Youn Yuh-Jung, a venerated and celebrated Korean actress, has captivated audiences globally with her illustrious career spanning five decades. She initially gained recognition with her film debut in 1971's Woman of Fire, playing a country girl transformed into a femme fatale, for which she won the prestigious Blue Dragon Award for best actress. This marked the beginning of her journey as a leading lady in Korea's most esteemed films and television shows.
After achieving immense success, Youn took a hiatus from acting to immigrate to the United States. Ten years later, she returned to Korea and made a triumphant comeback, continuing to defy conventions and garner widespread acclaim in films such as A Good Lawyer's Wife, The Taste of Money, and The Bacchus Lady. Her portrayal of a senior prostitute in the latter earned her widespread recognition.
Throughout her illustrious career, Youn has taken on a multitude of memorable roles in over 80 television shows and nearly 30 feature films, accumulating numerous awards and accolades. Fluently speaking both Korean and English, she has established herself as a force to be reckoned with on screen, as well as in the fashion world, being regarded as a style icon in Korea.
Youn's recent American credits include her critically acclaimed performance as the feisty and unconventional grandmother Soonja in the film Minari. Her other notable roles include the maternal convict Min-Jung in the Wachowski's Sense8 and an upcoming appearance in the Apple series Pachinko.
