Han Ji-min

Han Ji-min is a South Korean actress whose screen career includes television dramas and films, often in roles shaped by difficult family histories, romantic uncertainty, or social pressure. She made her acting debut in 2003, appearing in the historical television series *All In* and *Dae Jang Geum*. In *Dae Jang Geum*, the internationally known drama about an orphaned cook who rises through the royal kitchen and becomes a physician, Ji-min played Shin-bi, a fellow medical trainee and friend of the title character.

Her early television work included the 2005 period drama *Yi San*, in which she portrayed Seong Song-yeon, a court painter whose relationship with Crown Prince Yi San develops across the story. The role brought her wider recognition and earned her a Best Actress award at the 2008 Baeksang Arts Awards. She later took leading roles in dramas including *Rooftop Prince* (2012), a time-travel romantic comedy in which a Joseon crown prince and his attendants arrive in modern Seoul, and *Familiar Wife* (2018), about a married couple whose lives change after a man makes a different choice about his past.

Ji-min’s film work includes *The Age of Shadows* (2016), a historical thriller set during the Japanese occupation of Korea. She played Yeon Gye-sun, a member of the Korean independence movement, opposite Song Kang-ho and Gong Yoo. In *Miss Baek* (2018), she took a markedly different role as Baek Sang-ah, a former convict who tries to protect a neglected child from abuse. The performance earned her the Blue Dragon Film Award for Best Actress. The film’s story draws attention to child abuse and the limits of intervention by people outside a child’s immediate family.

In the television drama *Our Blues* (2022), Ji-min played Lee Young-ok, a haenyeo, or female free diver, living on Jeju Island. Young-ok is outgoing and socially confident, but the story gradually reveals the strain of caring for her twin sister, who has Down syndrome. The ensemble drama follows several residents of Jeju, and Ji-min’s storyline connects island work and community life with the practical responsibilities of caregiving.

Her other notable roles include the television series *One Spring Night* (2019), where she played a librarian reconsidering her long-term relationship, and *Behind Your Touch* (2023), a mystery comedy in which a veterinarian gains psychometric abilities. Across these projects, Ji-min has moved between historical drama, romance, crime, and comedy while building a career anchored in specific, character-driven performances.