Biography of Seo Yea-ji
Seo Yea-ji is a South Korean actress and model born on April 6, 1990. She made her debut in the sitcom ‘Potato Star 2013QR3’ on the cable channel tvN after first starring in an SK Telecom commercial. After making the stage debut, Yea-ji gave several well-received performances. When she starred in the thriller mystery television series ‘Save Me’ on OCN, she was hailed as the ‘New Thriller Queen’ by viewers.
‘The Night Watchman’ (2014), ‘Super Daddy 10’ (2015), ‘Last’ (2015), ‘Moorim School’ (2016), ‘Hwarang’ (2016–2017), and ‘Lawless Lawyer’ are some of her other works (2018). She is currently managed by the entertainment firm Gold Medalist, and her most recent drama is ‘It’s Okay to Not Be Okay’ (2020), which is currently streaming on Netflix.
Early Life & Education
Seo Ye-ji was insecure about her low voice when she was in school. She felt self-conscious about it and it affected her confidence. However, she discovered Spanish and fell in love with the sultry pronunciation of the language. She realized that her low voice actually suited Spanish well, and this helped her overcome her insecurity. The love for the Spanish language led her to become more immersed in Spanish culture. She begged her parents for months to let her study in Spain and eventually enrolled in the ‘Complutense University’ of Madrid to major in Journalism.
Seo Yea-ji wanted to be a news anchor, which was the reason behind her choosing to study journalism. Unlike her peers in the Korean acting industry, Seo Ye-ji did not study acting or was involved in any theatrical productions when she was younger. Her passion remained to be journalism.
Career & Achievements
Seo Yea-ji’s acting career began when she met the CEO of ‘Made in Chan Entertainment’ at the dentist. The CEO convinced her to try acting, but at first, she wasn’t interested because her goal was to become a news anchor in the future. However, the CEO convinced her to train for just three months and if she did not debut soon after that, she would drop acting entirely.
In February 2013, Seo Yea-ji made her debut in an advertisement for ‘SK Telecom’. This was followed by her first real acting gig in a show called ‘Potato Star 2013QR3’, when she was 23 years old. This was the start of her acting career and she went on to act in many other shows and films.
In 2014, Seo Yea-ji starred in a major role in the MBC historical drama ‘Diary of a Night Watchman’ for which she was nominated at the 2014 ‘MBC Drama Awards’ in the ‘Best New Actress’ category. After that, she appeared in other TV shows like ‘Super Daddy Yeol’ and ‘Last’ which gained her popularity. She also made her debut in movies with the historical drama films ‘The Throne’ and ‘Circle of Atonement’.
She also appeared in the music video of the South Korean boy band ‘Big Bang’ titled ‘Let’s Not Fall In Love’ (2015). In 2016, she played one of the main characters in the KBS drama ‘Moorim School: Saga of the Brave’ and marked her next big-screen project with the film ‘Seondal: The Man Who Sells the River’ in a supporting role. This was followed by a supporting role in the KBS drama ‘Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth’ (2016–17). Following the expiration of her contract with her management company in 2016, she left ‘Made in Chan Entertainment’ and became associated with ‘King Entertainment’.
In 2017, Seo Yea-ji played her first leading role in the film ‘Another Way’ which dealt with the issue of suicide pacts. She portrayed the character of a woman who is struggling with her own mental health and the pressure of society, her portrayal was praised by the audience and critics.
The same year, Seo Yea-ji was praised as the ‘New Thriller Queen’ for her role in the OCN thriller series ‘Save Me’ (2017). The series dealt with the subject of religious cults and her portrayal of a woman who gets trapped in one such cult was highly acclaimed.
She then starred in the world’s first 4DX VR film ‘Stay With Me’ (2018) opposite Kim Jung-hyun, where she played a character who is struggling to let go of her past. In 2018, she played a lawyer who struggles to control her temper in the tvN drama ‘Lawless Lawyer’ alongside Lee Joon-gi. The series was a commercial success and became one of the highest-rated Korean dramas in cable television history. Her portrayal of a fierce and determined lawyer was appreciated by audiences and critics.
In 2019, Seo Yea-ji acted in the films ‘Warning: Do Not Play’ and ‘By Quantum Physics: A Nightlife Venture’. Both films were well-received by the audience.
On 1 January 2020, Seo Yea-ji joined the newly established agency ‘Gold Medalist’. Her first project with the new management company was the tvN and Netflix romantic comedy ‘It’s Okay to Not Be Okay’ (2020). She starred opposite Kim Soo-hyun and featured in the role of a bestselling children’s book author who has a personality disorder.
Her portrayal of the character was critically acclaimed by various media outlets like ‘Manila Bulletin’, ‘The Hindu’ and ‘The New York Times’ named the series one of The Best International Shows of 2020 and called her performance mesmerizing. The series was a huge success and helped her to gain more popularity, both in Korea and internationally.
In 2021, she starred in a mystery-thriller film ‘Recalled’, directed by Seo Yoo-min alongside Kim Kang-woo which was a financial success. The film topped the local box office on its opening weekend. In December 2021, she renewed her contract with the Gold Medalist.
In 2022, Seo Yea-ji starred in the tvN melodrama ‘Eve’, where she played the role of a woman who has to face a difficult past and secrets. The series was well-received by the audience and critics.
Personal Life
Seo Yea-ji was dating her co-actor Kim Jung-hyun, but in April 2021 accusations were made that Seo Yea-ji was the reason for the problems Kim Jung-hyun had faced during a press conference in 2018 and his exit from a TV show called ‘The Time’. Text messages were released that showed her asking Kim to not touch other actresses and to change some scenes.
The actual reason behind Kim’s decision to quit the show was his health problems, which was later revealed by the actor himself. Seo’s agency also denied the accusations and said the text messages were just normal disagreements. Due to the controversy, she withdrew from a TV show she was currently working on. Kim also left his agency and said he would take legal action against them for lying.
Interesting Facts About Seo Yea-ji
- Seo Yea-ji was insecure about her voice. She felt self-conscious about it and it affected her confidence. However, she discovered Spanish and fell in love with the sultry pronunciation of the language. She realized that her low voice actually suited Spanish well, and this helped her overcome her insecurity.
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Seo Yea-ji speaks fluent Spanish.
- Unlike her peers in the Korean acting industry, Seo Yea-ji did not study acting or was involved in any theatrical productions when she was younger. Her passion was journalism. She majored in Mass Communication & Journalism.
- Seo Yea-ji is multi-talented. She has completed eight different training programs for different jobs, such as teaching English to kids, making paper crafts and making balloon art. One of her most impressive accomplishments is that she is certified in sex education.
- Seo Yea-ji is a pet lover. She has a dog named Manny. She said on a TV program,’ Knowing Brothers’ that she wants to become a veterinarian so she can take better care of her pet.
FAQs
- How old is Seo Yea-ji?
She is 33 years old as of 2023. - What is Seo Yea-ji’s Net worth?
Her current estimated net worth is approx $5 million. - Does Seo Yea-ji, speak Spanish?
Yes. She completed her bachelor’s in Spain and knows the language very well. She also thinks that her voice suits Spanish. - Is Seo Yea-ji single?
Currently, Seo Yea-ji is not dating anyone. - What is Seo Yea- ji’s Instagram ID?
She is not active on social media. However, her fans manage a page for her which is seoyeajiluv.
