Born in 1927 in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi-do, her real name was Ye Dae-im. She dropped out of Huaguang Girls' School in China. In 1943, she joined a musical theater group and began her acting career with plays. She debuted as a film actress in 1955 through director Lee Hyun's Watermill. She also appeared as a regular protagonist in horror films. In 1979, she showed off her passionate performance in director Byeon Jang-ho's Eulhwa, for which she won the 18th Grand Bell Awards for Best Supporting Actress. She passed away from old age at her home in Gyeonggi-do in 2005.