Chŏn, To-yŏn, 1973-

Jeon Do-yeon (Korean: 전도연; born February 11, 1973) is a South Korean actress. She made her film debut with The Contact (1997), a melodrama that established her as a leading actress. She continued to gain acclaim with A Promise (1998), a romantic tragedy, and The Harmonium in My Memory (1999). Her career reached new heights with You Are My Sunshine (2005). However, it was her role in Secret Sunshine (2007), directed by Lee Chang-dong, that cemented her status as one of Korea’s finest actresses. Her portrayal of a grieving mother navigating faith and despair won her Best Actress at the 60th Cannes Film Festival, making her the first Korean actor to receive such recognition. Jeon continued to challenge herself with daring roles, such as the remake of The Housemaid (2010), Way Back Home (2013), noir romance The Shameless (2015), and Birthday (2019). Jeon is considered a role model for many young actresses in South Korea.