Kim Young-ok
South Korean actress (born 1937)
Kim Young-ok | |
|---|---|
 롯데엔터테인먼트 · CC BY 3.0Kim in February 2024 | |
| Born | (1937-12-05) December 5, 1937 |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1959–present |
| Spouse |
Kim Young-gil
(m. 1960; died 2026) |
| Children | 3[2] |
| Awards | Bogwan Order of Cultural Merit (2018) |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul | 김영옥 |
| Hanja | 金英玉[3] |
| RR | Gim Yeongok |
| MR | Kim Yŏngok |
| YouTube information | |
| Channel | |
| Years active | 2025–present |
| Subscribers | 182 thousand[4] |
| Views | 80.1 million[4] |
| Last updated: August 14, 2026 | |
| Signature | |
 Kim Young-ok · Public domain | |
Kim Young-ok (Korean: 김영옥; born January 6, 1938)[5] is a South Korean actress who debuted in 1957.[6] She is known as South Korea's "National Grandma" for her many portrayals of grandmothers in film and television.[7][8]
1. Career
In 1959, Kim joined the Chuncheon Broadcasting Station as an announcer through open recruitment. In 1960, She re-entered the CBS Christian Broadcasting Company as a voice actor for the 6th term. A year later, in 1961, she officially debuted as a voice actor for the 1st round of MBC Cultural Broadcasting, and in 1969 appeared in MBC TV drama for the first time.
Kim Young-ok is one of Korea's representative actors who has been active without a hiatus since her debut. Currently, she is the oldest active actress in Korea.[9]
In August 2025, Kim launched a YouTube channel, which began with a video of her doing an internet challenge, and another announcing a fan signing event.[10][11]
2. Filmography
2.1. Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1957 | Farewell Sorrow! | |||
| 1958 | Open the Door to a Pure Heart | |||
| 1959 | Bear | |||
| Even the Clouds Are Drifting | ||||
| 1961 | A Shoeshine Boy | |||
| 1963 | The Mistress | |||
| 1966 | Have Cake and Eat It, Too | |||
| 1967 | Flame in the Valley | |||
| 1968 | A Young Bride | |||
| A Young Zelkova | ||||
| 1970 | Mi-ae | |||
| 1980 | Man-suk, Run! | |||
| 1986 | No Woman Is Afraid of the Night | Housekeeper | ||
| 1987 | The Chef of 8 Provinces | Mokpo chef | ||
| 1988 | Puppy Love | |||
| 1990 | Watercolor Painting in a Rainy Day | Nanny | ||
| The Lovers of Woomook-baemi | Il-do's mother | |||
| 1999 | White Valentine | Flower shop lady | ||
| 2003 | Spring Breeze | Seon-guk's mother | ||
| A Man Who Has Been Revealed | Middle-aged woman | |||
| 2004 | Springtime | Jae-il's grandmother | ||
| 2006 | Old Miss Diary: The Movie | Young-ok | [12] | |
| 2007 | Big Bang | Yang Chul-gon's mother | ||
| Soo | Police officer Seo's grandmother | Cameo | ||
| 2008 | Public Enemy Returns | Kang Chul-joong's mother | ||
| Our School's E.T. | Chun Sung-geun's mother | |||
| 2010 | Le Grand Chef 2: Kimchi Battle | Yeo-sang's mother | ||
| 2011 | Sunny | Im Na-mi's grandmother | ||
| 2012 | Spring, Snow | Mother | ||
| 2013 | Fists of Legend | Mother-in-law | ||
| 2015 | Casa Amor: Exclusive for Ladies | Chairwoman Yeon | ||
| Granny's Got Talent | Grandmother shaman | Cameo | ||
| Makgeolli Girls | ||||
| Bean Sprouts | Gong Na-mul's mother | Cameo | ||
| 2017 | Snowy Road | Choi Jong-boon (adult) | ||
| 2021 | Nothing Serious | Ja-young's grandmother | ||
| 2022 | Take Care of Mom | Lead Role | [13] | |
| 2024 | Picnic | Geum-soon | [14] |
2.2. Television series
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Master | |||||
| I Sell Happiness | ||||||
| 1981 | Se-ah | |||||
| 1985 | The Seaside Village | |||||
| 1986 | Love and Ambition | Hae-young's aunt | ||||
| 1988 | Forget Tomorrow | |||||
| Teacher, Our Teacher | ||||||
| The Last Idol | ||||||
| 1989 | Wang Rung's Kin | |||||
| Flowering Nest | ||||||
| Carousel | ||||||
| Armband | ||||||
| 1990 | That Woman | |||||
| My Mother | ||||||
| 1991 | Yesterday's Green Grass | |||||
| 1993 | Long Time Ago When I Was Young | |||||
| Wild Chrysanthemum | ||||||
| To Live | ||||||
| 3rd Republic | Paek Namŭi, Park Chung Hee's mother | |||||
| Sergeant Oh | ||||||
| MBC Best Theater: "Sundal, Byeonggu, and Okju" | Ms. Yeo | |||||
| 1994 | MBC Best Theater: "Street Sign Buddha" | Abandoned grandmother | ||||
| The Woman in the Matchbox | ||||||
| 1995 | The Road | Mrs. Song | ||||
| Another Beginning | ||||||
| 1996 | Wealthy Yu-chun | |||||
| The Most Beautiful Goodbye in the World | Sang Joo-daek | |||||
| Until We Can Love | ||||||
| The Scent of Winter | ||||||
| 1997 | Golden Feather | |||||
| The Reason I Live | Kim Sook-hee | |||||
| Beautiful Crime | ||||||
| Bridal Room | ||||||
| 1998 | A Bird's Gift | Maternal grandmother | ||||
| Love is All I Know | ||||||
| Please Find My Dad | ||||||
| You and My Song | ||||||
| 2000 | Wang Rung's Land | Oh Ran | ||||
| Ajumma | Sam-sook's maternal grandmother | |||||
| 2001 | Wonderful Days | Grandmother | ||||
| Morning Without Parting | Kim Kyung-hee | |||||
| 2002 | Successful Story of a Bright Girl | Cha Yang-soon's grandmother | ||||
| Since We Met | Kang Min-seok's grandmother | |||||
| Solitude | Kim Il-soon | |||||
| The Maengs' Golden Era | Han Eul-soon | |||||
| 2003 | Yellow Handkerchief | Grandmother Son | ||||
| Bodyguard | Na-young's maternal grandmother | |||||
| Pearl Necklace | Kim Ki-nam's grandmother | |||||
| 2004 | More Beautiful Than a Flower | Woo-sik's grandmother | ||||
| Tropical Nights in December | Hospice patient | Cameo | ||||
| Old Miss Diary | Young-ok | |||||
| Toji, the Land | Gan-nan's grandmother | |||||
| 2005 | Take My Hand | |||||
| Bizarre Bunch | Seo Mal-ja | |||||
| Let's Marry | Jung Jae-won's grandmother | |||||
| 2006 | Special of My Life | Jung Hyung-seok's mother | ||||
| Snow Flower | Lee Kang-ae's mother | |||||
| Miracle | Jang Young-chul's mother | |||||
| 2007 | Dal-ja's Spring | Lee Kkeut-soon | ||||
| Crazy in Love | Han Bok-ja | |||||
| Coffee Prince | Choi Han-kyul's grandmother | |||||
| Fly High | Jo Ok-young | |||||
| Likeable or Not | Mrs. Choi | |||||
| New Heart | ||||||
| 2008 | Aster | Ulgeum woman | ||||
| Chil-woo the Mighty | Woman from Mungdung | |||||
| Family's Honor | Yoon Sam-wol | |||||
| 2009 | Glory of Youth | Bae Yong-jin's mother | ||||
| Boys Over Flowers | Head maid | |||||
| Partner | Go Myung-ja | Cameo (Episode 9) | ||||
| Children of Heaven | ||||||
| Jolly Widows | Park Jung-nyeo | |||||
| Assorted Gems | Kyul Myung-ja | Television show | Master of Study | Lee Boon-yi | ||
| The Slave Hunters | Hwang Chul-woong's mother | |||||
| Gloria | Oh Soon-nyeo | |||||
| All My Love For You | Kim Young-ok | |||||
| 2011 | Paradise Ranch | |||||
| My Bittersweet Life | Choi Jung-ok | |||||
| Bravo, My Love! | Nam Da-reum's grandmother | Cameo | ||||
| Protect the Boss | Mrs. Song | |||||
| Just Like Today | Oh Gap-boon | |||||
| Brain | Sa Bong-ja | Cameo | ||||
| Saving Mrs. Go Bong-shil | Kim Geum-shil | |||||
| 2012 | The Strongest K-Pop Survival | Kwon Ji-woo's grandmother | ||||
| Love, My Love | Lee Geum-nyeo | |||||
| Standby | Young-ok, Park Joon-geum's mother |
Cameo | ||||
| Lovers of Haeundae | Shim Mal-nyun | |||||
| My Lover, Madame Butterfly | Yoo Geum-dan | |||||
| Here Comes Mr. Oh | Chun Geum-soon | |||||
| 2013 | Ruby Ring | Jo Il-soon | ||||
| KBS Drama Special: "Yeon-woo's Summer" | Lee Yeon-woo's grandmother | |||||
| 2014 | Beyond the Clouds | Hong Soon-ok | ||||
| Make Your Wish | Chairman Choi | |||||
| Marriage, Not Dating | Noh Geum-soon | |||||
| Rosy Lovers | Jo Bang-shil | |||||
| Birth of a Beauty | Lee Kang-joon's grandmother | |||||
| 2015 | KBS Drama Special: "Snowy Road" | older Choi Jong-boon | ||||
| The Return of Hwang Geum-bok | Wang Yeo-sa | |||||
| Reply 1988 | Duk Seon's grandmother | |||||
| All About My Mom | Song Ki-nam | |||||
| 2016 | Dear My Friends | Oh Ssang-boon | ||||
| Blow Breeze | Dal-rae | |||||
| Shopping King Louie | Choi Il-soon | |||||
| Listen to Love | Cameo | |||||
| Sweet Stranger and Me | Grandma Oh Rye | Cameo (Episode 7) | ||||
| 2017 | Sisters-in-Law | Kang Hae-Soon | ||||
| Manhole | (voice only) | |||||
| Live Up to Your Name | Kkot-boon | |||||
| The Most Beautiful Goodbye | Grandma | |||||
| 2018 | Welcome to Waikiki | Jang-gun's grandma | Cameo (Episode 4) | |||
| Tempted | Grandma | |||||
| The Rich Son[15] | Park Sun-ok | |||||
| Ms. Hammurabi | O-reum's grandma | |||||
| Witch's Love[16] | Maeng Ye-soon | |||||
| KBS Drama Special: "My Mother's Third Marriage" | Bang Cho-rong | |||||
| My Strange Hero | Lee Sun-hye | |||||
| 2019 | The Light in Your Eyes | Lee Joon-ha's grandmother | ||||
| Her Private Life | Deok-Mi's grandmother | |||||
| The Golden Garden | Kang Nam-doo | |||||
| Love with Flaws | Chairwoman Han | |||||
| 2020 | The King: Eternal Monarch | Noh Ok-nam | ||||
| 2021 | Mouse | Grandmother who lives alone with Oh Bong-i | [17] | |||
| Jirisan | Lee Moon-ok | |||||
| Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha | Kim Gam-ri | [18] | ||||
| 2021–2022 | Young Lady and Gentleman | Jin Dal-rae | [19] | |||
| 2022 | Bravo, My Life | Seo Dong-hee's grandmother | Cameo | [20] | ||
| Tomorrow | Lee Jeong-moon | Cameo (Episode 13) | [21] | |||
| The Law Cafe | Wol-seon | Cameo | [22] | |||
| 2022–2023 | Vengeance of the Bride | Park Yong-ja | [23] | |||
| 2023 | King the Land | Cha Soon-hee | ||||
| 2024 | The Midnight Studio | So Geum-soon | [24] | |||
| Iron Family | Ahn Gil-rye | [25] | ||||
| The Judge from Hell | Oh Mi-ja | [26] |
2.3. Web series
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019–2021 | Love Alarm | Jo-jo's grandmother | Season 1–2 | |
| 2021 | Squid Game | Seong Gi-hun's mother | ||
| 2022 | Pachinko | older Bokhee | [27] | |
| 2023 | Not Others | [28] | ||
| 2026 | Our Sticky Love | Go Young-Hong (Tae-ha's grandmother) |
| Year | Title | Role | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Mamado ("Mama, Too") | Cast member | [29] |
| 2016 | Tribe of Hip Hop | Participant | [30] |
| 2022 | Attack on Grandma | Host | [31] |
| Hot Singers | Cast member | [32] | |
| Prefabricated Family | Host | [33] |
2.4. Music videos
| Year | Title | Artist | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | "Dear my crazy soulmate" | IU |
2.5. Voice acting
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | Mazinger Z | Soe-dol ("Juzo Kabuto") |
| 1976 | Robot Taekwon V | Kim Hoon |
| 1977 | Paul's Miraculous Adventure | Paul |
| 1987 | Esteban, a Boy from the Sun | Esteban |
3. Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 15th Baeksang Arts Awards | Grand Prize (Daesang) for Television | I Sell Happiness | Won | |
| 1992 | 28th Baeksang Arts Awards | Most Popular Actress (TV) | Yesterday's Green Grass | Won | |
| 1993 | KBS Drama Awards | Top Excellence Award, Actress | Wild Chrysanthemum, Love and Farewell | Won | |
| 2005 | KBS Entertainment Awards | Achievement Award | Old Miss Diary | Won | |
| 2007 | 44th Grand Bell Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Old Miss Diary: The Movie | Nominated | [34] |
| 2009 | MBC Drama Awards | Golden Acting Award, Actress in a Serial Drama | Assorted Gems | Won | [35] |
| 2011 | SBS Drama Awards | Achievement Award | Protect the Boss | Won | [36] |
| 2015 | KBS Drama Awards | Excellence Award, Actress in a One-Act/Special/Short Drama | Snowy Road | Won | |
| 2018 | 11th Korea Drama Awards | Lifetime Achievement Award | Kim Young-ok | Won | [37] |
| 2016 | Scene Stealer Festival | Won | [38] | ||
| 2024 | SBS Drama Awards | The Judge from Hell | Won | [39][40] |
3.1. State honors
| Country | Award Ceremony | Year | Honor | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Korea | 9th Korean Popular Culture and Arts Awards[1] | 2018 | Bogwan Order of Cultural Merit (3rd Class) | [44] |
Notes
Related articles
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This article is based on the Wikipedia article “Kim Young-ok”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the edit history for the list of contributors. Image credits appear under each image.