Jung Yu-mi (actress, born 1983)

Jung Yu-mi made her acting debut in short films, notably How to Operate a Polaroid Camera.^[4] Shortly after, the then-aspiring actress impressed critics in the feature film Blossom Again, in which she gave an engrossing performance as an emotionally vulnerable teenager experiencing her first love,^[5] and thus received several newcomer awards that year.^[6] Her next film Family Ties was also critically acclaimed,^[7] for which she won Best Supporting Actress at the Blue Dragon Film Awards.^[8]

Jung's filmography is a diverse mix of arthouse indies such as The Room Nearby^[9] and Cafe Noir,^[10] cult monster flick Chaw,^[11] odd-couple romantic comedy My Dear Desperado,^[12] and melodrama Come, Closer.^[13] The Crucible (also known as Silenced), inspired by true events about a group of handicapped children who suffer physical and sexual abuse at the hands of their teachers, drew nearly 5 million viewers and became one of the highest-grossing films that Jung has starred in.^[14] Her ability to portray the lives of ordinary people in ways that are not ordinary has made her one of the most sought-after actresses for auteurial films, as evidenced by her continued collaboration with director Hong Sang-soo.^[15] She played the titular character in Hong's Oki's Movie (2010) and Our Sunhi (2013), where her fragile appeal is underpinned by a quiet strength and straightforwardness.^[16] Oki's Movie premiered at the 67th Venice Film Festival, while Our Sunhi premiered at the 66th Locarno International Film Festival. In 2015, she starred in the female-centric indie film The Table directed by Kim Jong-kwan, which premiered at the 21st Busan International Film Festival.^[17]

Jung has also starred in several commercial films, such as Manhole (2014), where she plays a killer.^[18] She was cast in the zombie thriller Train to Busan (2016) directed by Yeon Sang-ho, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival.^[19] The film was a major success, surpassing 10 million audiences.^[20] Jung reunited with Yeon in another film, Psychokinesis, a black comedy which premiered in 2018.^[21] Though much less prolific in television, Jung uses her quirky, offbeat image to great effect when playing peculiar but adorable characters in Que Sera Sera (2007), I Need Romance 2012, and Discovery of Love (2014).^[22] In 2018, Jung starred in the tvN drama Live, written by Noh Hee-kyung where she played a police officer.^[23]

Jung also showcased her sweet singing voice through the song "Andromeda" with Sung Si-kyung in 2016.^[24] They later did a live duet of the song in You Hee-yeol's Sketchbook in 2017. In 2019, Jung starred in the feminist film Kim Ji-young: Born 1982 based on the best-selling novel of the same title.^[25] The film was released in October 2019.^[26] In 2020, Jung played the titular role in Netflix's series The School Nurse Files.^[27]