Park Ji-hyun (Actress)

Who is Park Ji-hyun?

Park Ji-hyun is a South Korean actress and model born on November 26, 1994. She joined the talent agency Namoo Actors in 2016 and made her acting debut in 2017. Park studied Spanish Language at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, where she balanced her academic pursuits with formal training at an acting academy.

Park Ji-hyun gained initial recognition through her leading role in the 2018 horror film Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum, directed by Jung Bum-shik. Her performance in this commercially successful film, which became the third most-watched horror film in South Korea, earned her nominations for Rookie of the Year at the 39th Blue Dragon Film Awards in 2018 and at the 24th Spring Festival in 2019. The film starred Park alongside Wi Ha-joon and Park Sung-hoon, following a web series crew's exploration of an abandoned psychiatric hospital based on a real-life location.

Her career encompasses memorable roles across both film and television mediums. Notable film credits include The Divine Fury (2019), while her television work features appearances in Your Honor (2018) and the historical drama Rookie Historian Goo Hae-ryung (2019). Park expanded her range with the supporting role of Lee Jun-kyung in the 2020 SBS drama Do You Like Brahms?, which brought her a nomination for Best New Actress at the 2020 SBS Drama Awards.

The actress achieved a significant career breakthrough with her portrayal of Mo Hyun-min in the 2022 JTBC fantasy drama series Reborn Rich. In this high-rating series, which became one of the highest-viewed Korean cable dramas, Park played the ambitious daughter-in-law of the Sunyang Group chaebol family opposite Song Joong-ki and Lee Sung-min. This role marked a turning point in her professional trajectory, elevating her profile after years of supporting roles and creating increased opportunities in the industry.

Early life and education

The actress's interest in performing developed during childhood through role-playing games with her older sister and younger brother. These early experiences with her siblings sparked an initial fascination with acting that would shape her future aspirations. Park began formal study of the craft during middle school, continuing through her high school years with acting classes. Despite this early engagement with performance training, her commitment to acting remained undefined during adolescence, with academic studies taking precedence over artistic pursuits.

Park's parents encouraged her to prioritize higher education before committing to a professional acting path. Their guidance aligned with her academic capabilities, as she demonstrated strong scholastic aptitude throughout her secondary education. She successfully passed the entrance examination for Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, enrolling in the Spanish Language Department. This academic achievement reflected both her intellectual strengths and her family's emphasis on establishing an educational foundation.

After completing her first semester at university, Park made a decisive shift toward her artistic goals. She took a leave of absence from her studies to dedicate herself to comprehensive acting training. This period marked a transition from viewing performance as a peripheral interest to treating it as a serious professional pursuit. Equally significant, she began attending an acting academy to receive structured, formal instruction in the discipline. The academy training provided her with systematic preparation for the entertainment industry, complementing her earlier informal exposure to acting through high school classes.

The combination of university enrollment and subsequent focus on acting academy training established a pattern of balancing conventional expectations with personal ambition. Park's educational trajectory demonstrates how she navigated parental guidance, academic responsibilities, and artistic passion before ultimately concentrating on professional preparation for her career. Her decision to pause formal university studies after one semester represented a calculated choice to invest time in specialized acting instruction, setting the foundation for her entry into the entertainment field.

Career journey and breakthrough roles

Early career (2017-2019)

Park entered the entertainment industry through minor roles in period dramas, appearing in Saimdang, Memoir of Colors and The King in Love during 2017. Her television work in 2018 expanded to include supporting characters across multiple genres, playing Park Hae-na in Your Honor, Clara Choi in My Secret Terrius, and Ryoo Hye-jin in Dear My Room. Her first leading role arrived that same year in the horror film Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum, where she portrayed a paranormal content creator in a found-footage ensemble cast. The film achieved significant commercial performance, attracting over 2.8 million viewers and becoming the third most-watched Korean horror film at the time. It grossed approximately USD 21.00 million worldwide on a modest budget. In 2019, she appeared as Soo-jin in the supernatural action film The Divine Fury and portrayed Song Sa-hee, an apprentice historian, in the MBC historical drama Rookie Historian Goo Hae-ryung.

Rising recognition (2020-2022)

Her role as Lee Jung-kyung in the SBS romantic drama Do You Like Brahms? featured her as a violinist navigating relationships and musical ambitions among classical music students across 16 episodes. She played Seo Sae-yi in Yumi's Cells, appearing in 14 episodes as a colleague and aspiring game art director who served as a love rival to the protagonist due to unrequited feelings for their boss. In 2022, she took on Park Joon-young in the KBS2 sports romance Love All Play, spanning 16 episodes. That year also featured her appearance as Seo Seung-ah in the film The Anchor. Her portrayal of Mo Hyun-min in Reborn Rich proved transformative, playing the ambitious daughter-in-law of the Sunyang Group chaebol family in 4 episodes. She described this character as a new experience in expressing ambition and desire without restraint.

Leading roles and mainstream success (2024-present)

Park secured her first major leading television role as detective Lee Kang-hyun in Flex X Cop, starring opposite Ahn Bo-hyun in a story blending comedy and crime investigation. The series peaked at 11.0% viewership rating. She revealed the physically challenging role made her realize the importance of stamina, prompting her to seriously train in exercise and ballet. She was awarded Excellence Award, Actress in a Miniseries Genre/Action Drama at 2024 SBS Drama Awards. In Hidden Face, she played cellist Mi-joo in an erotic mystery thriller that became the first 19+ rated Korean movie in five years to surpass 1 million admissions, reaching the milestone on December 22, 2024. She won Best Supporting Actress at the 46th Blue Dragon Film Awards in 2025. She ranked 37th on the Forbes Korea Power Celebrity 40 list in 2024.

Notable films and television series

Film appearances

Her film career spans diverse genres across multiple years of production. The Chase (2017) marked her cinema debut as Kim Su-gyeong. Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum (2018) featured her in the role of Ji-hyun, a character sharing her first name. That same year, she appeared in A Man's True Colors as part of a couple at a Chinese restaurant. The Divine Fury (2019) cast her as Soo-jin in a supporting capacity, while Black Money (2019) included her in a minor role as prosecutor's office staff.

Anchor (2022) featured her performance as Seo Seung-ah. Hidden Face (2024), an erotic mystery thriller, starred her as Kim Mi-joo, a cellist in a remake of the 2011 Spanish-Colombian film. Forbidden Fairytale (2025) presented her as Yun Dan-bi in a leading capacity. Wild Sing (2026) features her portrayal of Byeon Do-mi. Additionally, a project titled Control appears in her filmography, though production details remain unspecified.

Television drama roles

Her television portfolio encompasses productions across major Korean broadcasting networks and streaming platforms. Early period drama appearances included Saimdang, Memoir of Colors (SBS, 2017) and The King in Love (MBC, 2017) as Bi-yun across 40 episodes. Her 2018 television work featured Park Hae-na in Your Honor (SBS, 32 episodes), Clara Choi in My Secret Terrius (MBC, 32 episodes), and Ryu Hye-jin in Dear My Room (Olive, 12 episodes).

Rookie Historian Goo Hae-ryung (MBC, 2019) presented her as Song Sa-hee, a historian, across 40 episodes. Do You Like Brahms? (SBS, 2020) starred her as Lee Jung-kyung for 16 episodes, with a director's cut film version released in 2021. Yumi's Cells (tvN-TVING, 2021) featured her as Seo Sae-yi across 14 episodes, with a brief guest appearance in episode 5 of Season 2 (TVING, 2022). Love All Play (KBS2, 2022) cast her as Park Jun-young for 16 episodes.

Flex X Cop (SBS, 2024) starred her as Lee Gang-hyun across 16 episodes. You and Everything Else (Netflix, 2025) features her as Cheon Sang-yeon in 15 episodes. Our Universe (tvN, 2026) includes a guest role as Woo Hyeon-ju in episodes 1, 2, and 8 of the 12-episode series. See You at Work Tomorrow! (tvN, 2026) stars her as Cha Ji-yun for 12 episodes. Love Cloud (2027) is scheduled to feature her as An Ha-ni across 12 episodes.

Awards and achievements

Recognition for her performances arrived through nominations and competitive awards across film and television categories. Her first major industry acknowledgment came with a Best New Actress nomination at the 39th Blue Dragon Film Awards in 2018 for Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum, followed by a Rookie of the Year Award nomination at the 24th Chunsa Film Art Awards that same year. The MBC Drama Awards in 2019 brought a nomination for Excellence Award, Actress in a Wednesday-Thursday Miniseries for Rookie Historian Goo Hae-ryung, while the 2020 SBS Drama Awards recognized her work in Do You Like Brahms? with a Best New Actress nomination.

Her breakthrough in major award wins occurred at the 2024 SBS Drama Awards on December 21, where she received the Excellence Award, Actress in a Miniseries Genre/Action Drama for Flex X Cop. This recognition marked her first trophy after a decade in the industry. Subsequently, she secured Best Supporting Actress at the 46th Blue Dragon Film Awards on November 19, 2025, for her performance as Mi-joo in Hidden Face. The win proved significant as she defeated established actors including Yeom Hye-ran, Shin Hyun-bin, Jeon Yeo-been, and Lee Jung-eun. During her acceptance speech, she referenced her previous nomination seven years earlier for Gonjiam, noting how her perspective had evolved from a newcomer to an established industry participant.

The Korean Film Producers Association Awards likewise honored her with Best Supporting Actress for Hidden Face in 2025. Her performance in this film additionally earned a Best New Actress nomination at the 2025 Baeksang Arts Awards. The following year, her television work in You and Everything Else brought a nomination for Best Actress at the 2026 Baeksang Arts Awards. This nomination held particular importance as it positioned her among leading Korean actors, representing clear industry validation regardless of the final outcome.

Beyond formal award ceremonies, she received recognition through industry publications. Cine21 magazine included her in their "Five Rising Stars that Cine21 is paying attention to" in 2020, then featured her again in their "Top 5 New Actress to watch in 2023". These editorial acknowledgments reflected growing industry awareness of her developing capabilities across diverse roles.

Profile and interesting facts

Born under the Sagittarius zodiac sign, the actress stands 167 cm (5'6") tall and maintains an active social media presence through her Instagram account @voyavivirel and fan cafe actressP.J.H. She comes from a family of three siblings, with an older sister and a younger brother. Her father works as a doctor and was diagnosed with cancer five years prior to 2026. During the filming of You and Everything Else, where she portrayed a terminal cancer patient, she consulted her father about his experiences with the illness, asking him to describe the nature of his pain. His response, stating he would have wanted to end his life without family support, moved her deeply and informed her character preparation.

Her academic performance during university years included achieving a score of 900 on the TOEIC examination. Personal interests span diverse activities, including playing video games, fishing, taking photographs, and experimenting with clothing styles in various colors. She particularly enjoys being photographed and finds satisfaction in discovering styles that complement her appearance. Despite this interest in fashion, she maintains a practice of avoiding hair styling and makeup in her personal time outside of professional work.

Her entertainment consumption preferences lean toward specific genres and formats. She recommends the Netflix series Black Mirror and expressed interest in Zumbo's Dessert in 2019. Documentaries attract her attention, with Making a Murderer standing out as particularly unsettling to her. Her film preferences include science fiction, fantasy, murder mysteries, and ghost stories, while natural disaster films trigger fear. She regularly watches content on Netflix and YouTube platforms.

Before pursuing acting, her career aspiration centered on becoming a movie editor. She participated in User Created Contents competitions and received awards for her submissions. Her video editing skills remain active, though she keeps her work private, having created a birthday video gift for a friend. She underwent a significant physical transformation earlier in her career after weighing 78 kg. Her variety show appearances include Running Man and 2 Days & 1 Night: Season 3. She developed special affection for co-star Kim Go-eun, and for her role in Wild Sing, she researched her character by drawing inspiration from Lee Hyori of Fin.K.L.

FAQs

How did Park Ji-hyun begin her acting career?

She joined Namoo Actors talent agency in 2016 after completing acting academy training while studying Spanish Language at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies. Her professional debut occurred in 2017 through minor roles in period dramas before securing her first leading role in the horror film Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum the following year.

Which role is considered her breakthrough performance?

Her portrayal of Mo Hyun-min in the 2022 JTBC series Reborn Rich marked a significant turning point. This high-rating fantasy drama elevated her profile after years in supporting roles, creating increased industry opportunities. Subsequently, her first major leading television role as detective Lee Kang-hyun in Flex X Cop (2024) and her performance in Hidden Face (2024) solidified her mainstream recognition.

What major awards has she won?

She received the Excellence Award for Actress in a Miniseries Genre/Action Drama at the 2024 SBS Drama Awards for Flex X Cop, marking her first trophy after a decade in the industry. In 2025, she secured Best Supporting Actress at the 46th Blue Dragon Film Awards for Hidden Face, defeating established actors including Yeom Hye-ran and Jeon Yeo-been.

Where can fans follow her activities?

Her official social media presence includes Instagram account @voyavivirel and fan cafe actressP.J.H, where she maintains active engagement with supporters.

What is her educational background?

She studied Spanish Language at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, achieving a TOEIC score of 900 during her university years. After one semester, she took a leave of absence to focus on comprehensive acting training at a specialized academy, balancing conventional educational expectations with artistic ambition.