Happy Kim Hee Ae Day: Dissecting her character in family melodrama series The World of the Married

Popular actress Kim Hee Ae turned 57 today on April 23rd. Let’s dissect her powerful character Jin Sun Woo from The World of the Married.

Updated on Apr 23, 2024  |  03:40 PM IST |  34.9K
The World of the Married (Image Credits- JTBC)
The World of the Married (Image Credits- JTBC)

Kim Hee Ae, who was born on April 23, 1967, is commemorating her 57th birthday today. Recognized for her prominent performances in classic Korean dramas like Sons and Daughters in 1992, Perfect Love in 2003, and My Husband's Woman in 2007, she has made a lasting impact on the entertainment field.

Throughout her career, she has garnered numerous accolades, including two Daesang (Grand Prize) and four Best Actress Awards for Television at the prestigious Baeksang Arts Awards. In 2020, she was honored as Gallup Korea's Television Actor of the Year.

Kim Hee Ae's resurgence in popularity came with her captivating portrayal in JTBC's The World of the Married where she mesmerized audiences with her graceful and dramatic performance.

Despite its mature content, the drama achieved immense success, becoming one of the few to surpass a 10 percent rating in South Korea since 2013, indicating its widespread appeal among viewers. On the occasion of Kim Hee Ae’s birthday, let's look at her character Jin Sun Woo from the series.

The World of the Married plot

In The World of the Married, Ji Sun Woo (Kim Hee Ae) portrays a respected doctor married to Lee Tae Oh (Park Hae Joon), with whom she shares a son, seemingly forming a stable family unit. However, her world shatters when she uncovers her husband's extramarital affair, plunging her into a whirlwind of deception and betrayal involving multiple people whom she knows and trusts. 

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Struggling to believe anyone ever again, Sun Woo embarks on a relentless quest for truth and seeks revenge against her unfaithful husband. This gripping makjang series captivated audiences nationwide, dominating ratings and generating significant buzz, cementing its status as one of the highest-rated dramas in Korean cable television history.


Kim Hee Ae’s Jin Sun Woo: The strong lead with a dark side

This drama delves into the fury of a wife discovering her seemingly peaceful marriage is built on lies and deceit. Ji Sun Woo appears to have it all: a successful career, a luxurious home with her filmmaker husband Lee Tae Oh (Park Hae Joon), and their teenage son Joon Young (Jeon Jin Seo), along with a close-knit circle of friends. 

However, her world crumbles when she uncovers Tae Oh's affair with Yeo Da Kyung (Han So Hee), a much younger and affluent heiress, and learns that her trusted friends have been complicit in hiding the truth. As Da Kyung flaunts her pregnancy with Tae Oh's child, Sun Woo vows revenge against all who betrayed her. 

Sun Woo emerges as a strong force, wielding her anger with precision to ruin those who shattered her life and home. Despite her thirst for revenge, she remains a devoted mother, willing to sacrifice anything for her son.

The revelation of her husband's betrayal sends her spiraling into a realm of unimaginable pain, driving her to extreme measures to punish, blurring the boundaries between revenge and obsession. 

The World of the Married (Image Credits- JTBC)

The World of the Married (Image Credits- JTBC)

Kim Hee Ae delivers a powerhouse performance, portraying Sun Woo as a woman torn between vulnerability and anger, navigating her character's complex journey with unwavering conviction.

The emotional rollercoaster of rooting for and questioning Sun Woo's actions is a defining aspect of this series. It delves into the murky depths of adultery, showcasing the raw reality of how infidelity shatters homes. While you sympathize with Sun Woo and cheer for her revenge, you also yearn for her lost happiness to be restored.

Sun Woo's character is complex; she's not entirely morally upright, yet there's an understandable motivation driving her actions, even if they're ethically wrong. It's this nuanced portrayal that adds depth to this melodrama, blurring the lines between right and wrong. For those seeking a melodramatic series set amidst the rich homes of the elite, this is a must-watch.

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ALSO READ: Han So Hee, Kim Hae Ae, Park Hae Joon’s The World of the Married turns 4: Exploring estranged relationships between roles

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About The Author

Pratyusha Dash is an English Literature Graduate from Vivekananda Institute of Professional Studies with a deep passion for Korean

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