Uhm Ji-won

Uhm Ji-won is a South Korean actress praised for her elegant voice and deep, careful acting. Born on 25 December 1977 in Daegu, she has led films and dramas for more than twenty-five years. She is known for Hope, Little Women and The Substitute.

Uhm Ji-won is 170 cm (5 ft 7 in) tall, according to her published profile.

Early life

Uhm Ji-won first worked as a reporter for a local TV station in Daegu. After moving to Seoul, she started acting in sitcoms in 1998. Her calm beauty and clear voice soon brought her bigger parts in dramas and films, and she worked hard to be seen as a serious actress.

Career and breakthrough

Her film work made critics notice her, above all The Scarlet Letter (2004), where she played a cellist caught in a dark love story. She won wide praise for the film Hope (2013), playing Mi-hee, the mother of a young victim. The role brought her the Best Actress prize from the Korean Film Critics Association.

Popular roles

On television, she played prosecutor Jung Woo-jin in the hit forensic drama Sign (2011). In Little Women (2022), she surprised viewers as Won Sang-a, an elegant rich woman with a cold and dangerous heart. The villain role became one of the most talked-about performances of the year. She also led the warm comedy Postpartum Care Center (2020).

Recent work

In 2025 she played the cheerful widow Ma Kwang-sook in the family drama For Eagle Brothers and made a strong special appearance as Na Min-ok in When Life Gives You Tangerines. In The Substitute (2026), she takes the lead role of Shim Kyung-oh. Her long career shows a rare mix of grace, power and steady hard work.