The life and death of Kim Soo-mi, top actress from South Korea since the 80s

A familiar face in South Korean television is lost with the passing of the actress Kim Soo-mi on October 25. Kim Soo-mi is known as one of South Korea’s biggest stars in the 1980s, and this is her legacy.

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Kim Soo-mi was a South Korean actress who had been active as an actress since the 1970s. It was only in the 1980s when she shot to great fame and had even experienced a revival in her career in her later years, reports The Chosun Ilbo and Twitch Film.

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Kim Soo-mi was born Kim Young-ok on September 3, 1949, in Gunsan, of South Korea’s North Joalla Province. Namu reports that in her early career, she was also known for her unique appearance, which resembled the American actress Nathalie Wood.

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Despite her unique beauty, Namu reports that Kim Soo-mi did not have an easy start to her career as her uniqueness was not quite appreciated at that time in the South Korean entertainment industry and was given only supporting roles for 10 years.

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Kim Soo-mi’s big break came only when she landed a role in the TV drama ‘Country Diaries’ during the 80s, which aired for 20 years till 2002 and shot her to fame as one of the most recognisable actresses in South Korea, reports Korea JoongAng Daily.

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Even with the end of ‘Country Diaries’, Kim Soo-mi experienced yet another career revival with her work in ‘Oh! Happy Day’, where she played a potty-mouthed elderly lady. This showed many South Koreans that she was a versatile actress, reports Twitch Films.

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The Korea Times reports that Kim Soo-mi had other notable roles that further demonstrated her prowess as an actress. She played serious roles in the works ‘Barefoot Ki-bong’ and ‘Late Blossom’.

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but had to halt her broadcast appearances in May and July for health reasons. It was then, as Yonhap News reports, that many were aware of her failing health in 2024.

Image: MBC

Ultimately, Kim Soo-mi’s health had detoriated severely in October, which led to her passing on October 25. SBS reports that she had passed from cardiac arrest from hyperglycemic shock.

Image: MBC

Maeil Business News reports that Kim Soo-mi’s funeral was held on October 27, attended by not just family members and friends but also many in the K-entertainment industry who paid tribute to the loss of a great actress.

Image: MBC