Gregor's Top 30 Actors/Actresses from Korea
by Movie-Mate | created - 19 May 2017 | updated - 08 Jun 2020 | Public
1. Choi Min-sik
Actor | Oldeuboi
Choi Min-shik first made a name for himself in theater before breaking into the film world with a role in Park Chong-won's acclaimed film 'Our Twisted Hero' (1992). In the mid-nineties he continued to act in theater productions as well as in several TV dramas, including Moon Over Seoul with Han ...
2. Lee Byung-hun
Actor | Dalkomhan insaeng
Lee Byung-hun was born in 1970 in Seoul, South Korea, and grew up in a wealthy family, thanks to his father, who was a successful businessman. He never dreamed of pursuing acting until a friend of his mother's suggested it. He auditioned for the KBS television network in 1991 and was accepted. His ...
3. Song Kang-ho
Actor | Salinui chueok
Song Kang-ho never professionally trained as an actor, beginning his career in social theater groups after graduating from Kimhae High School. Later, he joined Kee Kuk-seo's influential theater company with its emphasis on instinctive acting and improvisation, which proved to be Song's training ...
4. Yunjin Kim
Actress | Lost
Yunjin Kim (born November 7, 1973), also known as Kim Yun-Jin is a South Korean-American film and theater actress. She is best known for her role as Sun on the American television series Lost, and as the North Korean spy Bang-Hee in the South Korean film Shiri. She also starred as Dr. Karen Kim in ...
5. Jun Ji-hyun
Actress | Yeopgijeogin geunyeo
Versatile and Charismatic, Jun Ji-Hyun is one of the most loved and respected actresses in her homeland of South Korea. She has won numerous accolades, including two Grand Bell Awards for Best Actress and a Baeksang Art Awards Daesang (Grand Prize) for Television. Jun Ji-Hyun's success in film and ...
My Sassy Girl Blood The Last Vampire Assassination
6. Jung Woo-sung
Actor | Joheunnom nabbeunnom isanghannom
Born as the youngest of three in Seoul, South Korea. He made his debut with a TV commercial in 1994 and applied for an open audition for a leading role in The Fox with Nine Tails (1994) opposite 'So-Young Ko'. This role launched his career as one of the most promising actors in Korea. He dropped ...
7. Jang Dong-Gun
Actor | Taegukgi hwinalrimyeo
South Korean actor Jang Dong-Gun starred in two record-breaking box office hits; one of which was 'Friend,' the highest grossing Korean film at the time. He gained widespread critical acclaim for his portrayal of a troubled high school student who chooses the life of organized crime, paving the way...
The Warriors Way
8. Ahn Sung-ki
Actor | Tukabseu
Made his film debut at the age of 5 in 1957 and has been one of the most popular actors in Korea ever since. Graduated from Korea University of Foreign Studies majoring in Vietnamese. Won the best actor award in Asia-Pacific film festival in 1993 for his role in the film 'White Badge' (based on the...
Musa
9. Lee Yeong-ae
Actress | Chinjeolhan geumjassi
Lee Yeong-ae was born on January 31, 1971 in Seoul, South Korea. She is an actress, known for Lady Vengeance (2005), Joint Security Area (2000) and Bring Me Home (2019). She has been married to Jeong Ho-young since August 24, 2009. They have two children.
JSA Sympathy For Lady Vengeance
10. Kim Ok-bin
Actress | Bakjwi
Kim Ok-bin was born on December 29, 1986 in Chollanam-do, South Korea. She is an actress, known for Thirst (2009), The Villainess (2017) and Yoo-Na's Street (2014).
Thirst The Villainess
11. Lee Jung-jae
Actor | Heon-teu
Apart from being a top star in film and TV, Jung-Jae Lee also works as a highly successful fashion model. One year after his debut on television in 1993, Lee was cast in his first film, a feature by Bae Chang-ho. His breakthrough came in late 1998 in the award-winning film An Affair by E-J Yong. ...
New World The Housemaid Assassination
12. Won Bin
Actor | Ajeossi
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 ...
The Man From Nowhere
13. Bae Doona
Actress | Cloud Atlas
Doona Bae was born in Seoul, South Korea. Her mother, Hwa-Young Kim, is a stage actress. Bae started out as a model. She soon moved to T.V. and movies, and it proved the right move. Her first movie was The Ring Virus (1999). Barking Dogs Never Bite (2000) (aka "Barking Dogs Never Bite") and Take ...
The Host Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance Cloud Atlas
14. Shin Min-a
Actress | Dalkomhan insaeng
Shin Min-A, born April 5th, 1984 with birth name Yang Min-A, is a popular South Korean actress & model. Her family consists of a father, mother, older sister & brother. In middle school, Min-A took a picture with her friends on a school picnic and sent the photo to teen magazine KiKi. From that ...
A Bittersweet Life
15. Song Ji-hyo
Actress | Sinsegye
Song Ji-Hyo is a South Korean TV and film actress. She is well known for her portrayal of ballerina Min Hyo-Rin in Goong (2006), Lady Ye So-ya in Jumong (2006) and as the Queen in A Frozen Flower (2008).
She was co-MC with Kim Heechul of Super Junior on SBS's weekly live music show Inkigayo (1991), ...
Blood And Flowers New World
16. Ryu Seung-beom
Actor | Boo-dang-geo-rae
Ryoo Seung-bum made a name for himself as an actor after debuting in the film DIE BAD (2000). The critically-acclaimed cult classic hit became a gritty debut that earned Ryoo the Best New Actor award at the 38th Grand Bell Awards. Known for his manic energy, casual demeanor and subtle ability to ...
Arahan New World No Mercy
17. Shin Ha-kyun
Actor | Boksuneun naui geot
Shin Ha-kyun was born on May 30, 1974 in Seoul, South Korea. He is an actor and manager, known for Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2002), Joint Security Area (2000) and Save the Green Planet! (2003).
Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance Thirst Save The Green Planet
18. Ha Jung-woo
Actor | Hwanghae
Jung-woo Ha is a South Korean actor, film director, screenwriter and film producer. His breakthrough to stardom came with the role in Na Hong-jin's serial killer film The Chaser (2008).
Born as Kim Sung-hoon, Ha Jung-woo came from an acting family. His father Kim Yong-gun is a well-known veteran ...
The Handmaiden The Chaser The Yellow Sea
19. Ju Jin-mo
Actor | Ssang-hwa-jeom
Jin-mo Ju first became interested in acting when he watched Richard Gere in "Officer and a Gentleman" at the age of ten. After graduating from Koyang High School, Ju entered the Incheon National University as a physical education major. Ju then entered South Korea's mandatory military service. ...
Musa Blood And Flowers
20. Zo In-sung
Actor | Geu Gyeowool, Barami Boonda
Jo In-Sung was born in July 28, 1981 in Seoul. He made his debut as a model. However, he started to have an acting career in 2000, however he received the public attention through the TV drama Piano alongside actor Go-Soo. He then starred in the 2003 romance movie The Classic. By 2004, he joined ...
Blood And Flowers A Dirty Carnival
21. Shin Hyeon-jun
Actor | Janggunui adeul II
Shin Hyun-june (b. March 24, 1968) was an athletics major at Yonsei University before starting a career in modeling and acting in 1989. His film debut came in veteran director Im Kwon-taek's stylish Son of a General series, set under the Japanese occupation in the 1920s. For the first half of the ...
Bichonmoo
22. Kwon Sang-woo
Actor | Maljukgeori janhoksa
Kwon Sang-woo was born on August 5, 1976 in Daejeon, South Korea. He is an actor, known for Once Upon a Time in High School: The Spirit of Jeet Kune Do (2004), My Tutor Friend (2003) and Lady President (2010). He has been married to Son Tae-Yeong since September 28, 2008. They have two children.
Once Upon a Time In High-School
23. Son Ye-jin
Actress | Nae meorisokui jiwoogae
As of her debut in South Korean films, Ye-jin Son became one of the stars of Chungmoore, the Korean Hollywood, notably appearing in the beautiful "Drunk on Women and Poetry" by the master Kwan-taek Im. In "April Snow", directed by Jin-ho Hur (2005), she questioned her pure innocent girl image, ...
White Night The Art of Seduction
24. Yoon So-yi
Actress | Hieoro
Yoon So-yi was born on January 5, 1985 in South Korea. She is an actress, known for Hieoro (2009), Arahan (2004) and Shadowless Sword (2005).
Arahan
25. Ko Ah-sung
Actress | Snowpiercer
Ko Ah-sung was born on August 10, 1992 in Seoul, South Korea. She is an actress, known for Snowpiercer (2013), The Host (2006) and Heard It Through the Grapevine (2015).
The Host Snowpiercer
26. Cho Yeo-jeong
Actress | Gisaengchung
Cho Yeo-jeong was born on February 10, 1981 in South Korea. She is an actress, known for Parasite (2019), The Servant (2010) and Obsessed (2014).
The Concubine Parasite The Servant
27. Yoo Ji-tae
Actor | Oldeuboi
Yoo Ji-tae was born on April 13, 1976 in Seoul, South Korea. He is an actor and director, known for Oldboy (2003), Ditto (2000) and Mai Ratima (2012).
Oldboy Into The Mirror Natural City
28. Lee Jung-Jin
Actor | Pieta
Lee Jung-Jin was born on May 25, 1978 in Seoul, Korea. He is an actor, known for Pieta (2012), Hae-jeok, discowang doeda (2002) and Hundred Year Inheritance (2013).
Once Upon a Time In High-School Pieta
29. Doo-hong Jung
Stunts | Beterang
Doo-hong Jung was born on December 14, 1966 in South Korea. He is an actor and assistant director, known for Veteran (2015), G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013) and The Berlin File (2013).
Arahan City Of Violence
30. Hwang Jung-min
Actor | Gokseong
Hwang Jung-Min is one of the highest-grossing movie stars in South Korea, starring in many iconic box office hits such as ODE TO MY FATHER (2014), VETERAN (2015), THE WAILING (2016) to name a few, and is the third actor in Korea to become a member of the "100 million Viewer Club" in Korea, along ...
31. Claudia Kim
Actress | Avengers: Age of Ultron
Claudia Kim, is a South Korean actress and model. She has appeared in the television series Queen of the Game (2006-2007) and Marco Polo (2014-2016), as well as the films Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), The Dark Tower (2017), and Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018).
32. Uhm Junghwa
Actress | Be-seu-teu-sel-leo
Sexy and Charismatic, Uhm is considered to be one of the most influential women in the Korean entertainment industry and is known as a Triple Threat, finding success in both music and film. Her legacy and career reinventions have given her the nickname of "Korean Madonna".
Uhm began her career in ...
Princess Aurora
33. Seo Yeong-hie
Actress | Chugyeokja
Seo Yeong-hie was born on June 13, 1980 in Seoul, South Korea. She is an actress and writer, known for The Chaser (2008), Bedevilled (2010) and All for Love (2005).
Bedevilled The Chaser
34. Kim Tae-ri
Actress | Ah-ga-ssi
Tae-ri Kim is a South Korean actress. Kim started her career appearing in theater productions and modelling in TV adverts. She made her feature film debut in Park Chan-wook's film The Handmaiden (2016) where she was chosen from among 1,500 candidates who auditioned for the role. Park's first ...
The Handmaiden
35. Kim Min-hee
Actress | Ah-ga-ssi
Kim Min-hee was born on March 1, 1982 in South Korea. She is an actress and production manager, known for The Handmaiden (2016), On the Beach at Night Alone (2017) and The Day After (2017).
The Handmaiden
36. Woo Seo
Actress | Hanyo
Woo Seo was born on July 7, 1985 in South Korea. She is an actress, known for The Housemaid (2010), Misseu Hongdangmu (2008) and Cinderella's Sister (2010).
The Housemaid
37. Lim Soo-jung
Actress | Janghwa, Hongryeon
Lim Soo-jung was born on July 11, 1980 in South Korea. She is an actress, known for A Tale of Two Sisters (2003), I'm a Cyborg, But That's OK (2006) and All About My Wife (2012).
A Tale Of Two Sisters I'm a Cyborg, But That's OK
38. Ha Ji-Won
Actress | Hwang Jin Yi
South Korean fresh face Ha Ji-won is a very talented actress. She first came to theater in 2000 and won an award for best new actress. Her big break was "Sex is zero" and "True or Dare". In 2003, she was cast as Chae-oak in the famous Korean TV drama "Damo" and was stated as South Korean's most ...
Sex Is Zero
39. Lee Bo-young
Actress | Neoui Moksoriga Deulryeo
Lee Bo-young was born on January 12, 1979 in South Korea. She is an actress, known for I Hear Your Voice (2013), A Dirty Carnival (2006) and Once Upon a Time (2008). She has been married to Ji Sung since September 27, 2013. They have two children.
A Dirty Carnival
40. Han Hye-jin
Actress | Yongseoneun eupda
Han Hye-jin was born on October 27, 1981 in South Korea. She is an actress, known for No Mercy (2010), Jumong (2006) and 26 Years (2012). She has been married to Sung-Yueng Ki since July 1, 2013.
No Mercy
41. Chun Woo-hee
Actress | Han Gong-ju
Chun Woo-hee was born on April 20, 1987 in Incheon, South Korea. She is an actress, known for Han Gong-ju (2013), The Wailing (2016) and Sunny (2011).
The Wailing
42. Han Ga-in
Actress | Nabbeun Namja
Han Ga-in was born on February 2, 1982 in Seoul, South Korea. She is an actress, known for Bad Boy (2010), Haereul poomeun dal (2012) and Architecture 101 (2012). She has been married to Yeon Jeong-hun since April 26, 2005. They have one child.
Once Upon A Time In High-School
43. Lee Na-ra
Actress | Gi-eok-ui bam
Lee Na-ra was born on August 22, 1980. She is an actress, known for Forgotten (2017), Moebius (2013) and The Tiger (2015).
Moebius
44. Kim Hee-seon
Actress | San wa
Kim Hee-seon was born on June 11, 1977 in Daegu, South Korea. She is an actress, known for The Myth (2005), The Lady in Dignity (2017) and Wonderful Days (2014). She has been married to Ju-Young Park since October 21, 2007. They have one child.
Bichunmoo
45. Park Si-yeon
Actress | Sa-rang
Park Si-yeon was born on March 29, 1979 in Busan, South Korea. She is an actress, known for A Love (2007), Last Knights (2015) and Dachimawa Lee (2008). She has been married to Park Sang-hun since November 19, 2011. They have one child.
The Scent
46. Lim Ji-yeon
Actress | In-gan-jung-dok
Lim Ji-yeon was born on June 23, 1990 in Seoul, South Korea. She is an actress, known for Obsessed (2014), High Society (2015) and The Glory (2022).
The Treacherous
47. Kwak Do-won
Actor | Gokseong
Kwak Do-won is a Korean musical actor who also played roles on the small and big screen. He played many notable roles in various production such as: "The Yellow Sea", "Nameless Gangster: Rules of the Time", "The Attorney", "The Wailing", and many more. Since his appearance in "Nameless Gangster: ...
The Wailing
48. Kim Sae-ron
Actress | Ajeossi
Kim Sae-Ron is a popular South Korean actress who first debuted at the age of 9. She is best known for her roles in Korea and the films, "A Brand New Life" and "The Man From Nowhere". She won the Best New Actress award at the 8th Korean Film Awards for her role in the film, "The Man From Nowhere". ...
The Man from Nowhere
49. Han Hyo-joo
Actress | Dong Yi
Han Hyo-Joo (born February 22, 1987 Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province) is a South Korean film and television actress. She is best known for her leading roles in television drama series: Spring Waltz (2006) (2006); Shining Inheritance (2009) (2009); Dong Yi (2010)(2010) and W (2016) (2016) as ...
Inrang
50. Kim Yoon-seok
Actor | Chugyeokja
Kim Yoon-seok was born on January 21, 1968 in Danyang County, North Chungcheong Province, South Korea. He is an actor and director, known for The Chaser (2008), Another Child (2019) and 1987: When the Day Comes (2017). He has been married to Joo-ran Bang since 2002. They have two children.
Chaser
51. Hyeon-jin Park
Director | Joahaejwo
Hyeon-jin Park is known for Like for Likes (2016), 6 nyeon-jjae yeonae-jung (2008) and Love and Leashes (2022).
Natalie
52. Jeon Jong-seo
Actress | Beoning
Jeon Jong-Seo was born in Seoul, the only child in the family. Jeon attended a middle school in Canada and then graduated from Seoul Arts High School. After high school, she attended Sejong University majoring in film. In 2018 she took a break from university to pursue her acting career more freely.
Burning
53. Moon So-ri
Actress | Ah-ga-ssi
Moon So-ri was born on July 2, 1974 in Busan, Korea. She is an actress and director, known for The Handmaiden (2016), Oasis (2002) and The Running Actress (2017). She has been married to Joon-Hwan Jang since December 24, 2006. They have one child.
The Handmaiden
54. Choi Woo-sik
Actor | Gisaengchung
Choi Woo-sik was born on March 26, 1990 in Seoul, South Korea. He is an actor, known for Parasite (2019), Okja (2017) and Set Me Free (2014).
Parasite The Witch
55. Kim Byeong-Ok
Actor | Oldeuboi
Kim Byeong-Ok was born on October 11, 1960 in South Korea. He is an actor, known for Oldboy (2003), New World (2013) and Lady Vengeance (2005).
56. Kim Da-mi
Actress | Manyeo
Kim Da-mi is a South Korean actress. She is best known for playing the titular role in action-mystery film The Witch: Part 1 - The Subversion (2018) (2018). She is also known for her role in the television series Itaewon Class (2020) (2020) and Our Beloved Summer (2021) (2021-2022).
In 2018, Kim ...
The Witch
57. Kim Hye-su
Actress | Eolguleobtneun minyeo
Kim Hye-Soo is a South Korean actress and one of the most popular teen stars of the 1980s and 1990s. She is known for her headstrong independence and regularly playing strong-willed, sophisticated women. During the height of her fame, Kim was referred to as the "Pencil Board Star" of the 1980s due ...
Hypnotized
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