Kim Hae-sook

Kim Hae-sook is a South Korean actress with a career of more than fifty years. She is lovingly called the Nation's Mother because she has played the mother of almost every top star in Korea. New global fans know her from Hospital Playlist (2020) and My Demon (2023), where her warmth fills every scene.

Kim Hae-sook is 158 cm (5 ft 2 in) tall.

Early life

Kim Hae-sook was born on December 30, 1955, in Busan, South Korea. She made her acting debut in 1974 and worked through years when television drama was still young in Korea. Step by step, her kind face, soft voice and true acting made her the first choice for mother and grandmother roles.

Career and breakthrough

Across hundreds of dramas and films, Kim Hae-sook became a symbol of Korean family love. She won many awards for roles in dramas and in films such as Thirst (2009) and The Handmaiden (2016), which carried her name to film fans around the world. Younger actors often say that acting beside her feels like acting beside their own mother.

Popular roles

In Hospital Playlist (2020), Kim Hae-sook plays Jeong Rosa, the elegant wife of the hospital chairman and mother of a priest and a doctor. Her gentle scenes with her children became some of the show's most loved moments. In My Demon (2023), she plays Ju Cheon-suk, the rich and sharp chairwoman who raised the hero, mixing power with hidden love.

Recent work and why fans love her

She joined The WONDERfools (2026) as Kim Jeon-bok, still adding strong roles after fifty years of work. Fans love Kim Hae-sook because she makes every family feel real. Her smile can comfort a whole scene, and her tears carry the weight of a long life honestly lived on screen.