Pre-debut - When Queen of Tears’ ratings began skyrocketing, Kim Ji-won’s childhood photos also began going viral. This adorable one of a mini Ji-won already showed off the makings of K-Drama queen!KBIZoom
Pre-debut - The future star blossomed into a beautiful teen as seen in her graduation photo. Spot the sleek straight hair, almond-shaped eyes, high nose, and v-line chin!Koreaboo
Gossip Boy MV (2008) - In one of her first forays into the limelight, she was a vocalist and keyboardist for South Korean singer-songwriter Younha’s ‘Gossip Boy’ music video. She was all rocked out with just the right hint of silver eye shadow, glossy lips, and a messy high ponytail.1TheK/YouTube
LG Cyon CF (2010) - In 2010, she officially debuted and made waves as K-Pop boy group BIGBANG’s ‘Lollipop Girl’ for their LG commercial film.Although the MV only featured her dancing and eye acting, her eye makeup was on point with pops of pink and yellow shadow around her eyes, black eyeliner, and volumized lashes. rinoaselphie5/YouTube
Oran C CF (2010) - She also later became known as ‘Oran C Girl’ after she starred in a CF for the carbonated drink. While she cycled through several personas in the video, the most iconic remains to be her ‘ending fairy’ look1—the eyeliner on her upper and lower lids really emphasized her eyes, and the chic barely there nail polish was also a gorg touch!Trí Viên Hội/Facebook
Romantic Heaven (2010) - Kim Ji-won then made her debut on the big screen as Choi Mi-mi—a young student whose mother is battling cancer. The then-18-year-old was as fresh-faced as ever, dewy skin and all!Hancinema
High Kick: Revenge of the Short-Legged (2011) - The budding star then followed up her debut with a main role in the 124-episode-long sitcom High Kick. Her character, also named Kim Ji-won, was a cutie with perfectly flushed cheeks and glossy lips.Hancinema
What's Up (2011) - In the drama What’s Up, the actress played aspiring singer Tae-yi who comes to Seoul to audition as a music major for university. In one of the series’ pivotal scenes, Kim Ji-won is a vision with her long wavy hair and subtle makeup.kjw19/YouTube
To The Beautiful You (2012) - Her next drama saw her as gymnast Seol Han-na. If she’s not training with her hair in an updo, she lets her copper-tinted hair down in waves over her shoulders. She also favored a touch of pink on her lips and a bit of winged eyeliner for a more defined look.Pinterest
Til The Sun Rises MV (2012) - The actress was also featured in a short teaser for singer Baek Seung-heon’s debut single ‘Til The Sun Rises,’ opposite JYJ’s Kim Jae-joong. As a young woman in the peak of her youth, Kim Ji-won was radiant with her long, wavy hair, flushed cheeks, and just bitten lips.1theK/YouTube
Horror Stories (2012) - In her second film since her debut, Kim Ji-won played an abudcted high school student forced to tell her kidnapper stories of terror to survive. At 20 years old, she went back to her signature sleek straight hair to look the part of her teen role.AsianWiki
Horror Stories II (2013) - In the sequel to 2012’s Horror Stories, the rising star flipped the script and showed a side of herself she hasn’t before. The second installment cast her as Sa Tan-hee, a goth girlie obsessed with black magic. The smoky eyes, pale lips, and lip piercing say it all.KoreanFilmBiz KoBiz/YouTube
Waiting For Love (2013) - In the one-act drama Waiting For Love, Kim Ji-won took on the role of college student Choi Sae-rom. For the first time onscreen, we see the actress sporting wispy bangs that also complemented her subtle winged eyeliner so well.AsianWiki
The Heirs (2013) - The actress then just went for an even bigger statement in The Heirs as Rachel Yoo, known as the Paris Hilton of her high school. She stole the show with her snobbish and spoiled character, personified by the long blunt bangs and sleek straight hair that was all the rage in 2013. As usual, the winged liner was the pièce de résistance to her rich girl look.Scattered Joonni
Gabdong: The Serial Killer (2014) - In this 20-episode mystery-thriller, Kim Ji-won played Ma Ji-wol, a high school student and webtoon artist. She continued to experiment with bangs—this time, opting for layered bangs that give more dimension to her face as her character favored ponytails and updos.AsianWiki
The Reason I’m Getting Married (2014) - Kim Ji-won then made a cameo in the drama special The Reason I’m Getting Married as Kim Ji-yeong, a high school student and sister to the lead. She’s cute and snappy, and her layered long hair with the wispy bangs are just *chef’s kiss*!StarNewsKorea
One Sunny Day (2015) - She then went on to lead a web drama exclusively released to Thai audiences in 2015, opposite actor So Ji-sub. As Kim Ji-ho, the actress was ready for work and for love in Jeju Island. How about that chokchok glow, though?51K_CT/YouTube
Hidden Identity (2015) - The then-23-year-old actress made a cameo in the series Hidden Identity looking every bit the ideal girlfriend to actor Kim Bum’s character. A natural beauty like Kim Ji-won is definitely the perfect canvas for barely-there makeup looks. kimwoobinseyebrows/Tumblr
Descendants of the Sun (2016) - As a strong-willed and hard-headed commander and military doctor, Kim Ji-won’s Yoon Myung-joo is the role that catapulted her to superstardom. To play the second lead in this highly acclaimed drama, she cut her hair short and wore little makeup—but the perfectly gradient eyebrows? Yes! jiwon_hq/X
Descendants of the Sun (2016)yeolchives/X
KBS Drama Awards (2016) - After the success of Descendants, Kim Ji-won walked the red carpet at the KBS Drama Awards before she hosted the ceremonies with Park Bo-gum and Jun Hyun-moo. Her first look brought back the wispy bangs and longer hair length she’s become known for, while the gradient lip of the mid-2010s gave her all-white gown the much-needed pop of color.Pinterest
KBS Drama Awards (2016) - She then changed into a blue ensemble for the ceremonies, where she took home the Excellence Award for actress in a miniseries. Here, we see color theory at work where the same makeup looks more muted than it did with her previous gown.Pinterest
Fight For My Way (2017) - Another iconic Kim Ji-won character that won hearts in South Korea and beyond, Choi Ae-ra in Fight For My Way was easily recognizable by her signature curly bangs and curly hair—the birth of the Queen of Aegyo in K-Drama. jiwon-hq/Tumblr
Fight For My Way (2017) - Even while coloring her eyebrows, Kim Ji-won looks immaculate as a struggling millennial trying to fight for her place in the world. The curly bangs are just too cute! jiwon-hq/Tumblr
Detective K: Secret Of The Living Dead (2018) - The actress then starred in her last film to date, an action-comedy set in 18th century Joseon. She played a beautiful woman closely connected to the crimes that set the story in motion. Her visuals truly shined in the period film, with long waist-length hair styled half-up, half-down and topped off with bottleneck bangs.IMDb
Mr. Sunshine (2018) - She also had a limited appearance in Mr. Sunshine, another period piece, where the actress’ pared down look also made a comeback—this time, with a loose, low ponytail, long bangs, and stronger eyebrows. IMDb
Arthdal Chronicles: The Children of Prophecy (2019) - The first season of Arthdal Chronicles saw Kim Ji-won transform into the shaman and tribe leader Tan-ya. In the second episode, she steals hearts during a spiritual ceremony where she wears flowers in her hair and white face paint.Soompi
Arthdal Chronicles Part 2: The Sky Turning Inside Out, Rising Land (2019) - The second part of the season sees Tanya slowly come to her own, with a darker and heavier look. MyDramaList
Arthdal Chronicles Part 3: The Prelude To All Legends (2019) - Tan-ya soon comes to power, beautifully regal and stripped of her former “ordinary” self. The messy updo, the subtle smoky eye, dark eyebrows, and sun-kissed cheeks all speak to the character’s transformation. Kpopmap
Lovestruck In The City (2020) - In this web series, Kim Ji-won leads a double life as Yoon Seon-a, a seemingly free-spirited woman with blonde streaks in her long hair, who finds love while on vacation.Hancinema
Lovestruck In The City (2020) - In the end, she is revealed to be Lee Eun-oh, a freelancer who is “ordinary” compared to her other persona. While the blonde streaks are gone, Kim Ji-won still looked radiant despite her character’s struggle of working in a competitive industry. We’re huge fans of the more mature take to the wispy bangs and layered hair we often see her in!Hancinema
My Liberation Notes (2022) - Lending another nuanced performance in My Liberation Notes, Kim Ji-won’s Yeom Mi-jeong was a bright spot in this deep, slow-paced drama. Despite her mundane existence, she still stands out with her simple yet exceptional beauty—a 100/10 in the no-makeup makeup category, for sure.Hancinema
Queen of Tears (2024) - If you’ve made it this far, then that only means one thing: you’re also a simp for Queen of Tears’ Hong Hae-in—the perfect queen of Queens. Hancinema
Queen of Tears (2024) - We are first introduced to her character as a cold, calculating young woman, often reflected in her rigid style. Dark, sleek straight hair, thin, arched eyebrows, and matte velvety lips.Hancinema
Queen of Tears (2024) - As the story progresses, we discover various sides of her personality. From the way her husband, played by Kim Soo-hyun, imagines her as a femme fatale with the hair of a lioness…Hancinema
Queen of Tears (2024) - To a dignified CEO and chaebol heiress who turns heads with subtle yet impactful use of monochromatic colour on her lids and lips.Hancinema
Queen of Tears (2024) - We are also shown her sweeter side before the events that take place in the drama, including Hong Hae-in falling in love with her husband. A touch of blush for that kilig look? She’s got it.Hancinema
Queen of Tears (2024) - Her wedding look for the series is also a must to highlight—tightlined upper lids, subtly volumized lashes, a bit of gloss on the lips, and the layers of bangs framing her beautiful jawline come together as a work of art. Hancinema
Queen of Tears (2024) - Yongdu-ri Hae-in is also a sight to behold, dressed down in terms of fashion and beauty; but still headturning with barely-there makeup and hair. Hancinema
Queen of Tears (2024) - As the character grows throughout the story, softer waves in her hair reflect the changes in Hong Hae-in’s personality to complement her signature tightlined lids and matte lips. (Those shades are TDF, too!) Hancinema
Queen of Tears (2024) - As we approach the end of the series, we see a gentler, more delicate side of Hong Hae-in, and with that comes softer looks that also go well with Kim Ji-won’s beautiful features!Hancinema
