Im Soo-jung made her debut in 1998 as a cover model for teen magazines. She then moved onto acting and debuted in the teen dramaSchool 4,[3][4] but it wasKim Jee-woon's 2003 stylishhorrorA Tale of Two Sisters that first drew her critical notice and newcomer awards.[5][6]
Im andLee Jung-jae played two artists in a post-apocalyptic environment in theshort filmEl Fin del Mundo ("The End of the World"), which screened at the prestigious contemporary art exhibitiondOCUMENTA.[24][25] She also acted opposite veteran Thai actorSorapong Chatree inAditya Assarat's short filmPhuket, which was commissioned jointly by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Association of Tourism and Hotel Operators ofPhuket.[26][27]
Im was previously part of theSidusHQ agency, but moved to being managed byKeyEast. KeyEast launched her official website in June 2012. According to the actress, the online space will be a place where she can converse with her fans directly.[28][29]
In February 2017, Im was cast in the dramaChicago Typewriter alongsideYoo Ah-in. This marks Im's small screen come back after thirteen years since 2004.[36] The same year, she was named the cultural ambassador for the UK-Korea Creative Futures mutual exchange.[37] She then returned to the big screen withMothers based on the bookYour Request - My Other Mother byLee Dong-eun, who also directs the film.[38][39]
Im in April 2018
In 2019, Im returned to the small screen with the seriesSearch: WWW.[40][41]
In an interview with Kwak Soo-jung in 2021, Im Soo-jung stated that she had become avegan and was an advocate ofanimal rights.[45]
On how she became a vegan, she said: "After going on a vegan trip with an acquaintance, my lifestyle became completely different from before. As a result, I naturally became interested in animal welfare and the environment. In the end, it was all connected."
On her thoughts on the difficulty in maintaining a vegan diet, she said: "The number of vegetarian restaurants is limited in some neighbourhoods [of Seoul]... It's important to have more vegetarian restaurants, but it's okay if there are vegetarians options... even if it's not vegan, I hope more restaurants will have one or two vegetarian options so that people don't feel alienated. If we do that, I think we can enjoy a sustainable vegetarian culture together into the future."
Concerning animal products, she said: "[On set] I have to wear leather clothes or bags because of my role, and I can have trouble locating alternative materials. There are times when stylists can't pick up these clothes or accessories as much as they want. No one says anything because it's acting, but I sometimes falter a little by myself. That's a bit agonizing. Fortunately, fake fur and artificial leather are so good these days, so I wear them mainly, but I try not to even do that. Some people may think it's a little too much, but I think that artificial leather and faux fur should be avoided as well. Because even if it's fake, it's true that if it looks good, it will eventually lead to more consumption of leather and fur materials without recognizing the boundaries between fake and real."[45]
^Kim, Sat-byeol (September 1, 2022).임수정, FA 대어 이목 집중...킹콩by스타쉽과 계약 만료 [Im Soo-jung, FA big draw attention... Contract expired with King Kong by Starship] (in Korean). The Fact.Archived from the original on September 1, 2022. RetrievedSeptember 1, 2022 – viaNaver.
^"눈치 안 보고 쉬려고" 임수정, 이민호가 손 내밀었다...MYM과 전속계약 [공식] ["I'm trying to rest without worrying about what others think" Im Soo-jung, Lee Min-ho reached out to her... Exclusive contract with MYM [Official]] (in Korean).OSEN. November 27, 2024.
^abIm, Soo-jung (May–June 2021).내 마음속의 꽃들 [Flowers In My Mind - Im Soo Jung Talks About Going Vegan, Her Interest In The Environment And Animal Rights, And More].OhBoy! Magazine 오보이매거진 No.110 May–June 2021 (Interview). Interviewed by Kwak, Soo-jung. South Korea: Oboy Communication. RetrievedJuly 30, 2025.
^Jo Yeon-kyung (February 11, 2022).김지운 감독 '거미집' 송강호·임수정·오정세·전여빈·정수정 캐스팅 [Directed by Kim Jee-woon, 'The Spider's House' Casts Kang-ho Song, Su-jeong Lim, Jeong-se Oh, Yeo-bin Jeon, Su-jeong Jeong] (in Korean).JTBC.Archived from the original on February 11, 2022. RetrievedFebruary 11, 2022 – viaNaver.
^Hwang Jaeha (April 15, 2024).류승룡·양세종·임수정 '파인'서 호흡 [Ryu Seung-ryong, Yang Se-jong, and Lim Soo-jung team up in 'Fine'].Yonhap News (in Korean). RetrievedJuly 16, 2025 – viaNaver.
^임수정, 청룡영화상 여우주연상 수상..국내 첫 수상 [Im Soo-jung Wins Best Actress for Blue Dragon Film, the nation's first Prime Minister].Star News (in Korean). November 30, 2012.Archived from the original on May 27, 2022. RetrievedSeptember 26, 2020.
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