Park was born inJeungpyeong County,North Chungcheong Province, South Korea. She is the second of three daughters. Her father served in the Special Forces Brigade for 34 years.[1][2] She graduated from Jeungpyeong Elementary School, Jeungpyeong Girls' Middle School, Daeseong Girls' Commercial High School andDankook University's Department ofPerforming arts with a major in theater and film.[3][4]
Before her official acting debut in 2006, while in middle school, Park appeared in the short filmEqual in 2005. The clip won the Challenging Reality Award (현실도전상) at the seventhSeoul International Youth Film Festival (SIYFF 2005).[5] She first appeared on television with a public commercial forKorea Hydro & Nuclear Power while in high school.[6]
Park made her official acting debut in the 2006 high school television seriesSecret Campus alongside fellow newcomerLee Min-ho.[7] Among the notable projects during the early stage in her career are the historical epicThe King and I andPeabody Award-winning teen dramaJungle Fish withKim Soo-hyun, based on a true story that depicts the pressures placed on students to achieve and gain admission to prestigious colleges and universities.[8][9]
However, in 2010 she became involved in a series of legal disputes with her then-management agency and a film production company, causing the actress to be tied up in lawsuits and unable to work for the next few years.[17][18][19]
2011–2014: Return to big screen and mainstream success
After she was designated the promotional ambassador (called "PiFan Lady") for the 2011Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival,[20][21] Park finally ended her four-year absence from the limelight by headlining the 2012 horror thrillerDon't Click.[22][23][24] Later that year, she starred alongsideSong Joong-ki in fantasy romance filmA Werewolf Boy,[25][26][27][28] which surpassed 7 million admissions to become one of the most successful Korean melodramas of all time.[29][30] The song her character sings in the film, "My Prince", was released as a digital single and included in the movie soundtrack.[31]
In 2013, Park joined the cast ofLaw of the Jungle, a reality-documentary program featuring comedianKim Byung-man and several celebrities as they explore and survive the New Zealand wilderness.[32]
In a departure from her previous sweet, innocent characters, Park played the tough, potty-mouthed leader of her high school gang inHot Young Bloods (2014), ateenromantic comedy set in the 1980s.[33] Park, who was born inNorth Chungcheong Province, said she had fun swearing in the southern dialect, though she found it difficult to master, being a mixture ofJeolla andChungcheong dialects.[34][35][36]
2015–2019: Television comeback and continued success
In 2015, she headlined the mystery thrillerThe Silenced, set in a girls' boarding school during theJapanese occupation.[37][38][39] This was followed bydual roles in romantic comedyOh My Ghost, Park's first television series in seven years.[40][41][42] Her salary of ₩30 million (US$27,000) per episode made her the highest-paid actress to appear on cable channeltvN.[43] The series was a commercial and critical hit, and garnered the Best Actress award for Park at the4th APAN Star Awards. She was also dubbed as the "romantic comedy queen" by the Korean press.[44]
In September 2017, Park began filming the romance filmOn Your Wedding Day which premiered in August 2018.[53] She was reunited withKim Young-kwang, whom she previously acted with in the 2014 filmHot Young Bloods.[54] The film was abox office hit and received positive reviews.[55] Park then starred in tvN's seriesAbyss in May 2019, where she played a beautiful prosecutor who transforms into a plain-looking girl after being revived by a mysterious orb.[56][57] She parted ways with her ten-year agency Fides Spatium in December 2019. Two months later, she signed an exclusive contract withBH Entertainment.[58][59]
In the beginning of 2025, Park starred in the Netflix seriesMelo Movie oppositeChoi Woo Shik.[69] In June 2025, the seriesOur Unwritten Seoul aired ontvN and Netflix, where Park took on the complex challenge of playing dual roles as identical twins. This series was successful domestically with record ratings and received global acclaim.[70] It is "one of the calmest and deepest Korean dramas of 2025," wroteTime magazine about the series.[71][72]
Park at autograph signing event for Sofy Bodyfit's Share Pad Campaign in April 2019
Park Bo-young has participated in several charitable causes; such as talent donations forChildFund Korea—Green Umbrella Children's Foundation's "Love, One More" campaign in 2014 and Sandol Green Umbrella Handwriting project in 2017.[73][74][75] She also sponsored two children through the Green Umbrella Children's Foundation from 2013.[76]
Park participated in the Share Pad Campaign byLG Unicharm's sanitary pad brand Sofy Bodyfit and provided pads to girls from low-income single parents from 2016 until 2019.[77] In May 2017 and April 2019, she held autograph signing events to donate a total of 1.1 million pieces of sanitary pads to Korean Women's Welfare Association as part of the campaign.[78][79]
On April 15, 2017, Park held an autograph session in Seoul to support an orphanage in Cambodia. It was hosted by Think Nature, a cosmetic brand that she endorsed at that time. All proceeds from the event were donated to support children in Cambodia.[80]
In February 2020, she donated 50 millionwon to help the fight againstCOVID-19 during the mass outbreak. In August, she donated 20 million won to support the aid for flood victims through the Hope Bridge Disaster Relief Association.[81][82] She was also one of the celebrities who participated in 2020 WeAja Flea Market charity auction.[83]
In February 2021, she donated 30 million won to non-profit organization Good Neighbors in celebration of her birthday to provide young girls from low-income families with sanitary items.[81] In July, she donated 100,000face masks to the North Gyeongsang Province Fire Department through the Hope Bridge Disaster Relief Association.[84]
In February 2022, international development cooperationNGO G-Foundation announced that Park donated 50 million won on her birthday to fund kits with sanitary products for young girls from low-income households.[85] In March, she donated 50 million won to Hope Bridge Disaster Relief Association to help residents affected by the wildfires inUljin,North Gyeongsang Province,Samcheok,Gangneung,Donghae, andYeongwol.[86] Because of her donations, Park became a member of Hope Bridge Disaster Relief Association's major donor club called "Hope Bridge Honors Club" in April 2022.[87]
In February 2023, Park donated 30 million won through the Hope Bridge Korea Disaster Relief Association to provide aid for the2023 Turkey–Syria earthquake.[88] In the same year, she made a donation of 100 million won to Seoul Children’s Hospital.[89]It is also known that since 2014, the company has maintained a steady partnership with Seoul Children’s Hospital. Over the past ten years, it has donated more than 250 million won, including support for medical equipment, air conditioners, air purifiers, and medical assistance for patients. In particular, beyond financial contributions, the company has volunteered directly at the hospital, dedicating around 120 hours of service. Their heartfelt efforts have been recognized for providing practical help such as patient care, meal assistance, and support for guardians and hospital staff.[90]
On January 4, 2024, to celebrate the New Year, she donated 20 million won to Seoul Children’s Hospital — marking her 11th year of donating to the hospital.[91] On May 3 of the same year, Park Bo-young donated 50 million won in celebration of Children’s Day, continuing her support for underprivileged children and adolescents in Korea through the international development cooperation NGO, G Foundation. The donation will be used to fund a program providing underwear for underprivileged female youth and to support cultural experience activities for children in childcare facilities.[92] In December 2024, she donated 10 million won to support 50 underprivileged residents in her hometown, Jeungpyeong County, North Chungcheong Province.[93]
On March 26, 2025, the Hope Bridge Korea Disaster Relief Association (Chairman Song Pil-ho) announced that actress Park Bo-young donated 50 million won to support firefighters. The donation was made in response to the forest fire that began in Sancheong County, South Gyeongsang Province. It will be used to promote awareness and improve the working conditions of firefighters who dedicate themselves to disaster sites such as wildfires and other fire emergencies.[94]In May 2025, she donated 20 million won to Seoul Children’s Hospital in Celebration of Children’s Day. The donation, delivered through ChildFund Korea (Green Umbrella), will be used to improve the treatment environment for patients at the hospital.[95]
Park's ankle ligaments were torn during a workout before shooting began for TV seriesStrong Girl Bong-soon (2017). In April 2017, the hospital advised her to wear a cast but she had to use ankle tape and started out withphysical therapy instead, due to the ongoing filming. Two months after wrapping up the series, she underwent a twenty-minute minor surgery. On September 6, her agency stated that the actress was in the final stages of rehabilitation and would start filmingOn Your Wedding Day (2018) later that month.[110][111] In November 2019, Park announced a temporary hiatus to recover from arm injury. She also received surgery to remove a scar on her arm.[112]
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^Kim, Bo-ra (June 25, 2015).[단독] 박보영, 30일 '특전사 아버지' 전역식 참석 [[Exclusive] Park Bo-young, 30th 'Special Warrior Father' Global Ceremony].Osen (in Korean).Archived from the original on February 3, 2020. RetrievedFebruary 16, 2016.
^박보영 첫게스트, '펭수'와 인연 공개! [The first guest of Park Bo-young, 'Peng-soo' and the relationship revealed!].Poli News (in Korean). August 26, 2020.Archived from the original on October 21, 2021. RetrievedJanuary 4, 2021.
^'어린 소화' 박보영 단국대 연극영화전공 정시 합격 ['Young Digestion' Park Bo-young passed the stage film major at Dankook University].Newsen (in Korean). February 6, 2008.Archived from the original on January 23, 2022. RetrievedJanuary 4, 2021 – viaDaum.
^데뷔 10년 만에 첫 키스신 찍었어요 [I made my first kiss in ten years.Park Bo-young challenging adult acting].Top Class Chosun (in Korean). Top Class. Archived fromthe original on December 22, 2015. RetrievedJune 20, 2016.
^충무로 '18세 박보영' 찜.Herald Biz (in Korean).Archived from the original on March 6, 2022. RetrievedMarch 29, 2021 – viaNaver.
^Yoon, Go-eun (September 16, 2010).박보영ㆍ김수현 주연 '정글피쉬' 특별개봉 [Special re-edit of Park Bo-young and Kim Soo-hyun's Jungle Fish].Yonhap News Agency (in Korean).Archived from the original on July 5, 2018. RetrievedNovember 24, 2012.
^Bae, Hyo-joo (September 6, 2024).박보영·안재홍, 부산국제영화제 개막식 사회자 발탁 [Park Bo-young and Ahn Jae-hong selected as hosts for the opening ceremony of the Busan International Film Festival].Newsen (in Korean).Naver. RetrievedSeptember 6, 2024.
^Yoo, Byung-cheol (March 7, 2022).박보영, 강원과 경북 지역 산불 피해 복구와 이재민 지원 위해 5천만 원 기부...따뜻한 기부행렬 동참 [Park Bo-young, donated 50 million won to recover damage from forest fires in Gangwon and Gyeongsangbuk-do and support the victims... Join the warm donation procession].Korea Economic TV (in Korean).Archived from the original on March 7, 2022. RetrievedMarch 7, 2022 – viaNaver.
^Jeong, Hee-yeon (April 4, 2022).박보영, 고액기부클럽 '아너스클럽' 가입 [공식] [Park Bo-young joins the major donation club 'Honors Club' [Official]] (in Korean). Sports Dong-a.Archived from the original on July 6, 2024. RetrievedApril 4, 2022 – viaNaver.
^Yoo, Jun-ha (February 9, 2023).튀르키예·시리아 지진 피해에... 한지민·혜리·이용진 등 기부 물결 [Earthquake damage in Turkey and Syria... A wave of donations such as Han Ji-min, Lee Hye-ri, and Lee Yong-jin] (in Korean).Edaily.Archived from the original on February 9, 2023. RetrievedFebruary 9, 2023 – viaNaver.
^Lee, Eun-jeong (November 13, 2012).'늑대소년' 박보영 "나도 이제 대학생 기자".Naver (in Korean). Segye.Archived from the original on July 5, 2018. RetrievedFebruary 16, 2016.
^Park, Ah-reum (September 6, 2017).박보영 측 "지난 6월 발목 수술, 90% 이상 회복".Newsen (in Korean). Newsen.Archived from the original on September 6, 2017. RetrievedSeptember 6, 2017.
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