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Early life

Ara was born in Jinju, South Korea. At a young age, she constantly moved around Korea because her father was a soldier. When she was in junior high, she was recommended by a friend to audition for SM Entertainment. In 2003, she became the winner of the SM Entertainment Teen Model Contest. After joining SM Entertainment, she began to train with the other trainees under the same company in areas of acting, singing, and dancing. She was moved into a dormitory with Taeyeon and Tiffany of Girls' Generation, and also Zhang Liyin, in which Zhang has once stated in an interview, and that Ara was one of her closest friends when she was training in Korea.


Career

Television
Ara was chosen to be play the female lead, Lee Ok-lim, in the 2003 KBS teen drama, Sharp #1, acting alongside Lee Eun-song, Kim Si-hoo, and Yoo Ah-in. In 2005, she was once again chosen to reprise her role as Lee in the sequel of Sharp #1, Sharp #2, this time starring alongside Super Junior members Kim Kibum and Kim Heechul, both labelmates with Ara, as well as Lee Eun-song.

Ara's breakthrough performance was in the 2006 SBS drama, Snow Flower, where she starred alongside Kim Kibum, Kim Hee-ae, and Lee Jae-ryong. Go's character, Yoo Da-mi, was rebellious and ambitious, winning her important recognitions in acting awards the following year.


Film
Ara's first film was the Japanese film, Genghis Khan: To the Ends of the Earth and Sea, which aired in Japan in March 2007 and Hong Kong in April 2007. She stars as Mistress Kulan, the mistress of Genghis Khan. The movie was reported as the most expensive movie Japan ever made. Her next film, Subaru, is a Japanese film produced by filmworkers from Japan, China, and Korea, which will hit cinemas in 2009.



TV Shows

2009 - Heading to the Ground (MBC)
2009 - Karei naru Spy (NTV, Cameo EP3)
2008 - Who Are You? (MBC,)
2006 - Snow Flower (SBS)
2004 - Sharp 2 (KBS2)
2004 - Sharp 1 (KBS2)

Movies

2009 - Subaru
2007 - The Blue Wolf: To the Ends of the Earth and Sea


Etude Cosmetics
SK Ting (SK Telecom)
Ottogi Noodle (with Kim Ki Bum and Jung Hwa Young)
Doosan Biotech Cosmetics
Cocktail Bar (Binggrae Co., LTD)
Elite School Fashion
Miero Fiber Health Drink (Hyundai Pharm Co., LTD)



43rd Baeksang Art Awards: Best New Actress Award for Snow Flower (2007)
2006 SBS Acting Award: Newcomer Award for Snow Flower
KBS Television Academy Awards: Best Young Actress (Sharp 1, 2004)
SM Entertainment 5th Anniversary Teen Model Contest: Winner (2003)



Education: Songjeong Junior High School, Chungshin Christian Girls' Academy (Songpa, Seoul, South Korea), Central University (Theater degree)
Hobbies: Listening to music and playing the flute
Languages: Korean and Japanese