After failing her university entrance exams, she saw the film Dead Poets Society, switched to acting and entered the broadcasting and entertainment department at Dongduk Women’s University. The year she turned 26, she debuted as one of the court ladies in The Treacherous, and an appearance in the Seoul International Women’s Film Festival trailer caught the eye of the actress Moon So-ri.
In 2016, she appeared in a bit part in the film The Age of Shadows. In 2017, she made her drama debut in OCN Save Me and appeared in The Running Actress, directed by Moon So-ri. That autumn she won Actress of the Year at the Busan International Film Festival and the Independent Star Award at the Seoul Independent Film Festival for After My Death.
The breakthrough yearIn September of the year she turned 29, After My Death was released and her name became widely known. She played the lead, Young-hee, a girl blamed as the cause of a friend’s death.
In 2019, she won Best New Actress for the film at the Chunsa Film Art Awards and the Buil Film Awards. That year she played Lee Eun-jung in JTBC Be Melodramatic and Sa-im in the film Forbidden Dream. In 2020, she played her first commercial-film lead in Secret Zoo and won Best New Actress at the Grand Bell Awards for After My Death.
In 2021, she played Hong Cha-young in tvN Vincenzo and Jae-yeon in Netflix Night in Paradise. Late that year she won the Chungjungwon Popular Star Award at the Blue Dragon Film Awards. In 2022, she was named Next Actor at the Muju Mountain Valley Film Festival and appeared in Netflix Glitch.
In 2023, she played Shin Mi-do in the film Cobweb and went to the Cannes Film Festival, and late that year she won Best Supporting Actress at the Blue Dragon Film Awards. In 2024, she played the independence fighter Gong Boo-in in the film Harbin.
In January 2025, she played Sister Michaela in Dark Nuns, which passed one million admissions in six days. In June she appeared in SBS Our Movie, and in September she took her first title role, 10 years after her debut, in ENA Ms. Incognito. In 2026, she was cast in ENA Hokhaneun Romaenseu.
Jeon Yeo-been (born Jul 26, 1989) debuted in the film The Treacherous on May 21, 2015, the year she turned 26, and became known when After My Death was released on Sep 13, 2018, the year she turned 29. In 2023, the year she turned 34, she won Best Supporting Actress at the Blue Dragon Film Awards for Cobweb.
Ages are by calendar year (the year minus the birth year), birthdays aside.
Born in Gangneung, Gangwon Province. Her birth name is Jeon Bo-young, and she changed it in high school to a new name her mother gave her.
Source 01 · Star News (Korean) · Short film festival for Jeon Yeo-been’s birthday · opens in a new tabSource 02 · Siminilbo (Korean) · Jeon Yeo-been photo · opens in a new tabSource 46 · TV Daily (Korean) · Stars who changed their names · opens in a new tabAfter failing her university entrance exams, she saw the film Dead Poets Society, switched to acting and entered the broadcasting and entertainment department at Dongduk Women’s University. She then debuted as one of the court ladies in Min Kyu-dong’s film The Treacherous.
Source 03 · Mediapen (Korean) · The Treacherous tops the box office on day 1 · opens in a new tabSource 04 · Woman Donga (Korean) · The making of a “monster of acting,” Jeon Yeo-been · opens in a new tabSource 07 · Wikitree (Korean) · From After My Death to a “tough lawyer” · opens in a new tabAppeared in the festival trailer that year. The actress Moon So-ri, who took an interest in her after seeing it, was the first to offer her a part in The Running Actress.
Source 05 · Korea Economic TV (Korean) · Opening of the Seoul International Women’s Film Festival · opens in a new tabSource 06 · Newsen (Korean) · Interview on The Running Actress · opens in a new tabAppeared in a bit part in Kim Jee-woon’s film. She later appeared in a bit part in Illang as well, and worked with Kim again in 2023 on Cobweb.
Source 31 · MBC Entertainment (Korean) · Interview on Cobweb · opens in a new tabSource 32 · Newsen (Korean) · The Age of Shadows set for Sept. 7 · opens in a new tabMade her first drama appearance as Hong So-rin, a reporter who goes undercover to expose a cult.
Source 08 · TV Daily (Korean) · Interview with Cho Sung-ha on Save Me · opens in a new tabSource 09 · Newsen (Korean) · Interview with the Hong sisters on Save Me · opens in a new tabAppeared in act 3, “The Best Director,” of the film that Moon So-ri directed, wrote and starred in.
Source 10 · Newsen (Korean) · Gong Hyo-jin and Kim Tae-ri support The Running Actress · opens in a new tabSource 45 · Global Economic (Korean) · Questions about Jeon Yeo-been · opens in a new tabWon Actress of the Year for After My Death. The male winner that year was Park Jong-hwan of Hit the Night.
Source 11 · SBS Entertainment News (Korean) · Park Jong-hwan and Jeon Yeo-been win Actor of the Year at BIFF · opens in a new tabWon the Independent Star Award for After My Death.
Source 12 · Nocut News (Korean) · Closing ceremony of the 43rd Seoul Independent Film Festival · opens in a new tabSource 13 · Nocut News (Korean) · Interview with Jeon Yeo-been · opens in a new tabPlayed the lead, Young-hee, a girl blamed as the cause of a friend’s death. Nocut News wrote that she suddenly became an actress to watch with this film, and Newsen calls it the film that made her widely known.
Won Best New Actress for After My Death.
Source 16 · Star News (Korean) · Jin Ki-joo and Jeon Yeo-been win Best New Actress at the 24th Chunsa Film Art Awards · opens in a new tabPlayed Lee Eun-jung, who turns 30, with Im Jin-ju (Chun Woo-hee) and Hwang Han-ju (Han Ji-eun).
Source 18 · Celuv Media (Korean) · Be Melodramatic drama view · opens in a new tabWon Best New Actress for the same film.
Source 17 · MBN (Korean) · 28th Buil Film Awards · opens in a new tabPlayed Sa-im in Hur Jin-ho’s period drama about King Sejong and Jang Yeong-sil.
Source 19 · NSP News (Korean) · Release date set for Forbidden Dream · opens in a new tabSource 20 · OSEN (Korean) · Jeon Yeo-been joins Forbidden Dream · opens in a new tabPlayed the zookeeper Hae-kyung and a giant sloth. It was her first lead role in a commercial film.
Source 21 · Maeil Business (Korean) · Interview on Secret Zoo · opens in a new tabSource 22 · Herald POP (Korean) · Interview on Secret Zoo · opens in a new tabWon for After My Death. Park Se-jin, Park Ji-hu, Lee Jae-in and Jung Da-eun were also nominated.
Source 23 · Segye Ilbo (Korean) · Jeon Yeo-been wins Best New Actress at the 56th Grand Bell Awards for After My Death · opens in a new tabIn the drama with Song Joong-ki, the first episode drew 7.7% nationwide.
Source 24 · The Fact (Korean) · Vincenzo first-episode ratings · opens in a new tabPlayed Jae-yeon, who meets Tae-gu (Um Tae-goo) after he flees to Jeju Island. It was the only Korean film invited to the non-competitive section of the 77th Venice International Film Festival.
Source 25 · TenAsia (Korean) · Um Tae-goo, Cha Seung-won and Jeon Yeo-been in Night in Paradise on Netflix · opens in a new tabWon with Lim Yoona, Song Joong-ki and Koo Kyo-hwan.
Source 26 · Chosun Ilbo (Korean) · Escape from Mogadishu at the Blue Dragon Film Awards · opens in a new tabSource 27 · SR Times (Korean) · 42nd Blue Dragon Film Awards Chungjungwon Popular Star Award · opens in a new tabWas chosen as this year’s subject of Next Actor, a program the 10th Muju Mountain Valley Film Festival put together with the Baek Eun-ha Actor Research Institute.
Source 28 · Jeonbuk Domin Ilbo (Korean) · Jeon Yeo-been named Next Actor at the 10th Muju Mountain Valley Film Festival · opens in a new tabPlayed Hong Ji-hyo, who sees aliens.
Source 47 · Biz Enter (Korean) · Glitch on Netflix, one day to go · opens in a new tabIn the film with Kim Jee-woon and Song Kang-ho, she played Shin Mi-do, heir to the film company Shinsung Film. She went to the Cannes Film Festival with the film before its release.
Source 29 · VOGUE Korea · Song Kang-ho, Oh Jung-se, Jeon Yeo-been and Krystal Jung of Cobweb · opens in a new tabSource 30 · Joynews24 (Korean) · Cobweb, 1947 Boston and Dr. Cheon open on Sept. 27 · opens in a new tabWon Best Supporting Actress for Cobweb.
Source 33 · Sports Chosun (Korean) · Interview on her Best Supporting Actress win at the 44th Blue Dragon Film Awards · opens in a new tabSource 34 · HuffPost Korea · Blue Dragon Best New Actor Hong Sa-bin enlists · opens in a new tabIn the film with Hyun Bin, Park Jung-min and Jo Woo-jin, she played the independence fighter Gong Boo-in.
Source 35 · Ilgan Sports (Korean) · Jeon Yeo-been as the independence fighter Gong Boo-in in Harbin · opens in a new tabSource 36 · Edaily (Korean) · Harbin set for Dec. 24 · opens in a new tabIn the occult film with Song Hye-kyo, she played Sister Michaela, a nun who is a psychiatry resident. The film passed one million admissions in six days.
Source 37 · Sports Today (Korean) · Dark Nuns, Jeon Yeo-been’s Michaela · opens in a new tabSource 38 · Sports Hankook (Korean) · Dark Nuns passes one million · opens in a new tabIn the drama with Namkoong Min, she played Lee Da-eum, an actor who is also a terminally ill patient. The first episode rated 4.2%.
Source 39 · MBC Entertainment (Korean) · First broadcast of Our Movie · opens in a new tabSource 40 · News1 (Korean) · Our Movie ratings · opens in a new tabPlayed Kim Young-ran, who becomes the personal bodyguard of a conglomerate chairman, in her first title role, 10 years after her debut. The first episode rated 2.4%.
Source 41 · Maeil Business (Korean) · Ms. Incognito starts at 2.4% · opens in a new tabSource 42 · Newspim (Korean) · [Star Talk] Jeon Yeo-been’s first title role in her 10th year · opens in a new tabWas cast as Seo Hae-yoon, a news-desk writer at odds with the star anchor Na Yi-jun, played by Jung Kyung-ho.
Source 43 · TenAsia (Korean) · Jeon Yeo-been to star with Jung Kyung-ho, six years her senior · opens in a new tabSource 44 · Sports Chosun (Korean) · Newcomer Choi Woo-jin to join Jung Kyung-ho and Jeon Yeo-been · opens in a new tabEND OF SELECTED RECORDSSelected records, 1989–2026 · not a complete list of work. “Key moment” is an editorial label, not a measure of success.
What did they do, and at what age?
AgeTrail lines up the key moments of a life by age.
Debut and breakthrough are marked separately, and every record has a source.
Film & TV · South Korea
Jul 26, 1989 —
Ages are counted from the birth year 1989: the year of the event minus 1989, birthdays aside. “Key moment” labels and the connecting story are AgeTrail's editorial reading.
Fact-checked: 2026.09.29 · An independent archive, not affiliated with the person or their agency.