Bae Jong-ok (배종옥) is a South Korean actress born on May 13, 1964, in Seoul. A graduate of Chung-Ang University, where she studied journalism, she has enjoyed a particularly long career in film and television since the 1980s.
She made her screen debut in 1988 in the film Chilsu and Mansu, in which she plays Ji-na. She went on to star in several feature films, including Walking to Heaven (1992), Jealousy Is My Middle Name (2002), Love Talk (2005), The Last Blossom (2011), In Between Seasons (2018), Innocence (2020) and Kingmaker (2022). She often excels in roles as mothers, female leaders, or strong-willed women.
On television, Bae Jong-ok began appearing in the late 1980s in Sun Shim-lee, then in series such as Our Paradise, Hotel, Foolish Love and More Beautiful Than a Flower. She has earned lasting recognition thanks to dramas such as My Husband's Woman (2007), The World They Live In (2008), That Winter, the Wind Blows (2013), Wonderful Mama (2013) and Bubble Gum (2015).
She continues with memorable characters in Graceful Family and Designated Survivor: 60 Days in 2019. Between 2020 and 2021, she played Queen Sunwon in the historical comedy Mr. Queen, before playing Ryu Deok-bong in Secret Royal Inspector & Joy. In 2023, she appeared in Longing for You as Yoo Jung-sook.
In 2024, she joined two major productions: Dare to Love Me, in which she plays the designer Camille, and the thriller Blackout, playing the role of Ye Young-sil.
In 2026, Bae Jong-ok is set to star in the Netflix series The Art of Sarah, also known as Lady Dua, in which she plays Choi Chae-u. She also plays the role of Oh Jeong-hui in We Are All Trying Here.
Thanks to her experience, her elegance, and her ability to portray characters who are either authoritative or deeply human, Bae Jong-ok remains one of the most respected actresses in the South Korean film industry.
