Kim Yoon-ji (Korean: 김윤지; born March 16, 1989), known professionally as Jung So-min (정소민), is a South Korean actress. Jung made her screen debut in 2010 with a supporting role in the television series Bad Guy. She then got her first leading role that same year in the romantic comedy television series Playful Kiss. She is known for her leading roles in the television series Because This Is My First Life (2017), Alchemy of Souls (2022), Love Next Door (2024), and Would You Marry Me? (2025), as well as the film Love Reset (2023).

Career

2010–2015: Beginnings

Jung in May 2010

Jung first attracted attention when she made her acting debut in 2010 with a supporting role in the television series Bad Guy. This led to a leading role in her next project Playful Kiss, the Korean adaptation of the popular manga Itazura na Kiss. Though it received low ratings in Korea, the romantic comedy was popular overseas, further raising Jung's profile.

Jung then took a short break in 2011 to concentrate on her studies at the Korea National University of Arts. In 2012, she returned to the small screen as part of the ensemble cast of the sitcom Standby. Later that year, she played a more mature role opposite Sung Joon in the cable series Can We Get Married?.

Jung left her talent agency Bloom Entertainment in 2013 and joined SM Culture & Contents. She then appeared in Came to Me and Became a Star, a single-episode anthology Drama Special.

In 2014, Jung played a self-centered heiress who falls for the protagonist (played by Kang Ji-hwan) in Big Man. This was followed in 2015 by a supporting role in coming-of-age film Twenty, and leading roles in horror-romance film Alice: Boy from Wonderland and disaster-medical drama D-Day.

2016–present: Leading roles in film and television

Jung starred in a Drama Special The Red Teacher in 2016. She was then cast as the female lead in The Sound of Your Heart opposite Lee Kwang-soo in December of the same year. The web drama was a success in China and gained more than 100 million views on Sohu.

In 2017, Jung was cast in KBS weekend family drama My Father is Strange. She also starred in the body-swap comedy Daddy You, Daughter Me opposite veteran actor Yoon Je-moon. She then left SM Culture & Contents in June and signed with new management agency Jellyfish Entertainment. In August, she confirmed her appearance in tvN's romantic comedy series Because This Is My First Life alongside Lee Min-ki. She also released an OST "Because You Are Beside Me" for the drama.

Jung was chosen to play the lead role in The Smile Has Left Your Eyes in 2018. This is an adaptation of the 2002 Japanese television series Sora Kara Furu Ichioku no Hoshi where she also recorded an OST "Star" with her co-star, Seo In-guk. The same year, she was cast in the historical comedy flick Homme Fatale. She wrapped up 2018 with her first radio show Jung So Min's Young Street on SBS Power FM, thus achieving her dream to become a radio DJ someday.

Jung left Jellyfish Entertainment in August 2019 and signed with another management company Blossom Entertainment. She then became a cast member in a healing variety program Little Forest, which is designed as a home kids garden development project for children. In December, she stepped down from her DJ post in Jung So Min's Young Street.

In 2020, Jung starred in the medical drama Soul Mechanic alongside Shin Ha-kyun where she portrayed a musical rising star with terrible anger management issues.

Jung in September 2024

In 2021, she did a cameo in Park Joon-hwa's fantasy romantic comedy My Roommate Is a Gumiho, appearing as the woman whom protagonist Jang Ki-yong loved in the past. She also appeared in TV romance drama Monthly Magazine Home opposite Kim Ji-seok as an editor of a lifestyle magazine Monthly House.

In 2022, Jung returned to the small screen with the tvN period fantasy drama Alchemy of Souls where she played a skilled assassin whose soul is trapped inside the body of servant girl, alongside Lee Jae-wook. However, she only made a cameo in the season 2. In August, Jung signed with TH Company. In September, Jung returned to the big screen for the first time in three years with the sci-fi film Project Wolf Hunting.

In 2023, Jung signed with Ieum Hashtag. In October of the same year, Jung starred in the South Korean romantic comedy film, Love Reset, directed by Nam Dae-jung, co-starring Kang Ha-neul where she played a film producer who suffering from amnesia due to an unexpected accident.

Jung accepted the offer to star alongside Jung Hae-in in 2024 tvN romantic comedy drama, Love Next Door helmed by director Yoo Je-won and writer Shin Ha-eun of Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha where she portrayed a character of a woman who is successful in life but suddenly breaks down one day and returns to her hometown to reboot her life. The drama dominated the ratings for a number of weeks. In 2025, she starred in SBS TV's romantic comedy Would You Marry Me?.

In December 2025, Jung signed with Hiin Entertainment.

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotesRef.
2009Worst FriendsMangShort film
2015TwentySo-min
Alice: Boy from WonderlandHye-jung
2017Daddy You, Daughter MeWon Do-yeon
2018Golden SlumberYoo-miCameo
2019Homme FataleHae-won
2022Project Wolf HuntingLee Da-yeon
2023Love ResetHong Na-ra

Television series

YearTitleRoleNotesRef.
2010Bad GuyHong Mo-ne
Playful KissOh Ha-ni
2012StandbyJung So-min
Can We Get Married?Jung Hye-yoon
2013Came to Me and Became a StarHa-jinDrama special
2014Miss KoreaGas station attendantCameo (Ep. 20)
Big ManKang Jin-ah
2015D-DayJung Ddol-mi
2016The Red TeacherJang Soon-deokDrama special
The Sound of Your HeartChoi Sang-bong/Ae-bong
2017My Father Is StrangeByun Mi-young
Because This Is My First LifeYoon Ji-ho
2018What's Wrong with Secretary KimMi-so's mother (young)Cameo (Ep. 10)
The Smile Has Left Your EyesYoo Jin-kang
2019AbyssFemale Alien "Grim Reaper"Cameo (Ep. 1)
Be MelodramaticSeon-jooCameo (Ep. 16)
2020Soul MechanicHan Woo-joo
2021My Roommate Is a GumihoSeo-hwaCameo (Ep. 5–7)
Monthly Magazine HomeNa Young-won
2022Alchemy of SoulsMu-deok / Jin Bu-yeon / NaksuPart 1
2024Love Next DoorBae Seok-ryu
2025Would You Marry Me?Yoo Me-ri
2027The DealerJung Gun-hwa

Television shows

YearTitleRoleRef.
2019Little ForestCast member

Radio shows

YearTitleRoleRef.
2019Jung So-min's Young StreetDJ

Theater

Theater play performances
YearTitleRoleVenueDateRef.
2023Shakespeare in Love (셰익스피어 인 러브 - 서울)Viola de LessepsSeoul Arts Center CJ Towol TheaterJanuary 28 to March 26
Sejong Arts CentreApril 8 to 9

Discography

Soundtrack appearances

YearSong titleAlbumNotes
2017"Because You're Here"Because This Is My First Life OST
2018"Star"The Smile Has Left Your Eyes OSTwith Seo In-guk

Audiobooks

AuthorTitlePublication datePublisherLanguageNotes
Miral Welfare FoundationThe Story Only I Didn't Know 3May 23, 2022Miral Welfare FoundationKorean languageRecorded with Shin Beom-sik, Jo Su-yeon

Awards and nominations

Name of the award ceremony, year presented, category, nominee of the award, and the result of the nomination
Award ceremonyYearCategoryNominee / WorkResultRef.
Asia Artist Awards2022Popularity Award – ActorJung So-minNominated
Asia Model Awards2011New Star AwardWon
Golden Cinematography Awards2024Best ActressLove ResetWon
KBS Drama Awards2016Best Actress in a One-Act/Special/Short DramaKBS Drama SpecialRed TeacherNominated
2017Excellence Award, Actress in a Serial DramaMy Father is StrangeNominated[unreliable source?]
Netizen Award, ActressNominated
2020Excellence Award, Actress in a MiniseriesSoul MechanicNominated
KBS Entertainment Awards2016Best Couple AwardJung So-min (with Lee Kwang-soo) The Sound of Your HeartWon
Korea Jewelry Awards2010Topaz AwardJung So-minWon
Korean Drama Awards2022Top Excellence Award, ActressAlchemy of SoulsNominated
Korean Culture and Entertainment Awards2010Best New Actress for TVPlayful KissWon
MBC Drama Awards2010Best New ActressPlayful KissNominated
MBC Entertainment Awards2012Best Newcomer in a Comedy / SitcomStandbyWon
SBS Drama Awards2010Best Supporting Actress in a Drama SpecialBad GuyNominated
2025Top Excellence Award, Actress in a Romance/Comedy DramaWould You Marry Me?Won
Best Couple AwardJung So-min (with Choi Woo-shik) Would You Marry Me?Nominated
The Seoul Awards2017Best Supporting Actress – DramaMy Father is StrangeNominated

External links