KIM Sae-byuk, born in 1986, grew up while watching countless movies as her parents where running a video rental shop. Even though she enjoyed watching movies so much that she wouldn’t mind skipping a class if that allowed her to attend a rare screening of an indie film, it’s only when she was in her mid-twenties that she thought about becoming an actor. She decided almost overnight to leave for Seoul and attend three months of an acting class, and before she knew it, she ...More

KIM Sae-byuk, born in 1986, grew up while watching countless movies as her parents where running a video rental shop. Even though she enjoyed watching movies so much that she wouldn’t mind skipping a class if that allowed her to attend a rare screening of an indie film, it’s only when she was in her mid-twenties that she thought about becoming an actor. She decided almost overnight to leave for Seoul and attend three months of an acting class, and before she knew it, she was cast for minor roles in LEE Kwang-kuk’s critically acclaimed debut <Romance Joe> (2011) and the sensation nostalgic drama <Sunny> (2011). She immediately drew attention with her first lead role, in KIM Kyung-mook’s drama <Stateless Things> (2011), for her convincing interpretation of a Chinese of Korean descent being abused by her boss. The film had its premiere at the Venice Film Festival and had a long run on the festival circuit, introducing her to a large audience. After appearing in docudrama <MANSHIN: Ten Thousand Spirits> (2013), KIM worked again with KIM Kyung-mook and joined the ensemble cast of his social comedy <Futureless Things> (2013), set entirely in one day in a convenience store. Her delightful performance as the lead in LEE’s sophomore effort <A Midsummer’s Fantasia> (2014) was lauded by the critics, receiving nominations for several awards, and made her the new face of Korean independent cinema. In 2017, she starred in two of the most well-regarded Korean movies of the year, HANG Sang-soo’s satirical comedy <The Day After>, which was in the main competition at the Cannes Film Festival, and KIM Dae-hwan’s <The First Lap>, winner of Best New Director in Locarno. Both movies explored relationships through subtle social cues, thus relying heavily on the actors’ performance and allowing KIM to shine with her natural acting. She has so far only appeared once on TV, in the television film <Homecoming – Jwibulnori> (2012).Less