Park So-dam

2013–2016: Early career

While in university, Park started her career by turning to independent films after being rejected from around seventeen auditions.^[7][8] Her prolific work in independent cinema, which included eight short films in 2013 alone, earned her the nickname "the Jeon Do-yeon of the short film world." By the end of that year, she had appeared in over 15 short films.^[9] Park's work also extended to feature films, starring in the Korean Academy of Film Arts production Ingtoogi: Battle of the Internet Trolls and the indie Steel Cold Winter, the latter of which drew notice when it premiered at the Busan International Film Festival.^[10]

Park graduated from Korea National University of Arts in February 2014.^[9] Park took on small roles in the mainstream films Scarlet Innocence and The Royal Tailor.^[10]

She broke into the mainstream in 2015 after making a strong impression with her performance in The Silenced, which nabbed her a win for Best Supporting Actress from the Busan Film Critics Awards.^[7][11] She then featured in box office hits Veteran and The Throne, which led to her casting in the critically acclaimed mystery thriller The Priests.^[12][13] Her role as an evil possessed high school student won her multiple Best New Actress nods.^[14][15]

Park also expanded her filmography to television. She made her debut in OnStyle network's first drama, titled My First Time. Written by Jung Hyun-jung and directed by Lee Jung-hyo, the story follows a group of six young people who gather on a rooftop to escape their problems. Park starred alongside Choi Min-ho, Kim Min-jae, Jung Yoo-jin, Lee Yi-kyung, and Cho Hye-jung. The eight-episode series aired weekly on Wednesdays, starting on October 7, 2015.^[16] For her performance, she was nominated for Best New Actress – Television at the 52nd Baeksang Arts Awards.^[17][18]

In 2016, she took the lead role in KBS2's medical drama A Beautiful Mind^[19] and tvN's romantic comedy series Cinderella with Four Knights.^[3] She then appeared in 2016 revival of the hit play Closer, by Patrick Marber, opposite Bae Seong-woo, Seo Hyun-woo, Kim So-jin, and Kim Seon-ho.^[20]

2019–present: Rising popularity through Parasite and career breakthrough

In 2019, Park So-dam starred as Ki-jung in Bong Joon-ho's black comedy, Parasite.^[21] The film became a global cultural phenomenon, earning the Academy Award for Best Picture and achieving significant box office success in South Korea and internationally.^[22] Park's performance as a crafty, whipsmart younger sister of the Kim family was widely praised, with her "Jessica Jingle", a mnemonic, becoming a well-known part of the film.^[23] She and the rest of the cast received multiple award nominations for Best Ensemble, and they collectively won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture.^[5]

Later that year, Park began filming the chase film Special Delivery, with principal photography starting on May 29, 2019. In addition to her film work, she appeared on the tvN variety show Three Meals a Day: Mountain Village along with Yum Jung-ah and Yoon Se-ah.^[24]

In 2020, Park was cast in the youth drama Record of Youth as an aspiring makeup artist, co-starring with Park Bo-gum.^[25] She also participated in the camping variety show Gamsung Camping with Park Na-rae, Ahn Young-mi, Son Na-eun, Solar.^[2] Later that year, she returned to the stage to reprise her role in the play The Student and Mr. Henri, which she had previously performed in 2017.^[26]

In 2021, Park began filming the spy action film Phantom on January 4, with production concluding on May 21. During the film's post-production phase, she was diagnosed with cancer and took a hiatus from acting to focus on her recovery.^[27]

Despite her hiatus, two of her films were released. In 2022, three years after her last film appearance, Park starred as a professional delivery driver in the crime action film Special Delivery.^[28][29] Her performance garnered several Best Actress nominations, including at the Baeksang Arts Awards,^[30] the Blue Dragon Film Awards,^[31] and the Chunsa Film Art Awards.^[32] The following year, she appeared in Lee Hae-young's spy action film Phantom as a Korean secretary to a high-ranking Japanese officer in 1933.^[33][34]

Park returned to acting after her recovery, taking on the female lead role in TVING series Death's Game. She portrayed a mysterious entity known as "Death," who punishes a man for his suicide by forcing him to experience 12 cycles of painful death.^[35]

In November 2025, Park part ways with Artist Company after 8 years and signed an exclusive contract with The Present Company.^[36]

Health

On December 13, 2021, it was revealed that Park had been diagnosed with papillary thyroid cancer during a regular health checkup, and underwent surgery.^[40] On February 7, 2022, Park's agency confirmed that Park had recently recovered from COVID-19.^[41]

Film

Short film

Television series

Television shows

Hosting

Radio shows

Singles