Kim Soo-mi (born Kim Young-ok on September 3, 1949) is a South Korean actress. She has had a prolific career in film and television. Kim debuted in a talent contest in 1970, then shot to fame in Country Diaries.[1] The landmark TV series aired for almost 20 years,[2] making Kim one of the most popular Korean actresses of the 1980s.
In 2003 she made a memorable cameo as a profanity-spouting ajumma in the Jang Nara comedy Oh! Happy Day. It successfully revamped her image and rejuvenated her fading career.[3] Kim quickly became known in the Korean entertainment industry as the "Queen of Ad-lib,"[3] with her comic talent showcased in many of her succeeding projects, notably Mapado,[4]Twilight Gangsters,[5]Granny's Got Talent (2015),[6] and the Marrying the Mafia sequels.[7][8]
Kim also gained attention for her turns in more serious fare, such as 2006's Barefoot Ki-bong, a heartwarming pic about a developmentally disabled man. Her 2011 film Late Blossom is a romance between two elderly couples, a topic rarely explored in Korean cinema.[9][10] The low-budget indie became a sleeper hit, and for her portrayal of an Alzheimer's-afflicted woman, Kim won Best Supporting Actress at the Blue Dragon Film Awards.[11]
Other activities
In 1998, Kim's chauffeur-driven BMW shot backward, killing her mother-in-law. Kim filed a ₩1 billion lawsuit against BMW, alleging that the sudden-start had been a car defect. The Seoul District Court ruled in the automaker's favor in 2003, saying that it was unclear whether the accident was caused by driver error or a sudden-start.[12] Kim filed an appeal at the Seoul High Court.[13]
She headed the publicity as part of the organizing committee of the 1999 Hanam International Environment Expo.[14]
Since 2003, Kim has been the chairman of the Department of Theater and Film at Soongsil University's College of Social Sciences.
^Jung Yu-jin (March 21, 2022). "신현준·김수미, 11년 만에 영화 '귀신경찰'로 재회…5월 크랭크인" [Shin Hyun-jun and Kim Su-mi reunited with the movie 'Ghost Police' after 11 years... May crank-in] (in Korean). News1. Retrieved March 21, 2022 – via Naver.
^Jeong, Hee-yeon (September 6, 2023). "윤현민♡유라 결혼 추진…'가문의 영광: 리턴즈' 메인 포스터 공개" [Yoon Hyun Min♡Yura Marriage Promotion...'Family Glory: Returns' Main Poster Released] (in Korean). Sports Donga. Retrieved September 12, 2023 – via Naver.
^Choi, Hee-jae (October 17, 2022). "이서진, 매니저 됐다…조여정→수현, 역대급 라인업 공개 (연예인 매니저로 살아남기)" [Seo)jin Lee became the manager... Jo Yeo-jeong → Soo-hyun, all-time lineup revealed (Surviving as a celebrity manager)]. X-ports News (in Korean). Retrieved October 17, 2022 – via Naver.
^Hwang, Hye-jin (September 16, 2022). "김용건·김수미·이계인 '회장님네 사람들' 출연, 10월 10일 첫방" [Kim Yong-gun, Kim Su-mi, and Lee Gye-in appeared in 'President's People', first aired on October 10] (in Korean). Newsen. Retrieved September 17, 2022 – via Naver.
^Ham Na-yan (July 20, 2021). "김수미, 귀신 된다…'귀생충' MC확정 [공식]" [Kim Soo-mi becomes a ghost... 'Gi Parasite' MC confirmed [Official]]. Sports Donga (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
^Kang, Jin-ah (March 1, 2023). "김수미·박정수·정경순·김서라, 뮤지컬 '친정엄마' 출연" [Kim Soo-mi, Park Jeong-soo, Jung Kyung-soon, and Kim Seo-ra appeared in the musical 'My Mother] (in Korean). Newsis. Retrieved March 1, 2023 – via Naver.
^Kim Min-soo (July 7, 2022). "김수미·박명수·쯔양·리랑, 전북 '섬의 날' 널리알립니다" [Kim Soo-mi, Park Myung-soo, Ziyang, and Rirang, Jeollabuk-do 'Island Day] (in Korean). Newsis. Retrieved July 7, 2022 – via Naver.
^Song, Chang-heon (October 5, 2022). "배우 김수미 씨 광주세계김치축제 홍보대사 위촉" [Actress Kim Soo-mi appointed as an ambassador for the Gwangju World Kimchi Festival] (in Korean). Newsis. Retrieved October 5, 2022 – via Naver.
^Son Bong-seok (November 2, 2022). "김수미·김성환·송대관·진성 등 인기 연예인 6인, 전북명예홍보대사 위촉" [6 popular celebrities including Kim Su-mi, Kim Seong-hwan, Song Dae-gwan, and Jin-seong appointed as honorary ambassadors of Jeonbuk] (in Korean). Sports Kyunghyang. Retrieved November 2, 2022 – via Naver.