Kim Hyejun made an impressive appearance as the main character in the web drama Lily Fever (2015), which depicts homosexuality among women in a novel and refreshing way. After her feature film debut as a minor in Herstory (2017), Kim left a strong impression by playing the role of a dead daughter, who returned like a miracle for a day in the omnibus film After Spring (2017), which deals with the tragic Sewol Ferry disaster. The actor carved a strong mark on her short filmography with her graceful looks and acting talent.

Kim Hyejun’s first leap was when she won the lead role in the film Another Child (2018), through a 500-to-2 competition. In the film, Kim appeared as a daughter in high school who approached the daughter of her father’s mistress to settle things without telling her mother about the affair. While pointing out the misdeeds of the adults, the actor deftly portrayed the fluctuating emotions of a teenager who could not take her eyes off her father’s newborn love child, winning the Best New Actress at the Blue Dragon Film Awards.

Kim Hyejun’s second leap came with the Netflix original TV drama Kingdom (2019). It is a historical drama featuring zombies written by Kim Eunhee, a master of genre dramas, which was well-received worldwide as K-Zombie. In the series, Kim made a quantum leap forward as an actor. Especially in the second season, she drew attention with her queen character overwhelmed and blinded by her ambition and madness. Saying, “That insignificant little girl will have everything now,” Queen Consort Cho poisons her father. The villainous character shows such a strong presence that it can be comparable to Cersei Lannister in Game of Thrones.

Above all, Kim Hyejun offered us the pleasure of seeing the rapid progress of her acting through Kingdom. The actor first appears on screen with her seemingly serene impression and surprises the audience by revealing her explosive energy, just like Queen Consort Cho in Kingdom or the devilish character in Metamorphosis (2019). Most of her roles so far have been limited to teenagers or college students, but this is also what makes us look forward to her next move as a full-fledged adult actor. Jung Sujin