Kwak Sun-young (; born May 11, 1983) is a South Korean actress. In 2006 she began her career in musical theater, starring in the musical Dalgona. She starred in the stage adaptation of Goong and Full House, among many other musicals and plays. After over a decade on the stage, Kwak made her television debut in 2018. She is best known for her roles in Encounter (2018–19), VIP (2019), Hospital Playlist (2020), Inspector Koo (2021), Behind Every Star (2022), and Brain Works (2023).
Career Kwak was born on May 11, 1983, in Seoul. Kwak's first contact with the stage was in high school, when she joined the theater department, even though she wanted to join a band instead. She studied acting at Dongguk University. Later in 2010, she enrolled in graduate school to pursue a master's degree in Performing Arts. After graduating, Kwak made her debut on the stage in the musical Dalgona in 2006. She played Seon, Catsby's girlfriend, in the musical The Great Catsby. In 2014, Kwak was cast in a musical adaptation of the television series Full House. In 2015, Kwak appeared in her first stage play, My Life is Pounding. In 2016, Kwak joined another musical production, Julie and Paul.
In 2018, Kwak started auditioning for advertisements and was cast in "Mom's Side", an advertisement for the energy drink Bacchus-F, which became popular and lead to her being cast in other advertisements and in her first television productions. That same year, she made her first television appearance in the mini-series Your Honor, where Kwak plays Song Ji-yeon, a victim of sexual assault. She later got her first supporting role as Song Hye-kyo's best friend and personal secretary in the television series Encounter. In 2020, Kwak starred in the medical drama Hospital Playlist, as Lee Ik-sun, younger sister of Lee Ik-jun (Jo Jung-suk) and love interest of Kim Jun-wan (Jung Kyung-ho). That same year, Kwak joined another theater production, Lungs.
Personal life Kwak Seon-young married her non-celebrity husband in 2015 and gave birth to a son the following year.
Filmography Film Year Title Role 2025 Somebody Yeong-eun Lobby Director Kim
Television series Year Title Role Notes 2018 Your Honor Song Ji-yun Cameo Encounter Jang Mi-jin 2019 My Country: The New Age Han Hee Jae's mother Cameo VIP Song Mi-na 2020 Mystic Pop-up Bar Eun Su / Sun Hwa Cameo 2020 Hospital Playlist Lee Ik-sun Season 1–2 2021 Inspector Koo Na Je-hee KBS Drama Special:"Ordinary Goods" Kim Jae-hwa 2022 Behind Every Star Cheon Je-in 2023 Brain Works Seol So-jung Moving Hwang Ji-hee 2024 Crash Min So-hee 2026 The Scarecrow Seo Ji-won
Stage Musical + Musical performance(s) Year Title Role Theater Date English Korean 2006 Dalgona 달고나 ensemble cast colspan="2" 2007 The Great Catsby Season 1 위대한 캣츠비 Season1 Seon Dongyang Arts Theatre 1 (former. Art Centre K Nemo Theatre) March 9 to July 31 Notre Dame de Paris 노트르담 드 파리 Fleur de Reis Gimhae Culture Centre Maru Hall Goyang Aram Nuri Aram Theatre 2007–2013 Finding Mr. Destiny 김종욱 찾기 Female JTN Art Hall 1 October 23 to February 17 2008 The Great Catsby Season 3 위대한 캣츠비 Season3 Seon Dongyang Arts Theatre 1 (former. Art Centre K Nemo Theatre) April 8 to December 31 Notre Dame de Paris 노트르담 드 파리 Fleur de Reis Sejong Centre for the Performing Arts Grand Theatre January 18 to February 28 Seongnam Art Centre Opera House Daegu Opera House Daejeon Arts Centre Art Hall Gimhae Culture Centre Maru Hall Polaroid 폴라로이드 Jang Sun-young Daehak-ro Free Theatre July 1 to August 24 Finding Mr. Destiny 김종욱 찾기 Female Cheonan City Hall Bonseo Hall 2009 Notre Dame de Paris 노트르담 드 파리 Fleur de Reis Busan Citizens' Centre Grand Theatre Finding Mr. Destiny 김종욱 찾기 Female Daegu Bongsan Cultural Centre Grand Performance Hall (Gion Hall) Notre Dame de Paris 노트르담 드 파리 Fleur de Reis Daegu Gyemyung Art Centre Finding Mr. Destiny 김종욱 찾기 Female Daejeon Arts Centre Ensemble Hall Notre Dame de Paris 노트르담 드 파리 Fleur de Reis Sejong Centre for the Performing Arts Grand Theatre Ulsan Culture and Arts Centre Grand Performance Hall Laundry 빨래 Seo Na-young Doosan Art Centre Yeongang Hall April 28 to June 14 Notre Dame de Paris 노트르담 드 파리 Fleur de Reis Daejeon Arts Centre Art Hall National Theatre Haeoreum Theatre Seongnam Art Centre Opera House Finding Mr. Destiny 김종욱 찾기 Female Seongnam Art Centre Ensemble Theatre MBC Lotte Art Hall Daegu Bongsan Cultural Centre Grand Performance Hall (Gion Hall) 2010 The Singles 싱글즈 Nanan JTN Art Hall 3 April 6 to October 3 Goong Shin Chae-kyung National Museum of Korea Theatre September 8 to October 24 Sori Cultural Arts Center December 4 to 5 Cheonma Art Centre Grand Hall December 11 to 12 Chungnam University Jeongshimhwa International Cultural Centre Jeongshimhwa Hall December 18 to 19 Gyeonggi Art Centre Grand Theatre December 25 to 26 2011 Goong 궁 Shin Chae-kyung National Museum of Korea for Theater September 16 to October 9 2011–2012 She Loves Me 쉬 러브즈 미 Amalia Ballash Daehangno SH Art Hall November 12 to January 29 2012 Mozart Opera Rock 모차르트 오페라 락 Constance Weber Daegu Keimyung Art Center February 14 to March 11 Seongnam Arts Center Opera House March 30 to April 29 Bu Yong Ji-ae - Andong 부용지애 - 안동 Kim's Virgin Andong Hahoe Village Buryongdae August 4 to 8 2013 Finding Mr. Destiny - Gunpo 김종욱 찾기 - 군포 Female Gunpo Culture and Arts Centre Azalea Hall (small performance hall) February 23 to 16 Hymn of Death Yun Sim-deok Dongtan Complex Culture Centre Banseok Art Hall June 28 to 30 Laundry 빨래 Seo Na-young Art One Theater 2 March 14 to October 5 Goong - Osaka 궁 Shin Chae-kyung Osaka BRAVA Theatre July 5 to 21 2013–2014 Laundry 빨래 Seo Na-young Art One Theater 2 October 11 to March 2 2014 Full House 풀 하우스 Han Ji-eun Dongsung Art Centre Dongsung Hall April 11 to June 8 Salieri 살리에르 Katrina Sejong Center for the Performing Arts M Theater July 22 to August 31 Hymn of Death Yun Sim-deok Yes24 Stage 1 August 4 2014–2015 Love Letter 러브레터 Itsuki Fujii and Hiroko Watanabe Dongsung Arts Center Dongsung Hall December 2 to February 15 2015 Hymn of Death Yun Sim-deok Yes24 Stage 1 June 6 to September 6 2016 Julie and Paul 줄리 앤 폴 Julie CJ Azit Daehak-ro (formerly SM Art Hall) July 4 to 5 2017 Hymn of Death Yun Sim-deok Yes24 Stage 1 July 29 to October 29 2017–2018 Me and Natasha and The White Donkey 나와 나타샤와 흰 당나귀 Sleeper Daehangno Uniplex Building 2 October 11 to January 28 Julie and Paul 줄리 앤 폴 Julie Daehakro Arts Theater Small Theater December 23 to January 7
Theater + List of stage play(s) Year Title Role Theater Date English Korean 2015 My Life is Pounding Choi Mi-ra Uniplex 2 March 13 to May 25 2020 Theatrical Battle 8 - Lungs W Art One Theater Hall 2 March 9 to July 5
Discography Soundtrack appearances Title Year Album "The Forgotten" () 2026 The Scarecrow OST Part 3
Awards and nominations + Name of the award ceremony, year presented, category, nominee(s) of the award and the result of the nomination Award ceremony Year Category Nominee(s)/work(s) Result Blue Dragon Series Awards 2024 Best Supporting Actress Moving 2026 The Scarecrow KBS Drama Awards 2021 Best Actress in Drama Special/TV Cinema Drama Special – Oddinary SBS Drama Awards 2019 Best New Actress VIP
References
External links