During that period, she could easily have become a K-pop singer – she was a background singer for the performer Youngha – and it was not clear in which creative field she would specialise.
There were even plans for her to make her singing debut under the stage name JessicaK, but in the end she opted to pursue a career in acting.
Aside from her entertainment pursuits, there was also a time when she considered becoming a kindergarten teacher.
Kim Ji-won became known after appearing in a few major commercials in her late teens, and made her debut as a screen actress in 2011 after being cast in the Korean film Romantic Heaven and the Korean drama series High Kick: Revenge of the Short Legged.
While developing her career on set, she was also developing her craft when the cameras stopped rolling. She enrolled in the drama department of Dongguk University.
Why we love her
Strong female leads are hardly uncommon in Korean dramas, but one of the reasons that Kim Ji-won stands out is the coolness and strength of character with which she imbues her characters.
Queen of Tears: Kim Soo-hyun, Kim Ji-won in gender-flipping romantic comedy
Queen of Tears: Kim Soo-hyun, Kim Ji-won in gender-flipping romantic comedy
She has developed a reputation for playing women who do not conform to social expectations. They are not the type to flash a smile to please a man or do anything to deliberately ingratiate themselves with anyone. They satisfy their needs – be they professional or personal – and forge their own paths.
Kim Ji-won’s calm, collected screen persona comes down partly to how she was raised. Her mother was careful to teach her manners, and she became a stricter teacher after her daughter entered the public eye.
This focus on manners and poise probably also has something to do with her enunciation, as the actress is well known for her clear diction.
The star-making roles
After a couple of years playing relatively minor roles, Kim Ji-won was introduced to a wide audience for the first time in the classic high school drama The Heirs.
As in Queen of Tears, she plays a glamorous heiress in the show – one who is engaged to the lead character, played by Lee Min-ho.
The Heirs was a huge smash hit and its mastermind, hit K-drama writer Kim Eun-sook, was clearly impressed with the young actress; she cast Kim Ji-won in a major role in her next series, Descendants of the Sun, which would become one of the biggest Korean dramas of all time.
In Descendants of the Sun, Kim Ji-won played First Lieutenant Yoon Myung-ju, an army doctor from a military family who falls for a soldier, played by Jin Goo, whose low rank presents a big obstacle for them.
The role earned her an Excellence Award in the KBS Drama Awards, despite the fact that she was a secondary lead. She would win the same award a year later for her first outright leading drama role.
The iconic parts
For many, Kim Ji-won’s iconic role was in My Liberation Notes, a drama series written by Park Hae-young. Playing an ordinary small-town girl living a tedious life in the big city, through her romance with Son Suk-ku’s Mr Gu she captured the hearts and minds of legions of viewers.
The unheralded performances
While primarily known as a small-screen actress, Kim Ji-won made her acting debut on the big screen, and her roles in a pair of theatrical omnibus films remain among her most charming performances.
They are the sweet and pensive drama Romantic Heaven, from celebrated playwright and director Jang Jin, and the chilling Horror Stories. She also appeared in Horror Stories II as a different character.
Tomorrow’s turns
Meet Son Suk-ku, the tough-looking star of A Killer Paradox and Big Bet
Meet Son Suk-ku, the tough-looking star of A Killer Paradox and Big Bet
That leaves her with no upcoming assignments. Still, given the success of her current show and her star credentials, it surely will not be long before she connects with the right project and finds her way back onto a drama or film set.