Korean Actress Kim Gains Spotlight in the United States

Despite having been an established actress in her native South Korea for almost 10 years, Kim Yoon-jin's star is still on the rise. Her career in Korea started out with parts in TV dramas and quickly advanced into film with her debut in the groundbreaking Korean film "Shiri" (1999). It was her role in this blockbuster that earned her star status and she was cast in other Korean films such as "The Gingko Bed" (2000), "Iron Palm" (2002), and "Diary of June" (2005).

In 2004, she scored the role that would allow her to break through on the Hollywood scene – the character Kwon Sunhwa on the hit TV series Lost. Kim plays a Korean woman whose characteristics defy those of conventional stereotypes typically attributed to Korean women. Just as the viewers find with each of the main characters on the show, there is more than meets the eye with Sun. Each of the characters on Lost is inherently a "good" person despite having made some questionable choices in life – and Sun is no exception. Her character's husband Jin is portrayed as the stereotypical patriarchal Korean male – controlling, overbearing, protective, narrow-minded and proud. Kim's character Sun is a smart, cunning and strong woman who stands up to her husband time and time again, while more or less maintaining the honor of their marriage.

On a more symbolic level, Kim's character Sun is a representation of American ideals set against the background of a Korean character which helps the average U.S. viewer to understand and sympathize with the Korean culture. She is a great choice of actress to take on this task – having immigrated from Korea to the U.S. with her family at the age of ten and attended grade school to high school in New York and college at Boston University – she is familiar with having to define herself in a duality of cultures.

In 1996, she was asked to appear in a Korean TV show filming in Manhattan, New York and after that she went back to her homeland to pursue a career in acting. She appeared in several other Korean TV dramas until her role in the movie Shiri in 1999, after which she began to work in Korean films. Kim returned to the U.S. to audition for the role of Kate (the female lead) on the upcoming TV series Lost, for which she did not receive the role, but being that the producers were so impressed with her audition they decided to write the character of Sun just for Kim.

Since then, Kim continues to do film work in her native Korea while appearing weekly on Lost. She has appeared on numerous talk shows to promote Lost, including Jimmy Kimmel Live, Late show with David Letterman, The View, and Late Night with Conan O'Brien. Kim continues to garner Hollywood attention and an international fan base while serving as a worthy role-model for both Korean and American women alike.

By Stephanie Chang