Ye Soo-jung (Korean: 예수정; born on 25 March 1955) is a South Korean actress.^[1] In 1979, she made her debut in the play A Woman Named Solitude and she presented a well-balanced and solid performance with her solid interpretive skills and broad perspectives that she developed while studying abroad in Germany. She has appeared in numerous stage productions such as Long Day's Journey into Night, Gift of Gorgon, The Cherry Orchard, Widows, Green Bench, Guest, Hanako, Death of a Salesman, I Am You, Hwajeonga, and Agnes of God.^[2][3]

She has been called the godmother of the theater world.^[3] She has garnered prestigious awards in the theater industry, including the Hi-seo Theater Award, Kim Dong-hoon Theater Award, Dong-A Theater Award for Best Actress, Seoul Theater Festival Acting Award, and Lee Hae-rang Theater Award, showcasing her skill and expertise as an actress.^[2]

In the 2000s, she expanded her activities to the film and TV drama industry. She left a lasting impression on the public through numerous films, including Tunnel, Sea Fog, The Client, The Thieves, Train to Busan, and Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds,^[4][5] which attracted over 10 million viewers, as well as hit dramas like Secret Forest, Do You Like Brahms?, Mine, Search: WWW, and One the Woman, where she appeared as a supporting role. In 2018, she won the Best Supporting Actress award at the Seoul Awards for her role in Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds, and in 2020, she received the "Female Film of the Year" award for her first leading role in the film 69 Years Old.

Ye most recent works such as The King of Tears, Lee Bang-won, Link: Eat, Love, Kill, and Becoming Witch.,^[6] and she also starred in the MBC four-part series Wild Boar Hunting and made special appearance in Revenant.

Ye Soo-jung was born as Kim Soo-jeong in March 1955 in Jongno, Seoul, South Korea. Ye attended Susong Elementary School, Soongui Girls’ Middle School and High School. In 1973, she enrolled in Departement of German Literature of Korea National University of Arts.^[7][8]

When studying from Korea National University of Arts with a degree in German Literature, She watched film The Godfather and extremely impressed by Marlon Brando's acting which made her want to try acting too. After that, Ye joined a theater class at the German Cultural Center Above the Theater and started acting secretly. Later she encounter works of German playwright Bertolt Brecht. Knowing Brecht's words, "Theater is a space for civic enlightenment," Jung thought, "Oh, it's really wonderful to live here (theater) all my life."^[7][9]

In 1975, Ye acted in Arthur Miller's play Broken Glass (play). Followed by Henrik Ibsen's play Ghosts produced by Korea University Theatre Arts Research Society (고려대학교 극예술연구회).^[10]

After graduating from university, she worked as a German tutor and editor-in-chief of the Full Gospel Church magazine to earn pocket money while acting in plays.^[7] Ye debuted professionally onstage in 1979 with Han Tae-suk's play A Woman Named Solitude.^[9] After watching play A Woman Named Solitude, Yoo Deok-Hyung [ko] (director, former chairman of the Seoul Institute of the Arts) scouted her for his work When Spring Comes to the Mountains and Fields. One day, Yoo noticed that Ye, who participated in his practice, was acting without her mother's Jeong Ae-ran [ko] permission. "You can't do that," he said and Yoo went to her house and to ask Jeong personally, Jeong said to her, "Do it with a guarantee."^[7]

After this play Ye got married and went to Germany with her husband. In 1984, Ye decided to study theater in Graduate School Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich.^[11] After she's back to South Korea, Ye worked in Customer Call Center for two years.^[12]

Ye only active in films since 2003. She's done minor and supporting roles mostly as mother. Most notable supporting role was in film Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds, which was released in 2017. She reprised her role in the sequel Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days.^[12]

Her most notable role was in Lim Seon-a's film An Old Lady [ko], as 69-year-old Hyo-jeong. She is sexually assaulted by a 29-year-old male nurse while receiving treatment at a hospital. She reports it to the police, but faces society's prejudice because she is an elderly person! a dementia patient. The court, considers the elderly woman to be asexual and dismisses the arrest warrant, saying that there is insufficient probability that a young man would do such a thing.^[13] With this role Ye gained critical acclaim, She was nominated for several Best Actress award and won the 21st 'Female Filmmaker of the Year' for this film.^[14][15]

When I read the scenario, it felt unique but rather realistic. Do old people really live like that? I've seen a lot of unfamiliar scenes that raise questions. Isn't it hard to look into the inside of our mothers, aunts, and grandmothers? When you reach that age, you hide well in reality. This work calmly reveals that hidden thing.

— Ye Soo-jung on Film An Old Lady^[16], Harper Bazaar Korea Interview

Soo-jung is the daughter of Jeong Ae-ran [ko] who was a popular actress of 50s, 60s and 70s.^[17] She is the sister-in-law of actor Han Jin-hee who has married her sister Kim Soo-ok.^[18][19][20]

Ye married Kim Chang-hwa in 1980 after completing the play When Spring Comes to the Mountains and Fields.^[21] Ye gave birth to a daughter (currently an actress and theater director Kim Ye-na) in 1982 and left to study at Munich University in Germany with her husband in 1984. In 1986 a son was born. During their 8-year stay in Germany, her husband received a doctorate in theater theory and Ye completed a master's degree in theater theory. They returned in 1991.^[7]