Most Handsome Korean Actors
List activity
2.4K views
• 35 this weekCreate a new list
List your movie, TV & celebrity picks.
65 people
- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Son Suk-ku was born on 7 February 1983. He is an actor and director, known for The Roundup (2022), My Liberation Diary (2022) and Nothing Serious (2021).- 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. - Jang Ki-yong was born on 7 August 1992 in Ulsan, South Korea. He is an actor, known for Come and Hug Me (2018), Go Back Couple (2017) and Sweet & Sour (2021).
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Song Seung Hun, born October 5, 1976 in Seoul, South Korea, is a model, singer and actor.
Song started his career as a model in 1995, modeling for the jeans brand STORM, and began acting in sitcoms and TV dramas in 1996.
Song is noted for his roles in Korean dramas like East of Eden, Autumn in My Heart (2000) and Summer Scent.
In 2004 Song appeared in two films, but neither was judged to be a success. Ice Rain, shot in the Canadian Rockies, failed to enthuse viewers with its mixture of mountaineering and melodrama, while He Was Cool, based on an internet novel, proved unable to compete with Harry Potter and other films from the 2004 summer season.
In late 2004, just as he was getting ready to start shooting another high profile TV drama, it was revealed that the actor had illegally avoided his compulsory military service by taking a drug that made him fail the military"s health test. Amidst the press coverage and scandal this aroused, Song agreed to immediately serve his two-year term in the military.
Song, during his late teenage years, successfully evaded compulsory army service by claiming to have severe diabetes and high blood pressure. At 28, his claim was discovered by the South Korean government to be false, and he was forced to serve the army for two years. Song, in an apparent show of guilt, publicly apologized and began his service. Despite pleas from his fans to the South Korean government, the government feared that giving clemency to Song would spark off riots and strikes (due to peoples' displeasure at his act). In the end, Song temporarily dropped acting to serve the army until 2006, although he was diagnosed with high blood pressure. Song was discharged on November 15 as a Corporal.
In 2009, he created his own management company, Storm S, which also manages actresses Lee Young Ae and Kim Jung Eun.- 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.- Kim Rae-won was born on 19 March 1981 in South Korea. He is an actor, known for Punch (2014), My Little Bride (2004) and Shik-gaek (2008).
- 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.
- Kwon Sang-woo was born on 5 August 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 28 September 2008. They have two children.
- Actor
- Director
- Producer
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. This was followed up by another success, City of the Rising Sun, for which he received a Best Actor award at the domestic Chungryong Awards ceremony.
After starring in the Korean-Japanese coproduction Asako in Ruby Shoes, released in December 2000, Lee found considerable popular success in a melodrama titled Last Present, where he was cast opposite Lee Young-ae, and in the action/mystery/drama The Last Witness directed by Bae Chang-ho. He is also scheduled to appear in an international coproduction to be shot in Korea and directed by Chinese filmmaker Chen Kaige.- Park Sung-woong was born on 9 January 1973 in Chungju, North Chungcheong Province, South Korea. He is an actor, known for New World (2013), The Killing Vote (2023) and A Desperate Pursuit.
- Actor
- Director
- Writer
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 first project was a short lived TV series called "Asphalt My Hometown". Lee became popular, especially with the female crowd, in his next KBS project, "Tomorrow Love", in 1992. Though he continued to do TV series' throughout the 90s, he also tried his luck in feature films. Many of his earlier films were flops, until 2000, when he appeared in "J.S.A. Joint Security Area". The film became his first major blockbuster. Unfortunately, Lee's father passed away that same year. Over the years, Lee's popularity continued to grow, with successful TV series', like "Beautiful Days" and "All In", and features, such as "A Bittersweet Life" and "The Good, The Bad, The Weird". Lee was becoming an international celebrity. His success continued rising with the highly anticipated TV show "Iris" and his other feature films "I Saw the Devil" and "Masquerade". Having solidified his position as one of Asia's biggest stars, he is the only actor to sell out the Tokyo Dome with 45,000 screaming fans. In 2012, he was one of the first two Korean actors ever to be honored with a hand and foot print ceremony at The TLC Chinese Theater.
Lee's first foray into Hollywood films came in 2009 with a starring role in "G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra." Following the global success of that film, he signed on for "G.I. Joe 2: Retaliation," which was released in March 2013. His first period piece feature, "Masquerade" was released in late 2012, and was met with stellar reviews from both audiences and critics, and became the highest grossing period piece in Korean history. He next starred in "Red 2" opposite Bruce Willis, Helen Mirren, John Malkovich, and Anthony Hopkins. The film premiered in Korea on July 18, 2013. Korea became the second highest grossing market for the film behind the US. In 2015, Lee has two Korean films, "Insiders" and "Memories of the Sword", along with Hollywood blockbuster Terminator Genisys (2015), where he plays a T-1000 robot. Lee has since filmed an independent US film, "Misconduct", opposite legendary actors Anthony Hopkins and Al Pacino, which is due for a 2016 release.- 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
- Producer
- Director
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.- Ryu Jun-yeol was born on 25 September 1986 in Suwon, Korea. He is an actor, known for A Taxi Driver (2017), The King (2017) and Socialphobia (2014).
- 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 another TV-Series What Happened in Bali, alongside Ha Ji Won in which he won Baeksang Arts Awards for Best Actor in TV series. He's also famous for his high number for commercials for some brands. He did his mandatory military service from April 6 2009-May 4, 2011. One of his last works before serving was the Frozen Flower, in which he worked with the same director for A Dirty Carnival (2006). He made his comeback appearance in the television series That Winter, the Wind Blows, starring alongside Song Hye-Kyo. In 2016, he in a film alongside Jung Woo-Sung, which was directed by Han Jae-Rim.
- Actor
- Producer
- Executive
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 out of high school and became a full-time actor, both for TV dramas and films. He did a couple of TV series and a film, but it was Beat (1997) that really made him an icon. He became very popular for his James-Dean-sort-of rebelliousness and lonely character in this movie and it's been his trademark. He has a keen interest in filmmaking, and his dream is to run his own film company.- Actor
- Writer
- Director
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 actor who has appeared in many movies and television series. Ha has said that since he was 4 or 5 years old, he has always dreamed of becoming an actor like his father. Before entering college, Ha studied at a private acting institute and at one point had actor Lee Beom-soo as his instructor. He then enrolled at Chung-Ang University as a theater major, where he acted on the stage.
In 1998, Ha began his military service, working in the Armed Forces Public Relations Department. He put his acting experience to good use during this time, appearing in 10 promotional films for the military.
Kim Sung-hoon made his acting debut in the 2002 SBS sitcom Honest Living and his feature film debut in the 2003 film Madeleine.
He made his directorial debut through the comedy film Fasten Your Seatbelt (2013).
In 2016, Ha starred again in two box office hits; Park Chan-wook's The Handmaiden, an adaptation of the Sarah Waters novel Fingersmith also set during 1930s Korea; and the survival thriller The Tunnel.- Actor
- Soundtrack
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
- Soundtrack
Choi Woo-sik was born on 26 March 1990 in Seoul, South Korea. He is an actor, known for Parasite (2019), Okja (2017) and Set Me Free (2014).- Actor
- Writer
- Music Department
Choi Seung Hyun is most popularly known as one of the rappers in the Korean group Big Bang. Their group has been together for going on ten years, not counting side projects he has been a part of with other artists, one including an album with band-mate G-Dragon (Kwon Ji Yong).
It wasn't until 2010 that he made his first attempt as an actor, portraying an assassin in the Korean drama Iris. Shortly thereafter he appeared in a suspense drama with band-mate Lee Seung Hyun (SeungRi) titled My 19. In June 2010, his most recent film, 71-Into the Gunfire, was released, earning him praise for his acting as student soldier Oh Jung-Bum.- Byeon Woo-seok was born on 31 October 1991 in Seoul, South Korea. He is an actor, known for Soulmate (2023), When Flowers Bloom, I Think of the Moon (2021) and 20th Century Girl (2022).
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Park was born on December 16, 1988 in Seoul as the oldest of three brothers. After graduation from An-Nam high school, he attended Seoul Institute of the Arts and enlisted for mandatory military service in 2008.
Park made his entertainment debut in 2011 by appearing in the music video of Bang Yong-Guk's single "I Remember." He has then appeared in television dramas Dream High 2 (2012), Pots of Gold (2013), and Witch's Romance (2014). From October 2013 to April 2015, he became the host of Music Bank.
His breakout role came in 2015 as the male lead of the television series She was Pretty.
He had a role in Bong Joon-ho's blockbuster comedy-thriller Parasite (2019).- Jeong Jae-yeong was born on 21 November 1971 in South Korea. He is an actor, known for Castaway on the Moon (2009), Right Now, Wrong Then (2015) and Moss (2010).
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Jin Goo was born on 20 July 1980 in Seoul, South Korea. He is an actor, known for Mother (2009), A Bittersweet Life (2005) and Descendants of the Sun (2016).- Lee Min-ki was born on 16 January 1985. He is an actor, known for Tidal Wave (2009), A Good Day to Have an Affair (2007) and Because This Is My First Life (2017).