In 2001, she portrayed her most famous role as King Jungjong's 4th consort Park Gyeong Bin in the historical drama Ladies of the Palace, which brought her acting recognition and popularity.

On the big screen, she and Shin Se-kyung played mother and daughter in Cinderella, a 2006 horror film about a serial killer targeting high school girls who've had facial plastic surgery.

[1][2] And in the comedy-drama Punch Lady (2007), Do gave a well-reviewed performance in the leading role of a battered housewife who trains hard to master the art of fighting after publicly announcing a duel on the ring with her abusive husband (Son Hyun-joo), who happens to be a mixed martial arts champion.

[3][4] Aside from the occasional leading role in series such as Our Happy Ending (2008), Do has remained active on television mostly in supporting roles, notably as Ahn Nae-sang's estranged wife in Three Brothers (2009), and as Ji Chang-wook's mentally challenged mother in Smile Again (also known as Smile, Dong-hae, 2010).

[5] In July 1998, Do was kidnapped by a man and a woman who threatened the actress with a knife in the parking lot of a sports center in Seoul.