In case you missed it, The King: Eternal Monarch’s Kim Yong Ji—Woo Do Hwan’s love interest on the show—is set to star in a new TVN drama titled the Tale of Gumiho. Top billed by Yong Ji, Lee Dong Wook, Jo Bo Ah, and Kim Bum, the urban fantasy drama marks Yong Ji’s first major role on a television series.
Tale of Gumiho chronicles the life of Lee Yeon (Lee Dong Wook), a 1000-year-old mythical nine-tailed fox who can transform into a human. He eventually crosses paths with Nam Ji Ah (Jo Bo Ah), a television producer currently working on a show that investigates urban myths. Meanwhile, joining them in the story are Lee Yeon's younger, more dangerous step-brother Lee Rang (Kim Bum), and Yong Ji's character Ki Yoo Ra. “Compared to them, my character is a very new gumiho. She hasn’t been one for very long, so she still has a lot of animal instincts left within her,” the 29-year-old actress described to Soompi.
Backed by star-studded leads, and a compellingly unique premise, we have no doubt that Tale of Gumiho is the new K-drama to watch. With that in mind, there's no more escaping Yong Ji's irresistible charms as she finally takes on a lead role this time around.
That said, below we've rounded up 10 basic facts that every new fan should know about the model turned actress.
1. She’s an Aries
Yong Ji was born on April 14, 1991, making her an Aries, a.k.a. now’s your chance to check out if you’re compatible with the Korean beauty.
2. Her Instagram handle is @demi_kimee
The rising actress currently has over a million followers on Instagram. We definitely recommend you to click the follow button as she often posts photos from her daily life, and photoshoots, along with behind-the-scenes content from her other projects.
3. She’s under BH Entertainment
Yong Ji is handled by the same management company as her fellow The King: Eternal Monarch co-star Kim Go Eun. Other K-celebs under BH Entertainment include Park Bo Young, Byeon Woo Seok, Lee Byung Hun, Jin Goo, and Han JiMin.
4. She debuted in 2015
Yong Ji debuted in the entertainment industry five years ago at the age of 24 as a model for a Samsung phone ad. She's since appeared on other commercials and ad campaigns, which include a short film for the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games, and a photo spread for Korean cosmetic brand Celebeau alongside Romance is a Bonus Book actor Lee Jong Suk.
5. She’s a college graduate
Having entered showbusiness relatively late by today’s standards, Yong Ji was first able to finish her undergraduate studies in Seoul National University of the Arts.
6. She earned her first acting role in 2018
Yong Ji bagged her first ever K-drama role on the TVN period drama Mr. Sunshine. She played a supporting character that goes by the name of Hotaru, a mute, young Japanese fortune teller. A year later, she made a guest appearance on OCN’s crime thriller Watcher, before finally landing a relatively bigger role on The King: Eternal Monarch in 2020.
7. You can also watch her in Korean music videos.
Prior to her TV roles, she’s also acted in a few music videos, namely for Crush’s Oasis (2015) and Block B’s Toy (2016).
Check them out below!
8. She’s described as a free-spirited actress
When asked to talk about his Tale of Gumiho cast mate, Kim Bum said “Yong Ji is very free-spirited in front of the cameras.” Meanwhile, Yong Ji, in the same interview with Soompi, revealed that she often took after the more seasoned actor’s lead while filming the show. “I don’t have a lot of experience in acting, so there are times when I’m not sure what I should do. When that happens, he’ll appear next to me and explain what I need. In both the drama and real life, I follow his lead a lot.”
9. She owns two pet dogs.
Yong Ji lives with her two dogs Lu and Lai. The adorable pair occasionally grace her Instagram feed, and were even briefly featured on InStyle Korea during a mini reality series with the actress.
10. She's an award-winning model
She may be new to the acting world but when it comes to modeling, Yong Ji's already got quite the glowing reputation. In fact, she's even won an award for her work, bagging the CF Model Award at the 2016 K Model Awards. Apart from this, Yong Ji was also presented with the Focus Award at the Asia Artist Awards back in 2018, where she won alongside fellow rookie actors Jin Ju Hyung and Shin Hyun Soo.
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