She gradually built her acting career by alternating between small and large theaters, musicals, and plays.

"[4] Growing up in a challenging family environment, Bae faced difficulties in fully expressing her talent.

She was cast as an understudy for the role of Scarlett O'Hara in the play Gone with the Wind, directed by her late professor, Kim Hyo-kyung.

Her breakthrough on the professional stage came in February 1997 with a significant role in the play Taxi Driver, written and directed by Jang Jin.

[10][11] Following that, Bae took on a chorus role in Leo Tolstoy's play Holstomer - The Story of a Horse, showcased at Hoam Art Hall from May 10 to June 1, 1997.

[14] However, it was the musical Sworn Brother, directed by Kim Min-ki in 1998, that proved to be a turning point for Bae.

At the age of 25, she landed the role of Gannan, a housemaid for a wealthy regimental commander who discovers she is pregnant with twins and faces challenges in raising multiple children.

[9][15] In 2000, Bae joined the theater company Hakjeon (CEO Kim Min-ki) and began her career as a musical actress.

[16] Later that year, Bae played the role of Serena in the musical Fame at LG Arts Center from September 29 to October 15, 2000.

[10][24] The following year, Bae joined the 20th-anniversary production of the rock musical Subway Line 1 [ko] by the theater company Hakjeon.

was held at the Seoul Arts Center Opera Theater from January to April 2003, attracting a total audience of 200,000 and earning 14 billion won.

[24] Later that year, in the autumn, she appeared as the main character in the musical Crazy for You, which was a Broadway masterpiece by choreographer Susan Stroman.

Camille Claudel, a 19th-century French sculptor and lover of Rodin, is a tragic figure who struggled between her love life and art world and spent 30 years in a psychiatric hospital.

[39][40][9] In late 2006, Bae and Kim Seon-yeong, were double-cast as Eva Perón, in the musical Evita, which opened in November.

[44] In 2007, Bae and Ock Joo-hyun played the role of Roxie Hart, the murderess, in the first South-Korean production of the Broadway musical Chicago.

[45] In 2008 Bae reprised Roxy Hart in the encore performance of South-Korean production of the Broadway musical Chicago.

[54] In 2012, Bae played the role of the daughter-in-law in the Korean production of Bob Goepfert's musical "The Memory Show."

The musical, which focuses on the recovery of a family, especially the relationship between a mother and daughter, was performed at Elim Hall in Daehangno, Seoul, starting on August 28 and running until November 25, 2012.

Bae had been offered numerous television roles since her early 30s, but she had to turn them down due to her tight performance schedule.

[60][61] The SBS drama Yong-pal, written by Jang Hyuk-rin and directed by Oh Jin-seok, was searching for an actress with excellent acting skills but not well-known.

Nurse Hwang left a strong impression on viewers due to her peculiar behavior, treating comatose Han Yeo-jin as her exclusive property.

Theatrical company Sagae Tampa announced on August 14, 2015, that the play will perform at Daehangno Arts Theater in Seoul from the November 10 to 26, 2015.

[67] In the same year Bae acted as Sophie in American playwright Terrence McNally play Master Class, based on the true story of the legendary opera singer Maria Callas (1923-1977).

Choi Seo-hee, the room service manager of the drama Hotel del Luna was a person who has a warm relationship with the main casts as well as having her own narrative.

In the end of 2019, Bae went back to theater and challenged herself with role Alan in play The 100 Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared.

[75] In addition to the 100-year-old Alan, Bae also appears as various characters such as Franco, Stalin, Song Mei-rin (wife of Taiwan's first president, Chiang Kai-shek), Dr. Eklund (Swedish Institute of Nuclear Physics), and Kim Jong-il.

[76] In 2020, Bae was double-cast with Jung Jae-eun in role wife in 1980 West End and Broadway play by Ronald Harwood, The Dresser.

[78] In May 2020, it was announced that Bae will reprise her role as Dorothy Brock in Broadway musical 42nd Street in June 20 to August 23, 2020.

[81][82] In 2021, Bae starred as title role Cha Jeong-won, a former prosecutor and conservative opposition lawmaker, in black comedy drama Political Fever.

[83][84] In 2022 Bae was cast in Netflix Original Series All of Us Are Dead as Park Eun-hee, a member of the National Assembly representing Hyosan.