Kim Hyun Joo is a South Korean actress. She modeling in teen magazines when she was in third-year high school. In 1996, Hyun made her entertainment debut when she starred in the music video for Kim Hyun Chul's "One's Lifetime." She launched her acting career in 1997 in the television drama "The Reason I Live". Despite being a newcomer, Hyun was cast in the leading role in the film "If It Snows on Christmas", followed by "Calla". After doing a few sitcoms, Hyun Joo built her resume further by playing supporting roles on television.
Hyun Joo achieved mainstream stardom in 2002, with her Cinderella-esque leading role in "Glass Slippers". The drama was a hit with ratings of over 30%, and Hyun Joo received acting and popularity awards at the SBS Drama Awards.
2010 was a difficult year for Hyun Joo, with the deaths of three of her loved ones in close succession: her friend, actor Park Yong Ha committed suicide on June 30, the production company executive who'd cast her in "The Land" committed suicide on July 1 because of financial difficulties, and her father Kim Tae Beom died on July 7 after a long illness. She spent the rest of the year traveling to Bangladesh and the Philippines for her volunteer work as the goodwill ambassador for Good Neighbors, a humanitarian NGO. She donated the condolence money collected for her father's funeral and a portion of her book sales to Good Neighbors, which was used to build libraries in 11 orphanages in slum areas of Dhaka.
(Source: Wikipedia)