The 25 Best Korean Actors Under 40
Top 25 South Korean actors under the age of 40 (no specific order)
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Lee Joon-Gi was born in Busan, South Korea on April 17, 1982. He was raised by his parents and has one younger sister. He is an actor/model/singer. He started his career as a model and had minor roles in Korean dramas until he landed the role of Gong-Gil in The King and the Clown in 2005. After this film debut, he got many more chances to star in Korean dramas, including a supporting role in My Girl as a playboy named Seo Jung-Woo. Due to his diversity in acting, he sparked people's interest and soon gained popularity. In 2007, he became one of the top Korean actors. In 2008, Lee, starred in Iljimae as Ryung, a sort of Robin Hood-type Korean drama. In 2009, Lee released his second album, J Style, which included 5 new songs and 4 from his first fan meeting-Episode I. In May 2010, Lee enlisted in the South Korean military. While he was enlisted, he did numerous shows, which include Good Culture, Forcemap and other live performances. He was also the DJ for Friends FM radio show called Jumam, which airs 7 p.m. He continues to be involved with acting and other entertainment avenues. After being released from the Korean military on February 16, 2012, he held numerous fan meetings in Korea, Japan and China from February to March to announce his comeback. Upon his release from the military, he was in numerous photo shoots for Japanese and Korean magazines as well as a special magazine called "Episode J", which features photos and information on Lee Joon-Gi exclusively.- Jang Hyuk was born on 20 December 1976 in Busan, South Korea. He is an actor, known for Windstruck (2004), The Slave Hunters (2010) and Shine or Go Crazy (2015). He has been married to Yeo-Jin Kim since 2 June 2008. They have three children.
- Hyun Bin, born in 1982, had a typical childhood as the youngest son of a family with loving parents and a strong older brother. In high school, he fell in love with the allure of acting in a theater club he joined on the advice of a senior, but he was opposed by his father, who wanted him to pursue a normal life. His father, unable to oppose his son's desire, set a condition that he would root for him if he was admitted by the Theater and Film Department of 'Chung-Ang University,' which was coveted by aspiring actors at the time. Hyun Bin was firmly accepted and demonstrated his enthusiasm.
After debuting in a minor role in the 2003 drama 'Bodyguard,' Hyun Bin began his acting career earnestly. The same year, he played an attractive college student in the sitcom 'Nonstop 4,' which dealt with campus life and began gaining popularity. He shot to fame in 2004 after delivering an outstanding performance in the drama 'Island.' His subtle emotional portrayal of the role was sufficient to announce the advent of a new star.
He reached the pinnacle of his career for the first time in 2005 with 'My Name is Kim Sam-soon,' a smash drama that achieved a record audience rating of 50%. He did not settle for being a romance star but continued experimenting with different genres and characters. He continued to feature in dramas such as 'The Snow Queen(2006)' 'Friends: Our Legend(2009),' and 'The World that They Live In(2008),' as well as films such as 'I Am Happy(2008),' 'Late Autumn(2010),' 'Come Rain, Come Shine(2011),' and so on, widening his acting range and cementing his place as a character actor.
Hyun Bin reached the peak of his career for the second time in 2011 when he won the grand prize at the renowned Baeksang Arts Awards for the hit drama 'Secret Garden,' which caused Asia to succumb to the 'Hyun Bin Syndrome.' However, when at the top, he volunteered to join the Marine Corps to complete his national military duty responsibilities. This enthralled the fans even more, as he resumed his life sublimely and silently rather than clinging to the 'climax' moment that had come to him.
After being discharged from the military, he pursued more public-friendly works and chose paths that other actors did not. From 'The Fatal Encounter(2014),' about the young days of King Jeongjo, who is regarded as the last sage in Joseon history, to the 'Confidential Assignment(2017)' series, about inter-Korean cooperation, and 'Rampant(2018),' about a zombie dystopia in the Joseon Dynasty, he captivated the audience with a variety of entertaining films. As a result, Hyun Bin cemented his reputation as an actor who values both popularity and excellence, not only in TV shows but also on the big screen.
He reclaimed the top spot in 2020. He had a worldwide smash hit with the drama 'Crash Landing on You,' which became a hot issue as he reunited with actress Son Ye-jin, with whom he previously collaborated on the film 'The Negotiation(2018).' Hyun Bin portrayed Ri Jeong-hyeok, a North Korean soldier who falls in love with a female protagonist who crash-lands in North Korea. The drama has been dubbed the 'Hyun Bin Genre,' since he demonstrated a diverse range of acting in romance, melodrama, and action, demonstrating his potential as a global star.
Following COVID-19, he demonstrated his unequaled influence by rejuvenating the moribund Korean film business by participating in a string of blockbusters, including 'Confidential Assignment 2: International' and 'The Point Men.' He recently announced plans to meet the public with the hit film 'Harbin,' based on the life of Korean independence activist Ahn Jung-geun. - Actor
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Song Joong Ki is an actor in the Republic of Korea. His debut was in the 2008 film 'A Frozen Flower'. He familiarized himself with the public through TV shows such as 'My Precious You (2008)', 'Triple (2009)', 'Will it snow for Christmas? (2009)', and 'Obstetrics and Gynecology Doctors (2010)'. At the same time, he displayed talent in diverse areas by starring in films such as 'Five Senses Of Eros (2009)', 'Where the Truth Lies (2009)', and 'Hearty Paws 2 (2010)', as well as broadcasting shows such as 'Music Bank (2009)' and 'Running Man (2010)'.
In 2010, the TV show 'Sungkyunkwan Scandal' propelled the freshly debuted actor Song Joong Ki into becoming a teen star. In the TV show 'Deep Rooted Tree (2011)', he displayed outstanding acting skills and birthed an impressive 'young King Sejong' despite being in just 4 episodes of the show, after which he was awarded the Producer Award in the 'SBS Acting Awards' at the end of the year and imprinted himself as a next-generation star that can act as well.
Thereafter, he shocked the world by being cast as the protagonist in the TV show 'The Innocent Man (2012' and the film 'A Werewolf Boy (2012'. He solidified his position as a star in both TV and the box office thanks to his excellent acting skills.
In particular, in the TV show 'Descendants of the Sun (2016)', he played the character of 'Yoo Shi Jin', a lieutenant in the Special Forces, and gained unprecedented popularity, creating a 'Song Joong Ki Syndrome'. He established himself as a global star by gaining popularity in not just Korea but all around the world.
Through his recent works in the film 'The Battleship Island (2017)', the TV show 'Arthdal Chronicles (2019)', the film 'SPACE SWEEPERS (2020)', and TV show 'Vincenzo'(2021), he is expanding his limits and breadth as an actor by playing diverse characters, eras, and genres.- Actor
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Lee Jong-suk was born on 14 September 1989 in Yongin, South Korea. He is an actor and executive, known for Romance Is a Bonus Book (2019), Pinocchio (2014) and I Hear Your Voice (2013).- So Ji-seob was born on 4 November 1977 in Seoul, South Korea. He is an actor, known for Rough Cut (2008), Ghost (2012) and I'm Sorry, I Love You (2004). He has been married to Jo Eun-Jung since 7 April 2020.
- Lee Dong-Wook is a South Korean actor, entertainer, and model and easily one of the notable faces in Korea's film universe. Lee made his acting debut in 1999 in an MBC single-episode drama. The PD of the drama saw Lee, and proceed to cast him in the teen drama School 2. Lee started to gain recognition with his performance in School 3.
It wasn't till 2005 that Lee finally hit stardom with the romantic comedy My Girl. The drama series became a hit during its run both domestically and across Asia and made Lee a Korean Wave star. He has since starred in the noir Bitter Sweet Life (2008), courtroom drama/comedy Partner (2009), melodrama Scent of a Woman (2011), baseball romantic comedy Wild Romance (2012), period thriller The Fugitive of Joseon (2013), and revenge drama Hotel King (2014), in which he reunited with My Girl co-star Lee Da-Hae. He then starred in the fantasy-action series Blade Man (2014) and the romance drama Bubble Gum (2015).
Lee and comedian Shin Dong-yup took over as MCs of the talk show Strong Heart from April 2012 to January 2013. Lee also joined the reality show Roommate, which aired from 2014 to 2015. From 2016 to 2017, Lee starred alongside Gong Yoo in Kim Eun Sook's fantasy-romance drama Guardian: The Lonely and Great God. The drama was a hit, and along with its success, helped in the resurgence of Lee's acting career. In 2018, Lee starred in the medical drama Life.
In 2019, Lee starred in the romance comedy drama Touch Your Heart alongside Guardian co-star Yoo In Na. The same year, he was confirmed as the host for Produce X101, the fourth season of the survival audition program Produce 101. He starred in Strangers from Hell. He also started hosting his own talk show, Wook Talk, to celebrate his 20th anniversary since his debut. - Gong Ji-Chul (better known as Gong Yoo) was born in Busan, Korea on July 10, 1979. The actor is known for the movies Train to Busan (2016), Silenced (2011), Squid Game (2021), and The Age of Shadows (2016).
Gong Yoo graduated with a Bachelor's degree in theater at Kyung Hee University and worked as a model before entering show business as a video jockey with Mnet. Thereafter, he had several supporting roles in various Korean films and dramas before landing his first leading role with Hello My Teacher (2005) in 2005. His breakout role was with The 1st Shop of Coffee Prince (2007), a romantic comedy drama series that was a hit with Korean drama viewers worldwide.
At the height of his career, Gong Yoo enlisted in the Korean Armed Forces in 2008 due to the mandatory military conscription. During his service, Gong did active front-line duty at the border and also served in the PR unit of the army, helming his own daily radio program at the Korean Forces Network. Upon his release from military duties, Gong Yoo's film career slowly took off with genre films such as Silenced (2011) and action-thriller The Suspect (2013). Silenced (2011), a film based on the true story of child abuse and sexual assault in a special school in Korea, was a project that Gong initiated since he read the story in military. The film sparked public outrage and led to widespread demand for legislative reform to impose heavier punishments for sex crimes against minors and the disabled. The final revised bill passed was also known as the 'Dogani Law' after the Korean title of the film. Prior to his military service, Gong Yoo was known as a romantic comedy male lead, but his portrayal of the teacher in Silenced and his transformation as a buffed-up North Korean spy in The Suspect (2013) established him as a more versatile actor.
In 2016, he had multiple hits with the success of zombie blockbuster Train to Busan, action-thriller The Age of Shadows and romantic fantasy drama series Guardian: The Lonely and Great God (2016), making him one of the most high profile South Korean actors for that year. Train to Busan was the top-grossing film in South Korea in 2016 and broke the box office record for Korean films in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and Malaysia. His return to television as the titular character in Goblin also broke TvN drama ratings and led the popularity index (CPI CJ Ent & Korea Nelsen) for all television platforms for weeks.
While the actor is often seen on television commercials, he is known to be rather private with no social media accounts. In 2013, He was appointed as an ambassador by the UNICEF in correlation to the 24th year since the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) was adopted. - Actor
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Lee Minho is one of South Korea's most influential artists. He is an actor, producer, and creative director. With a combined 95 million social media followers on Instagram, Facebook and Weibo, he has a remarkable global reach. The Korean government's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has ranked Lee as the number one Korean actor amongst international audiences for four consecutive years from 2018 to 2021. In addition to being a critically-acclaimed actor he is also a filmmaker creating short form content and films on his YouTube platform, "leeminho film"
Lee is now starring as 'Hansu' the AppleTV+ multilingual international drama series Pachinko (2022). Pachinko is based the best-selling novel of the same name that chronicles the hopes and dreams of four generations of a Korean immigrant family. The series was shot in North America and South Korea, and is told in Korean, Japanese, and English.
Lee is best known for starring in the Netflix original series, The King: Eternal Monarch (2020), one of Netflix's most watched global series in 2020. Broadcast by SBS in Korea, the series set an all-time record in 2020 for SBS's highest Friday-Saturday drama premiere ratings and maintained the number one spot on the weekly drama chart for eight consecutive weeks. Other notable roles include the series Boys Over Flowers (2009), Heirs (2013), as well as films Gangnam 1970 (2015) and Bounty Hunters (2016).
As an actor, Lee has contributed substantially to the rise and success of Korean dramas worldwide. In 2013, the TV series The Heirs transcended the South Korean market and had millions of viewers from around the world. The following year, Lee received a commendation from the Korean government for his contributions in raising the profile of Korean content globally.
He is currently in a worldwide endorsement deal with Fendi and Hugo Boss.
In 2014, Lee founded PROMIZ, a fundraising platform which raises awareness for social and humanitarian causes. The organization was awarded the first ever "Sharing Happiness Award" by the Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare for his contributions to society.
Lee Minho was born in Seoul, South Korea where he began his acting career.- Actor
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Kim Woo Bin wanted to become a model while he was in high school and didn't have much intention of becoming an actor. However as his modeling career grew bigger, and he started getting offers to do commercials he was soon told that some basic acting was required and he decided to take on classes. Right away he was amazed by his acting teacher Won-joo Moon who quickly became his role model, and fell in love with acting profession. His acting debut was in a TV series "White Christmas" where he played character called Mad Mireu, a red haired genius prankster and bully of bullies and quickly became audience favorite. After this, he and two other model turned actors from White Christmas moved on to do sitcom "Vampire Idol" in which he played lovable vampire Gabri Ratis who spent his life thinking he was ugly, and only upon moving to earth became interesting to girls, and women too. Sitcom was meant to have 120 episodes, but has failed to attract viewers and was abruptly ended after 79. He moves on to do "A Gentleman's Dignity" where he played a problematic high school kid with crush on his sociology teacher. His character was meant to be small, but as show progressed and his talent shined trough, writer Eun-sook Kim, wrote more material for him and his role grew. Similar thing happens with School 2013, where he only shows up by the end of third episode, and was meant to be supporting role, but he stole audience's hearts instantly and was given much bigger role. His acting in this drama was often described as brave, as there were many scenes of him crying with and his relationship with co-star Jong-suk Lee became infamous. Soon, He will play lead in Friend 2, sequel to Friend (2001) of which he said it's his favorite movie and he knows all the quotes by heart. He is also set to appear in a TV series Heirs (Inheritors) again written by Eun-sook Kim who now refers to him as "her muse", where he will play rich, spoiled, and genius Choi Young Do trying to get revenge on his childhood friend by stealing his girl. Kim Woo Bin usually has words "charismatic actor" attached to his name in Korean media.- Actor
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Ji Chang-Wook is a South Korean actor who first gained fame for his role in 'Smile Again', a South Korean drama series where he played the lead role. He is also known for his role in the South Korean thriller film 'Fabricated City', which was a huge commercial success. After playing small roles in many television series, he played his first major role in 'Smile Again', a South Korean drama series. Directed by Kim Myung-Wook and Mo Wan-Il, the series was a success and won multiple awards. For his role as a short-track speed skater, he had to train for around four to five hours at the ice rink every day. Other works that earned him fame include his appearance in the TV series 'Warrior Baek Dong-Soo' where he played the lead role. The series won multiple awards. He also played a supporting role in the TV series 'Empress Ki', which earned a lot of popularity worldwide. Undoubtedly one of the most popular actors in South Korea, Ji Chang-Wook has won several significant awards throughout his career such as the 'China TV Drama Award' and the 'Annual DramaFever Award'.- Won Bin, born November 10, 1977 in Jeongseon County, Gangwon Province, South Korea, is a popular actor. He is the youngest of five siblings (two older brothers and two older sisters). While growing up in Jeongseon County, Won Bin initially planned to become a car mechanic, but in 1996 entered an audition for cable TV company Je-il Broadcasting and won. In 1996, Won Bin made his television debut on the KBS Super Sunday variety show "Our Story". Won Bin's acting career then began in earnest with the KBS drama series "Propose" - Won Bin played a character on the short end of a one-sided love affair. His popularity quickly increased while appearing in several more youth orientated dramas - MBC's "Ready, Go!" and KBS's "Kwangki". His appearance in the 2000 KBS weekend drama "Tough Guy's Love" further gained more fans for Won Bin. He then shot to stardom with his popular role as Tae-seok in KBS's "Autumn in my Heart" - with his famous line "Eolmamyeon Doae?" (How Much?) becoming a much imitated slogan by his fans. Won Bin then made his move acting debut in the 2001 film "Guns and Talks" (Killerdeului suda). Three years later Won Bin would star in the action / war blockbuster "Taegukgi," which still ranks as one of the all time highest grossing films in South Korea. Won Bin then placed his acting career on hold while serving his two year mandatory military requirement, beginning in November, 2005. Won Bin was discharge early on June, 2006 due to an ACL injury to his knee. Won Bin would go through a year of rehab. His acting career then resumed in Joon-ho Bong's highly anticipated 2009 film "Mother". Won Bin played Do-jun, a young man with limited mental capacity who becomes accused of a murder. The film would screen at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival before opening #1 at the South Korean box office on May 28th, 2009.
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Yoo Ah-In is a South Korean actor and creative director. He has built a unique filmography that distinguishes him from other actors of the same age, playing a series of impressive characters in films and TV series. Not only is he known as an icon of youth in Korea, but also he has made remarkable achievements in numerous industry awards. Yoo is representing his generation by focusing on the growth of the characters he portrays, which is leading him to gain applause from the public.
Yoo was born Uhm Hong-sik on October 6, 1986, in Daegu, Korea, as the youngest of three children. In the first year of high school majoring in fine arts, he was discovered by a casting agent in front of the school and came up to Seoul by himself to attend auditions. In 2003, He made his debut in a TV commercial for noodles under the current stage name of Yoo Ah-in. He then started to appear in teen-series Sharp (2003) and garnered a huge popularity from teenagers.
After that, however, he halted his activities for one year to think about his identity and the path of acting without being influenced by popularity. Returning with independent film Boys of Tomorrow (2006) and family-comedy Skeletons in the Closet (2007), he attracted a lot of attention of critics and viewers as a promising newcomer. Yoo went on to win Best New Actor from the Busan Film Critics Association and was nominated at the Blue Dragon Film Awards. Also, he had played various roles across films and TV series, such as a lonely assassin in Strongest Chil Woo (2008), a patisserie aspirant and former boxer in Antique (2008), a young assistant at the architectural office in The Man Who Can't Get Married (2009), and a pizza delivery man in Sky and Ocean (2009).
In 2010, Yoo rose to prominence when he starred in Sungkyunkwan Scandal (2010), creating a syndrome called 'Geol-oh Love Sickness', which earned him praise as a unique actor in his generation. He was then cast in the coming-of-age film Punch (2011), met with critical and commercial success, thereby cementing his status as screen star. This was followed by the first nomination for Best Actor in his career. Since then, he had gone on to star in a wide spectrum of works, including Fashion King (2012), Jang Ok-jung, Living by Love (2013), Tough as Iron (2013) and Thread of Lies (2014).
In 2014, Yoo played a genius pianist who falls in love in melodrama Secret Love Affair (2014), where he actually played the piano. His performance was much appreciated by musical performers, critics and audiences. The next year, he achieved considerable critical and public acclaim for his brilliant portrayals of both the villain in big-hit action film Veteran (2015) and a tragic prince in historical film The Throne (2015). This also led to gaining wider recognition as an established actor when he acted the protagonist in 50 episodes of Six Flying Dragons (2015) for six months. During this period, as he gained a huge popularity and received various accolades from prestigious awards, the media called this phenomenon 'Ah-in Era'. Especially, he won the Best Actor award in the Blue Dragon Film Awards, which means that he is the first actor to win in this category under 30 in fifteen years.
Later, he took a shot to romantic comedy in the ensemble film Like for Likes (2016). The following year, he starred in fantasy TV series Chicago Typewriter (2017), where he played the double roles of a 2017 renowned writer and a leader of a resistance group in mid-1930s. In 2018, Yoo featured in a critically acclaimed film Burning (2018) that premiered in Cannes and later made the headlines for being the first Korean film to make it into the final shortlist for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Yoo gained international recognition, with The New York Times including him in its end-of-year roundup of best actors and Forbes seeing in him an up-and-coming star to watch. The same year, he starred in the financial drama Default (2018), taking over the role of a young stockbroker who predicts national bankruptcy in 1997 and bets on it.
While Yoo has been pretty busy in a couple of years with his other activities such as running a art gallery, producing a talk show and proclaiming the resolution of peace, he made a brilliant comeback in 2020 when he headlined #Alive (2020), which became the first hit film in South Korea since COVID-19 hit the film industry and the first Korean film to top Netflix movies worldwide chart. His next performance as a mute worker without a single line throughout the film Voice of Silence (2020), a critically acclaimed indie drama, earned him a slew of awards including Fantasia International Film Festival and Asian Film Awards. Also, Yoo became the second actor to win Best Actor twice before 40 at the Blue Dragon Film Awards, and the first actor born after the 1980s to win Best Actor in both film and TV categories at the Baeksang Arts Awards.
His next roles will be those of a cult leader in Netflix series Hellbound (2021), a Go player in biopic film The Match, a ordinary man with superpower in fantasy comedy Haipaibeu, and a drift driver in crime action Seoul Vibe (2022).
Yoo is the one of the few actors who courageously expresses his own opinions about political and social issues in the Korean entertainment industry. This allows him to acquire an unconventional image of an artist who is questioning the world and the youth who is constantly seeking answers. He is also interested in the welfare of children and adolescents, such as writing a public letter to encourage participation in donation or creating a fund named after him as well as holding the charitable campaigns through his art studio. He has written poems personally and contributed articles to magazines. In addition, he is known as a fashionista and has caused a great sensation with the design of combination of Korean and English.
In particular, he is a creative director of an art group and open gallery called Studio Concrete. Yoo is trying to capture the spirit of the times, displaying various exhibits and improving access to the arts for the public.- Born Kwak Tae Gun on February 27, 1977 he landed his debuting role in 1999 SBS Television Drama KAIST. It was through the suggestion of is then-manager that he took on the the stage name Chae Ji-sung and subsequently known as simply Ji Sung. His participating in following TV dramas such as All In(2003) and Save the Last Dance for Me(2004) as well as is first film Whistling Princess(2002) further launched his acting career. Ji Sung enlisted into mandatory military service in June 2005 as a soldier and later transferred and served as a public ambassador of military affairs until his discharge June of 2007. Following his discharge that same year he made is comeback in TV Drama New Heart(2007) as once again began to capture the attention of his audiences and continued to do so in later television dramas. He then signed with new management agency, Namoo Actors in February of 2010. From there, Ji Sung continued to add to his extensive resumé playing parts in TV Dramas such as The Great Seer(2012) and in adult rom-com film Whatcha Wearin'?(2012). He then stole the hearts of audiences again in 2013 KBS melodrama Secret. In the same year, Ji Sung announced and tied the knot with South Korean actress and Save the Last Dance for Me co-star Lee Bo-young. On November 24, 2014 Namoo Actors Agency revealed Ji Sung and Lee Bo-young to be expecting their first child mid-June to early July of 2015. He then continued the capture audiences reuniting with Secret co-star Hwang Jung-eum in 2015 MBC Television Drama Kill Me, Heal Me for which Ji Sung received much praise for his outstanding acting skills.
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Joo Won is a South Korean actor best known for his roles in King of Baking, Kim Takgu (2010), Ojakgyo Family (2011), Bridal Mask (2012), Good Doctor (2013), Fatal Intuition (2015), Yong-pal (2015), My Sassy Girl (2017) and Alice (2020). Moon Jun-won was born in Seoul, South Korea.He studied at Kaywon High School of Arts and continued his education on Theatre and Arts in Sungkyunkwan University. In 2013, Joo Won announced that he would be furthering his studies at Konkuk University.- Actor
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Jang Keun Suk was born in Danyang County, Chungcheongbuk Province, South Korea. He was born on the 4th day of the 8th month of the Lunar Calendar in 1987 (the year of the rabbit), making his Gregorian calendar birth date 26 September 1987. He is an only child.
At the age of five, he was discovered by a talent agent who advised his parents to allow him to try modeling. He began as a catalog model and through the years has represented various companies: Coca-Cola, Daewoo, Kellogg's, Samsung YEPP, and SK Telecom to name but a few.
In 1997, Jang Keun Suk made his acting debut when he appeared on the HBS sitcom "Selling Happiness." He was then cast in the 1998 drama "Hug." In 2001, he was cast in the SBS drama "Ladies of the Palace" and in the MBC drama "The Story of Four Sisters." In 2002, he appeared in SBS's The Great Ambition (2002), "High School Season 3," "Orange" and the short film "Lucky Ten."
While in middle school, Jang was greatly inspired by the Japanese pop singer Ken Hirai and the Japanese rock band 'L'Arc-en-Ciel', and decided to pursue his career as a singer. He joined a music class and began to teach himself Japanese. Jang then moved to New Zealand to attend Nelson College to formally learn both Japanese and English. He returned to South Korea in 2003 for a role in the popular MBC sitcom "Nonstop 4." The success and popularity of the previous three seasons was an extra burden on Jang to perform. He began to believe he was a terrible actor and his confidence hit rock bottom. At this point, he devoted himself to becoming a better actor.
Between the years of 2003 to 2009, Jang would take part in 26 different projects. He portrayed an orphaned boy living with his grandfather in the 2003 short film "The Owl Museum" as well as voicing the character of "Jim Hawkins" in Disney's 2003 Korean dubbed version of Treasure Planet (2002). From there he did musical theatre with "Theseus" [2004] and "Hercules" [2005]. His 2005 portrayal of the president's son in the Korean drama Lovers in Prague (2005) became a hit and he made it to the cinema screen in the Japanese horror film One Missed Call 3: Final (2006). Because he was fluent in Japanese, communicating with co-workers and directors was no problem. He was cast in the role of a young deaf man and studied sign language for three months prior to filming. His next role was back on the small screen with the historical drama Hwang Jin Yi (2006). Jang's performance gained the attention of many female fans, and his popularity began to rise. He also appeared in the 2006 Tooniverse comedy series Alien Sam (2006) as "Alexander/Bong Sam", an alien prince that becomes a teacher after his ship crashes on Earth.
The following year, 2007, Jang would co-host the SBS weekly live music show "Inkigayo" with Kim Heechul and host variety program "X-Boyfriend." It was at this time he was cast in the rock music-themed film The Happy Life (2007). His portrayal of Hyun-Joon allowed him to show off his masculine charms, as well as display his skills as a singer.
2008 would turn out to be a busy year for the actor. He was cast as Park Won Jae in the feature film Kidarida michyeo (2008), and in the role of Lee Chang Hwi in the KBS historical drama Hong Gil Dong, the Hero (2008). He would go on to appear in two more feature films, Do Re Mi Fa So La Si Do (2008) and Baby and I (2008), take on another voice acting role as the lead in the animated film "Niko and the Way to the Stars," the Korean dubbed version of The Flight Before Christmas (2008), as well as the MBC drama Betoben baireoseu (2008) before the year was over.
In 2009, Jang landed the role of Robert J. Pearson, a Korean-American accused of murder, in Where the Truth Lies (2009). Jang spoke English for 99% of the film and was praised by Beyond Hollywood for having performed very well. Later that year, in You Are Beautiful (2009), he played the role of Hwang Tae Kyung, leader of rock band A.N.Jell, who falls in love with a female band member played by Park Shin-hye masquerading as a man on behalf of her brother. The show, which also starred Hong-ki Lee and Jung Yong-hwa, quickly thrust Jang into the limelight and became a hit in other Asian countries as well. His prickly character became the object of millions of fans' fantasies.
Jang starred opposite Moon Geun-young in the popular 2010 romantic comedy series Mary Stayed Out All Night (2010), as indie rock musician Kang Moo Kyul. In 2011 he took the lead role and participated in writing the screenplay and choosing filming locations for the direct to DVD short film "Budapest Diary." He also co-starred in You're My Pet (2011) with Kim Ha-neul, a film about a younger man becoming the "pet" of a career woman.
In 2012 Jang took on dual roles in KBS2's melodrama series Love Rain (2012) opposite Im Yoon-ah. He then starred in KBS2's 2013 drama Pretty Boy (2013), another drama based on a Japanese manga, opposite IU and Lee Jang-woo. In 2015, the short film "Jang Keun Suk Special Short Film DVD CAMP," which Jang directed and starred in, was released to DVD, and debuted at #1 on Oricon's Weekly Film chart. It was filmed entirely on Jeju Island.
2016 was another very busy year for Jang, as he took on the role of MC for Mnet's music survival show "Produce 101," starred in the SBS historical drama The Royal Gambler (2016) , and took part in tVN's reality show "My Ear's Candy." During this time he was pursuing his doctorate in Theater and Film at Hanyang University in Seoul and wrote, directed and starred in the direct to DVD short film "Nelson Diary," an autobiographical film about his time at Nelson College in New Zealand.
Apart from his very successful acting career, Jang has made a name for himself in the music industry. Over the years he has released several singles and a number of albums. He debuted with 'Let Me Cry' on April 27, 2011 and became the first foreigner to top Japan's Oricon Charts. His other works include albums such as 'Just Crazy' (2012), 'I just Wanna Have Fun' (2013), 'Nature Boy' (2013), 'Driving to the Highway' (2014), 'Monochrome' (2015), 'Voyage' (2017), and 'Mature' (2018). Jang spent 2017 focusing on his music career, before returning to acting in 2018.
He was cast as "Adam" in the film Human, Space, Time and Human (2018) before making a cameo appearance in episode 3 of A Korean Odyssey (2017). Jang then starred in the SBS drama Switch: Change the World (2018). Playing dual roles of Baek Joon-Su and Sa Do-Chan, he once again proved his innate talent for acting.
South Korea has a mandatory military service requirement for all male citizens and they must enter service before the age of 35. On 16 July 2018, Jang began his required service commitment which will be completed 29 May 2020.- Yoo was born in Incheon and raised there by his family and the younger of two siblings. He made his entertainment debut in a cellphone commercial in 1999 after his mother sent in a photo of her son to an ad agency.
In 2000, Yoo began his career as a child actor, first appearing in television dramas. He rose to stardom in his first film The Way Home, playing a bratty city boy who learns to appreciate country life when he's forced to spend the summer with his deaf-mute grandmother. The low-budget film was a surprise box office hit in 2002, drawing more than 4 million admissions.He was then affectionately labeled as "Nation's Little Brother". Thereafter, he also starred in animal movie Heart Is... (2006) about a boy and his beloved dog, and Unforgettable (2008) about school children from a remote island who go on a field trip to a candy factory in Seoul during the 1970s. He continued acting in television, appearing in Magic Warriors Mir & Gaon (2005), an adventure series for children. Yoo further built his filmography, playing younger counterparts of male protagonists in television dramas, including general Yi Sun-sin in Immortal Admiral Yi Sun-sin (2004), King Seongjong in The King and I (2007), and Gwanggaeto the Great in The Legend (2007).
In 2009, he starred in the films City of Fathers and 4th Period Mystery. He also appeared as Kim Chunchu in the period epic Queen Seondeok.
In his teens, Yoo was cast in one of the major roles in Master of Study (2010), a Korean screen adaptation of Japanese manga Dragon Zakura. He then played a more mature role in Flames of Desire, as the second-generation son of a wealthy chaebol family who is uninterested in the battles of succession among his relatives and becomes a married man at 21. Later that year, Yoo sang a duet with singer/actress IU titled "Believe in Love" for the charity program Love Request. The song's lyrics was based on a diary that Yoo had written while seeing orphans of war in the slums of Sri Lanka.
In 2011, Yoo trained in swordplay and martial arts in his role as an assassin in Warrior Baek Dong-soo, an action-period drama based on the manhwa by Lee Jae-Hun. He was also one of the voice actors for Leafie, a Hen into the Wild, which was adapted from a bestselling children's novel by Hwang Sun-Mi. He then co-starred with Kim Ha-Neul in the thriller Blind. In 2012, Yoo was cast in his first role as a leading man in Operation Proposal, a Korean remake of the Japanese drama Proposal Daisakusen.
This was followed by a supporting role as the Jade Emperor, ruler of the heavens, in the fantasy-period drama Arang and the Magistrate. Afterwards, he starred in the melodrama Missing You, playing a cold man who hides a vengeance-filled heart behind his seemingly gentle smile. Known in the press as "Little So Ji-seob"for his resemblance to the said actor, in 2013 Yoo starred in the music video for So's single "Eraser" together with Park Shin-Hye. This was his second time promoting So's musical endeavors, after "Lonely Life" in 2008.Following that, Yoo's first photo book titled Travel Letter, Spring Snow, And... was published; it was the last project shot by celebrity photographer Bori before her death on 9 April 2013. Yoo enlisted for his mandatory military service as a regular soldier on March 5, 2013 without media fanfare, where he reportedly worked as a trainer of new recruits. He drew praise for doing so at age 19, unlike most male Korean celebrities who choose to delay their enlistment until they turn 29. Yoo was discharged on December 4, 2014. As his first post-army project, Yoo appeared in the music video for Naul's "You From the Same Time" in 2015. He was next cast as a stubborn webcomic writer raising a cat in the TV adaptation of webtoon Imaginary Cat. Yoo followed this by starring in the Joseon-era romance film The Magician directed by Kim Dae-Seung, in which he plays a circus magician who falls in love with a princess. Yoo was then cast in SBS's legal thriller series Remember-War of the Son as a lawyer with hyperthymesia who defends his father on death row.
In 2016, Yoo starred in Seondal: The Man Who Sells the River as the titular Kim Sun-Dal. The film received positive reviews for its effective use of satire, and was a solid mid-level hit in Korea. In October 2016, Yoo was announced to be starring in MBC's historical melodrama Ruler: Master of the Mask, playing Crown Prince Lee Seon. The drama is slated for a 2017 release. - Actor
- Soundtrack
Lee Seung Gi is a South Korean singer, actor, host and entertainer. Known as the "Ballad Prince", Lee has had numerous hit songs such as "Because You're My Woman", "Will You Marry Me", and "Return". He has garnered further recognition as an actor and rose to international popularity around Asia with leading roles in popular dramas such as Shining Inheritance (2009), My Girlfriend Is a Gumiho (2010), The King 2 Hearts (2012), Guga-ui Seo (2013), You're All Surrounded (2014), and A Korean Odyssey (2017). He was a member of the first season of weekend variety show 2 Days 1 Night (2007) from November 2007 to February 2012, and the host of talk show Strong Heart from October 2009 to April 2012. Lee's success as a singer, actor and host earned him the title "Triple Threat" entertainer. He was first included in Forbes Korea Power Celebrity list in 2010 placing seventh, subsequently ranking fourth in 2011 and sixth in 2012 and 2015. The success of his television dramas throughout Asia established him as a top Hallyu star.- Actor
- Composer
- Soundtrack
Soo-Hyun Kim is one of the brightest stars in East Asia. He became a household name in South Korea in 2011, playing a country bumpkin who turned out to be a musical genius in the teen-age drama 'Dream High'.
His popularity sky-rocketed in 2012 when he starred in as the young king Lee Hwon in the drama 'Moon Embracing the Sun', which achieved a peak recorded viewer rating of 42.2 per cent and earned the 'national drama' status.
In 2014, Soo-Hyun Kim enjoyed so much popularity all over East Asia after playing the leading role of Do Min Joon in the drama 'You Who Came from Star', which got an average viewer rating of 24.02 per cent in South Korea, and had over two billion hits on the Chinese streaming site Iqiyi.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Since he debuted as an actor in 2003, Gang, Dong-Won has played a leading role in 20 works over 18 years. (Accumulated Attendance 67,000,000, which is ranked 1st among Korean actors in their 30s, excluding 2 years of military service period) As much as he enjoys creating new characters in his works, he challenges himself in various roles and genres. With an outstanding physical condition, a height of 6'1", a face that attracts people of all ages, and subtle acting skills, he has become a number one pick for movie directors Due to his great athleticism, he is capable of carrying out any action stunt. He is skilled in all sorts of martial arts, including Taekwondo and Boxing. Horse-riding and sword craft are his specialties.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Music career
Choi Siwon was raised in a strict, Protestant family from Seoul, South Korea. After Choi's talents were scouted in the Starlight Casting System in 2003, his parents initially disapproved him to pursue in an entertainment career. After consideration, his parents approved Choi to sign under the talent agency SM Entertainment, where he was trained in areas of singing, acting, and dancing. He made his first appearance in a music video of The Grace's Dana when she was still a solo singer in 2003. A year after, Siwon made a brief appearance in the short drama, Precious Family. In early 2005 Choi's talent agency released an announcement that Choi would officially debut as a member of the large all-boy music group, Super Junior, which was slated to make an official debut near the end of the year. A few months before debut, Choi made his first media appearance with Han Geng as a runway model, in a Fashion Show F/W general idea by Bum Suk.
On November 6, 2005, Choi officially debuted on SBS's Popular Songs with the reason of Super Junior, performing the group's first single "TWINS (Knock Out)."
Choi is one of the few members of Super Junior who actively appears on variety shows. Choi makes frequent appearances on Love Letter and other popular South Korean variety programs. Choi is also a popular symbol for endorsements, being an endorser of many items in South Korea. In early March 2007 he has been picked up as the presenter of Thailand's 12 Plus Powder and went to Thailand several times a year to shoot the commercial.
Acting career
Although initially trained to be a singer, Choi has made many appearances in dramas. He made his first official drama appearance on KBS's 18 vs. 29 in 2005, playing the role of young Kang Bo-nam. He later joined the cast for the Korean drama mini-series Spring Waltz in 2006. Siwon's first lead role was in the mini-drama, Legend of Hyang Dang (í-¥ë¨ì ), released on September 2007.
Choi was chosen to be part of the epic film A Battle of Wits acting alongside Hong Kong actor and singer Andy Lau. A Battle of Wits is a big budget film with joint collaboration from South Korea, China, and Japan, and was released in China and Hong Kong on November 23, 2006. The film was released in Korea in early 2007. Choi has promoted the movie in China with a short tour of four cities at the end of November.[1] Choi also received praises from co-star Lau, stating that Choi is a wonderful actor and is a good example that can be set for young Hong Kong idols.[2]
Starting 2008 Choi will be starring in another Korean language film, "Sun Jung Man Hwa", with Yoo Ji-tae, Lee Yeon Hee, and Chae Jung An. Choi will depict as a high school student who falls in love with Chae Jung An, a woman much older than he.
Personal life
Choi continued his education after his debut with Super Junior. He attended Hyun Dae High School as a teenager and later went on to attend Inha University. A year before his debut with Super Junior he traveled to Beijing, China to learn about the country's language and history and stayed there for six months. Choi is also a drummer, having performed with his senior label mates, The TRAX in September 2006 on SBS's music show Popular Songs, due to the fact that their drummer, Rose had left the band. Choi is nicknamed Simba by his band mate Kim Heechul. Members joke that he has the same smile as the Joker from Batman and has the appearance of a horse.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Lee Hong Ki/Lee Hong Gi is a South Korean idol singer, actor and MC. He is the lead singer of popular Korean band F.T. Island, a South Korean rock band and is well known for his powerful and versatile voice. He is the oldest sibling in his family, and has a younger sister who still lives with her parents. He has been attending Kyung Hee University since March 9, 2009, majoring in drama and theater.- Actor
- Writer
- Composer
Yong-hwa Jung is born in Seoul (South Korea). He was still a very little boy when he moved with his parents in Busan (South Korea). He has a brother who is four years older. He was discovered by his agency, FNC Entertainment, thanks to one of his pictures uploaded on a site for good looking people. He went with his friends at a sky resort and later uploaded on his own blog the pictures taken. It's one of these photos that had been uploaded by someone on the site for good looking people. Apart from being an actor, Yong-hwa Jung is primarily a musician, singer, songwriter and record producer. He is the leader, lead vocalist and one of the guitarists of the Korean rock band CNBLUE. The band debuted on January 14, 2010 and became rapidly famous, not only in South Korea but also in other Asian countries, mainly Japan, and later in Australia, United States, South America...- Actor
- Soundtrack
Kim Hyun-joong is a South Korean singer and actor most well known for his parts in "Boys Over Flowers" and "Playful Kiss". Kim began his career as a singer with the popular boy band SS501, and has most recently been releasing solo albums with backing musicians "Gemini Band". A talented singer, model and actor, Kim surprised fans and critics alike with his portrayal of the darkness that can lie within man in the 2021 psychological thriller "Indian Pink" (Jangnong).