Moon Ga-young

Moon Ga-young (Korean: 문가영; born July 10, 1996) is a South Korean actress and model. In 2005, she started on her career as a child model. The following year, in 2006, she made her debut as a child actress with the film Bloody Reunion.

She is best known for her roles in Heartstrings (2011), Exo Next Door (2015), Tempted (2018), Welcome to Waikiki 2 (2019), Find Me in Your Memory (2020), True Beauty (2020–2021), Link: Eat, Love, Kill (2022), The Interest of Love (2022–2023) and My Dearest Nemesis (2025).

Moon was born on July 10, 1996, in Karlsruhe, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, to South Korean parents as the second daughter of two siblings. Her father, who majored in physics, and her mother, who studied music (piano), 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.^[1][2][3][4]

Moon graduated from an all-girls middle school and high school.^[5] Moon is also fluent in German and English as a result of her time in Germany. She can also play the piano, flute, and perform ballet.^[4][6] In November 2014, Moon successfully completed her college scholastic test.^[7] By January 2015, she enrolled as a freshman in the Class of '15 at Sungkyunkwan University.^[8] She chose to study in the Department of Theater and Film to pursue her passion for acting and classical literature.^[9]

Moon was first scouted as a child model for a clothing magazine in Germany while being pushed in a stroller by her mother.^[5] Upon the family's return to South Korea in 2005, her mother and uncle submitted photos of Moon and her older sister to a modeling contest. While the submission was intended as a casual gesture, Moon was subsequently selected as a model for a children's fashion catalog.^{[3][6][10][9]}

In 2006, Moon began her career as child actress^[11] a child actress, debuting in the film Bloody Reunion. She appeared in several film projects over the following years, providing her voice for Black House (2007) and appearing in minor roles in Shadows in the Palace (2007), Our Town (2007), and Do You See Seoul? (2008).^[10]

Concurrently, she appeared in a series of television dramas, starting with Hometown over the Hill (2007) and continuing with Bitter Sweet Life (2008), Ja Myung Go (2009), Friend, Our Legend (2009), The Reputable Family (2010), and Bad Guys (2010).^[10] Throughout this period, she was an active child performer alongside peers such as Yeo Jin-goo, Kim You-jung, and Kim So-hyun. During middle school, she took a hiatus from acting, both by choice and due to casting difficulties, after a growth spurt of over 10 centimeters made her physically too tall for traditional child roles.^[9]

She was well-loved for her portrayal of Jung-hyun, the little sister of Lee Shin (acted by Jung Yong-hwa) in MBC TV Wednesday-Thursday drama Heartstrings (2011), directed by Pyo Min-soo and scripted by Lee Myung-sook.^[12]

While in high school, Moon made her mark as the mysterious character Seohyun in Lee Si-young's Killer Toon, directed by Kim Yong-gyun and released on June 27, 2013. This breakthrough role significantly boosted her prominence.^[13] In 2013, she was also cast in the KBS TV weekend drama Wang's Family, written by Moon Young-nam and directed by Jin Hyun-wook. Moon portrayed Wang Hae-bak, the fourth daughter of the Wang family, who, despite being a high school student absorbed in her smartphone and rarely communicating with her family, impresses everyone with her exceptional academic performance and resourcefulness.^[14]

In April 2013, she gained attention for her performance alongside Baekhyun on SBS's Inkigayo, which led her to trend at the top of real-time search terms on various portal sites.^[15] Furthermore, Moon was chosen to portray Oh-reum, a ghost with a compelling backstory, in tvN's new Monday-Tuesday drama Who Are You? which premiered on July 29, 2013. Her character appears in the first two episodes of the series, which stars So Yi-hyun, Ok Taec-yeon, and Kim Jae-wook.^[14]

In 2014, while still a third-year high school student, Moon made her debut as an adult actress. She took on her first leading role as the title character in Mimi, a four-episode mystery/romance drama that aired on the cable channel Mnet,^[16][17] starring alongside Changmin from the group TVXQ.^[10] In the drama, she portrayed Mimi, an innocent girl who harbors a secret and suffers from an unnamed illness.^[3]

In April 2015, Moon portrayed the female protagonist in the web drama Exo Next Door, starring alongside boyband Exo. The web drama was aired on Naver TV.^[18]

In 2016, Moon took on supporting roles in the SBS television series Don't Dare to Dream. In the show, she portrayed the character of Lee Ppal-gang, a fearless high school student with a laid-back personality. Ppal-gang, along with her friends Chi-chi (played by Kim Jung-hyun) and Dae-gu (played by Ahn Woo-hyun), Ahn Woo-yeon forms a trio known as the "three musketeers." With her focus on academics and a rebellious spirit, Ppal-gang builds a barrier against the cold-hearted adults who have caused her pain, rendering them powerless.^[19]

In 2017, Moon took on a supporting role in Live Up to Your Name.^[20][21] In the drama, she portrayed the character Dong Mak-gae and impressed with her cross-dressing acting skills. Dong Mak-gae is depicted as a loyal assistant to Heo Im (played by Kim Nam-gil).^[22]

In 2017, Moon starred in the drama special Waltzing Alone, marking her first adult role since turning 20. She portrayed Kim Min-sun, a 2009 high school graduate slightly older than her actual age, who is a struggling job seeker and not particularly well-liked, resulting in a late start to her career.^[5][22]

In 2018, Moon took on the lead role in the romance drama Tempted, based on the 18th century French novel Les Liaisons dangereuses.^[23] She played Choi Soo-ji, the daughter of a medical foundation chairman who schemes to seduce Kwon Si-hyeon (portrayed by Woo Do-hwan). Moon's performance earned her the Excellence Award for Best Actress in a Monday-Tuesday Drama at the MBC Drama Awards.^[24] On July 3, 2018, she transferred from SM C&C to KeyEast, an agency acquired by SM Entertainment in March 2018.^[25] In 2019, Moon starred in the JTBC comedy series Welcome to Waikiki 2 as Han Soo-yeon, the shared first love of three friends played by Lee Yi-kyung, Kim Seon-ho, and Shin Hyun-soo.^[26][27] The role depicts a woman forced to seek financial independence after her wedding is canceled following the collapse of her father's business.^[9][28]

In the following year, Moon starred as the female lead in the romance series Find Me in Your Memory,^[29] portraying Yeo Ha-jin, an actress and influencer who has suppressed her past memories. Her character becomes involved with a news anchor (played by Kim Dong-wook) diagnosed with hyperthymesia, a condition involving near-perfect memory. It was broadcast on MBC TV from March 18 to May 13, 2020.^[30][31][32] Later, Moon took on the lead role of Lim Ju-kyung in the tvN series True Beauty, alongside Cha Eun-woo, Hwang In-youp, and Park Yoo-na, which aired in December 2020.^[33][34] Based on the Line Webtoon Line Webtoon of the same name by Yaongyi, the role follows a high school student who masters the art of makeup to transform her appearance after experiencing bullying and discrimination based on her looks.^{[35][36][37][38]}

In 2021, Moon starred alongside Yoon Kye-sang in the music video for "Cheers," a track by Lee Chan-hyuk, Colde, and Sogumm, produced by Code Kunst. Directed by Kwon Oh-jun, the project was part of Elle Korea's "Reconnect 2021" initiative, a campaign designed to support and encourage youth.^[39][40]

In 2022, Moon reunited with director Hong Jong-chan for the tvN fantasy-melodrama Link: Eat, Love, Kill, portraying Noh Da-hyun, a trainee at Jihwayang restaurant who became love interest of Eun Gye-hoon (portrayed by Yeo Jin-goo), a sous chef at the same restaurant.^[41][42] In the end of 2022, Moon starred in the JTBC office-romance drama The Interest of Love.^[43] Moon portrayed Ahn Soo-young, a head teller at KCU Bank's Yeongpo branch who maintains a cynical and guarded view of romance. Her perspective begins to shift after she becomes involved with her colleague Ha Sang-soo (portrayed by Yoo Yeon-seok) who introduces new emotional complexity to her life.^[44]

In February 2024, Moon debuted as an author with the publication of her first prose collection, Pata, featuring personal thoughts and reflections.^[45] The collection's pre-sale on February 27 reached 2,000 copies, leading to an immediate second printing, a performance noted by industry analysts as a significant achievement in South Korea's publishing sector.^[46] In July 2024, publisher Wisdom House announced international distribution agreements for the title with AtmanBooks in Taiwan and ShiraMedia in Indonesia.^[47]

In her screen career, Moon collaborated with director Hong Jong-chan for Daesung's "Falling Slowly" music video, released on March 5, 2024. The project featured a reunion with her Welcome to Waikiki 2 co-star, Kim Seon-ho.^[48] On July 1, 2024, Moon signed an exclusive contract with management company Peak J Entertainment.^[49] Shortly after, tvN confirmed her as the lead alongside Choi Hyun-wook in the series My Dearest Nemesis.^[50] The series is based on Black Salt Dragon, a webtoon by Hye Jin-yang.^[51] The drama is directed by Lee Soo-hyun, known for Delightfully Deceitful and written by Kim Soo-yeon.^[52] It was produced by Studio N and planned by Studio Dragon.^[53][50]

Moon also starred in the romantic melodrama Once We Were Us, directed by Kim Do-young, a remake of 2018 Chinese film Us and Them directed by Rene Liu. Portraying Han Jung-won opposite Koo Kyo-hwan, she depicted a character's ten-year progression from a rural upbringing to adult life in Seoul. Distributed by Showbox, the film was released in South Korea on December 31, 2025.^[54][55] The film achieved commercial success, becoming the first domestic romance in several years to surpass two million admissions and maintaining a top position at the South Korean box office through early 2026.^[56]

Moon debuted as a child model in 2005.^[10] After being an adult actress, her modeling career grew in 2021 when she was appointed the exclusive face of hair care brand Vodana.^[57] and cosmetics label Dermafirm.^[58] That same year, she collaborated with her Welcome to Waikiki 2 co-star Kim Seon-ho for the outdoor apparel brand Nau.^[59]

In 2022, Moon’s portfolio grew to include the sports fashion brand Le Coq Sportif^[60] and vegan cosmetics brand Dinto.^[61][62] Her presence in high fashion peaked in late 2023; following her appearance at Dolce & Gabbana's Spring/Summer 2024 show in Milan Fashion Week on September 2023.^[63][64] Following the event, the marketing platform Lefty ranked her as the event’s most influential participant, citing her high earned media value. This impact led to a W magazine feature^[65] and her subsequent appointment as a global brand ambassador for Dolce & Gabbana in November 2023.^[25][63] Her commercial work also included a reunion with Cha Eun-woo for Hanwha Life Insurance.^[66] She concluded the year with a campaign for Calvin Klein in December 2023.^[67]

In February 2024, Moon maintained her international fashion presence by attending Dolce & Gabbana’s Fall/Winter show in Milan Fashion Week.^[68] In March 2024, Moon was named a Tumi luggage global ambassador.^[69]

On May 20, 2017, as a goodwill ambassador for the international relief NGO Plan Korea, Moon participated in the "Plan Art Market" held at Everland's Rose Garden to commemorate World Children's Day. The event aimed to raise funds for global child relief, specifically supporting the construction of play facilities for a kindergarten in Cambodia.^[70]

Proceeds from Moon's March 2024 prose collection, PATA, have supported multiple charitable causes. She donated 100 million won from the book's earnings to Ewha Womans University Medical Center in August 2024,^[71] followed by a 50 million won donation via Cointree in February 2026. The latter contribution supports medical and self-reliance projects for women and children in Tulum, Mexico.^[72]

• Moon Ga-young at HanCinema
• Moon Ga-young at the Korean Movie Database
• Moon Ga-young at IMDb