Lee Go-eun

Lee Go-eun (born November 6, 2009) is a South Korean actress known for her work as a child performer in television dramas and films.^[1] Born in Incheon, she began her acting career in the early 2010s and rose to prominence with her role as Park Cho-rong, the daughter of the lead character played by Lee Jang-woo, in the KBS2 family comedy-drama Rosy Lovers (2014).^[2][3] Go-eun has since portrayed a variety of young characters, including the child version of protagonist Lim Ju-kyung in the popular webtoon adaptation True Beauty (2020) on tvN, Hyo-jin, the daughter of Tiffany, in the supernatural thriller Black (2017) on OCN, and young Yang Seon-joo in the mystery series Gap Dong (2014) on tvN.^[3][4] Her film credits include the supporting role of a young Hye-joong in the fantasy adventure Alice: Boy from Wonderland (2015) and a family member in the comedy Sunkist Family (2019). More recently, she appeared in the historical legal drama Joseon Attorney: A Morality (2023) on SBS and the teenager Lee Se-na in the mystery thriller Bitter Sweet Hell (2024) on MBC, showcasing her versatility across genres.^[3][1][5] Affiliated with Big Smile Entertainment, Go-eun continues to build her career in the competitive South Korean entertainment industry, often taking on roles that highlight her expressive acting as a teenager.^[2]

Early life

Birth and upbringing

Lee Go-eun was born on November 6, 2009, in Incheon, South Korea.^[6][2] She spent her early childhood in Incheon, growing up in the metropolitan area with her parents and an older brother born in 2007, before gaining attention in the public eye.^[7] Her initial exposure to the entertainment industry came during her toddler years, as she appeared in a 2011 commercial for Daelim e Pyeonhan World at the age of two, marking her entry into child modeling and advertising.^[7]

Education

Lee Go-eun graduated from middle school on February 7, 2025, marking the completion of her compulsory basic education amid her burgeoning acting career.^[8] In March 2025, she enrolled in a general high school, opting not to attend a specialized arts high school despite her profession, as stated in her public announcement emphasizing a focus on balanced academic pursuits.^[8] Child actors in South Korea face challenges in balancing demanding filming schedules with the education system, which emphasizes academic achievement and preparation for competitive university entrance exams. Regulations cap weekly working hours for minors aged 15-18 at 40 hours.^[9][10] Agencies representing child performers, such as Big Smile Entertainment, are mandated under guidelines from the Korea Communications Commission to facilitate access to education, including provisions for on-set tutoring and flexible scheduling to safeguard minors' learning rights.^[11] As of November 2025, Lee Go-eun continues her studies as a first-year high school student, navigating these dual responsibilities while maintaining her professional commitments.^[8]

Career

Debut and early roles

Lee Go-eun entered the entertainment industry in 2011 as a child model, participating in modeling contests that led to her initial exposure in the field. She transitioned to acting in 2014, signing with T One Entertainment and taking on minor roles in television dramas. Her debut acting role was as the young Yang Sun-yoo in the tvN series Gap Dong, a thriller about a serial killer investigation.^[3] That same year, she appeared as Park So-mi, the daughter of a supporting character, in the workplace drama Misaeng: Incomplete Life on tvN, marking her entry into more narrative-driven projects. She also portrayed the young version of Song Yi-hyun in the family-oriented series Make Your Wish on MBC, showcasing her versatility in emotional scenes as a child actress. These early guest spots helped her build experience in the competitive Korean drama landscape.^[2] In 2015, Lee Go-eun landed her first prominent role as Park Cho-rong, the daughter of the lead characters, in the MBC family comedy Rosy Lovers. This character, part of a large ensemble cast in a story about matchmaking and relationships, allowed her to demonstrate comedic timing and familial warmth, gaining her wider recognition among audiences. Following this, she moved to Big Smile Entertainment later in her career to further develop her opportunities.^[12][13]

Breakthrough roles

Lee Go-eun made her film debut in 2015 with a supporting role as the young Hye-joong in Alice: Boy from Wonderland, a psychological thriller directed by Huh Eun-hee, where her character appears in flashback sequences exploring the protagonist's traumatic childhood. This marked her entry into feature films at the age of six, contributing to her growing visibility in the industry.^[14] In 2016, Lee gained prominence through her television roles in family-oriented dramas. She portrayed Park Sae-rom, the young daughter in a complex family dynamic, in the MBC series The Dearest Lady, a 116-episode daily drama that centered on romantic entanglements and familial bonds among three generations of women.^[15] Her performance in this long-running production helped establish her as a recognizable child actress, with the role later referenced as a key early credit in her career.^[16] That same year, Lee played the young Kim Da-hae in The Master of Revenge (also known as Master: God of Noodles), a KBS2 revenge thriller spanning 20 episodes, where she depicted the childhood version of the female lead amid themes of loss and resilience in a makeshift family forged through adversity. Her brief but pivotal appearance underscored the character's formative experiences, adding emotional layers to the narrative's backstory.^[17] Lee also appeared as the young Da-jung in the KBS Drama Special anthology episode "Pinocchio's Nose," a 2016 one-off story directed by Lee Jung-mi about a psychologist uncovering family secrets tied to a long-ago disappearance and suspected murder. In this 70-minute installment, her role highlighted the innocence and vulnerability of the child protagonist, central to the episode's exploration of truth and deception within a fractured household.^[18] These mid-2010s projects, particularly her work in family dramas like The Dearest Lady and The Master of Revenge, demonstrated Lee's capacity for nuanced emotional expression as a child performer, solidifying her reputation in South Korean television during this formative phase.^[16]

Recent activities

In 2017, Lee Go-eun took on the supporting role of Hyo-jin, the daughter of a key character, in the fantasy thriller drama Black on OCN, marking one of her early ventures into more complex family dynamics within a supernatural narrative. This appearance showcased her ability to convey emotional depth at a young age, contributing to the series' exploration of fate and protection.^[19] In 2018, she played Lee Chae-rin in the SBS mystery drama Secret Mother, portraying a child involved in a tale of hidden identities and maternal secrets. The following year, she appeared as the young Gae-ttong in the JTBC historical romance Flower Crew: Joseon Marriage Agency. By 2019, Lee secured her first lead role as Oh Jin-hae, the youngest daughter in a candid family, in the comedy-drama film Sunkist Family, which highlighted themes of openness and generational relationships in a modern Korean household. Her performance as the perceptive teen navigating parental intimacy and sibling bonds demonstrated a maturation in her acting, transitioning from peripheral child parts to central youthful perspectives.^[20] In 2020, she portrayed the young Im Ju-kyung, a supporting teen character dealing with self-image and bullying, in the popular webtoon adaptation True Beauty on tvN, emphasizing her suitability for relatable adolescent roles in romantic comedies. She also took on young versions of protagonists in several other series that year, including Forest on KBS2, Memorist on tvN, and Find Me in Your Memory on MBC. This role further solidified her presence in youth-oriented stories, where she captured the vulnerabilities of teenage transformation.^[21] Lee continued her evolution in 2021 with a supporting role as Min Sol in the long-running KBS1 family drama Be My Dream Family, spanning 120 episodes and focusing on blended family dynamics and personal growth. In 2022, she made a guest appearance as the young Oh Yeo-jin in the MBC fantasy drama The Golden Spoon.^[22] She returned in 2023 with the supporting role of young Lee Yeon-joo in the historical legal drama Joseon Attorney: A Morality on MBC, portraying a character entangled in Joseon-era intrigue and romance. Set against a backdrop of revenge and justice, her depiction of the character's early hardships added layers to the narrative's fusion of historical and modern elements.^[23] As Lee entered her mid-teens, her career shifted from child-centric portrayals to teen characters across genres like fantasy, comedy, romance, and historical drama, reflecting her growth as an actress born in 2009. In January 2022, she signed an exclusive contract with Big Smile Entertainment, supporting this phase of development.^[2] She has cultivated a public image as a dedicated student-actress, balancing professional commitments with her education, including a brief reference to prioritizing studies alongside acting pursuits. Following her 2023 role, Lee has paused major projects to focus on high school, having transitioned to secondary education in early 2025 with no announced upcoming works as of November 2025.^[2]

Filmography

Television series

Lee Go-eun began her television career as a child actress in 2014, appearing primarily in supporting and guest roles in various Korean dramas across networks such as SBS, MBC, tvN, and KBS. Her credits span family-oriented daily dramas, thrillers, and fantasy series, often portraying young versions of main characters or key supporting figures. The following table lists her television series roles chronologically, including character names, networks, and notes on role type or episode specifics where notable.^[2][6]

Films

Lee Go-eun made her feature film debut in 2015 and has appeared in three theatrical releases to date, all showcasing her in supporting child roles within genre-blended narratives. In Alice: Boy from Wonderland (2015), a fantasy horror romance directed by Huh Eun-hee, she portrayed the young Hye-joong, the childhood version of the protagonist grappling with nightmarish visions in a mysterious resort setting.^[24][14][25] In Karaoke Crazies (2017), a fantasy comedy-drama directed by Kim Sang-chan, she appeared in a bit part as Jin Yi, in the story of a struggling rural karaoke bar revived by a group of eccentric performers who turn out to be lost souls.^[26][27][28] Her third film, Sunkist Family (2019), is a family comedy-drama directed by Kim Ji-hye, where she played Oh Jin-hae, the daughter navigating her parents' unconventional open relationship and its impact on family dynamics.^[29][20][30]

Awards and nominations

Awards won

In 2021, Lee Go-eun won the Child Actor Award at the 40th Golden Cinema Film Festival for her performance in the film Sunkist Family.^[31][32] The ceremony, organized by the Korean Society of Cinematographers, was held on March 11, 2021, at a wedding hall in Jung-gu, Seoul, after being postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.^[31][32] The award was shared with Eum Seo-young for her role in The Sky at the Bottom of the Lake.^[31][32] This early accolade highlighted Lee's emerging talent as a child actress, coming shortly after her debut in 2015 and roles in projects like Black (2017), and helped solidify her reputation in the South Korean entertainment industry at the age of 11.^[31]

Nominations received

Lee Go-eun's early career as a child actress garnered attention from industry award bodies, reflecting her emerging talent in supporting roles within family-oriented dramas. Her nomination at the 2021 KBS Drama Awards marked an important step in building her recognition among peers. This nomination, shared with other rising young performers such as Kim Yun-seul for Drama Special: Hee-soo, Lee Re for Hello, Me!, and Choi Myung-bin for The King's Affection, underscored the competitive landscape for child actors in Korean television during that year.^[33] Despite not securing the win, which went to Lee Re for Hello, Me! and Choi Myung-bin for The King's Affection and Young Lady and Gentleman, the accolade affirmed her potential and contributed to her increasing visibility in subsequent projects.^[34]