Shim Eun-ha

Shim Eun-ha (Korean: 심은하; born September 23, 1972) is a retired South Korean actress. She is widely regarded as one of the early figures associated with the title "Nation's First Love" due to her portrayals of pure and emotionally resonant characters in film and television. Shim rose to popularity in the 1990s, starring in some of the highest-rated Korean dramas of all time, such as The Last Match (1994), M (1994), and Trap of Youth (1999). However, she is best known for her acclaimed performance in Hur Jin-ho's melodrama Christmas in August (1998), for which she swept the Best Actress awards. This was followed by another well-received turn in romantic comedy Art Museum by the Zoo (1998). Shim suddenly retired from show business after the Dogme 95 film Interview (2000), at the height of her fame in 2001, and her mystique solidified her status as the most beloved South Korean actress of that decade.