Moon Ga-young

2005–2010: Early career as child actress and model

Moon was first scouted as a child model for a clothing magazine in Germany while being pushed in a stroller by her mother.^[5] Upon the family's return to South Korea in 2005, her mother and uncle submitted photos of Moon and her older sister to a modeling contest. While the submission was intended as a casual gesture, Moon was subsequently selected as a model for a children's fashion catalog.^{[3][6][10][9]}

In 2006, Moon began her career as child actress^[11] a child actress, debuting in the film Bloody Reunion. She appeared in several film projects over the following years, providing her voice for Black House (2007) and appearing in minor roles in Shadows in the Palace (2007), Our Town (2007), and Do You See Seoul? (2008).^[10]

Concurrently, she appeared in a series of television dramas, starting with Hometown over the Hill [ko] (2007) and continuing with Bitter Sweet Life (2008), Ja Myung Go (2009), Friend, Our Legend (2009), The Reputable Family (2010), and Bad Guy (2010).^[10] Throughout this period, she was an active child performer alongside peers such as Yeo Jin-goo, Kim You-jung, and Kim So-hyun. During middle school, she took a hiatus from acting, both by choice and due to casting difficulties, after a growth spurt of over 10 centimeters made her physically too tall for traditional child roles.^[9]

2011–2016: Teen roles and transition to more mature roles

She was well-loved for her portrayal of Jung-hyun, the little sister of Lee Shin (acted by Jung Yong-hwa) in MBC TV Wednesday-Thursday drama Heartstrings (2011), directed by Pyo Min-soo and scripted by Lee Myung-sook.^[12]

While in high school, Moon made her mark as the mysterious character Seohyun in Lee Si-young's Killer Toon, directed by Kim Yong-gyun and released on June 27, 2013. This breakthrough role significantly boosted her prominence.^[13] In 2013, she was also cast in the KBS TV weekend drama Wang's Family, written by Moon Young-nam and directed by Jin Hyun-wook. Moon portrayed Wang Hae-bak, the fourth daughter of the Wang family, who, despite being a high school student absorbed in her smartphone and rarely communicating with her family, impresses everyone with her exceptional academic performance and resourcefulness.^[14]

In April 2013, she gained attention for her performance alongside Baekhyun on SBS's Inkigayo, which led her to trend at the top of real-time search terms on various portal sites.^[15] Furthermore, Moon was chosen to portray Oh-reum, a ghost with a compelling backstory, in tvN's new Monday-Tuesday drama Who Are You? which premiered on July 29, 2013. Her character appears in the first two episodes of the series, which stars So Yi-hyun, Ok Taec-yeon, and Kim Jae-wook.^[14]

In 2014, while in her final year of high school, Moon transitioned to teen roles with her first lead performance in the Mnet mystery romance drama Mimi (2014).^[16][17] Starring alongside TVXQ's Changmin,^[10] she portrayed the title character Mimi, an innocent girl harboring a secret while suffering from an unnamed illness.^[3] The following year, she played the female protagonist in the Naver TV web drama Exo Next Door, appearing alongside members of the boy band Exo.^[18]

In 2016, Moon played a supporting role in the SBS television series Don't Dare to Dream. Alongside characters played by Kim Jung-hyun and Ahn Woo-yeon, her character formed a trio referred to as the "three musketeers." Ppal-gang was depicted as a teenager who prioritized academics while maintaining a protective barrier against the adults who had caused her emotional distress.^[19]

In 2017, Moon appeared in a supporting role in the medical fantasy drama Live Up to Your Name.^[20][21] She portrayed Dong Mak-gae, the loyal assistant to Heo Im (Kim Nam-gil). Her performance earned praise for her portrayal of a cross-dressing character within the historical setting of the series.^[22] That same year, Moon starred in the KBS drama special Waltzing Alone, which marked her first adult role after turning 20. She portrayed Kim Min-sun, a struggling job seeker and 2009 high school graduate. The character, depicted as older than Moon's actual age at the time, was characterized as an individual facing career setbacks and social difficulties.^[5][22]

2018–2023: Leading actress and rising popularity

In 2018, Moon took on the lead role in the romance drama Tempted, based on the 18th century French novel Les Liaisons dangereuses.^[23] She played Choi Soo-ji, the daughter of a medical foundation chairman who schemes to seduce Kwon Si-hyeon (portrayed by Woo Do-hwan). Moon's performance earned her the Excellence Award for Best Actress in a Monday-Tuesday Drama at the MBC Drama Awards.^[24] On July 3, 2018, she transferred from SM C&C to KeyEast, an agency acquired by SM Entertainment in March 2018.^[25] In 2019, Moon starred in the JTBC comedy series Welcome to Waikiki 2 as Han Soo-yeon, the shared first love of three friends played by Lee Yi-kyung, Kim Seon-ho, and Shin Hyun-soo.^[26][27] The role depicts a woman forced to seek financial independence after her wedding is canceled following the collapse of her father's business.^[9][28]

In the following year, Moon starred as the female lead in the romance series Find Me in Your Memory,^[29] portraying Yeo Ha-jin, an actress and influencer who has suppressed her past memories. Her character becomes involved with a news anchor (played by Kim Dong-wook) diagnosed with hyperthymesia, a condition involving near-perfect memory. It was broadcast on MBC TV from March 18 to May 13, 2020.^[30][31][32] Later, Moon took on the lead role of Lim Ju-kyung in the tvN series True Beauty, alongside Cha Eun-woo, Hwang In-youp, and Park Yoo-na, which aired in December 2020.^[33][34] Based on the Line Webtoon Line Webtoon of the same name by Yaongyi, the role follows a high school student who masters the art of makeup to transform her appearance after experiencing bullying and discrimination based on her looks.^{[35][36][37][38]}

In 2021, Moon starred alongside Yoon Kye-sang in the music video for "Cheers," a track by Lee Chan-hyuk, Colde, and Sogumm, produced by Code Kunst. Directed by Kwon Oh-jun, the project was part of Elle Korea's "Reconnect 2021" initiative, a campaign designed to support and encourage youth.^[39][40]

In 2022, Moon reunited with director Hong Jong-chan for the tvN fantasy-melodrama Link: Eat, Love, Kill, portraying Noh Da-hyun, a trainee at Jihwayang restaurant who became love interest of Eun Gye-hoon (portrayed by Yeo Jin-goo), a sous chef at the same restaurant.^[41][42] In the end of 2022, Moon starred in the JTBC office-romance drama The Interest of Love.^[43] Moon portrayed Ahn Soo-young, a head teller at KCU Bank's Yeongpo branch who maintains a cynical and guarded view of romance. Her perspective begins to shift after she becomes involved with her colleague Ha Sang-soo (portrayed by Yoo Yeon-seok) who introduces new emotional complexity to her life.^[44]

2024–to present: Literary debut and continued screen career

In February 2024, Moon debuted as an author with the publication of her first prose collection, Pata, featuring personal thoughts and reflections.^[45] The collection's pre-sale on February 27 reached 2,000 copies, leading to an immediate second printing, a performance noted by industry analysts as a significant achievement in South Korea's publishing sector.^[46] In July 2024, publisher Wisdom House announced international distribution agreements for the title with AtmanBooks in Taiwan and ShiraMedia in Indonesia.^[47]

In her screen career, Moon collaborated with director Hong Jong-chan for Daesung's "Falling Slowly" music video, released on March 5, 2024. The project featured a reunion with her Welcome to Waikiki 2 co-star, Kim Seon-ho.^[48] On July 1, 2024, Moon signed an exclusive contract with management company Peak J Entertainment.^[49] Shortly after, tvN confirmed her as the lead alongside Choi Hyun-wook in the series My Dearest Nemesis.^[50] The series is based on Black Salt Dragon, a webtoon by Hye Jin-yang.^[51] The drama is directed by Lee Soo-hyun, known for Delightfully Deceitful and written by Kim Soo-yeon.^[52] It was produced by Studio N and planned by Studio Dragon.^[53][50]

Moon also starred in the romantic melodrama Once We Were Us, directed by Kim Do-young, a remake of 2018 Chinese film Us and Them directed by Rene Liu. Portraying Han Jung-won opposite Koo Kyo-hwan, she depicted a character's ten-year progression from a rural upbringing to adult life in Seoul. Distributed by Showbox, the film was released in South Korea on December 31, 2025.^[54][55] The film achieved commercial success, becoming the first domestic romance in several years to surpass two million admissions and maintaining a top position at the South Korean box office through early 2026.^[56]

On July 3, 2026 Moon signed an exclusive contract with Fantagio.^[57]

Film

Television series

Television shows

Hosting

Music video appearances

Awards and nominations

Listicles