Actress Kim Mi-soo, star of Disney+ K-drama Snowdrop, dies aged 29

HONG KONG — Rising South Korean actress Kim Mi-soo, currently on screens in the JTBC-Disney+ drama Snowdrop, has died suddenly at the age of 29.

Her death on Jan 5 was confirmed by her agency, Landscape Entertainment, following earlier news reports.

Her funeral will be held at a funeral hall in the Nowon district of Seoul.

The cause of Kim’s death has not been revealed, and her representatives have requested that people refrain from spreading speculative rumours about her death.

Born on March 16, 1992, Kim debuted on screens as one of the leads in the 2019 short film Lipstick Revolution, and then appeared in director Kim Jong-kwan’s short film Memories, the TV film Human Luwak and her feature debut Kyungmi’s World, which premiered at the Busan International Film Festival, where it won the CGK & Samyang XEEN Award.

In 2020 Kim appeared in the ghost comedy series Hi Bye, Mama! with Kim Tae-hee, as well as in the romantic comedy Memorials and director Lee Kyoung-mi’s Netflix series The School Nurse Files.

The following year saw her appear as a reporter in the Yeon Sang-ho-scripted The Cursed: Dead Man’s Prey, take on a guest role in the romantic drama Yumi’s Cells and feature as one of the memorable cult deacons in Yeon Sang-ho’s Netflix show Hellbound.

Kim drew the most attention for her final role, as student Yeo Jeong-min in the controversial series Snowdrop. Although the show has been criticised for historical distortion, Kim shone as the short-haired and bespectacled Jeong-min, who — compared to her three dorm mates (including series lead Jisoo of K-pop group Blackpink) — is more interested in activism and political ideology than chasing after boys.

Though she leaves behind a short filmography, Kim had already made an impression with several earthy and relatable performances.

Her memorable characters, big and small, combined with her frequent work with women directors and writers, marked her a member of a new generation of women in the Korean entertainment industry, one giving voice and agency to women in a society that remains stubbornly patriarchal. SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST