Female Stars in Korean Films

Mun Ye-bong and female stars during the colonial period 



Mun Ye-bong was one of the greatest stars in Korean films during the colonial period. She played a poor girl in a farming village in (Lee Gyu-hwan, 1932) and (Lee Gyu-hwan, 1937), and her role represented the daughter, sister and lover – the archetype of the ideal Korean woman.

Kim Jeongrim  and the female stars of the 1950s 



After the Korean War, American pop culture was introduced to Korea. Along with it came American products. In the movie, Oh Seon-yeong is a wife of a professor, but becomes a manager of an American import shop. She deals with liquor and cigarettes and slowly her daily dealings begin to include romance and dance. The shop of imports and the dance hall are symbols that represent the post-war society. 

Choi Eun-hee, the Korean beauty



Choi Eun-hee (1928 – )

Born in Seongnam, Gyeonggi-do, Choi Eun-hee’s real name was Choi Gyeong-sun. She started her acting career in the Drama Company Arang. In 1947, she starred in her first movie . Her filmography includes (Yun Yong-gyu, 1949), (Shin Sang-ok, 1959) and (Shin Sang-ok, 1961). In 1954, she married Director Shin Sang-ok whom she had met while working on the film . During the 1960s, she worked with her husband to establish Shin Films, their film empire. In 1964, she directed , becoming the third female movie director in Korea. 

Um Aing-ran and the actress troika during the 1960s





After the release of (Kim Kee-duk, 1964), Shin Seong-il and Um Aing-ran became the most loved movie stars of the time. Their appearance heralded the beginning of films for the younger generations, not to mention the heyday of the screen stars. In the early 60s, Um Aing-ran was one of the hottest stars at the heart of this trend. She became more popular because she was a university graduate, depicting the cheerful young university student and young, modern girl in her own way. Moreover, she married Shin Seong-il, the most famous actor of the time. After Um Aing-ran, the star industry was booming. The troika of Moon Hee, Nam Jeong-im and Yoon Jeong-hee opened the door to the golden age for actors and actresses in the 1960s.

Moon Jung-suk, the persona of Director Lee Man-hee 



Moon Jung-suk (1929-2000)

Born in Seoncheon, Pyeonganbuk-do, Moon Jung-suk was one of the most renowned actresses in the 1960s. She was known for her attention to detail in acting and psychological depiction of the characters. She began her career as an actress at Drama Company Arang and starred in (Lee Kang-cheon, 1958) as one of the leading roles. She diversified the scope of her acting in films such as (Lee Yong-min, 1956) and (Han Hyung-mo, 1961) . In 1962, she was cast in Director Lee Man-hee’s film , and her career with Director Lee began. In (1964>, (1964), (1966>, (1967), etc., she portrayed characters consumed by listlessness, anxiety and nervous breakdowns. As one of the most talented actresses of her time, she became the persona of Director Lee.

Actress troika of the 1970s



The actress troika following that of Moon Hee, Nam Jeong-im and Yoon Jeong-hee comprised of: Chang Mi-hee, Yu Ji-in and Jeong Yun-hui. They first appeared in the late 1970s when the film industry was experiencing a decline, but was loved as film and commercial stars well into the 1980s.

Chang Mi-hee rose to stardom, thanks to the phenomenal success of Director Kim Ho-sun’s (1977). Her mixed image of innocence and sexuality fascinated the public. Jeong Yun-hui is considered to be one of the most beautiful actresses in the history of Korean film. Her image was mostly of a vulnerable, passive, victim-like woman wounded by modern history and a male-oriented society. Meanwhile, Yu Ji-in played intelligent, middle-class roles.

Actress troika of the 1980s



When the government introduced the 3S policy in the1980s, the film industry began to produce erotic films as a source of cheap entertainment. The actress troika of the 1980s – Won Mi-kyung, Lee Bo-hee and Lee Mi-sook – captured the hearts of fans during a time when the theaters were inundated with erotic films. While they starred in the erotic movies, they also worked with directors Lee Doo-yong, Lee Jang-ho and Kwak Ji-kyoon, who represented the 1980s, to become the best selling actresses of their time.

In period films such as (Lee Doo-yong, 1983) and (Jung Jin-woo, 1984), Won Mi-kyung portrayed the traditional female characters who were suppressed by a patriarchal society, accentuated by her classic beauty. Lee Bo-hee was loved for her innocent and yet sexy characters in (Lee Jang-ho, 1983), (Lee Jang-ho, 1984), (Lee Jang-ho, 1986), etc. Lee Mi-sook was more varied in her roles, from innocent to tough, in films such as (Bae Chang-ho, 1984), (Kwak Ji-kyoon, 1986), (Lee Doo-yong, 1985), etc. 

Kang Soo-yeon, the heroine of Venice 



In movies that were based on the feudalistic patriarchal society, women were often used as the means to continue a bloodline. These women were forced to stay faithful to their men and bear them a son, and the films show the tragedies resulting from these inhumane customs. The women couldn’t be anything but passive and submissive. Many films of this type recreated the life of the nobility during the Joseon Dynasty in an exquisite and beautiful manner, and they were often submitted to international film festivals in the 1980s, some of which resulted in awards. At the heart of it was Kang Sooyeon, the heroine of (Im Kwon-taek, 1986). Kang began her career as a child. In 1986, she won the Best Actress Award for at the Venice International Film Festival and has since been the actress who represents Korea.

Shim Hye-jin and the icons of the new generation during the 1990s



Since the 1990s, there was talk about the new generation, and society was more keen on everyday life and culture than ever before. The film industry also welcomed new young directors and actors with their own unique characters, to breathe new life into the industry. For one, Shim Hyejin in (Kim Eui-suk) in 1992 rejected all that was stereotypical and stale to show the new face of romance of the new generation. This down-to-earth and confident image built from became her trademark and a model to other young actors and actresses such as Choi Jin-sil and Ko So-young. Thanks to the massive popularity of the TV series (1992), Choi Jin-sil worked with Director Kang Woo-suk in different comedies such as (Kang Woo-suk, 1992) and (Kang Woo-suk, 1994), utilizing her cute, friendly and confident image. One of the best films among the young generation of the 1990s was (Kim Sung-su, 1998) and its heroine was played by Ko So-young. The character she portrayed was selfish and resisted the system, by which the new generation was characterized.

Jeon Do-youn and the female movie stars of our time



In (Lee Chang-dong, 2007), Jeon Do-youn brought to life a mother whose child had been kidnapped, and her acting skills brought her the Best Actress Award at the Cannes Festival in 2007. She joined the ranks of those globally renowned actresses who had won awards at international film festivals, such as Kang Soo-yeon in Venice in 1987 and Moon Sori (Best New Actress) in Venice in 2002.