Kim Mi-soo, a rising South Korean actress who is now starring in the JTBC-Disney+ drama Snowdrop, died unexpectedly at the age of 29.
Her death was confirmed by her agency, Landscape Entertainment, on January 5th, after prior press reports.
Her funeral will take place in a funeral centre in Seoul’s Nowon district.
The reason of Kim’s death has not been established, and her representatives have asked that speculative rumours surrounding her death be avoided.
Kim, who was born on March 16, 1992, made her screen debut as one of the leads in the 2019 short film Lipstick Revolution, followed by roles in director Kim Jong-short kwan’s film Memories, the TV film Human Luwak, and her feature debut Kyungmi’s World, which premiered at the Busan International Film Festival and won the CGK & Samyang XEEN Award.
In 2020, Kim co-starred in the ghost comedy series Hi Bye, Mama! alongside Kim Tae-hee, as well as the romantic comedy Memorials and the Netflix series The School Nurse Files directed by Lee Kyoung-mi.
The following year, she appeared as a reporter in Yeon Sang-The ho’s Cursed: Dead Man’s Prey, as a guest star in Yumi’s Cells, and as one of the iconic cult deacons in Yeon Sang-Netflix ho’s programme Hellbound.
Kim received the greatest attention for her last part in the controversial series Snowdrop, playing student Yeo Jeong-min. Although the programme has been chastised for historical inaccuracies, Kim excelled as the short-haired and bespectacled Jeong-min, who is more interested in activism and political ideas than chasing after males, in contrast to her three dorm mates (including series lead Jisoo of K-pop group Blackpink).
Her memorable characters, both big and small, combined with her frequent collaborations with female directors and writers established her as a member of a new generation of women in the Korean entertainment industry, one that gives women a voice and agency in a society that remains stubbornly patriarchal.