Kim Ju-yeon (; born May 11, 1993) is a South Korean musical, stage and television actress. She is best known for her role in Netflix original series Move to Heaven (2021) and Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha (2021).
Early years Kim Ju-yeon was born on May 11, 1993, in Jeju Province, South Korea, the youngest of three daughters. Growing up in Jeju, she had limited exposure to theater or musical performances. Her life path shifted when she met art teacher Ko Seong-woo during her third-grade year of elementary school. Kim played a male role in her school's team for the national folk song competition, and their performance won the grand prize. This experience significantly contributed to gradually transforming her shy personality.
Kim developed a keen interest in music after becoming a fan of the indie band Jaurim. She began taking singing lessons from a former professor at Seoul Institute of The Arts. Based on the professor's recommendation, she enrolled at Anyang Arts High School, where she became a member of the school's musical club. Her first acting experience was participating in the school's production of the musical Beauty and The Beast. After completing high school, Kim relocated to Seoul and pursued a degree in the Department of Theater and Film at Dongguk University.
Career
Debut and early careers Kim's career beginnings can be attributed to her student-mentor relationship with producer Kim Soo-ro, who was her acting professor at Dongguk University. In the autumn of 2015, Kim debuted as a theater actress, playing Yoo Hwa-yi, the female lead in Jang Jin's play Taxi Driver. This 12th production of Taxi Driver was a collaboration between Jang Jin and producer Kim Soo-ro as part of Kim Soo-ro's Project. Subsequently, Kim became a member of Double K Film and Theater agency, which was established by Kim Soo-ro and Kim Min-jong.
In 2016, Kim debuted as a musical actress in Interview, double-cast as Joan, an 18-year-old who had suffered a mysterious accident, alongside Moon Jin-ah. The musical, produced by Kim Soo-ro, then curator of Hyundai Card Understage, unraveled a decade-old murder case, with the story shifting between past and present through interviews. Also in 2016, Kim expanded her acting repertoire by joining the cast of the Korean creative musical Peste, based on Albert Camus' novel The Plague (La Peste). The musical ran from August to October at the LG Arts Center, where Kim took on the role of Jan. Peste generated anticipation, featuring music by Seo Taiji and arrangement by Kim Seong-su.
Throughout 2017, Kim remained active in her acting career. She reprised her role as Joan for a special performance of Interview in Tokyo, Japan. Additionally, she portrayed Natasha in the Korean adaptation of Maxim Gorky's classic play The Lower Depths. Her visual and acting interpretation added tension and a fresh twist to the character, earning her the nickname 'Daehak-ro Kim Tae-hee' for her stage presence. Later that year, from June to October, Kim played the supporting role of Seon in an encore performance of the musical The Great Catsby, adapted from a popular webtoon by Kang Do-ha. The musical's creative team, including dramaturge Oh Se-hyuk, director Byun Jeong-ju, music director Huh Su-hyun, and choreographer Kwon Young-im, contributed to the production's success.
Kim's breakthrough came in 2018 when she starred in the 20th production of the musical Laundry, portraying Son Na-young. Premiered in 2005, the musical depicts the hardships faced by ordinary people through the story of Son Na-young, a bookstore clerk, and Solongo, a Mongolian migrant worker. Later that year, Kim joined the principal cast of the musical Maybe Happy Ending as the helperbot Claire for an encore performance in Japan. She was double-cast alongside actress Song Sang-eun, who had previously performed in the Japanese premiere. Kim also shared the stage with Yesung, Seven, and Seong-je, who were triple-cast as helperbot Oliver. Additionally, Kim Nam-ho and Ra-jun were double-cast as Oliver's former owner, James. The production took place in Yokohama and Osaka in May. Kim's final project for the year was her portrayal of Emily in Disappear Into Thin Air (2018), the Korean adaptation of Disappearance, a play by Japanese playwright and director Keralino Sandorovich. It was produced by Yeonwoo Stage.
Temple and other theater projects In early 2019, Kim portrayed Mary Warren in the Korean adaptation of Arthur Miller's play The Crucible (1953) at the Lee Haerang Theatre of Art Seoul. Her agency, Double K Film and Theater, produced the show. Kim also took on the role of Chae Kyung in Hot Summer (2019), a Theater Ganda production, where she was double-cast with Hong Ji-hee. The musical ran at the Yes24 Stage 3 Hall from May 17 to June 30, 2019.
Later that year, Kim secured the lead role in the period musical Create-ing 2nd Work: Nangrang Kisaeng, produced by Jeongdong Theater. The musical was inspired by the true story of Kang Hyang-ran (姜香蘭), Joseon's first short-haired kisaeng. Kang enrolled at Hannam Kwonbeon at age 14, becoming one of the most popular kisaengs due to her exceptional skills. In her quest to attend school, Kang cut her hair short and disguised herself as a man in a suit. Her secret's revelation caused a scandal, making headlines on the third page of the Dong-A Ilbo on June 22, 1922. Directed by Kang Yu-mi, the musical ran at Jeongdong Theater from July 26 to August 18, 2019.
Kim's notable performance of the year was in the physical play Temple by Theater Ganda, where she portrayed Temple Grandin. The play's plot was based on the true story of Temple Grandin, an autistic professor at Colorado State University who achieved success as a zoologist. Kim shared the role of Temple with actress Park Hee-jung, having been recommended by assistant director Shim Sae-in, with whom she had worked on Hot Summer. To prepare, Kim conducted extensive research, reading Temple Grandin's book The Story of a Certain Autistic Man and drawing inspiration from Cho Seung-woo in the film Marathon and Kim Hyang-gi in Innocent Witness. The play premiered at the Goyang Cultural Foundation in 2019.
Kim later returned to Theater Ganda productions, taking on the role of Ann in the Korean premiere of the musical Murderer (2019). This work, based on Georg Kaiser's play The Raft of Medusa, was performed from September 20 to November 17 at Daehangno TOM 2.
Kim's year of 2020 was full with various acting projects. From January to March, Kim portrayed Julie, an eccentric weaver who swallowed a magnet, in composer Kim Dae-ri's musical Julie & Paul (2020), produced by Yeonwoo Stage. Following that, from March to April, Kim played the dual roles of Demian and Sinclair in the musical Demian (2020), based on the novel by Hermann Hesse. This two-hander musical play employed a gender-blind casting concept, where one male and one female actor alternated playing Sinclair or Demian, also portraying other novel characters like Cromer, Sinclair's father, Pistorius, and Mrs. Eva. From June to September, Kim and Lee Ah-jin alternated playing the supporting role of Layla, a bold and clever character, in the play Dear Elena (2020). Written in 1980 by Ljudmila Razumovskaya, the play explores humanity's inner conflicts.
In October and November, Kim reprised her role as Temple Grandin in the movement play Temple for Welcome Daehakro-Welcome Theater 2020. Critics noted her growth as an actor, observing a dramatic change in her acting style compared to earlier works like Julie & Paul and Demian.nIn December, Kim joined Dream Theater Company's play Touch Your Love, written and directed by Jung Hyung-seok. The play, which premiered in Daehak-ro in fall 2013, tells the story of three characters—Dong-wook, Eun-ju, and Yoon-hee—who carry emotional wounds caused by love and people. In the 6th encore performance, Kim and Lee Seo-kyung were double-cast as the female lead, Eun-ju, a character known for her clear subjectivity and free-spirited personality.
2021 to present: screen roles and recent stage works From December 2020 to February 2021, Kim portrayed Jin Se-hee in the play What's Your Macbeef? by Shin So-won, which was b on Richard McBeef by Seung-Hui Cho. Kim had previously participated in a full-length reading of the play on June 21, 2019, when it was selected for the 2019 Juda Creative Contest. What's Your Macbeef? is set in an international high school's theater class, where teacher Jeong Dong-woo and three students, Jin Yoo, Lee Ji-soo, and Jin Se-hee, prepare for a performance under their homeroom teacher Yoon Young-jun's recommendation. Kim, Seo Hye-won, and Yoo Yu-jin were triple-cast as Jin Se-hee. Directed by Kim Ji-ho, What's Your Macbeef? premiered at the Dream Art Center Hall 3 in Seoul.
In January 2021, Kim was cast as Yun Shim-deok, Joseon's first soprano, in the play Government Ferry, directed by Lee Ki-bum for Player Sang Sang, Steps. Set on the Tokujumaru government ferry from Japan to Busan, the play posits that Yun Shim-deok is still alive. Hong Seok-ju, hiding on the boat, saves Yun Shim-deok when she jumps into the sea, leading to their relationship. The play depicts their conflicts in living different lives but also highlights their understanding, shared friendships, and shared hopes. Government Ferry was performed at the Jayu Theater in Daehangno, Seoul.
Kim made her first television appearance in a minor role in the OCN drama series Watcher in 2019. In 2021, she had three credited television appearances, all in supporting roles: Jin Ha-young in the miniseries Do Do Sol Sol La La Sol and a nurse in Youth of May, both aired on KBS2. Kim also made a cameo as Han Geu-ra's mom in the Netflix Original Series Move to Heaven. Her first major supporting television role was in tvN drama Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha (2021), where she portrayed Ham Yung-kyung, a pregnant young mother who runs a mini-mart named after her daughter Bora. Kim acted alongside her Temple co-star Yoon Seok-hyun, who played her husband, Choi Geum-chul. In the same year, Kim confirmed her appearance in her debut film, Jochiwon Commentary, produced by Blue Cucumber and directed by Choi Yang-hyun. The film is inspired by Shakespeare's Hamlet, one of his four great tragedies, and incorporates Korean sentiment and Chungcheong Province dialect to maximize the tragedy.
Kim made a theater comeback as Emma in the musical Vampire Arthur (2021–2022) at the Black Theater, Chungmu Art Center in Seoul. Set in 1930s London, the musical tells the story of the growth and love between a vampire named Arthur and Emma, an illiterate girl from a poor background. Directed by Kim Dong-yeon, the show ran from November 9, 2021, to February 6, 2022. For a recent replay of Vampire Arthur, a new creative team, consisting of writer Park Hae-rim and music director Choi Hee-young, joined as screenwriter and music director, respectively. Vampire Arthur was originally created by writer Seo Hwi-won and composer Kim De-ri. It premiered in 2017 through the 'Black and Blue Season 4' story writer's debut program. The showcase took place on March 23–24, 2018, and the premiere was staged at the Black Theater, Chungmu Art Center in Seoul from November 30, 2018, to February 2, 2019, also under the direction of Kim Dong-yeon.
In March 2022, Kim was cast in the first work of The 9th Best Plays Festival in April 2022: The Nature of Forgetting from the British production Theater Re. The play received acclaim for its movement when it premiered in London in 2017 under the direction of Guillaume Pigé and composer Alex Judd. The Nature of Forgetting premiered in Korea in 2019 by the Wooran Foundation for the Performing Arts and The Best Play, achieving sold-out performances. In the 2022 replay, Kim portrayed dual roles as the wife and daughter of the character played by actor Kim Ji-cheol, who portrayed a man suffering from early dementia and memory loss.