# Kim Hyo-jin (김효진)
**Kim Hyo-jin** (김효진) is a South Korean actress who began as a teenage magazine model in 1999 and moved into television and film, becoming widely known for her roles in *Everybody Has Secrets* (2004) and Im Sang-soo's *The Taste of Money* (2012), which competed at the Cannes Film Festival[1](https://www.marieclairekorea.com/tag/%EA%B9%80%ED%9A%A8%EC%A7%84/) • [2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1043651/bio/). She is married to the actor [Yoo Ji-tae](https://www.edgepedia.org/yoo-ji-tae)[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1043651/bio/).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1984, Seoul, South Korea[1](https://www.marieclairekorea.com/tag/%EA%B9%80%ED%9A%A8%EC%A7%84/) |
| Education | Dongduk Women's High School; Hanyang University, theater and film[1](https://www.marieclairekorea.com/tag/%EA%B9%80%ED%9A%A8%EC%A7%84/) |
| Debut | Magazine model for *Cindy the Perky*, 1999; screen debut in *The Millennium Fox* (천년호), 2003[1](https://www.marieclairekorea.com/tag/%EA%B9%80%ED%9A%A8%EC%A7%84/) |
| Signature film | *The Taste of Money* (2012, dir. Im Sang-soo), invited to the Cannes competition section[1](https://www.marieclairekorea.com/tag/%EA%B9%80%ED%9A%A8%EC%A7%84/) |
| Marriage | Married actor Yoo Ji-tae on December 2, 2011; the couple have two sons[1](https://www.marieclairekorea.com/tag/%EA%B9%80%ED%9A%A8%EC%A7%84/) |
| Advocacy | World Vision ambassador; ambassador for the animal rights group Coera (케어)[1](https://www.marieclairekorea.com/tag/%EA%B9%80%ED%9A%A8%EC%A7%84/) • [3](https://www.news1.kr/life-culture/pet/3290555) |
## Early career
Kim Hyo-jin was born in Seoul in 1984[1](https://www.marieclairekorea.com/tag/%EA%B9%80%ED%9A%A8%EC%A7%84/). In middle school a model agency approached her, and she debuted in 1999 as a model for the magazine *Cindy the Perky* (신디 더 퍼키)[1](https://www.marieclairekorea.com/tag/%EA%B9%80%ED%9A%A8%EC%A7%84/). She went on to appear in magazine spreads and commercials, and entered acting through television drama[1](https://www.marieclairekorea.com/tag/%EA%B9%80%ED%9A%A8%EC%A7%84/).
Her early television work came quickly: in 2000 she appeared in SBS's *Joah Joah* (좋아 좋아) and KBS's *RNA*, followed in 2001 by SBS's *Medical Center* (메디컬센터) and MBC's *Our House* (우리집)[1](https://www.marieclairekorea.com/tag/%EA%B9%80%ED%9A%A8%EC%A7%84/). She made her screen debut in the 2003 period film *The Millennium Fox* (천년호) as the character Ja-unbi (자운비)[1](https://www.marieclairekorea.com/tag/%EA%B9%80%ED%9A%A8%EC%A7%84/).
## Film career
Through the 2000s she built a filmography across comedy, melodrama, and independent-leaning projects. Her films include *Everybody Has Secrets* (누구나 비밀은 있다, 2004) as Han Mi-young, *Barefoot Ki-bong* (맨발의 기봉이, 2006), *Five Senses of Eros* (오감도, 2009), *Life Is Peachy* (창피해, 2011), and *The Taste of Money* (돈의 맛, 2012)[1](https://www.marieclairekorea.com/tag/%EA%B9%80%ED%9A%A8%EC%A7%84/). She also made special appearances in *Marrying the Mafia 2* (가문의 위기, 2005) and *Will You Be There?* (당신, 거기 있어줄래요, 2016)[1](https://www.marieclairekorea.com/tag/%EA%B9%80%ED%9A%A8%EC%A7%84/).
**Cannes recognition.** In 2012, director Im Sang-soo cast her as Yoon Nami, an assertive woman, in *The Taste of Money*, a role that brought her renewed attention[1](https://www.marieclairekorea.com/tag/%EA%B9%80%ED%9A%A8%EC%A7%84/). The film was invited to the competition section of the Cannes Film Festival, and Kim walked the Cannes red carpet for the first time[1](https://www.marieclairekorea.com/tag/%EA%B9%80%ED%9A%A8%EC%A7%84/). In a 2012 interview with the *Chosun Ilbo* around the film's release, she discussed the attention on the film's exposure scenes and described herself as a film buff with a wide knowledge of classic cinema[4](https://www.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2012/05/19/2012051900350.html).
## Television and later work
Kim's television credits span two decades. After the early-2000s dramas, she appeared in SBS's *Magic* (매직, 2004), KBS's *She Has Come Back!* (그녀가 돌아왔다, 2005), SBS's *I Am Happy* (행복합니다, 2008), and KBS's *Mary Stayed Out All Night* (매리는 외박중, 2010)[1](https://www.marieclairekorea.com/tag/%EA%B9%80%ED%9A%A8%EC%A7%84/). In the 2020s she returned to prominent cable dramas, playing Jung Yoon-kyung in JTBC's *Private Lives* (사생활, 2020) and Kyung-eun in JTBC's *Human, Space, Time and Human*-titled series *Human Disqualification* (인간실격, 2021)[1](https://www.marieclairekorea.com/tag/%EA%B9%80%ED%9A%A8%EC%A7%84/). IMDb lists *[The Good Detective](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-good-detective)* (2020) among her best-known credits[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1043651/bio/).
Her commercial work has been extensive, ranging from clothing and telecommunications brands in the early 2000s, such as invu and KT M 018, to Bulgari jewelry in 2012 and Hannsem furniture in 2012 and 2013[1](https://www.marieclairekorea.com/tag/%EA%B9%80%ED%9A%A8%EC%A7%84/).
## Marriage and philanthropy
Kim married the actor Yoo Ji-tae on December 2, 2011, and the couple have two sons[1](https://www.marieclairekorea.com/tag/%EA%B9%80%ED%9A%A8%EC%A7%84/) • [5](https://asianwiki.com/Yoo_Ji-Tae). The couple donated the gift money from their 2011 wedding to World Vision and have since run school-building campaigns in Myanmar and elsewhere, joining the NGO's "Dream School" campaign to fund an elementary school in Niger with a fundraising target of 140 million won[6](https://web.donga.com/pdf/pdf_viewer.php?vcid=2016030910W1001). Kim has served as a World Vision ambassador[1](https://www.marieclairekorea.com/tag/%EA%B9%80%ED%9A%A8%EC%A7%84/).
## Animal welfare advocacy
Kim has been active in animal protection since the 2006 Incheon Jangsu-dong "dog hell" incident drew her attention to the treatment of animals[3](https://www.news1.kr/life-culture/pet/3290555). She has practiced an anti-fur stance and vegetarianism, adopted abandoned dogs, and lives with a rescue dog named Hyosim (효심이)[3](https://www.news1.kr/life-culture/pet/3290555). In 2018 she was appointed ambassador for the animal rights group Coera and visited a dog meat farm in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province, where she helped rescue dogs destined for slaughter and persuaded the farm's owner to change occupations[3](https://www.news1.kr/life-culture/pet/3290555). In an interview with News1 she argued that humans and animals must coexist, saying animals also feel emotions[3](https://www.news1.kr/life-culture/pet/3290555).
## References
1. [김효진 – Marie Claire Korea tag page](https://www.marieclairekorea.com/tag/%EA%B9%80%ED%9A%A8%EC%A7%84/)
2. [Kim Hyo-jin – Biography – IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1043651/bio/)
3. [식용견 구조나선 배우 김효진 "동물도 감정을 느끼는데…" – News1](https://www.news1.kr/life-culture/pet/3290555)
4. ['돈의 맛' 김효진, "내 노출신은 귀엽다..몸매 자신없어" [인터뷰] – The Chosun Ilbo](https://www.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2012/05/19/2012051900350.html)
5. [Yoo Ji-Tae – AsianWiki](https://asianwiki.com/Yoo_Ji-Tae)
6. [유지태·김효진 부부, 아프리카 학교짓기 캠페인 – The Dong-A Ilbo](https://web.donga.com/pdf/pdf_viewer.php?vcid=2016030910W1001)
---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of East and Southeast Asia › South Korean actors, 2000s onward › Surnames Ki to K*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Sep 18, 2026; Sep 19, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license