Before her acting debut on atelevision drama series, Moon filmed several commercials andmodeled for various magazines. She started modeling at the age of 12, and first appeared onscreen on the 1999documentary dramaOn the Road directed by Choi Jae-eun.[5] Moon's rise to fame came in 2000 when she starred as the younger counterpart ofSong Hye-kyo's character in the pan-Asia hit dramaAutumn in My Heart.[6]She won the Best Young Actress award at the 2000KBS Drama Awards for her role, together with her co-starChoi Woo-hyuk.[7]
Moon was launched as a major star with her role inKim Jee-woon's critically acclaimed horror filmA Tale of Two Sisters (2003).[9]A Tale of Two Sisters ranks among the highest-grossing Korean horror films and was the first to be screened in American theaters.[10][unreliable source?]
In 2004, Moon headlined theromantic comedy filmMy Little Bride. It was the second most popular Korean film of the year, behind the blockbuster hitTaegukgi. In the film, Moon plays an ordinary high school girl who has to marry an older man (played byKim Rae-won) due to a pact their grandfathers made during theKorean War.[11][12] Following the release ofMy Little Bride, the press gave Moon the title "Nation's Little Sister".[13][14]
In 2005, Moon starred inInnocent Steps where she played the role of an ethnic Korean living in China, who finds herself to be a complete fish out of water after moving to South Korea.[15]Innocent Steps was a hit, and its success along withMy Little Bride established Moon as a genuine box office draw.[16] That year, Moon ranked first among actresses in the Korean film industry as the most bankable star.[17] Moon and actorCho Seung-woo also received the 2005 Good Model award from the Korea Advertisers Association; 200 members voted for the winners based on how much they contributed to boosting the sales of products and enhancing the image of advertisers.[18]
In 2006, Moon starred inLove Me Not, a Korean big-screen remake of popularJapanese TV dramaAi nante iranee yo, natsu ("I Don't Need Love, Summer"), where she played a cold-hearted blind heiress.[19] Later that year, Moon and veteran actorAhn Sung-ki hosted the 2006Pusan International Film Festival (PIFF), the biggest international film festival in South Korea.[20]
In 2008, Moon returned to television in the period epicPainter of the Wind, where she played the lead role ofShin Yun-bok, a painter who disguises herself as a man and becomes mentored by the masterKim Hong-do (played byPark Shin-yang).[21] Shin was a real-life historical figure, a painter who lived during theJoseon period (1392–1910) and was known for his realistic and delicate depictions of daily life.[22] Moon received acting acclaim for her performance, including Best Actress at the 2008Grimae Awards (presented by the Korean Broadcasting Directors Association), Best TV Actress at the45th Baeksang Arts Awards, and the Daesang ("Grand Prize") at the2008 SBS Drama Awards, making her the youngest recipient of a Daesang in the drama awards history of all three networks.[23]
Moon graduated fromGwangju Gukje High School in February 2006. In March 2006, she enteredSungkyunkwan University inSeoul.[42] Moon was known for being a diligent student and had a solid attendance record, a rarity among Korean celebrities in college.[42] She studied Korean Language and Literature.[43][44]
Their agencies confirmed that Moon dated herGoddess of Fire co-starKim Bum for seven months, from October 2013 to April 2014.[45][46] Not long after agencies of both actors confirmed the news stating: "They did break up not too long ago but have decided to remain good friends and supportive colleagues".[47][48]
Moon was diagnosed withcompartment syndrome, and received emergency treatments to treat her arm muscle pain.[49]
Moon donated close to ₩100 million to Morning Reading, a non-profit organization that promotes reading books.[50] She gave ₩4.3 million in 2005, ₩4 million in 2006 and ₩70 million in 2007. Moon made the contributions secretly through her mother, Ryu Seon-young, but her good deeds became known when Morning Reading revealed its 2007 account information online.
Moon donated about ₩300 million in 2006 to a learning center for poor children inHaenam County,South Jeolla Province, near her hometown ofGwangju.[51] Bae Yo-seop opened an after-school study room for children from poor or single-parent families to study there for free in 2002. The program was facing closure in October 2006 when the landlord told Bae that the house would be sold. A new building, equipped with library, computer room, bathhouse and dining room was built on the land, and the ₩200 million expense was also covered by Moon. Moon also paid an unannounced visit to their classrooms.
Moon donated more than ₩850 million over the last ten years to the Community Chest of Korea, a nationwide network of 16 nonprofit fundraising organizations, becoming the biggest individual donor. Moon had wanted to remain an anonymous donor, but the organization was pressured by a media frenzy to identify her.[52] Her donations were used to build children's libraries and subsidize hospital costs for children suffering fromleukemia or cancer. Apart from the Community Chest of Korea, Moon has also given several hundred millions of won to scholarship foundations.[53]
Because of her charitable activities, particularly for the Community Chest of Korea, Moon was selected among 100 people that "lit up the world" in 2008 in a survey conducted by the Korea Green Foundation.[54]
Moon again showed her generosity by building a Korean library for young Korean expatriates in Australia. Working with the Lindfield Korean School inSydney, the actress donated ₩100 million towards construction of a permanent Korean library (called the Hangeul Library) and also donated 10,000 books to over 40 Korean schools scattered across the city. Moon has been donating books with her own money since 2006, when she saw during a visit to her relatives in Australia how young Korean students there did not have enough books or places to learn Korean.[55]
In April 2009, Moon donated the Haenam Children's Center to be used as a study room for poor students to the NGO group Good People, an international charity group of UN UCOSCO special consultative status aiming to improve self-sustainability and eradicate extreme poverty through restoration of self-esteem using the principles of human dignity and equality at a global level.[56][57]
^Kim Soo-young (February 16, 2022).문근영·강상준, 신생 크리컴퍼니와 전속계약 [공식] [Geun-Young Moon and Sang-Jun Kang, signed an exclusive contract with the new Cree Company [Official]] (in Korean).The Korea Economic Daily.Archived from the original on February 16, 2022. RetrievedFebruary 16, 2022 – viaNaver.
^Moon Ji-yeon (October 13, 2021).[단독] 문근영이 돌아온다..'기억의 해각', 의미 더하는 노개런티 출연 [[Exclusive] Geun-Young Moon is back.. 'Resolving Memories', No Guarantee that adds meaning].Sports Chosun (in Korean).Archived from the original on October 18, 2021. RetrievedOctober 13, 2021 – viaNaver.
^Choi, Jin-sook (July 15, 2010).연극 무대 선 스타들..연극 전성기 온다 [Theatre stage sun stars.. The heyday of the play is coming.].Naver News (in Korean).Archived from the original on May 13, 2024. RetrievedMay 13, 2024.
^비극적 사랑 '로미오와 줄리엣' 연극으로 만난다! [Meet in the tragic love 'Romeo and Juliet' play!].브레이크뉴스. January 16, 2017.Archived from the original on August 4, 2024. RetrievedSeptember 1, 2023.
^인터파크 티켓.tickets.interpark.com.Archived from the original on September 1, 2023. RetrievedSeptember 1, 2023.
^인터파크 티켓.tickets.interpark.com.Archived from the original on September 1, 2023. RetrievedSeptember 1, 2023.
^인터파크 티켓.tickets.interpark.com.Archived from the original on September 1, 2023. RetrievedSeptember 1, 2023.
^Yoo Eun-bi (December 12, 2022).문근영·이정은·하윤경, 여성영화인상 수상→공로상은 故 강수연 [Moon Geun-young, Lee Jeong-eun, and Ha Yoon-kyung receive the Female Film Award → The late Kang Su-yeon received the Achievement Award].SpoTV News (in Korean).Archived from the original on December 12, 2022. RetrievedDecember 12, 2022 – viaNaver.
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