awards.
Filmography Television series Year Title Role 1993 Dinosaur Teacher 1994 Hero's Diary Ma Cheong-mi1995 Mystery of Inside the Mirror Na Eun-ah Hymn of Love Kim Jae-kyung1996 City Men and Women Na Min-joo Man's Great Exploration Oh Jin-joo 1997 Model Song Kyung-rin1998 Fascinate My Heart Han Ye-rin A Very Special Trip Soo-jung Victory Seo Hee-jung1999 My Love Han Ji-soon Han Ji-soon The Boss Min-jae Crystal Kim Eun-hye 2001 Her House Kim Young-wook 2009 Queen of Housewives Chun Ji-ae 2010 Queen of Reversals Hwang Tae-hee 2012 My Husband Got a Family Cha Yoon-hee 2018 Misty Go Hye-ran 2024 Wonderful World Eun Soo-hyun
Film Year Title Role 2001 I Love You Hyun-soo 2007 Voice of a Murderer Oh Ji-sun
Variety show Year TitleNotes1996 Popular Music Best 50 MC1997 SBS Gayo Daejeon1998 Beautiful TV - Star Monologues with Park Sang-won 2000–2001 Entertainment Weekly MC 2009 Oh My Lifestyle2010 Miracle of Christmas Documentary narration
Book Year Title Publisher ISBN 2010 Kim Nam-joo's House That Book
Awards and nominations Year Award Category Nominated work Result Ref. 1992 Miss Match Jeans 1996SBS Drama Awards Excellence Award, Actress City Men and Women 1998SBS Drama Awards Popularity Award Model 2001MBC Drama AwardsTop Excellence Award, Actress Her House 2009 17th Korean Culture and Entertainment AwardsQueen of Housewives MBC Drama Awards 2nd Style Icon Awards Style Icon, TV Star category Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism Actress of the Year 2010 46th Baeksang Arts Awards Best Actress CETV Awards Grand Prize (Daesang) Top 10 Asian Stars MBC Drama Awards Grand Prize (Daesang)Queen of Reversals Top Excellence Award, Actress 2012 5th Korea Drama AwardsGrand Prize (Daesang)My Husband Got a Family 20th Korean Culture and Entertainment Awards KBS Drama Awards Top Excellence Award, Actress Excellence Award, Actress in a Serial Drama Best Couple Award with Yoo Jun-sang 1st K-Drama Star Awards Top Excellence Award, Actress 25th Grimae Awards Best Actress 2013 49th Baeksang Arts Awards Best Actress 2018 54th Baeksang Arts AwardsMisty 6th APAN Star Awards Grand Prize (Daesang) 2nd The Seoul Awards Best Actress 24th Korean Popular Culture & Arts Awards Presidential Commendation 2019 23rd Asian Television Awards Best Actress Misty 2024MBC Drama Awards Grand Prize (Daesang)Wonderful World Top Excellence Award, Actress in a Miniseries Best Acting Award, Actress
Listicles + Name of publisher, year listed, name of listicle, and placement Publisher Year Listicle Placement Forbes 2013 Korea Power Celebrity 32nd
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