Esom

Esom is a South Korean actress and former model with a cool, unique charm. Born on January 30, 1990, in Seoul, she first worked in fashion and then moved into films and dramas. She is loved for playing strong, free women, from a brave prosecutor in Taxi Driver to a fun, honest friend in Because This Is My First Life.

Early life

She was born in Seoul with the name Lee So-young, and Esom is her stage name. She loved acting from a young age, but she started her career in front of the camera as a model. In 2008, she won a model search program on Mnet and began working in fashion. The job gave her confidence and style, but her dream was always acting, so she slowly prepared for a change.

Career and breakthrough

She started acting around 2010 and built her name mainly through films. Her lead role in the 2014 film Scarlet Innocence brought her several Best New Actress nominations and a rookie award. She later won wide praise for the film Microhabitat (2018) and won Best Supporting Actress at the Blue Dragon Film Awards for Samjin Company English Class (2020), where she played Jung Yu-na.

Popular roles

In Because This Is My First Life (2017), she played Woo Soo-ji, a bold and funny office worker who speaks her mind and loves freely. The role made her a favorite with drama fans. In Taxi Driver (2021), she played Kang Ha-na, a sharp prosecutor who follows the law but slowly questions what real justice means. She also appeared as Cha Min-hee in the action film Kill Boksoon (2023).

Recent work

Esom stayed active with the series Black Knight (2023) and other film roles, always choosing interesting characters. She continues into 2026 with the drama Phantom Lawyer, playing Han Na-hyun. Fans enjoy her because she makes every role feel fresh, honest and a little surprising.