Moon Ga-young
Moon Ga-young is a South Korean actress. She started her career as a child model in 2005 and made her acting debut with the film Bloody Reunion in 2006. She has since became known for her leading roles in television series Find Me in Your Memory, True Beauty, Link: Eat, Love, Kill, The Interest of Love and My Dearest Nemesis.
Early life and education
Moon was born on July 10, 1996, in Karlsruhe, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, to South Korean parents, the youngest of two siblings. Her father, who majored in physics, and her mother, who studied music, met as international students in Germany and got married. In 2005, her family moved back to South Korea when she was in third grade of elementary school.Moon graduated from an all-girls middle school and high school. She is fluent in German and English as a result of her time in Germany. She can also play the piano, flute, and perform ballet. In November 2014, Moon successfully completed her college scholastic test. By January 2015, she enrolled as a freshman in the Class of '15 at Sungkyunkwan University's Department of Acting and Arts. She chose to join the Department of Theater and Film at the university to pursue her passion for both acting and classical literature.
Career
2005–2010: Beginnings as a child model and actress
Moon was scouted in the street as a child model for a clothing magazine while her mother out with her mother in Germany. Upon returning to South Korea in 2005, Moon's uncle and mother submitted photos of her and her older sister for a modeling contest. Moon was subsequently chosen as a model for children fashion catalogue.In 2006. Moon debut as a child actress with the film Bloody Reunion, and the following year voiced a character in the film Black House. She then took on minor roles in Shadows in the Palace, Our Town, and Do You See Seoul?.
Moon had a series of television roles which included the 2007 drama , followed by Bitter Sweet Life, Ja Myung Go, Friend, Our Legend, The Reputable Family, and Bad Guys. While in middle school, she took a break from acting as she became too tall for child roles.
2011–2016: Transition to leading roles and breakthrough
She gained attention for her portrayal of Jung-hyun, the little sister of Lee Shin in MBC's Wednesday-Thursday drama Heartstrings, directed by Pyo Min-soo and scripted by Lee Myung-sook. When she was in high school, Moon acted as mysterious girl Seohyun in Lee Si-young's Killer Toon, directed by Kim Yong-gyun and released on June 27, 2013. This breakthrough performance significantly contributed to her rise in popularity.In 2013, Moon was cast in KBS's weekend drama Wang's Family, a series written by Moon Young-nam and directed by Jin Hyun-wook. In the show, Moon portrayed the character Wang Hae-bak, who is the fourth daughter of the Wang family. Hae-bak, a high school student, is constantly absorbed in her smartphone and rarely engages in conversations with her family members. In April 2013, she gained attention for her performance alongside Baekhyun hosting SBS's Inkigayo. She then portrayed Oh-reum, a ghost, in tvN's new Monday-Tuesday drama titled Who Are You? which premiered on July 29, 2013.
In 2014, Moon had her first adult leading role as the title character in Mimi, a four-episode mystery/romance drama that was aired on the cable channel Mnet. She starred alongside Changmin from the group TVXQ. In the drama, she portrayed the role of Mimi, an innocent girl who harbors a secret and suffers from an unnamed illness.
In April 2015, Moon portrayed the female protagonist in the web drama Exo Next Door, which aired on Naver TV. In 2016, Moon took on a supporting role in the SBS television series Don't Dare to Dream. Shehe portrayed the character of Lee Ppal-gang, a fearless high school student with a laid-back personality. In 2017, Moon she had a supporting role in television series Live Up to Your Name, and portrayed the character Dong Mak-gae who is a cross-dresser.
2017–2023: Leading roles and rising popularity
In 2017, she starred in the drama special Waltzing Alone, where she portrayed a high school graduate named Kim Min-sun who is a struggling job seeker. The following year, Moon took on the leading role in the romance drama Tempted based on the 18th century French novel Les Liaisons dangereuses. She played Choi Soo-ji, the daughter of a medical foundation chairman. Her performance earned her an Excellence Award as Best Actress in a Monday-Tuesday Drama at the MBC Drama Awards. In July 2018, Moon signed to agency Keyeast. In 2019, Moon was cast as a main character in the comedy series Welcome to Waikiki 2. She portrayed Han Soo-yeon, the love interest of three best friends.In 2020, Moon starred as the female lead in the romance series Find Me in Your Memory. She played Yeo Ha-jin, a former model who has successfully transitioned into acting and become a prominent influencer. It was broadcast on MBC TV from March 18 to May 13, 2020. Moon then took on the lead role of Lim Ju-kyung in the tvN series True Beauty. It was based on the Line Webtoon of the same name by Yaongyi, which depicts a high school girl who, after being bullied and discriminated against because of being perceived as ugly, masters the art of makeup to transform herself into a true beautiful lady. The following year, Moon co-starred with Yoon Kye-sang in the music video for the song "Cheers" from the album "Reconnect" by AKMU's Lee Chan-hyuk, Colde, and Sogumm, which was produced by Code Kunst and directed by Kwon Oh-jun of AR Film. The project was part of Elle Korea's initiative to support the youth.
In 2022, Moon once again collaborated with director Hong Jong-chan for the tvN fantasy-melodrama Link: Eat, Love, Kill. She took on the main role of Noh Da-hyun, a trainee at a restaurant opposite Yeo Jin-goo. Towards the end of 2022, Moon starred in the JTBC office-romance drama The Interest of Love. She played Ahn Soo-young, a head bank teller who views love as fragile like a sandcastle.
2024–to present: Debut as writer and new agency
In February 2024, Moon made her debut as a writer with the publication of her first prose collection, Pata, which explores her inner thoughts and reflections. The book received significant attention when it went on pre-sale on February 27, selling around 2,000 copies. The high pre-order sales quickly led to a second printing being confirmed, which is seen as a notable accomplishment in South Korea's publishing industry. In July 2024, the publisher Wisdom House announced that Pata had signed translation and publishing contracts in Taiwan with AtmanBooks and in Indonesia with ShiraMedia. Also in February 2024, Moon once again collaborated with director Hong Jong-chan for Daesung's "Falling Slowly" music video starring with her Welcome to Waikiki 2's costar Kim Seon-ho for the project. The song and music video were released on March 5.On July 1, 2024, Moon signed an exclusive contract with management company Peak J Entertainment. In 2025, she starred in TvN's television series My Dearest Nemesis. It based on a webtoon Black Salt Dragon by Hye Jin-yang. The drama is directed by Lee Soo-hyun adapted for television by Kim Soo-yeon. It was produced by Studio N and planned by Studio Dragon.
Other ventures
Moon debuted in the entertainment industry as a commercial model in 2005. In early 2021, she was selected as an exclusive model for hair brand Vodana. In May, cosmetics brand Dermafirm selected Moon as the brand's exclusive model. She then became the commercial model for outdoor-clothing brand models Nau. In 2022, she was selected as the model for the sports fashion brand Lecoq Sportive. She is also an exclusive model for vegan cosmetics brand Dinto.After attending the Dolce & Gabbana's Spring/Summer 2024 show at Milan Fashion Week, Moon generated high media value, as indicated by the marketing platform Lefty. Pictorial of Moon wearing Dolce & Gabbana's Fall-Winter collection were featured in W magazine's November issue. She was later officially announced as the brand's ambassador in November 2023. Moon also appeared as a model for Calvin Klein in December 2023. Moon reunited with Cha Eun-woo as advertising models for Hanwha Life Insurance commercial. In March 2024, Moon was named a Tumi luggage global ambassador.