The beauty and lives of the child actresses in The Moon Embracing the Sun have changed significantly over the past 9 years since the drama was first broadcast.
In early 2012, MBC’s The Moon Embracing the Sun became a hit across Asia. The drama’s success helped many actors and actresses shoot to fame in the entertainment industry.
Not only the main cast but the child stars also received a lot of attention from the public. Among them, three outstanding child actresses have changed a lot after 9 years, in terms of visuals, careers and personal lives.
Kim Yoo Jung (played Heo Yeon Woo’s young self)
In The Moon Embracing The Sun, Kim Yoo Jung played the 13-year-old version of the female lead Heo Yeon Woo. After the drama hit big, Kim Yoo Jung‘s acting career expanded. During the period of 2012-2014, she was the most sought-after child star in Korea with admirable earnings. When starring in Golden Rainbow (2013), Kim Yoo Jung was paid 6 million won per episode.
In 2016, she had her first female lead role in Love In the Moonlight. This was another historical drama in Kim Yoo Jung’s career with resounding success and helped her move past the image of a child star that stuck with her for years. In the last few years, Kim Yoo Jung has continuously taken on the female lead roles in various TV series such as Clean with Passion for Now, Backstreet Rookie, Lovers of the Red Sky. In particular, her latest performance in Lovers of the Red Sky has received a good response from the public.
Currently, Kim Yoo Jung is dubbed one of the goddesses among young actresses of the current generation and has a relatively stable career. Her average pay has certainly increased remarkably compared to when she was a child actress.
Regarding off-screen relationships, Kim Yoo Jung once got embroiled in dating rumors with BTS’s V and Park Bo Gum. However, the 22-year-old actress has never spoken out on any rumors. Currently, she is still believed to be single.In August 2019, Kim Yoo Jung and V were spotted at Jeju Island. Although they did not appear at the same place, fans still discovered a suspicious coincidence. Specifically, at that time, V was hanging out with a group of close friends including Park Seo Joon, Choi Woo Sik, and Peakboy, while Yoo Jung was with her sister. However, in the photo Yoo Jung shared on Instagram, fans noticed someone looking similar to Peakboy in the background, raising the suspicion that Yoo Jung – V were eating at the same restaurant. The two were also suspected of using couple items.
Peakboy was rumored to appear in Yoo Jung’s photo, did Kim Yoo Jung – V all eat at the same restaurant?
Meanwhile, dating rumors of Kim Yoo Jung – Park Bo Gum arose based on a few pictures taken in the Philippines. After the success of Love In The Moonlight, the drama’s cast and crew went to the Philippines together to travel. During this trip, Park Bo Gum and Kim Yoo Jung were seen checking-out at the hotel lobby and then arriving at the Philippine airport to return to Korea together. However, in an interview later, Kim Yoo Jung revealed that she only saw Park Bo Gum as a close brother.
Kim So Hyun (played young Yoon Bo Kyung)
In ‘The Moon Embracing the Sun’, Kim So Hyun took on the role of the young queen Yoon Bo Kyung. The success of the role helped her become a popular child star. In 2013, Kim So Hyun‘s earning from television series increased significantly, at 4-6 million won/episode. This is considered an admirable salary level for a child actor.
A few years later, Kim So Hyun continued to play the female lead role as a child in a few works. It was not until 2015 that the actress received her first leading role in her career through the drama ‘School 2015’. After that, she continuously received the lead role in a series of works. The number of series that Kim So Hyun has participated in in the past few years even exceeds that of Kim Yoo Jung.
In particular, the work of ‘The Emperor: Owner of the Mask
Monarch’ caused a great resonance in ít homeland Korea. Besides, many series starring Kim So Hyun have won the hearts of international audiences such as Love Alarm, School 2015, etc. even though they weren’t popular in Korea. Currently, the actress has more than 11 million followers on Instagram.
Regarding her relationships, the beauty born in 1999 was believed to be dating two extremely handsome male stars including Taecyeon (2PM) and Jang Dong Yoon but all the rumors were quickly clarified.
Kim So Hyun collaborated with Taecyeon in a TV work called ‘Let’s Fight Ghost’ (2016). The two stars have given each other many close gestures in real life, sparking dating suspicions. Kim So Hyun said she only saw Taecyeon as an older brother and was grateful to the singer-actor for always taking care of her like a sister. Rumors officially sank into oblivion after the 2PM‘s member announced his girlfriend, who is an outsider of the entertainment industry in June last year.
Kim So Hyun first met Jang Dong Yoon on the set of ‘The Tale of Nokdu’ in 2019. Immediately after the filming ended, the on-screen couple immediately got into dating rumors because of their sweet interactions in real life.
Kim So Hyun quickly denied the rumors. She also added: “Although we were mistaken to be lovers and dating in real life, I thought, ‘It can happen too’. It’s good to hear rumors like that. I’m very happy. I’m glad people liked the scene between me and him, and I laughed a lot while filming on set. People said that we look great together, and I thought ‘Do I and him look good together?’. But in the end, I couldn’t say anything because I was afraid he would be upset.”
Jin Ji Hee (played young version of Min Hwa)
Jin Ji Hee played Princess Min Hwa as a child in Moon Embracing The Sun. The drama’s success also provided Jin Ji Hee with new acting opportunities. Before Moon Embracing the Sun, Jin Ji Hee was known for her role as Haeri in High Kick 2.
However, unlike the two co-stars mentioned above, Jin Ji Hee had to struggle for a long time to get out of the “child star” label. Jin Ji Hee received new films on a regular basis from 2013 to 2019, but the actress had yet to have a prominent role. It wasn’t until starring in the blockbuster Penthouse in 2020 that she gained attention. Despite only playing a supporting role, Jin Ji Hee has amassed a large fan base and received numerous compliments on her acting abilities.
At the age of 24, Jin Ji Hee has turned into a lovely girl. She has a harmonious facial line and a sweet smile that easily captures the hearts of the audience at first sight. Furthermore, the actress wowed the audience with her beautiful body.
