Ye Soo-jung (; born on 25 March 1955) is a South Korean actress. In 1979, she made her debut in the play A Woman Named Solitude, and she presented a well-balanced and solid performance with her solid interpretive skills and broad perspectives that she developed while studying abroad in Germany. She has appeared in numerous stage productions such as Long Day's Journey into Night, Gift of Gorgon, The Cherry Orchard, Widows, Green Bench, Guest, Hanako, Death of a Salesman, I Am You, Hwajeonga, and Agnes of God.
She has been called the godmother of the theater world. She has garnered prestigious awards in the theater industry, including the Hi-seo Theater Award, Kim Dong-hoon Theater Award, Dong-A Theater Award for Best Actress, Seoul Theater Festival Acting Award, and Lee Hae-rang Theater Award, showcasing her skill and expertise as an actress.
In the 2000s, she expanded her activities to the film and TV drama industry. She left a lasting impression on the public through numerous films, including Tunnel, Sea Fog, The Client, The Thieves, Train to Busan, and Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds, which attracted over 10 million viewers, as well as hit dramas like Secret Forest, Do You Like Brahms?, Mine, Search: WWW, and One the Woman, where she appeared as a supporting role. In 2018, she won the Best Supporting Actress award at the Seoul Awards for her role in Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds, and in 2020, she received the "Female Film of the Year" award for her first leading role in the film 69 Years Old.
Ye's most recent TV works include: The King of Tears, Lee Bang-won, Link: Eat, Love, Kill, and Becoming Witch., and she also starred in the MBC four-part series Wild Boar Hunting and made special appearance in Revenant.
Early life and education Ye Soo-jung was born as Kim Soo-jeong in March 1955 in Jongno, Seoul, South Korea. Ye attended Susong Elementary School, Soongui Girls' Middle School and High School. In 1973, she enrolled in Departement of German Literature of Korea National University of Arts.
Career When studying from Korea National University of Arts with a degree in German Literature, She watched film The Godfather and extremely impressed by Marlon Brando's acting which made her want to try acting too. After that, Ye joined a theater class at the German Cultural Center Above the Theater and started acting secretly. Later she encounter works of German playwright Bertolt Brecht. Knowing Brecht's words, "Theater is a space for civic enlightenment," Jung thought, "Oh, it's really wonderful to live here (theater) all my life."
In 1975, Ye acted in Arthur Miller's play Broken Glass (play). Followed by Henrik Ibsen's play Ghosts produced by Korea University Theatre Arts Research Society ().
After graduating from university, she worked as a German tutor and editor-in-chief of the Full Gospel Church magazine to earn pocket money while acting in plays. Ye debuted professionally onstage in 1979 with Han Tae-suk's play A Woman Named Solitude. After watching play A Woman Named Solitude, (director, former chairman of the Seoul Institute of the Arts) scouted her for his work When Spring Comes to the Mountains and Fields. One day, Yoo noticed that Ye, who participated in his practice, was acting without her mother's permission. "You can't do that," he said and Yoo went to her house and to ask Jeong personally, Jeong said to her, "Do it with a guarantee."
After this play Ye got married and went to Germany with her husband. In 1984, Ye decided to study theater in Graduate School at LMU Munich. After she was back to South Korea, Ye worked in Customer Call Center for two years.
Ye was only active in films since 2003. She has done minor and supporting roles mostly as mother. Her most notable supporting role was in the film Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds, which was released in 2017. She reprised her role in the sequel Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days.
Her most notable role was in Lim Seon-a's film , as 69-year-old Hyo-jeong. She is sexually assaulted by a 29-year-old male nurse while receiving treatment at a hospital. She reports it to the police, but faces society's prejudice because she is an elderly person! a dementia patient. The court, considers the elderly woman to be asexual and dismisses the arrest warrant, saying that there is insufficient probability that a young man would do such a thing. With this role Ye gained critical acclaim, She was nominated for several Best Actress award and won the 21st 'Female Filmmaker of the Year' for this film.
Personal life Soo-jung is the daughter of who was a popular actress of 50s, 60s and 70s. She is the sister-in-law of actor Han Jin-hee who has married her sister Kim Soo-ok.
Ye married Kim Chang-hwa in 1980 after completing the play When Spring Comes to the Mountains and Fields. Ye gave birth to a daughter (currently an actress and theater director Kim Ye-na) in 1982 and left to study at LMU Munich in Germany with her husband in 1984. In 1986, a son was born. During their 8-year stay in Germany, her husband received a doctorate in theater theory and Ye completed a master's degree in theater theory. They returned in 1991.
Filmography
Film
+ Year Title Role Note English Korean 2003 Save the Green Planet!지구를 지켜라! Byung-goo's mother 2006 Shin Sung-il is Lost신성일의 행방불명 Director 2007 Epitaph기담 Director of Ansang hospital Shadows in the Palace 궁녀 Queen Mother 2009 Like You Know It All잘 알지도 못하면서 Mother of actress Secret시크릿 Ji-yeon's mother 2011 Detective K: Secret of the Virtuous Widow조선명탐정: 각시투구꽃의 비밀 Im's wife The Client 의뢰인 Jung-ah's mother 2012 Hand in Hand해로 Hee-jung The Thieves도둑들 Tiffany 2014 Sea Fog해무 Dong-shik's grandmother 2015 Cancelled Faces마이 올드 프렌드 Mother 2016 Train to Busan부산행 In-gil Tunnel터널 Old mother The Bacchus Lady죽여주는 여자 Bok-hee 2017 The Cage Nick's mother Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds신과함께: 죄와 벌 Ja-hong's mother 2018 Psychokinesis염력 Mr. Jung's older sister Herstory허스토리 Park Soon-nyeo Hee-ja Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days신과함께-인과 연 Soo-hong's mother 2019 Mal-Mo-E: The Secret Mission말모이 Madame JoSpecial appearance Kim Ji-young: Born 198282년생 김지영 Kim Ji-young's mother 2020 Intruder침입자 Yoon-hee Again어게인 Han Mal-soon 69세 Shim Hyo Jung 2021 New Year Blues새해전야 Oh Hye-sim2021The Prayer간호중Nurse Sabina 2023 Project Silence사일런스 Soon-ok 2024 The Desperate Chase 필사의 추격 Chairperson Yoo2025People and Meat사람과 고기Hwa-jin 2026 Beach Fictions 그날의 태주 Premiere at 2026 BIFF
Television series +Television drama appearances Year Title Role Note English Korean 2006 Someday 썸데이 Gumiko 2007 Prince Hours 궁S Han Sang-gong 2013 The End of the World 세계의 끝 Na-hyun's mother 2015 Heard It Through the Grapevine 풍문으로 들었소 Joo-young's mother 2016 On the Way to the Airport 공항가는 길 Go Eun-hee Listen to Love 이번 주, 아내가 바람을 핍니다 Hyun-woo's mother My Old Friend 마이 올드 프렌드 Ae-sim 2017 Innocent Defendant 피고인 Myung Geum-ja Stranger 비밀의 숲 Park Soo-sung's mother Strongest Deliveryman 최강 배달꾼 Jung-im Prison Playbook 슬기로운 감빵생활 Park Seon-ja Untouchable 언터처블 Park Young-sook 2018 Mother 마더 Clara Suits 슈츠 Yoon-woo's grandmother SF8 에스 에프 에잇 Sabina The Ghost Detective 오늘의 탐정 Da-il's mother Twelve Nights 열두밤 Lee Ri Top Star U-back 톱스타 유백이 Kang-soon's mother 2019 Search: WWW 검색어를 입력하세요 WWW Jang Hee-eun The Lies Within 모두의 거짓말 Coroner Black Dog: Being A Teacher 블랙독 Yoon Yeo-hwa 2020 The Game: Towards Zero 더 게임: 0시를 향하여 Mrs. Jeong A Piece of Your Mind 반의 반 Eun Soo-jung Do You Like Brahms? 브람스를 좋아하세요? Na Moon-sook 2021 Mine 마인 Mother Emma One the Woman 원 더 우먼 Kim Kyung-shin Jirisan 지리산 Geum-ri The King of Tears, Lee Bang-won 태종 이방원 Queen Sinui 2022 Link: Eat, Love, Kill 링크: 먹고 사랑하라, 죽이게 Na Chun-ok Insider 인사이더 Shin Dal-soo The Fabulous 더 패뷸러스 Pyo Ji-eun's grandmother Becoming Witch 마녀는 살아있다 Oh lak-eul Hunted 멧돼지 사냥 Ok-soon 2023Revenant악귀Kim Seok-ran 2023 The Worst of Evil 최악의 악 Yoon Won-gil 2023 Maestra: Strings of Truth 마에스트라 Bae Jeong-hwa 2024 Dog Knows Everything 개소리 Ye Soo-jung 2024 When the Silver Bell Rings 실버벨이 울리면 Park Soo-hyang
Theater Amateur +Amateur theater play performance(s) Year Title Role Venue Date English Korean 1973Broken Jar깨어진 항아리A club belonging to the German Cultural Centre in Korea Freie Buehne A public performance1975 Ghost 유령 Mrs. Helen Alving Ancient Audiovisual Education Room (Clock Tower Building Korea University of Arts) November 28 to 30 The Great Wall 만리장성 Mother Sogang University Theater Juni 13 to 15 1976 Macbeth 맥베드 Lady Macbeth Korea University of Arts Auditorium Juni 13 to 15The Glass Menagerie유리동물원 1977Where and what will we meet again?어디서 무엇이 되어 다시 만나랴 1978 Prince Popo and Princess Phi Phi 포포왕자와 피피공주 Tutor Theater Hall Cecil Theater Directed by Go Geum-seok June 14 to 20
Professional +Professional theater play performance(s) Year Title Role Theater Date English Korean 1979A Women Named Solitude고독이란 이름의 여인Solitude When Spring Comes to the Mountains and Fields 봄이 오면 산에 들에 Wild rocambole 1980 When Spring Comes to the Mountains and Fields 봄이 오면 산에 들에 Wild rocambole Directing Yoo Deok-hyung 1983 Layered Story 겹괴기담 Cultural Arts Promotion Agency Arts Theater Small Theater May 17 to 24 Danton's Death 당통의 죽음 Woman Culture and Art Hall small theater, directed by Kim Chang-hwa April 12 to 23 River of History역사의 강Sam-hui Culture and Art Hall Grand theater, directed by Kim Chang-hwa July 22 to 28 1989Division of the soul영혼의 분열Theatre Company Munich Unter Dem Baum 1991The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds감마선은 달무늬진 금잔화에 어떤 영향을 미쳤는가?Theatre company Seongshim Original fish theatre performance 1992Last Report for Freedom - (Original Title: Death of the Black Seagull)자유를 위한 마지막 보고서 - (원제: 검은 갈매기의 죽음)Culture and Art Hall Small TheaterMarch 22 to April 8 1993 Riding together 동승 Theatre Company Shinhyup, directing Light up 빛보라 Directing a special performance for the 90th anniversary of Sungui Girls' High School The death of a rich man 어떤 부자의 죽음 Directing a charity performance to help the disabled in the theatre company Yesori 1994 Death of a Salesman 세일즈맨의 죽음 Linda Roman Culture and Art Hall Small Theater May 3 to June 30 1995 King Lear 리어왕 Dramaturgy research Culture and Arts Center Grand Theater March 23 to 28 Women in Crisis 위기의 여자 daughter, friend, doctor Small Theater Sanwoolim, directed by Lim Young-woong August 17 to October 8 1996 Face behind Face얼굴 뒤의 얼굴Lee Ji-yeonSeoul Arts Center Jayu Small TheaterFebruary 22 to March 31 32 years of King Sejong세종 32년Sejong-biNational Gugak Centre from main theatre, the music hall, directed by Han Tae-sookNovember 22 to December 2 1997 Death of a Salesman 세일즈맨의 죽음Linda RomanTheatre Company Shinhyup, directed by Lee Jong-hwan Father 아버지 Young Shin Sejong Center for the Performing Arts small auditorium, directed by Pyo Jae-soon July 5 to 27 1998Road to Mecca메카로 가는 길ElsaConstellation Small Theatre, Directed by Park Cheol-wanJuly 2 to August 2 Shopalovic's Traveling Theater 쇼팔로비치 유랑극단 Instructor Culture and Art Hall Small Theater December 4 to 8 1999 Orestes Trilogy 오레스테스 3부작 Dumul Workshop, Directed by Song Seon-ho March 4 to 14 Na Un-gyu 나운규 Jo Jung-ok Culture Art Hall Small Theater, directing Han Tae-sook May 6 to 23 Media waltz메디아 왈츠Theater Laboratory 1 Hyehwa-dong, Directed by Son Jung-wooNovember 26 to December 19 2000The Lady from the Sea바다의 여인Culture Art Hall Grand Theater