Actors and Actresses of Korean Cinema

   There are a lot of names on this page; some who were popular at the time we launched this site in 1999, and others who have emerged more recently. Nonetheless, the Korean star system is so big that this page will never be complete. If you are looking for a particular actor, you can find the name above. Or you can browse below -- we have put them in a rough order, with the more active stars towards the top.



    Song Kang-ho

Song Kang-ho (b. January 17, 1967) never professionally trained as an actor, beginning his career in social theatre groups after graduating from Kimhae High School. Later he joined Kee Kuk-seo's influential theatre company with its emphasis on instinctive acting and improvisation which proved Song's training ground. Although regularly approached to act in films, he always turned down the opportunity until taking a role as an extra in Hong Sang-soo's The Day a Pig Fell into the Well (1996). In the following year, after portraying one of the homeless in Jang Sun-woo's docu-style Bad Movie, he gained cult notoriety for his show-stealing performance in Song Neung-han's No. 3 as a gangster training a group of young recruits, winning his first acting award. Since that time he's been cast in several supporting roles before before his high-profile appearance as Han Seok-kyu's secret agent partner in Kang Je-kyu's blockbuster thriller Shiri. In early 2000, Song became a star with his first leading role in the box office smash The Foul King, for which he reputedly did most of his own stunts. But it is with his award-winning role as a North Korean sergeant in Joint Security Area/JSA that Song came to the forefront as one of Korea's leading actors. Song also starred in Park Chan-wook's acclaimed followup, Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, which centers around a father's pursuit of his daughter's kidnappers. In 2002 Song starred in another major production by Myung Films, YMCA Baseball Team, about Korea's first baseball team which formed in the early 20th century. The following year he played a leading role in yet another critically-acclaimed smash hit, Memories of Murder from young director Bong Joon-ho. In 2004 Song starred in a film by debut director Im Charn-sang that imagines the life of South Korean president Park Chung-hee's personal barber. The following year he also took the lead in Antarctic Journal, a big-budget project by debut director Yim Phil-sung, about an expedition in Antarctica that performed weakly at the box-office. In 2006 Song was thrust back in the spotlight, however, with a leading role in Bong Joon-ho's record-breaking creature movie The Host. The film helped to broaden international awareness of Song's talent, and indeed he beat out several of Asia's best known stars to be named Best Actor at the inaugural Asian Film Awards held in Hong Kong in March 2007.

Select filmography: Parasite (2019) The Drug King (2018) A Taxi Driver (2017) The Age of Shadows (2016) Sado (2014) The Attorney (2013) The Face Reader (2013) Snowpiercer (2013) Howling (2012) Hindsight (2011) Secret Reunion (2010) A Little Pond (2009) Thirst (2008) The Good, the Bad, the Weird (2008) Secret Sunshine (2007) The Show Must Go On (2006) The Host (2006) Antarctic Journal (2005) The President's Barber (2004) Memories of Murder (2003) YMCA Baseball Team (2002) Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2002) Joint Security Area (2000) The Foul King (2000) Shiri (1999) The Quiet Family (1998) No. 3 (1997) Bad Movie (1997) Green Fish (1997) The Day a Pig Fell into the Well (1996)

    Jun Ji-hyun (Gianna Jun)

Jun Ji-hyun (b. October 30, 1981) first became well-known as a commercial model and as a TV actress. Although she made her film debut in the little-watched White Valentine in 1999, it was not until later in the year when she was featured in an advertisement for an audio system that she became a popular sensation. The dancing and attitude expressed in the ad made her into an icon for Koreans in their late teens and early twenties. After continuing her TV and modelling career, Jun made her first well-publicized film appearance in late 2000 with Il Mare. A handsomely-shot melodrama set on Kanghwa Island, the film did respectably well at the box office (despite opening on the same day as Joint Security Area/JSA) and solidified her status as a star. Jun's breakout film was comedy My Sassy Girl, which became a huge hit both in Korea and throughout Asia with its tale of a gullible college student and his slightly unhinged girlfriend. The film spent two weeks at #1 in Hong Kong, and turned her into Korea's most recognizable star in the Chinese-language market. Two years then passed before she appeared in her next film, an "occult thriller" titled The Uninvited which wowed critics but failed to catch on with viewers. Throughout this time she was a constant presence in TV ads and on billboards in Korea and also in other Asian countries. 2004 saw her return to the big screen in another film by Kwak Jae-yong, the director of My Sassy Girl. Windstruck cast her in the role of a policewoman, but many viewers felt it was too similar to My Sassy Girl. There were also signs that her popularity had started to suffer because of overexposure in advertisements. Nonetheless, Windstruck became the best-performing film ever in Japan, where My Sassy Girl was not as well known. Jun's next project Daisy teamed her with Jung Woo-sung (who frequently appears together with her in advertisements), and drew attention for its 100% location shooting in the Netherlands, and for using the Hong Kong director Andrew Lau (Infernal Affairs). Nonetheless the film disappointed at the box-office and drew weak appraisals from viewers. In late 2006 it was announced the Jun would be making her long-predicted jump to Hollywood to take the lead role in Blood: The Last Vampire. The international co-production is the live-action adaptation of a popular Japanese anime.

Complete filmography: A Man Who Was Superman (2008) Blood: The Last Vampire (2008) Daisy (2005) Windstruck (2004) The Uninvited (2003) My Sassy Girl (2001) Il Mare (2000) White Valentine (1999)

    Lee Byung-heon

Lee Byung-heon (b. July 12, 1970) majored in French at Hanyang University before making his television debut on KBS in 1991. A fixture in TV dramas throughout the decade, Lee has continued to work in television even after becoming a major film star. His movie debut came in 1995 as the lead in Who Drives Me Mad?, and he worked off and on in the film industry up until his breakthrough film in 2000, Joint Security Area. For a long time thought of as just another pretty face, Lee eventually earned great praise for his acting, both for his turn in JSA and especially in Bungee Jumping of Their Own. He also starred in the popular television drama Beautiful Days, which screened in spring 2002 on SBS and would later be exported across Asia. In 2002, Lee starred with actress Lee Mi-yeon in Addicted, a melodrama about two brothers who fall into a coma on the same day. The following spring he also took the lead role in the highly popular TV drama All In, about a successful gambler. In 2004, Lee appeared opposite actresses Choi Ji-woo, Choo Sang-mi and Kim Hyo-jin in Everybody Has Secrets, a remake of the Irish comedy About Adam. Also that year, several of Lee's TV dramas began to screen in Japan, and his popularity there started to soar. He eventually became even more popular in Japan than he is in Korea. Then in 2005, Lee appeared in Kim Jee-woon's highly anticipated action-noir A Bittersweet Life. Although the film ended up performing below expectations in both Korea and Japan, it was selected to screen in the Official Selection (out of competition) at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival, giving Lee the opportunity to "walk the red carpet" for his biggest moment of fame.

Complete filmography: A Bittersweet Life (2005) Everybody Has Secrets (2004) Addicted (2002) My Beautiful Girl, Mari (2002, voice) Bungee Jumping of Their Own (2001) Joint Security Area (2000) Harmonium in My Memory (1999) Elegy of the Earth (1997) Kill the Love (1996) Armageddon (1996) (voice) Runaway (1995) Who Drives Me Mad? (1995) Links: http://byunghunlee.pe.kr

    Jeon Do-yeon

Jeon Do-yeon (b. February 11, 1973) spent five years starring in television dramas before achieving instant star status with her film debut opposite Han Seok-kyu in The Contact. She went on to establish a reputation as a "chameleon" who can take on a wide variety of roles, from her performance as a doctor in the hit melodrama A Promise, to that of a schoolgirl in Harmonium in My Memory to that of a wife having an adulterous affair in Happy End. In 1999 and 2000 she received a Best Actress award from both the Blue Dragon and the Grand Bell awards for her role in Harmonium in My Memory. In 2001 she very skillfully played a very ordinary bank teller in Park Heung-sik's debut I Wish I Had a Wife. After starring as the tough-talking "Sunglasses" in Ryoo Seung-wan's No Blood No Tears, Jeon spent time acting in a TV drama titled "Shoot for the Stars." In 2003 she found box-office success in E J-yong's Untold Scandal, based on the famous French novel Dangerous Liasions. The following year she re-united with director Park Heung-sik in a dual role for the time-bending melodrama My Mother, the Mermaid. In 2005 Jeon burst back into the limelight playing a prostitute who contracts AIDS in Park Jin-pyo's hard-hitting melodrama You're My Sunshine. The performance helped turn the film into a box-office hit (3 million+ admissions), and also won her yet more additions to her collection of local acting awards. But it was her role in Lee Chang-dong's Secret Sunshine in 2007 that would see her emerge in full glory. Although the film itself, which debuted at Cannes, evoked widely differing assessments from international critics, Jeon's performance was universally praised, and indeed she was presented with a Best Actress award by the Cannes jury -- the first Korean ever to receive an acting award at Cannes. Although not as broadly popular with audiences as some other stars, Jeon is widely respected for her acting abilities, and many young actresses cite her as a role model. Interview excerpts: "I enjoy acting a great deal, so I feel no need or desire to be called a great actor. This is partly my personality, but also the fact that I get so absorbed in acting, to where I can't see or think of anything else. I can't tell you what great acting is, but for me, it is to give everything you have with honesty, sincerity and persistence." [Kino, #56, October 1999]

Complete filmography: The Housemaid (2010) My Dear Enemy (2008) Secret Sunshine (2007) You're My Sunshine (2005) My Mother, the Mermaid (2004) Untold Scandal (2003) No Blood No Tears (2002) I Wish I Had a Wife (2001) Happy End (1999) Harmonium in My Memory (1999) A Promise (1998) The Contact (1997)

    Jung Woo-sung

Jung Woo-sung was born in Seoul on March 20, 1973. After first finding work as a model, he made his film debut in the 1994 movie The Fox With Nine Tails, together with Ko So-young. He and Ko would go on to act in two more films together. Jung found widespread fame in Kim Sung-soo's 1997 film Beat, in which he played a high school student who becomes caught up in gang life against his will. Since this film, he became known as one of Korea's top commercial stars. In the subsequent years he portrayed a young boxer in Our Sunny Days, a naval lieutenant in Phantom the Submarine, and a marathoner in Love. In 2001, Jung took on one of his most high-profile roles in Kim Sung-soo's epic blockbuster Musa. Playing a long-haired slave, he acted opposite Chinese superstar Zhang Ziyi and recieved wide exposure abroad as well as in Korea. After spending time in 2002 directing a series of music videos and appearing in a large number of commercials, Jung took on the eccentric lead role in Mutt Boy, the fifth film by director Kwak Kyung-taek (Friend, Champion). Jung's next two roles would be in highly romantic roles that played off his established screen image. In the box office hit A Moment To Remember, he plays a construction worker who marries the daughter of a rich family, and in the Netherlands-set Daisy, he plays a hired assassin who falls in love with a street artist played by Jeon Ji-hyun. Upcoming for 2006 is a big-budget martial arts film The Restless (working title).

Complete filmography: The Restless (2006) Daisy (2006) Sad Movie (2005) A Moment to Remember (2004) Mutt Boy (2003) Musa (2001) Love (1999) Phantom the Submarine (1999) City of the Rising Sun (1999) Motel Cactus (1997) Beat (1997) Born to Kill (1996) The Fox With Nine Tails (1994)

    Son Ye-jin

Son Ye-jin (b. January 11, 1982) has taken on a variety of roles in her career to date, propelling her to fame both in Korea and in other Asian countries. She first appeared in a supporting role in Park Ki-hyung's film Secret Tears in 2000, and then went on to take the lead in TV dramas such as Delicious Proposal, Sunhee Jinhee, and Daemang: Great Ambition. Her first high-profile role in cinema was in Im Kwon-taek's Chihwaseon, which screened at Cannes and took home a Best Director award in 2002. The biggest success of her early career was in the subsequent films Lovers Concerto and The Classic. Both were solid mid-level hits in Korea, and The Classic in particular -- being a work of My Sassy Girl director Kwak Jae-yong -- received wide exposure in countries such as Hong Kong and China. Son further solidified her status as a "hallyu" (Korean wave) star in 2003 by taking the lead in TV drama Summer Scent, a part of the hugely successful series of TV dramas including Autumn Love Story and Winter Sonata (though this drama would not attract the attention of the previous two). Her next two films also proved to be huge hits in Asia: A Moment to Remember, based on a famous Japanese TV series, set box office records in Japan and sold over two million tickets in Korea, while April Snow in which she co-starred with superstar Bae Yong-joon was also a smash hit in Japan and China (though not, incidentally, in Korea). Son's most recent work sees her cast off her nice girl image to take on the role of a seductress in The Art of Seduction. From Marc 2006 she is also scheduled to appear in a TV drama together with Gam Woo-sung, playing the role of a divorced woman.

Complete filmography: The Art of Seduction (2005) April Snow (2005) A Moment to Remember (2004) Crazy First Love (2003) The Classic (2003) Lovers Concerto (2002) Chihwaseon (2002) Secret Tears (2000) Fansite: http://www.mattube.com/hamil/

    Choi Min-shik

Choi Min-sik (b. 1963) first made a name for himself in theater before breaking into the film world with roles in Park Chong-won's early films Kuro Arirang and the acclaimed Our Twisted Hero. In the mid-nineties he continued to act in theater productions as well as in several TV dramas, including Moon Over Seoul with Han Seok-kyu. 1997 marked his return to motion pictures, with a role as a tough-talking police investigator in Song Neung-han's No. 3. After a turn in Kim Jee-woon's debut film The Quiet Family, Choi's breakthrough would come in 1999, when he was cast in the record-breaking Swiri. His portrayal of a North Korean agent garnered him much praise and a Best Actor Award from the 1999 domestic Grand Bell Awards. After starring in a theater production of Hamlet in spring of 1999, Choi took on his first lead role as a husband who discovers his wife's infidelity in Happy End, and in early 2001 starred as a third-rate gangster opposite Hong Kong actress Cecilia Cheung in the cult melodrama Failan. In 2002, Choi took on his most high-profile role yet in Im Kwon-taek's Strokes of fire, where he played the famous nineteenth-century Korean painter Jang Seung-up. The film won a Best Director prize at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival. Two years later, Choi would be back at Cannes with Old Boy, Park Chan-wook's Grand Prix-winning story of a man locked up for 15 years without knowing the reason why. Choi's impassioned and cool acting in Old Boy caused his popularity in Korea to soar, and made his name known to many overseas viewers. More recent efforts from Choi include the role of a trumpet player who agrees to teach a school music class in Springtime, and that of a down-and-out former boxer who struggles to put his life back together in Ryoo Seung-wan's Crying Fist. Together with Song Kang-ho and Sul Kyung-gu, Choi is now considered among the very top echelon of Korean actors in terms of presence and talent.

Complete filmography: I Saw The Devil (2010) Himalaya, Where the Wind Dwells (2009) Sympathy for Lady Vengeance (2005) Crying Fist (2005) Sping time (2004) Taegukgi: Brotherhood Of War (cameo) (2004) Old Boy (2003) Strokes of fire (2002) Failan (2001) Happy End (1999) Swiri (1999) The Quiet Family (1998) No. 3 (1997) Sea Anemone,'Mom, the Star and the Sea Anemone' (1994) Sarah Is Guilty (1993) Our Twisted Hero (1992) May Our Love Stay This Way (1992) That Which Falls Has Wings (1989) Kuro Arirang (1989)

    Bae Doo-na

Bae Doo-na (whose name means "beautiful star") was born on October 11, 1979. In 1998 she was walking along the streets of Apkujong, Seoul when a recruiter approached her about a job in modeling. She soon branched out from modeling into TV dramas (her debut was the KBS drama School), and in 1999 she had her first film appearance as the psychic girl/ghost in The Ring Virus, Korea's remake of the Japanese film Ring. In 2000 Bae continued to act in TV dramas and also expanded her presence on the screen, starring in the critically-acclaimed Barking Dogs Never Bite and later in Plum Blossom, a well-received film about adolescence and sex. At the time she concurrently studied in Hanyang University's department of Film and Drama. Bae's 2001 film Take Care of My Cat was highly acclaimed by critics and screened in many festivals including Rotterdam and Berlin. She also starred in Park Chan-wook's grim followup to JSA, the acclaimed Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance. Her next features were more light in tone: Saving My Hubby, about a mother who straps her baby onto her back and goes out to rescue her husband from a band of gangsters, subway action film Tube, and Spring Bears Love, a melodrama by debut director Yong Yi. She also appeared in multiple TV dramas. To date, however, Bae has yet to star in a solid box office hit. Bae's next film will be a Japanese film by Nobuhiro Yamashita titled Linda Linda Linda, in which she plays a Korean exchange student who joins an all-girl rock band. She is also rumored to have a part in Bong Joon-ho's creature movie The Host.   Excerpt from an interview with Bong Joon-ho (Barking Dogs Never Bite): Bae Doo-na is a very beautiful young woman. But in the film you make her look very mundane, dishevelled, with no make-up...    "You're right (laughs). Many actresses in Korea hate to act without make up, they want to look shiny! But Doo-na was great because she had no desire to show off, rather she really threw herself into the character. I was really happy with her." [Interview from Filmfestivals.com]

Complete filmography: The Host (2006) Linda Linda Linda (2005, Japan) Spring Bear's Love (2003) Tube (2003) Saving My Hubby (2002) Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2002) Take Care of My Cat (2001) Plum Blossom (2000) Barking Dogs Never Bite (2000) The Ring Virus (1999)

    Sol Kyung-gu

Sol Kyung-gu (b. May 1, 1968) studied at Hanyang University Department of Film and Theater, and upon graduation appeared in numerous theatrical productions. In the mid-1990s he began taking on minor roles in feature films, but it was not until 1999 that he made his breakthrough with major roles in The Bird That Stops in the Air, Rainbow Trout, and above all else, Peppermint Candy. The critical acclaim and larger-than-expected popular appeal of this film instantly transformed Sol into one of the most respected young actors in Korea. After the rather heavy-themed work of his early career, Sol then appeared in a mix of genre movies and more serious work. He starring in the romantic comedy I Wish I Had a Wife with Jeon Do-yeon in 2001, and then acted in a Japanese TV drama produced by NHK. The year 2002 was huge for Sol, starring in three major films which effectively made him into one of the most popular actors in Korea. As a violent police detective in Public Enemy he won both local acting awards and many new fans as the film drew close to 3 million viewers. In August, he starred in Lee Chang-dong's highly acclaimed third film Oasis, which won the Best Director Award at the Venice Film Festival, and which won him yet more acting awards in Korea. Finally in November, he acted together with Cha Seung-won in the smash hit Jail Breakers by popular director Kim Sang-jin. Sol continued his hot streak in 2003 when he starred in Silmido directed by Cinema Service founder Kang Woo-suk, which became the first Korean film in history to gross 10 million admissions. His next role was as the title character in Rikidozan, about the legendary ethnic Korean pro wrestler who became a national hero in Japan in the 1950s. Sol gained 20kg for the role and also delivered 95% of his lines in Japanese. Despite winning great praise for his performance, however, the film vastly underperformed on its local release. In 2005, Sol starred in the sequel to Public Enemy, which ended up outgrossing the original, and also signed on to star in a melodramatic love story together with Song Yoon-ah.

Complete filmography: Voice of a Murderer (2007) Cruel Winter Blues (2006) Lost in Love (2006) Another Public Enemy (2005) Rikidozan (2004) Silmido (2003) Jail Breakers (2002) Oasis (2002) Public Enemy (2002) I Wish I Had a Wife (2001) The Legend of Ginkgo (2000) Peppermint Candy (2000) Rainbow Trout (1999) The Bird That Stops in Air (1999) Phantom the Submarine (1999) Girls' Night Out (1998) Love Story (1996) A Petal (1996)

    Moon So-ri

Moon So-ri (b. July 2, 1974) first appeared in plays and short films such as Black Cut and To the Spring Mountain before finding fame as a leading actress. Her first film role was in Lee Chang-dong's acclaimed Peppermint Candy, however her acting skills were not really showcased until she appeared in her second film Oasis, also by Lee Chang-dong. Her powerful portrayal of a woman with cerebral palsy earned her strong praise as well as the Marcello Mastroianni Award for Best New Actor or Actress at the 2002 Venice International Film Festival. Best Actress honors at many domestic awards ceremonies followed. The following year she again found fame in Im Sang-soo's third film A Good Lawyer's Wife. A 180-degree turn from her previous screen image, this film featured her as a free thinking woman in a decaying marriage who starts an affair with the teenage boy next door. This film was also invited to the Venice film festival, and she later won a Best Actress award from the Stockholm International Film Festival. In 2004, Moon played opposite Song Kang-ho in The President's Barber, a film that illustrates 20 years of modern Korean history through the eyes of president Park Chung-hee's personal barber. She took a more central role in her next feature Sa-kwa (2005), about a woman who embarks on a new relationship after being dumped by her long-time boyfriend. Also from 2005, Mommy, Dearest sees her return to the historical era of the late 70s/early 80s in a family drama set against the political upheaval of those times.

Complete filmography: Family Ties (2006) Bewitching Attraction (2006) Bravo, My Life (2005) Sa-kwa (2005) The President's Barber (2004) A Good Lawyer's Wife (2003) Oasis (2002) Peppermint Candy (2000)

    Park Hae-il

Park Hae-il (b. January 26, 1977) began appearing in theatre productions ever since childhood, and he first established himself on stage rather than on the screen. In 2000 he was awarded the Best New Actor award in the theatre category of the Baeksang Art Awards for his role in the play "Cheongchun-yechan". His film debut was in a minor role of Yim Soon-rye's Waikiki Brothers, however he left a major impression in his second film Jealousy Is My Middle Name, in which he played a conflicted young man who develops a fascination/hatred for his boss, who has stolen two women from him. The film won the top prize at the Pusan festival in 2002, and was released commercially the following spring. Throughout his career Park has been cast in two different types of roles: innocent-looking, boyish characters, or else men who hide a dark streak under a nice-looking exterior. After Jealousy, Park would take on his darkest role of all in the acclaimed smash hit Memories of Murder, where he portrayed a man suspected of committing serial murder. Yet the following year he was just as effective appearing in a romantic role opposite Jeon Do-yeon in time-travel drama My Mother, the Mermaid. In 2005 he once again played characters of completely opposite temperament. In Rules of Dating he plays a dirty-minded, scheming high school instructor who sets his mind on a pretty student teacher played by Gang Hye-jung, while in The Boy Who Went to Heaven he plays a young boy who suddenly finds himself an adult one day, ala Tom Hanks in Big. 2006 will see him return to work with acclaimed director Bong Joon-ho in the big-budget monster movie The Host.

Complete filmography: Paradise Murdered (2007) The Host (2006) The Boy Who Went to Heaven (2005) Rules of Dating (2005) My Mother the Mermaid (2004) Memories of Murder (2003) Jealousy is My Middle Name (2003) Scent of Love (2003) Waikiki Brothers (2001)

    Kim Yoon-jin

Kim Yoon-jin (b. November 7, 1973) grew up in New York City, attending the New York School of Performing Arts as a high school student and later studying acting at Boston University. In order to master Shakespeare, she also spent time at a special acting academy at Oxford University. Kim has remarked that in her zeal to become Americanized quickly, she studied acting, academics and pronunciation with equal intensity. In 1997, after being cast in numerous Broadway productions and finding minor roles on ABC and MTV, she starred in Splendid Holiday, a Korean TV drama being shot on location in New York. In part due to this experience, Kim decided to return to Korea. She was quickly cast in the TV drama Wedding Dress and was also invited to act in Lee Kwangmo's feature Spring in My Hometown, although she ended up not taking this role. Her breakthrough debut came in the 1999 film Shiri, making her an instant star throughout the country. In November 2000 she continued her association with KangJeGyu Film in the big-budget The Legend of Gingko. After acting in a Japanese film and a low-profile feature set in Los Angeles, Kim appeared in the big-budget sci-fi feature Yesterday, which ended up bombing spectacularly at the box office. Then in 2002, Kim took the lead role in Ardor, the feature film debut of acclaimed documentarist Byun Young-ju (Habitual Sadness). The film was invited to screen in a non-competitive section at the 2003 Berlin film festival, and Kim's acting earned widespread praise. After a couple quiet years, in 2004 Kim started appearing in the popular U.S. television series Lost, which introduced her to audiences in the US. Shortly thereafter, she also received an offer to appear opposite Billy Bob Thornton in the Hollywood film Georgia Heat, about a woman who falls in love with an American and moves to the US. At the same time, Kim has agreed to star in the upcoming Korean production Bystanders, a thriller in which she appears together with popular singer/actor Eric.

Complete filmography: Georgia Heat (2006?) Bystanders (2005) Ardor (2002) Yesterday (2002) Iron Palm (2002) Rush! (2001, Japan) The Legend of Ginkgo (2000) Shiri (1999)

    Lee Jung-jae

Lee Jung-jae (b. March 15, 1973), apart from being a top star in film and TV, 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 would come in late 1998 in the award-winning film An Affair by E-J Yong. This was followed up by another success, Our Sunny Days, 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. In 2002 he starred in the melodrama Over the Rainbow with Chang Jin-young. He was also rumored to be cast in an international coproduction to be shot in Korea and directed by Chinese filmmaker Chen Kaige, however this project appears to have never gotten off the ground. In 2003 he starred opposite Lee Beom-soo in Oh! Brothers, a comic drama about two brothers, one of whom has an unusual disease. The film was one of Lee's biggest hits ever, topping three million admissions at the local box office. Nonetheless he remained out of the limelight for the next couple years. Finally at the end of 2005 he returns in Typhoon, a big-budget action blockbuster by Kwak Kyung-taek, the director of Friend (2001). Apart from his acting, Lee is also known for having launched a chain of upscale Italian restaurants in Seoul named after his movie Il Mare. Having studied interior design, he himself took responsibility for designing the interiors of his restaurants.

Partial filmography: Typhoon (2005) Oh! Brothers (2003) Over the Rainbow (2002) The Last Witness (2001) Last Present (2001) Asako in Ruby Shoes (2000) Il Mare (2000) Interview (2000) The Uprising (1999) Our Sunny Days (1999) An Affair (1998) Park vs. Park (1997) I Am a Man (1994)

    Ha Ji-won

Ha Ji-won (b. June 28, 1979) made her television debut in 1997 on KBS TV. She won a Grand Bell award as the Best New Actress of 2000 with her debut film Truth or Dare, and a Blue Dragon award for Best Supporting Actress with her second film, the popular melodrama Ditto (2000). After achieving wider public recognition as a "horror queen" for her roles in Ahn Sung-ki's films A Nightmare and Phone, she has branched out into a variety of roles such as that of a cheerleader in Sex is Zero, which was one of most successful comedies of the year 2002. Thanks to the huge success of her TV drama, Damo in which she starred as a female detective in the Chosun Dynasty and Something That Happened in Bali in which she played a poor girl who was loved by two rich men played by Jo In-sung and So Ji-seop, she gained a reputation as an A-list actress. Her subsequent roles in three comedies -- Reversal of Fortune, 100 Days With Mr. Arrogant, and Love, So Divine -- were not as successful with audiences, however. In early 2005 she starred in the melodrama Daddy-Long-Legs, based on a famous novel by Jean Webster. Ha's next role saw her once again play a Chosun-era female detective, this time in acclaimed director Lee Myung-Se's Duelist. Probably her highest-profile role to date, the film sees her teams up with Ahn Sung-ki to catch an elusive criminal played by Kang Dong-won.

Complete filmography: Duelist (2005) Daddy-Long-Legs (2005) Love, So Divine (2004) 100 Days With Mr. Arrogant (2004) Reversal of Fortune (2003) Sex is Zero (2002) Phone (2002) A Nightmare (2000) Ditto (2000) Truth or Dare (1999)

    Kwon Sang-woo

Kwon Sang-woo (b. August 5, 1976), the most visible example of the so-called "mom-zzang" (slang for "great body") movement, started his career as a fashion model in the late 1990s. His first acting experience was in the TV drama Delicious Proposal, and for the first few years of his entertainment career he received only minor roles on television, before debuting in Volcano High (2001). The following year he played his first lead role in the comedy Make It Big together with Song Seung-heon. Kwon's breakthrough came in the phenomenally successful comedy My Tutor Friend, as a troublesome high school boy who is tutored by a college student of the same age (played by actress Kim Ha-neul). In this year he also starred in My Good Partner, the world's first movie made for mobile phones, and in the music video collection Project X. His next film released in early 2004 was also a great hit. Once Upon a Time In High School portrays the authoritarian society of the 1970s through a notoriously violent high school. Simultaneously, his TV drama Stairway To Heaven was winning over high ratings on TV. The drama was eventually screened throughout Asia and helped to turn him into a regional star. However Kwon's followup film Love So Divine, about a priest in training who falls in love, earned poor reviews and did not get much attention from audiences. For 2006, Kwon returns in a big-budget action noir titled Running Wild, about a detective, a prosecutor, and a criminal who are all equally vicious.

Complete filmography: Running Wild (2005) Love, So Divine (2004) Once Upon a Time in HS (2004) My Tutor Friend (2003) Make It Big (2002) Volcano High (2001)

    Moon Geun-young

Moon Geun-young (b. May 6, 1987), through a combination of excellent acting skills and a sweet, innocent-looking manner, became a superstar in Korea long before she turned twenty. Moon first started modeling at the age of 12, and then in 2000 appeared in the docu-drama On the Road by artist Choi Jae-eun. That same year she appeared as the younger Song Hye-gyo in the hugely successful TV drama Autumn Fairy Tale, which was exported throughout Asia. She then played the younger version of Lee Mi-yeon's character in the KBS drama The Last Empress. Moon's first appearance in a film was in a supporting role as Cha Tae-hyun's younger sister in Lovers Concerto (2002). It would be the following year that she would be launched as a major star, however, with her role in Kim Jee-woon's successful horror film A Tale of Two Sisters. Together with fellow actress Im Soo-jung, Moon captured the attention of legions of fans, from teenage girls on up. Her subsequent appearances have given her a reputation as being one of Korea's few (only?) genuine box office draws, who can sell millions of tickets even in a bad film. Although My Little Bride (2004), in which she co-starred with Kim Rae-won, was considered an entertaining commercial comedy (which sold three million tickets), Moon was given the entire credit for the two million tickets sold by her subsequent film, the poorly-constructed ballroom dance film Innocent Steps.

Complete filmography: Love Me Not (2006) Innocent Steps (2005) My Little Bride (2004) A Tale of Two Sisters (2003) Lovers Concerto (2002) On the Road (2000)

    Jung Jae-young

Jung Jae-young (b. November 21, 1970) started his career taking minor roles in films ranging from his debut The Adventures of Mrs. Park to Green Fish, The Quiet Family, and Die Bad. However throughout this period he was primarily occupied with works by director/playright Jang Jin, both on the stage and in minor roles for the films The Happenings and The Spy. Jung's first prominent film role came in Jang Jin's third film Guns & Talks, where he played one member of the film's central quartet of assassins. Shortly after that he turned in a memorable performance as a ruthless, cruel-minded hustler in Ryoo Seung-wan's No Blood No Tears. Around this time he began to be associated in audience's minds with tough, intense, masculine characters who would start a fight at the slightest provocation. His role as a death row convict turned soldier in the record-breaking Silmido marked the height of this stage of his career. Nonetheless it would be Jang Jin who would again set him off in new creative directions. His acclaimed performance in Jang's romantic comedy Someone Special provided him with his first lead role and drove home the point that Jung had much more acting range than most people realized. In the smash hit Welcome to Dongmakgol (based on one of Jang Jin's plays which Jung had also performed in), he once again showed a more sensitive side as a war-weary North Korean officer who befriends his counterparts from the South. Finally, Wedding Campaign saw him play a shy rural farmer who travels to Uzbekistan in the hopes of finding a wife.

Complete filmography: Righteous Ties (2006) Wedding Campaign (2005) Murder, Take One (2005) Welcome to Dongmakgol (2005) So Cute (2004) Someone Special (2004) Silmido (2003) No Comment (2002) Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance (cameo) (2002) No Blood No Tears (2002) Guns & Talks (2001) Ghost Taxi (2000) Die Bad (cameo) (2000) The Spy (1999) The Quiet Family (1998) The Happenings (1997) Green Fish (1997) The Adventures of Mrs. Park (1996)

    Gang Hye-jung

Gang Hye-jung (b. January 4, 1982) began working as a model in her first year of high school, and throughout the late 1990s she appeared in small roles in TV dramas and sitcoms such as Jump and Non-Stop III. Her first film role was in Moon Seung-wook's arthouse/sci-fi film Nabi, for which she won a Best Actress award at the Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival. Following this she appeared in a short film by Song Il-gon titled Flash as well as an internet film Naebang-nebang. Gang's first major hit film was opposite Choi Min-shik in the modern-day classic Old Boy by Park Chan-wook. Her portrayal of the character Mido won her considerable attention both domestically and abroad, and she also picked up acting honors from the Grand Bell Awards and Pusan Film Critics Association. The following year she also appeared in Cut, Park Chan-wook's 30-minute contribution to the omnibus horror film Three... Extremes. It was in 2005, however, that Gang established herself as a star outside of her appearance in Old Boy. The sharp-edged relationship drama Rules of Dating, in which she starred opposite Park Hae-il, proved to be an unexpected hit, and then two months later she took a small but central role in box office megahit Welcome to Dongmakgol. Around this time her offscreen relationship with actor Cho Seung-woo (Marathon) also kept her the subject of attention. In 2006 she is scheduled to appear in Domabaem ("Lizard") a romance with Cho Seung-woo, as well as the Thai film Invisible Waves by rising directorial star Pen-ek Ratanaruang (Last Life in the Universe).

Complete filmography: Herb (2007) Love Phobia (2006) Invisible Waves (2006) [Thailand] Welcome to Dongmakgol (2005) Sympathy For Lady Vengeance (cameo) (2005) Rules of Dating (2005) Antarctic Journal (cameo) (2005) Three... Extremes (2004) Old Boy (2003) Nabi (2001)

    Yoo Ji-tae

Yoo Ji-tae (b. April 13, 1976) in a very short time rose to become a major actor in Korean film. In the year 2000, with a series of hit films, widely-seen TV appearances, and a career in modeling, Yoo was more constantly in the limelight than any other actor. His first brush with fame came in the role of "Paint" in his second feature, the 1999 hit Attack the Gas Station. His sensitive and artistic image in this film and the warm character he displayed as a guest on TV talk shows helped to propel him to stardom. With the surprise success of his third film Ditto in spring 2000, Yoo's star status was secured. He also appeared in the successful firefighting film Libera Me. In this early part of his career, he was known particularly for the wild colors that he would dye his hair (white in Attack the Gas Station, blue in Ditto, blonde in Libera Me). In 2001, however, he died his hair black and took on a more subdued, serious role in Hur Jin-ho's One Fine Spring Day. Although it wasn't a big hit with audiences, his performance in this film opened many critics' eyes and drew widespread praise, while officially launching the second stage of his career. For the next two years, Yoo didn't appear in any new films, due to the fact that Natural City took an unusually long time to progress from shooting to a commercial release. He then appeared in three works in 2003: Natural City (which bombed, despite its big budget and special effects), the horror/suspense film Into the Mirror, and Park Chan-wook's acclaimed Old Boy. Yoo's memorable role in the latter film as a wealthy eccentric fixated on revenge would make his face well known to international audiences. As Yoo's career established itself he began to appear in many high-profile projects, such as in well-known arthouse director Hong Sang-soo's Woman is the Future of Man (which, like Old Boy, screened at Cannes in 2004); Yim Phil-sung's big-budget Antarctic Journal, shot in New Zealand; and the action/noir Running Wild with Kwon Sang-woo.

Complete filmography: Traces of Love (2006) Running Wild (2006) Antarctic Journal (2005) Woman is the Future of Man (2004) Old Boy (2003) Into the Mirror (2003) Natural City (2003) One Fine Spring Day (2001) Libera Me (2000) A Nightmare (2000) Ditto (2000) Attack the Gas Station (1999) Bye June (1998)

    Jang Dong-gun

Jang Dong-gun (b. March 7, 1972), who has starred in not one but two record-breaking box office hits, first entered the entertainment world in a talent contest in 1992. He began by acting in TV dramas such as The Last Match, co-starring Shim Eun-ha, and he eventually made his film debut in Repechage (1997) together with Kim Hee-sun. By the late 1990s he had become quite popular in Korea, but he also became one of the very first Korean stars to garner a fan following in other parts of Asia. Vietnamese audiences in particular fell quickly for Jang after several of his TV dramas were screened there in the late nineties. In 1999, after acting in the critically acclaimed Nowhere to Hide as Park Joong-hoon's younger partner, Jang moved on to star in a feature that was filmed on location in Shanghai. Titled The Anarchists, this tale of five young terrorists from 1930s China helped to elevate his status even further. Jang's real breakout came in early 2001 in Friend, which smashed the box office record set by Shiri to become the biggest Korean film of all time. After playing the nice guy in almost all his previous roles, this portrayal of a tough-talking gangster from Pusan led him to local stardom. The following year he also starred in the popular action blockbuster 2009 Lost Memories set in a futuristic Great Japan. After appearing in the low-budget film The Coast Guard by controversial director Kim Ki-duk, Jang then took the lead role in Kang Je-gyu's Taegukgi, an epic film about two brothers set during the Korean War. Sure enough, this film would beat Friend's record with an astounding 11 million tickets sold. By this time, Jang's name had become known widely throughout Asia. Jang followed this up with two more high-profile roles. The Promise is a $30 million pan-Asian production by Chinese director Chen Kaige in which Jang plays opposite Hong Kong star Cecilia Cheung. Meanwhile, Typhoon by director Kwak Kyung-taek (Friend) set a new record for the highest production budget in Korean film history at $15 million. Jang stars as a modern-day pirate who has been betrayed by both North and South Korea.

Complete filmography: Typhoon (2005) The Promise (2005, China) Taegukgi (2004) The Coast Guard (2002) 2009 Lost Memories (2002) Friend (2001) The Anarchists (2000) Nowhere to Hide (1999) Love Wind, Love Song (1999) Holiday in Seoul (1997) Repechage (1997) Links: http://www.jangdonggun.pe.kr

    Shin Ha-kyun

Shin Ha-kyun (b. May 30, 1974) first trained as a stage actor at the Seoul National University of Arts before going on to act in a large number of plays by Jang Jin. When in 1998 Jang Jin directed his first movie, Shin Ha-kyun was cast and he has since appeared in almost all of Jang's feature films. Impressed by his acting abilities, comedy director Kim Jee-woon has also cast him in minor roles in The Foul King and his 30-min internet film Coming Out. Shin first became a superstar with his role as a young North Korean soldier in Park Chan-wook's smash hit JSA in late 2000. At that time he developed a large fan following which, together that of co-star Won Bin, helped make his next film Guns & Talks a strong commercial hit. In the next couple years Shin would take on two strong roles that would come to define his career. In Park Chan-wook's acclaimed Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, he played a deaf man with bright green dyed hair who is driven by desperation to kidnap a young girl. Then in Jang Jun-hwan's Save the Green Planet in 2003, he played a mentally unbalanced man who believes that aliens are plotting to invade the earth. Together, these two intense and harrowing performances by Shin were an impressive display of his acting talent. After appearing in the rural melodrama A Letter From Mars with actress Kim Hee-sun in 2004, Shin returned in Welcome to Dongmakgol, a drama set during the Korean War in a small mountainous village. His next work for 2006 sees him play a rather eccentric hitman.

Complete filmography: No Mercy For the Rude (2006) Murder, Take One (2005) Welcome to Dongmakgol (2005) My Brother (2004) A Letter From Mars (2003) Save the Green Planet! (2003) Surprise Party (2002) Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2002) Guns & Talks (2001) Joint Security Area (2000) Coming Out (2000, short film) The Foul King (2000) The Spy (1999) The Happenings (1998)

    Lee Young-ae

Lee Young-ae (b. January 31, 1971) first appeared on television in 1993, but it wasn't until 1995 that she began acting in many TV dramas and gathering a large fan following. She won various television awards in the mid-1990s, and in 1996 she made her film debut in the poorly-received Inch'Allah. The negative reputation this film garnered may have pushed back her film career several years, but when she did return it was with a bang, in the record-breaking Joint Security Area by Park Chan-wook. At the time it became the best-selling Korean film ever, and it launched Lee Young-ae into undisputed stardom. In 2001 Lee continued to build on her film career, starring in the popular melodrama Last Present opposite Lee Jung-jae, and also in the second feature by Hur Jin-ho, director of the acclaimed Christmas in August. This film was released in late September to great critical acclaim, and it landed Lee a Best Actress award from the local Blue Dragon awards. For the next few years, Lee did not appear in any films, but from 2003 she took the lead role in a hugely popular TV drama called Dae Jang-geum, which revived her popularity among ordinary viewers. In 2005 the drama was also screened in Hong Kong, where it became the most successful Korean drama ever to screen in the territory, topping 40% in viewer ratings. Lee's return to the screen came in summer 2005 in Sympathy For Lady Vengeance, the last film in Park Chan-wook's acclaimed trilogy of revenge films.

Complete filmography: Sympathy for Lady Vengeance (2005) One Fine Spring Day (2001) Last Present (2001) Joint Security Area (2000) Shall We Kiss? (1998, cameo) Inch'Allah (1996)

    Cha Tae-hyun

Cha Tae-hyun (b. March 25, 1976) started his career as a silver medalist in a 1995 KBS Talent Contest. Over the next several years he would star in a large number of TV dramas such as Sunflower and Happy Together, while also working as a model and appearing in a huge number of TV commercials. He also made a minor film debut in the comedy Halleluja. Then in 2001 he burst onto the film scene with a bang, in the hugely successful comedy My Sassy Girl. Cha's expressive acting established him as a recognized star in Korea as well as the Asian region at large. His next film Lovers Concerto (2002), a tragic melodrama with actresses Son Ye-jin and Lee Eun-ju, also proved to be a popular success. From 2003, however, Cha's casting choices proved to be less inspired. He appeared in three comedies -- Crazy First Love, Happy Naked Christmas and Two Guys -- that were widely criticized by audiences for their weak scripts and lack of creativity. In 2005, Cha tries to make a comeback as part of a large ensemble cast in the relationships film Sad Movie and in My Girl and I, the remake of Japanese hit film Crying Out Love in the Center of the World.

Complete filmography: My Girl and I (2005) Sad Movie (2005) Two Guys (2004) Happy Ero Christmas (2003) Crazy First Love (2003) Lovers Concerto (2002) My Sassy Girl (2001) Halleluja (1997)

    Cho Seung-woo

Cho Seung-woo (b. March 28, 1980) grew up in a musical family: his father Cho Kyung-soo is a singer, and his older sister Cho Seo-yeon acts in musicals. Cho himself also dreamed of becoming a musical actor from an early age, however in 1999 while a student at Dankook University he was persuaded to join auditions for Im Kwon-taek's film Chunhyang, and he ended up winning the part from among a field of 1000 actors. Chunhyang would screen as the first Korean film in competition at Cannes, although domestically it failed to attract much of an audience. Cho did go on to appear in musicals after his film debut, acting in local productions Subway Line 1 and The Last Empress. Soon he was drawn back into the film industry, however, with a key supporting role in Wanee and Junah (2001), plus leading roles in Who Are You (2002) and Kwak Jae-yong's popular The Classic (2003). Particularly after The Classic his popularity continued to grow, and in 2004 he appeared in Im Kwon-taek's 99th film Low Life, which flopped at the box office. Cho's breakthrough would come in early 2005, when he played an autistic boy in the smash hit Marathon. With over 5 million tickets sold to the film, Cho attracted great praise for his naturalistic performance and won Best Actor at the 2005 Grand Bell Awards. In November he was even presented with a Best Actor award in the foreign film category of China's Hundred Flowers Awards. Nonetheless, he continued to pursue his career in musicals, with critically-acclaimed appearances in Hedwig and Jekyll and Hyde that had fans scrambling to find tickets. His success at pursuing both film and musicals make him an unusual case among contemporary actors. Cho's latest film appearance is in Love Phobia (2006) playing opposite Gang Hye-jung, with whom he shares an off-screen romance. He will also appear in Tazza, the second film by Choi Dong-hoon, the director of The Big Swindle.

Complete filmography: Tazza (2006) Love Phobia (2006) Marathon (2005) Low Life (2004) The Classic (2003) Who Are You (2002) Wanee & Junah (2001) Chunhyang (2000)

    Lee Na-young

The public persona of Lee Na-young (b. February 22, 1979) is interesting for its contradictions. She is most famous, perhaps, as Korea's quintessential cosmetics model. Only top-ranked models are able to get anywhere near cosmetics ads, and she is considered to have one of the most beautiful and idealized faces in Korea. She has played off this image to a certain extent in her appearances on TV dramas. Her debut was in the SBS drama Queen in 1998, the same year she started her modeling career. In the coming years she would appear in a number of popular dramas, including Have We Really Loved? (1999) with Bae Yong-joon, KAIST (2000), the critically acclaimed Ruler of Your Own World (2002), and Ireland (2004). Nonetheless, her image in films has been almost the opposite. She first appeared in the rather unfortunate sci-fi film Dream of a Warrior in 2000 with Hong Kong star Leon Lai, and continued on in the charming but overlooked Who Are You? with Cho Seung-woo. She is best known, however, for her roles in Please Teach Me English and Jang Jin's Someone Special, where she portrays women who are awkward, eccentric, and the very opposite of glamourous. She has proved to be quite skilled in these roles, contributing greatly to the comic success of those two films and winning a Best Actress prize from the Blue Dragon Awards for her role in Someone Special. Lee's next role will be opposite Kang Dong-won in Maundy Thursday, a capital punishment drama based on a famous novel and directed by Song Hye-sung (Failan, Rikidozan).

Complete filmography: Maundy Thursday (2006) Someone Special (2004) Please Teach Me English (2003) Who Are You (2002) Dream of a Warrior (2000)

    Song Seung-hun

After beginning his career as a model, Song Seung-hun (b. October 5, 1976) first became known to viewers in the popular sitcom Three Men, Three Women in 1996. The following year he started his extremely successful career in TV dramas, which made him well-known throughout Korea. His feature film debut came in 1999 in the film Calla together with star Kim Hee-sun. True stardom only came to Song in late 2000, however, with the broadcast of the hugely popular TV drama Autumn Story (a.k.a. Endless Love). The series was exported all over Asia, making pan-Asian stars of both him and co-stars Song Hye-gyo and Won Bin. Since then he has been actively recuited for film roles and advertisements in Hong Kong and other Asian countries. In 2002, Song starred in the comic-action film Make it Big by director Cho Ui-seok, and also in the Hong Kong film So Close with Hong Kong actresses: Karen Mok, Shu Qi and Zhao Wei. He also starred in Scent of Summer, the third "season-themed" TV drama after Autumn Story and Winter Sonata, which was well-received, but not as popular as the ones that preceded it. 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. Meanwhile 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.

Complete filmography: He Was Cool (2004) Ice Rain (2003) So Close (2002, Hong Kong) Make it Big (2002) Calla (1999)

    Baek Yoon-shik

Baek Yoon-shik (b. March 16, 1947) made his debut in 1970 on KBS TV. In the coming years he would appear in four films, taking lead roles in his debut Excellent Guys and in romantic comedy Only With You with Seo Mi-kyung, a young star of the time. He also studied in the film and theater department at Chung-Ang University's graduate school. Nonetheless, his film career appeared to end in the 1970s and he became known thereafter as a TV actor. In the late 1990s and early 2000s he attained a certain degree of visibility in TV dramas such as Moon Over Seoul (1994, with Han Suk-kyu and Choi Min-shik) and Jang Hee-bin (2002, with Kim Hye-soo). In 2003, however, Baek's career was revived in spectacular fashion with a major role in Jang Jun-hwan's acclaimed debut feature Save the Green Planet. Playing an arrogant company executive -- believed by the film's hero to be an alien from Andromeda -- Baek's performance won him a Best Actor Award from the 2003 Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival, as well as numerous best supporting actor mentions from local awards ceremonies. He quickly became sort of a cult figure among younger cinephiles. Following on this success, Baek went on to appear in several more high-profile films, including a memorable role in Choi Dong-hoon's caper film The Big Swindle and a showstopping performance as intelligence chief Kim Jae-gyu in Im Sang-soo's controversial drama The President's Last Bang. The year 2006 turned out to be a particularly prolific year for Baek, as he took leading and supporting roles in four films. (It was a profitable year as well, with his fee rising to $400,000 per film -- just a shade below that of the top stars) Of these four, Choi Dong-hoon's Tazza proved to be a runaway hit, selling close to 7 million tickets. Baek is married with two sons, the elder of whom is young actor Baek Do-bin (Seducing Mr. Perfect, Tazza).

Complete filmography: How the Lack of Love... (2006) Tazza (2006) Like a Virgin (2006) Art of Fighting (2006) The President's Last Bang (2005) The Big Swindle (2004) Save the Green Planet! (2003) A Masterpiece in My Life (2000) Chu-ha, My Love (1977) Only With You (1976) A Woman's Castle (1976) Excellent Guys (1974)

    Ahn Sung-ki

Ahn Sung-ki (b. January 1, 1952) is the consummate veteran actor, having starred in close to 70 films at the time of this writing. The local press has even dubbed him with the nickname, "The National Actor". He made his debut back in 1957 in The Twilight Train, a film by cult director Kim Ki-young. Two years later he would win the Best Child Actor Award at the 1960 San Francisco International Film Festival for Teenagers' Rebellion, another film by Kim. His oldest surviving feature is Kim's masterpiece The Housemaid (1960), which continues to amaze audiences to the present day. As an adult, Ahn's filmography resembles a list of Korean cinema's greatest achievements. First gaining wide notice in Lee Jang-ho's acclaimed Fine Windy Day and Im Kwon-taek's artistic breakthrough Mandala, he also starred in some of the biggest hits of the 1980s by Bae Chang-ho (Whale Hunting, Deep Blue Night, Our Joyful Young Days), and in debut works by acclaimed filmmakers Park Kwang-su (Chilsu and Mansu), Jang Sun-woo (The Age of Success) and Lee Myung-se (Gagman). In the 1990s he continued to take high-profile roles, such as Jung Ji-young's Vietnam War drama White Badge and the politically-themed North Korea's Southern Army, the smash hit Two Cops by Kang Woo-suk, Park Kwang-su's To the Starry Island, Im Kwon-taek's The Taebaek Mountains and Festival, Lee Kwang-mo's acclaimed Spring in My Hometown, and Lee Myung-Se's Nowhere to Hide. Ahn also took an active role in supporting Korea's Screen Quota System after the US began to place pressure on Korea to abolish the system in the late 1990s. The early 2000s has seen Ahn continue to balance more popular works with films by veteran directors. Im Kwon-taek's Strokes of Fire, in which he played a mentor to the lead character, became the first Korean film to win a prize at the Cannes film festival (Best Director). Ahn was also the obvious choice to play the nation's chief executive in the romantic comedy The Romantic President. Meanwhile Kang Woo-suk's big budget Silmido, in which he played a tough but loyal military trainer, became the first film ever to sell 10 million tickets in Korea. Meanwhile Ryoo Seung-wan's Arahan (2004) presented Ahn with yet another new challenge: wire action. Known for the excellent physical condition he keeps himself, Ahn pulled this off without a hitch and then signed on for a role as a Chosun-era detective in Lee Myung-Se's stylish action/drama Duelist. Interview excerpts: What are your criteria for selecting a film? "The quality of the screenplay and the subject matter, particularly the subject matter. I look for something new. Unusual or creative films are good. The script should be somewhat unconventional; that's how I get engaged in a film. I don't like melodramas." [Cine21, #50, Apr 30, 1996]

Partial filmography: Sector 7 (2011) The Fair Love (2009) My New Partner (2008) May 18 (2007) Radio Star (2006) A Battle of Wits [Hong Kong] (2006) Hanbando (2006) Duelist (2005) Arahan (2004) Silmido (2003) The Romantic President (2002) Chihwaseon (2002) The Last Witness (2001) Musa (2001) My Beautiful Girl, Mari (2001, voice) Kilimanjaro (2000) Truth or Dare (2000) Black Hole (1999) Nowhere to Hide (1999) Art Museum by the Zoo (1998) Spring in My Hometown (1998) The Soul Guardians (1998) Taekwondo (1998) Bedroom and Courtroom (1998) The Adventures of Mrs. Park (1996) Festival (1996) Eternal Empire (1995) The Taebaek Mountains (1994) To the Starry Island (1993) Two Cops (1993) The Blue In You (1992) White Badge (1992) The Dream (1990) North Korea's Southern Army (1990) Chilsu and Mansu (1988) Gagman (1988) The Age of Success (1988) Our Sweet Days of Youth (1987) A Wanderer in Winter (1986) Hwang Jin-yi (1986) Eunuch (1986) Deep Blue Night (1985) Eo-Woo-Dong (1985) Whale Hunting (1984) Warm Winter Was Gone (1984) Between the Knees (1984) People in a Slum (1982) Misty Village (1982) Mandala (1981) A Small Ball Shot by a Dwarf (1981) Fine Windy Day (1980) The Apron (1964) The Housemaid (1960) Teenagers' Rebellion (1959) The Twilight Train (1957)

    Han Seok-kyu

Han Seok-kyu (b. August 17, 1964) began his career in the early 1990's as a dubbing artist, before being cast in the TV drama Moon Over Seoul. By the late 90s he had become one of the most popular actors in Korea, starring in a series of both highly acclaimed and extremely popular films including Lee Chang-dong's debut film Green Fish, the groundbreaking gangster comedy No. 3, the hugely popular internet romance The Contact, Hur Jin-ho's classic Christmas in August, and the film that officially kicked off Korea's modern-day commercial boom, Kang Je-kyu's Swiri. At this time, Han was receiving a higher guaranteed salary for his films than any other actor (~$350,000 in 1999). From 1999 until early 2003, however, Han took an extended leave of absence from filmmaking, only appearing occasionally on TV commercials. By the time of his return in the film Double Agent -- a spy film in which he stars with Ko So-young, which was a disappointment at the box-office -- he had lost his status as the most popular actor in the Korean film industry. The following year, his appearance in The Scarlet Letter with now-deceased actress Lee Eun-ju opened well, but failed to make a big impression with audiences. Han's appearance in Im Sang-soo's political bombshell The President's Last Bang marked an impressive return to form, however, and even if it didn't translate into success at the box office, it showed that Han remained at the top of his form. For his next project Han discards his serious image to play a stay-at-home dad who dresses up as a woman in order to enter a TV quiz show for housewives. Interview excerpts: People say that you have benefitted from your voice. Do you think this is true? "I think so. When I first started acting on TV, people criticized me, saying I spoke like a 1960s movie star. Now I know how to control my voice. My experiences as a dubbing artist and a singer in high school taught me pronunciation and better control over the language." [Cine 21, #174, Nov. 3, 1998]

Complete filmography: Villain & Widow (2010) White Night (2009) Eye For An Eye (2008) Solace (2006) A Bloody Aria (2006) Forbidden Quest (2006) Mr. Housewife (2005) The President's Last Bang (2005) The Scarlet Letter (2004) Double Agent (2003) Tell Me Something (1999) Swiri (1999) Christmas in August (1998) The Contact (1997) No. 3 (1997) Green Fish (1997) The Gingko Bed (1996) Dr. Bong (1995) Mommy, the Star, and the Sea Anemone (1995, cameo)

    Shin Eun-kyung

Shin Eun-kyung (b. February 15, 1973) made her television debut in 1986 on KBS TV. Throughout the late eighties and early nineties she acted in a great number of TV dramas and films, garnering fame for her warm screen presence. In 1997, however, she took on her most daring role as a prostitute in veteran director Im Kwon-taek's Downfallen. The film was a box-office success, leading her to star status. In 1999 she starred in two films, including the Korean-Japanese coproduction of The Ring Virus, based on the novel by Suzuki Kozi. Her success in this role led to her being cast in a small role for a Japanese film, Uzumaki, directed by a man who calls himself Mr. Higuchinsky. Around this time Shin was also working as an MC for a television game show. In 2002 Shin starred in her most famous role as a female gang boss in My Wife is a Gangster. The film drew more than 5 million spectators and became a strong hit throughout Asia. This would eventually lead to the far-less successful sequel My Wife Is a Gangster 2, in which her character gets hit in the head, suffers from amnesia, and gets a job in a Chinese restaurant. Other roles Shin starred in around this time were as a detective in Out of Justice, as a "couple manager" in the romantic comedy A Perfect Match, and as a naval officer in the box office bomb Blue. Shin was married in 2004 and subsequently had a baby. She returned to acting in 2005, and is currently scheduled to appear in three upcoming films.

Partial filmography: Bystanders (2005) Mister Housewife (2005) My Wife Is a Gangster 2 (2003) Blue (2003) A Perfect Match (2002) Out of Justice (2001) My Wife is a Gangster (2001) Emergency Room (2000) Uzumaki (2000, Japan) The Ring Virus (1999) Mystery of a Cube (1999) Downfallen (Ch'ang) (1997) I Am a Man (1994) Love Begins Now (1990)

    Moon Sung-keun

Moon Sung-keun (b. May 28, 1953), in addition to being a prolific actor (20 films to date), has become one of the central figures in the Korean film industry. Moon came to filmmaking late, after spending time working as a businessman in Saudi Arabia. Throughout the 1990s he has worked together with some of the leading directors of the decade, most notably Park Kwang-su (Black Republic, Berlin Report, To the Starry Island, A Single Spark), Jang Sun-woo (Road to the Racetrack, To You From Me, A Petal), and Lee Chang-dong (Green Fish). In May 2000, appeared in Hong Sang-soo's acclaimed third feature, Virgin Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors. The following year he appeared in debut director Park Chan-ok's Jealousy Is My Middle Name in a much-praised portrayal of a self-centered book editor. Gradually Moon has branched out from his acting to become involved in the Pusan International Film Festival and the movement to protect the Screen Quota System. A gifted administrator, he co-founded a film production company, UniKorea, and also served as Vice Chairman of the Korean Film Commission in 1999. He was the host of a much-watched investigative TV program called I Want To Know until fellow actor Jeong Jin-young took over. In 2002, Moon become a notable figure in local politics, particularly after he and producer Myung Kay-nam took charge of the online supporters of Roh Moo-hyun's presidential campaign. After Roh won the election and took office, Moon became an influential voice among the supporters of the center-left Uri party. After two years off from filmmaking, Moon returns in 2005 to star in the directorial debut of actress Pang Eun-jin.

Complete filmography: Hanbando (2005) Princess Aurora (2005) Jealousy is My Middle Name (2003) Virgin Stripped Bare by Bachelors (2000) Bedroom and Courtroom (1998) Killer Story (1998) Green Fish (1997) A Petal (1996) Man (1995) A Single Spark (1995) Sunset Into the Neon Lights (1995) Out to the World (1994) To You, From Me (1994) Bitter & Sweet (1994) To the Starry Island (1993) No Exit (1993) The 101st Proposal (1993) Road to the Racetrack (1991) I Only Want to Live to Twenty (1991) Berlin Report (1991) Our Class Accepts Anyone (1990) Black Republic (1990)

    Choi Jin-shil

Choi Jin-shil (b. December 24, 1968) first rose to stardom in the early 1990s after debuting on television in 1988. Her first role was as a partisan soldier in Chung Ji-young's acclaimed North Korea's Southern Army (sometimes called Partisans of South Korea), and later that year she also co-starred with Park Joong-hoon in Lee Myung-Se's innovative piece about marriage, My Love, My Bride. Throughout much of the 1990s Choi was one of the most popular actresses in Korean film. Coincidentally or not, many of her most famous roles were centered in some way around marriage, motherhood, or the image of a wife. Her most famous role came in the 1997 mega-hit The Letter, which was the highest-grossing Korean film of that year. In early 2000, Choi touched off a media storm with the announcement of her engagement to popular baseball star Cho Sung-min, who used to play in the Japan League. In the two years to follow, however, the couple's deteriorating relationship and divorce became a staple of the local tabloids. Choi's last feature to date was as "Bee" in the poorly-received blockbuster The Legend of Ginkgo.

Partial filmography: The Legend of Gingko (2000) Mayonnaise (1999) The Letter (1997) Baby Sale (1997) Holiday in Seoul (1997) Ghost Mama (1996) Mom's Got a Lover (1995) Who Drives Me Crazy (1995) I Wish For What Is Forbidden (1994) How to Top My Wife (1994) Girl For Love, Girl For Marriage (1993) Mister Mamma (1992) Susan Brink's Arirang (1991) My Love, My Bride (1990) North Korea's Southern Army (1990)

    Shim Hye-jin

Shim Hye-jin (b. January 16, 1967) ranks as one of the most visible stars of the 1990's, having starred in many of the highlight films of the decade. It was her second film, Park Kwang-su's Black Republic, that initially brought her widespread acclaim. Her performance as a woman in a mining community who falls in love with a student activist won her a Best Actress Award at the 1992 Nantes International Film Festival. However her appearance in Kim Ui-seok's Marriage Story (1992) made her into an icon for young generation Korean women. The sex war comedy about a couple whose marriage deteriorates as the wife's career takes off ranked as the third best selling Korean film of all time after its release, and remains a classic of the early 1990s. Shim would also star in other representative films of that era, such as White Badge, To the Starry Island, and Out to the World. After appearing in another trend-setting box office hit in Kang Je-gyu's The Gingko Bed, she teamed up with director Lee Chang-dong for his acclaimed debut Green Fish (1997). As she reached her mid-thirties, however, many producers started turning to younger actresses, and Shim went five years without appearing in a single film. In 2003, she made her return with a lead role in Acacia, a horror film by Park Ki-hyung (Whispering Corridors, Secret Tears). After finding some additional success in TV dramas, she returns with a role in Over the Border as a woman who marries a North Korean defector.

Partial filmography: Over the Border (2006) Acacia (2003) Bedroom and Courtroom (1998) The Man with Flowers (1997) Green Fish (1997) Park vs. Park (1996) The Gingko Bed (1996) Marriage Story 2 (1995) Out to the World (1994) To the Starry Island (1993) Marriage Story (1992) White Badge (1992) Black Republic (1990)

    Yoo Oh-sung

Throughout the mid-1990's, Yoo Oh-sung complemented a career in television with minor roles in film. With his success playing a young gangster in the hit movie Beat, Yoo's face became familiar to a new generation of moviegoers. The year 1999 was somewhat of a breakthrough, as he took the lead role in the acclaimed comedy The Spy and also starred in the hugely successful comedy Attack the Gas Station. His career reached its peak in the year 2001, however. Appearing as the co-star in Kwak Kyung-taek's smash hit Friend, which sold an unprecendented 8 million tickets, Yoo won effusive critical praise for his hard-edged performance as a ruthless gangster and enjoyed a tremendous degree of exposure. This fame would carry over somewhat when he took the lead in director Kwak's fourth feature Champion, a 1980s-set biopic of Korean boxer Kim Deuk-gu. However, even though Yoo was praised for his body makeover and acting skills, the film failed to deliver on the high expectations that preceded it. Later that year, a series of highly public disagreements with Kwak made headlines and served to cool some of the public's interest in the actor. Yoo's next two films, the melodrama Byul with actress Park Jin-hee and the patriotic/historical drama Thomas Ahn Joong-geun, bombed badly at the box office, with most Koreans seemingly unaware of their very existence. At this stage the future course of Yoo's career seems to be in question.

Partial filmography: Thomas Ahn Joong-geun (2004) Byul (2003) Champion (2002) Friend (2001) Attack the Gas Station (1999) The Spy (1999) Spring In My Hometown (1998) Beat (1997) Kill the Love (1996) Man (1995) The Terrorist (1995) Dr. Bong (1995) I Wish For What Is Forbidden (1994)

    Hwang Shin-hye

Hwang Shin-hye (b. 15 December 1963 -- she also sometimes spells her name "Hwang Cine") originally found work as a model while in junior college studying to become a flight attendant. In 1983, while still a student, she debuted in the TV drama Father and Son and quickly gained fame as "the most perfect face in Korea." Her first film was Bae Chang-ho's 1987 melodrama Our Sweet Days of Youth, in which she played a divorcee who marries her true love. She would also go on to star in a large number of films by director Park Chul-soo, beginning with The Woman Who Walks on Water. Since 1995 she has taken on more diverse roles, including that of a woman with an eating disorder in 301,302, a gynaecologist in Push! Push!, and a wife who sues her husband's company for depriving her of a sex life in Bedroom and Courtroom. Hwang's last feature to date is a gangster comedy called Family (not to be confused with A Family from 2004), which had her take on the role of a room salon madam. However she also also remained in the public eye for releasing books and videos on health and lifestyle topics, and launched a successful line of women's undergarments named after herself.

Partial filmography: Family (2002) Love Bakery (2000) Bedroom and Courtroom (1998) Killer Story (1998) Push! Push! (1997) 301.302 (1995) Seoul Evita (1991) Theresa's Lover (1991) The Dream (1990) Woman Who Walks on Water (1990) Gagman (1988) Our Sweet Days of Youth (1987)

    Lee Sung-jae

Lee Sung-jae (b. August 23, 1970) in a short period rose to become one of the more versatile and popular actors in Korean cinema. After working for a time on TV (his debut was the MBC drama Love of Two Women), he launched his film career with the romantic comedy Art Museum by the Zoo opposite superstar Shim Eun-ha. The success of this movie gave him considerable attention and led to him being offered many more roles. After starring in Ghost in Love opposite Kim Hee-sun, Lee played the leader of a small group of thugs in one of the biggest box-office hits in recent years, the smash comedy Attack the Gas Station. Shortly thereafter he took a role in a very different kind of film, the accomplished black comedy Barking Dogs Never Bite, which competed at the San Sebastian Film Festival in late 2000. In 2001, Lee acted in A Day, a drama about a young married couple who wish to have a baby; and the wildly popular comedy Kick the Moon by Kim Sang-jin, director of Attack the Gas Station. He also had a major role in Public Enemy, a hugely successful film by hit director and Cinema Service founder Kang Woo-suk. In 2004 Lee portrayed a mountain climber in the big-budget adventure/melodrama Ice Rain, which was shot in the Canadian Rockies. He also starred in the directorial debut of Park Jeong-woo, who wrote the screenplay for many of the recent films by Kim Sang-jin.

Complete filmography: Holiday (2005) Daisy (2005) Shin Suk-ki Blues (2004) Dance With the Wind (2004) Ice Rain (2004) Public Enemy (2002) Kick the Moon (2001) A Day (2001) Barking Dogs Never Bite (2000) Attack the Gas Station (1999) Ghost in Love (1999) Art Museum by the Zoo (1998)

    Jin Hee-kyung

Jin Hee-kyung (b. September 17, 1968) majored in cello at college and began work as a fashion model in 1989. After her debut in film, her first big hit was The Ginkgo Bed directed by Kang Jae-gyu. She has taken on a variety of genres in her career, from horror (The Opening) and melodrama (Emergency Room) to more artistically-inclined films such as Motel Cactus and Girls' Night Out. Jin has played mostly supporting roles since 2000, from a teacher in plum blossom Plum Blossom, to a thief in Jakarta, and an old lover in I Wish I Had a Wife. In 2003 she had a minor role in the box-office smash Marrying the Mafia. Her most recent role was in the comedy Dance With Solitude, where she played together with a host of veteran actors.

Complete filmography: Sweet Sixties (2004) Marrying the Mafia (2003) I Wish I Had a Wife (2001) Jakarta (2000) Plum Blossom (2000) Emergency Room: The Movie (2000) The Opening (1999) Girls' Night Out (1998) Motel Cactus (1997) Holiday in Seoul (1997) The Ginkgo Bed (1996) Deep Scratch (1995) Coffee, Copy, Koh-pi (1994)

    Shin Hyun-june

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 1990s he continued working with Im Kwon-taek and also acted in Hwa-om-kyung, Jang Sun-woo's award winning film based on the Avatamska Sutra. In recent years Shin has turned more towards popular cinema, finding his greatest success in fantasy/sci-fi works such as The Gingko Bed, The Soul Guardians, and the Korean-Chinese coproduction Bichunmoo. In 2001 he starred in the third film by director Jang Jin (Guns & Talks), where he acted opposite TV star Won Bin and Shin Ha-kyun. He drew praise in this film for his acting, and the film went on to become hugely successful at the box-office. His next feature however, submarine drama Blue, proved a disappointment at the box-office. His next film saw him team up with actress Song Yoon-ah.

Partial filmography: Barefoot Gi-bong (2006) Shadowless Sword (2005) Marrying the Mafia 2 (2005) Face (2004) Blue (2003) Guns & Talks (2001) Siren (2000) Bichunmoo (2000) The Soul Guardians (1998) The Story of a Man (1998) Maria and the Inn (1997) Channel 69 (1996) The Gingko Bed (1996) The Taebaek Mountains (1994) Hwa-om-kyung (1993) Son of a General 3 (1992) Son of a General 2 (1991) Son of a General (1990)

    Kim Hee-sun

Kim Hee-sun (b. February 25, 1977) debuted on TV in 1993, and has since become famous both at home and abroad as one of Korea's best-looking actresses. Having acted in many TV dramas, Kim has also gradually built up a career in film, beginning in 1997 with Repechage opposite Jang Dong-gun. Kim's most high-profile role of her early career was the big-budget martial arts fantasy Bichunmoo, shot in China and released in the summer of 2000. Although criticized for her acting in the film, it gave her more local and international exposure than any of her other works. In late 2001, Kim took on a completely different kind of role, cutting her hair short and starring as an animator in Wanee and Junah. Although her acting in this film drew a favorable response from critics, the film itself was not as popular with audiences. In 2003 her career took a bit of a downturn, when the environmentally-themed melodrama A Letter From Mars, in which she starred with Shin Ha-kyun, proved to be an utter bomb at the box office. Over the next year or two she became quite famous in China, however, and she also starred as a blind woman in the blockbuster TV drama Sad Love Story. Thanks to her popularity among Chinese viewers, she then was cast opposite Jackie Chan in The Myth (2005), giving her the most internationally-oriented role of her career.

Complete filmography: The Myth (2005, Hong Kong) A Letter From Mars (2003) Wanee and Junah (2001) Bichunmoo (2000) Calla (1999) Ghost in Love (1999) Repechage (1997) Links: Kim Hee-sun Gallery

    Jang Jin-young

Jang Jin-young (b. June 14, 1974) made her film debut in the poorly-received Ghost in Love, but her second feature The Foul King proved to be both a smash hit and a success abroad, landing at #1 on the charts in Hong Kong and receiving an invitation to the Berlin International Film Festival. Her tough image in this film drew interest for its novelty and humor. Following a role in the box-office failure Siren, Jang traded in her screen image once again to play the role of a battered wife in the critically acclaimed horror film Sorum. Her gritty performance won much praise and eventually secured for her Best Actress awards from the Fantasporto festival in Portugal and the prestigious local Blue Dragon Awards Ceremony. Jang then returned to melodrama, first in the mid-level hit Over the Rainbow with actor Lee Jung-jae, and then in Scent of Love, which was released in early 2003 to a warm response from audiences. Her followup project Singles, based on a Japanese TV series, proved to be a well-made, smart comedy about relationships that was popular with viewers. For a brief time, Jang's short hairstyle from Singles became the most requested haircut in Seoul. Jang is next scheduled to star in a film about Korea's first woman aviator, who lived in Japan during the 1920s. The film reunites her with Yoon Jong-chan, the director of Sorum.

Complete filmography: Between Love and Hate (2006) Blue Swallow (2005) Singles (2003) Scent of Love (2003) Over the Rainbow (2002) Sorum (2001) The Siren (2000) The Foul King (2000) Ghost in Love (1999)

    Lee Mi-sook

Lee Mi-sook (b. Apr. 2, 1960) first debuted in film at the age of twenty in Thoughtless Momo in 1979. By the mid-1980s she had became one of the best-known actresses of her era, together with Lee Bo-hee and Won Mi-kyung. Her most famous films from this era include Bae Chang-ho's Whale Hunting and That Winter Was Warm, Lee Doo-yong's Bbong and Eunuch, and Kwak Ji-kyun's Wanderer in Winter. Her early career lasted until the film Love Triangle in 1987, and then she retired from the cinema. Over ten years later, however, Lee returned with a widely praised role in E J-yong's award-winning film An Affair, about a woman who falls in love with her sister's fiance. Using this film as a springboard, she re-launched her career. In 2000 Lee was cast in the high profile project The Legend of Gingko, which was considered to be production company Kang Jegyu Film's followup to the successful Shiri (even though Kang himself was not directing). However the film proved to be a critial and commercial disappointment. Lee's next two films, Besame Mucho and Oh! Lala Sisters, were also more or less ignored by audiences. In contrast, her appearances in TV dramas such as Solitude (2002) were more successful. However 2003 was one of Lee's best years, with her highly praised role in E J-yong's Untold Scandal, a retelling of the novel Dangerous Liasions, and her role as a single mother in Lee Eon-hee's well-received melodrama ...ing.

Partial filmography: ...ing (2003) Untold Scandal (2003) Oh! LaLa Sisters (2002) Besame Mucho (2001) The Legend of Gingko (2000) An Affair (1998) Love Triangle (1987) Affection (1987) A Street Musician (1987) Eunuch (1986) Wanderer In Winter (1986) Bbong (1985) That Winter Was Warm (1984) Autumn After Love (1984) Whale Hunting (1984) Strange Relationship (1983) Thoughtless Momo (1979)

    Jang Hyuk

Jang Hyuk (b. Dec. 20, 1976) began his career in modeling, TV dramas such as "Model" and "School", music videos, and a minor role in the little-seen film Zzang. His career first began to take off in 2001 when he was cast in the lead role of the special-effects extravaganza Volcano High together with actress Shin Min-ah. His acting in the eccentric role drew praise from fans and critics. In 2002 he continued to make a name for himself, starring in the sleeper hit Jungle Juice, which made the top of the weekly box-office, and especially in the hugely popular TV drama "Joyful Girl's Success Story" with actress Jang Nara. He also took a role in Public Toilet, the HK-Korea co-production by acclaimed Hong Kong director Fruit Chan which won a Special Mention in the Upstream section of the 2002 Venice film festival. In 2003 Jang appeared with actress Lee Na-young in the comedy Teach Me English, by director Kim Sung-soo (Beat, Musa). His next project was even more high-profile, opposite top star Jeon Ji-hyun in Kwak Jae-yong's Windstruck. Although this film was generally not well received in Korea, it went on to beat Shiri and become the best-selling Korean film of all time in Japan. In late 2004, together with Song Seung-heon, Jang was found to have illegally avoided his obligatory military service, and after apologizing to his fans he began to serve his two-year term.

Complete filmography: Windstruck (2004) Please Teach Me English (2003) Public Toilet (2002, HK/Korea) Jungle Juice (2002) Volcano High (2001) Zzang (1998)

    Song Yun-ah

Song Yun-ah (b. June 7, 1973) graduated in humanities from Hanyang University and first entered the film industry by winning the Gold Award at the KBS supertalent contest in 1995. Over the next few years she became well-known for her roles in TV dramas such as Tears of the Dragon (1997), Love (1998), Hotelier (2001) and The Present (2002). Although her first few films did not make a significant impression at the box-office, in recent years she has become more active in filmmaking. In late 2002, Song starred in one of the bigger commercial hits of the year, Jail Breakers with actors Sol Kyung-gu and Cha Seung-won. Her energetic role in this comedy was recognized with a Best Supporting Actress award at the 23rd Blue Dragon Awards. Her next project Face was a thriller about a serial killer from debut director Yu Sang-gon, but this proved not to be a commercial or critical success. Meanwhile Song's next project is a melodrama from Chu Chang-min, the director of hit comedy Mapado, that teams her up with actor Sol Kyung-gu.

Complete filmography: Arang (2006) Lost in Love (2006) Face (2004) Jail Breakers (2002) A Masterpiece in My Life (2001) Zzang (1998) 1818 (1997) Links: http://www.songyunah.com

    Cha Seung-won

Cha Seung-won (b. June 7, 1970) received an engineering degree from Mokwon University before embarking on a career as a model in 1988. After finding success in modeling, he was cast in the TV sitcom "New York Story", which would eventually pave the way for his debut in film. Although his debut film Holiday in Seoul (1997) and many of the films to follow did not establish him as a major star, in 2000 he would score a significant hit playing the villain in firefighting film Libera Me. The following summer, the runaway success of Kim Sang-jin's comedy Kick the Moon (over 4.3 million tickets sold) secured his place in the industry as a leading actor with strong star appeal. All of his films since then have been successes at the box-office. In early 2003, Cha took on a slightly more serious role as a corrupt schoolteacher who is transferred to a country school in the film My Teacher, Mr. Kim. The film grossed over 2.4 million admissions and drew Cha additional praise for his acting abilities. His next role then re-united him with director Kim Sang-jin in a successful comedy about a man who buys a dream home, only to discover it is haunted by a young female ghost. In 2005 Cha put aside the comic roles he had become known for and appeared in the grisly period-set thriller Blood Rain. The film's better than expected commercial success confirmed Cha's popularity among Korean audiences. In late 2005 Cha will appear for the first time in a film by reknowned comedy director Jang Jin.

Complete filmography: Over the Border (2006) Murder, Take One (2005) Blood Rain (2005) Ghost House (2004) My Teacher, Mr. Kim (2003) Jail Breakers (2002) Break Out (2002) Kick the Moon (2001) Libera Me (2000) Black Honeymoon (2000) Segimal (1999) Ghost in Love (1999) If the Sun Rises in the West (1998) Holiday in Seoul (1997)

    Park Sang-myun

Park Sang-myun (b. Jan. 27, 1968) first broke into the film industry with minor roles such as "Ashtray" in hit comedy No. 3, but his strong acting talent soon captured the attention of audiences and filmmakers, and he grew into a well-known star. His first major success came in the wresting comedy The Foul King, after which he became a common sight on TV programs and advertisements as well as on film. He also took on a memorable role in Yang Yoon-ho's firefighting drama Libera Me. His part in a hit TV sitcom called Three Friends helped to further spread his popularity. In late 2001, Park scored his biggest hit with the comedy My Wife is a Gangster, which attracted over 5 million viewers across Korea. In it he plays a sensitive husband who doesn't realize that his wife is a gang boss. Hi, Dharma, released a couple months later, also became a runaway hit with audiences for its comic meeting of gangsters and Buddhist monks. The year 2002 was less kind, however, with comedies Steal It If You Can and She Brings Us Danger both bombing at the box-office. Since then Park disappeared almost completely from the film industry, returning only in 2005 with a minor role in She's On Duty.

Complete filmography: She's On Duty (2005) She Brings Us Danger (2002) Steal It If You Can (2002) A Perfect Match (2002, cameo) Hi, Dharma (2001) My Wife is a Gangster (2001) Humanist (2001) Libera Me (2000) Just Do It (2000) The Foul King (2000) Nowhere to Hide (1999) The Opening (1999) Dr. K (1999) Downfallen (1997) No. 3 (1997)

    Lee Eun-ju

Lee Eun-ju (b. Dec. 22, 1980) studied piano for much of her youth, without giving much thought to becoming an actress. After finding work as a model, however, she began to be offered roles in various TV dramas, including Start and KAIST. Her film debut came in 1999, when she played the younger sister in Park Chong-wan's award-winning feature Rainbow Trout. Her first lead role came as the title character in acclaimed director Hong Sang-soo's Virgin Stripped Bare by her Bachelors (2000), where she gave one of the most memorable performances in all of Hong's films. Following this, she teamed with actor Lee Byung-heon (JSA) in the 2001 hit film Bungee Jumping of Their Own, and also scored a hit opposite Cha Tae-hyun in the melodrama Lovers' Concerto. Lee's later career was marked by several turns in films that failed at the box-office, plus a key role in the record-breaking Korean War film Taegukgi. In late 2004 she starred in her last feature, Daniel H. Byun's The Scarlet Letter which screened as the Closing Film at the 2004 Pusan International Film Festival. Tragically, Lee committed suicide on February 22, 2005 after suffering from depression for over a year. The news of her death prompted a massive outpouring of grief from fellow actors and filmmakers. Lee will be remembered for her talent, intelligence and passion that made her stand out among the actresses of her generation. Interview Excerpts: "I'm called a new generation star, but I don't want to be the kind of person who achieves instant fame and then is quickly forgotten. I want to learn step-by-step how to become a good actress, and gradually work my way up. A star achieves brilliance, but is soon forgotten; to become an actress takes more time." [Kino, #60, February 2000]

Complete Filmography: The Scarlet Letter (2004) Au Revoir, UFO (2004) Taegukgi (2004) The Garden of Heaven (2003) Unborn But Forgotten (2002) Lovers Concerto (2002) Bungee Jumping of Their Own (2001) Virgin Stripped Bare by Bachelors (2000) Rainbow Trout (1999)

    Park Joong-hoon

Park Joong-hoon (b. March 22, 1964) studied film at Joongang University and later received an MFA from New York University. He debuted in 1985 in the little-known film Kkambo. Early standouts for Park include the teen hit Mimi and Chul-soo's Adolescent Sketch (1987) and Park Kwang-su's debut film Chilsu and Mansu (1988). Gradually he achieved fame through his work in both critically-acclaimed films such as My Love, My Bride and the smash hit Two Cops. Park has commented that after the success of Two Cops he was pigeonholed into purely comic roles, which he has tried to resist in hopes of remaining a more complete actor. In 1999 he turned in one of his best and most famous performances ever as the lead in Lee Myung-Se's action/art film Nowhere to Hide. He followed these up with the role of a crazed attacker in the horror film Say Yes and as the lead in the melodrama A Masterpiece in My Life -- neither of which performed well commercially. In 2002, following successful screenings of Nowhere to Hide at Sundance, Park took the jump to Hollywood to do a supporting role in Jonathan Demme's The Truth About Charlie, featuring Mark Wahlberg and Thandie Newton. A remake of the old Audrey Hepburn film Charade, the film did poorly at the box-office, but Park received positive encouragement for his acting. After starring in the highly successful period comedy Once Upon a Time in a Battlefield, Park then starred opposite Cha Tae-hyun in the largely ignored comedy Two Guys, from the director of Love Bakery. His subsequent film Heaven's Soldiers saw him play one of Korea's most famous historical figures, Admiral Lee Soon-shin from the 16th century.

Partial filmography: Heaven's Soldiers (2005) Two Guys (2004) Once Upon a Time in Battlefield (2003) The Truth About Charlie (2000, USA) Say Yes (2001) A Masterpiece in My Life (2000) Nowhere to Hide (1999) Hallelujah (1997) Two Cops 2 (1996) How to Top My Wife (1994) Two Cops (1993) My Love, My Bride (1990) Black Republic (1990) The Lovers of Woomook-baemi (1990) Chilsu and Mansu (1988) Mimi and Chul-soo's Adolescent Sketch (1987)

    Ko So-young

Ko So-young (b. October 6, 1972) debuted in the TV drama Love Tomorrow in 1993, and quickly established herself as a representative star of her generation. She made her film debut opposite Jung Woo-sung in The Fox With Nine Tails in 1994, which ranked as the first Korean film ever to use computer-generated images, but which failed to make an impression on audiences or critics. Ko first achieved wide recognition through her role in Beat (again with Jung Woo-sung), a film that caught the imagination of many Korean high school students. Since then she has acted in a series of successful melodramas, portraying a young model in If the Sun Rises in the West, a Cheju Island tour guide in Love Wind, Love Song, and a Korean American adoptee in Love. In 2001 Ko teamed up with actor Lee Sung-jae in A Day, about a married couple who have trouble conceiving a child. Her acting in the film was much praised and that year she won a Best Actress prize from the local Grand Bell awards ceremony. Then, after two years off, Ko returned in 2003 opposite Han Suk-kyu in the spy thriller Double Agent, however the film failed to live up to most viewers' and critics' expectations. At present she is scheduled to appear in two films that will shoot in 2006: horror film APT by director Ahn Byung-ki, and a romantic comedy by debut director Jeon Young-gap.

Complete filmography: APT (2006) Double Agent (2003) A Day (2001) Love (1999) Love Wind, Love Song (1999) If the Sun Rises in the West (1998) Beat (1997) The Fox With Nine Tails (1994)

    Lee Mi-yeon

Lee Mi-yeon (b. September 23, 1971) debuted in 1989 in a production by Cinema Service founder Kang Woo-suk titled Happiness Has Nothing To Do With School Records. Over the course of the 1990s she became quite famous, and after a short pause from filmmaking in 1995 she returned with a vengeance, taking on a role in the cult hit No. 3 and, in the following year, playing a schoolteacher in the second-biggest Korean film of 1998, horror film Whispering Corridors. The year 2001 proved to be a mixed blessing for Lee. The news that her husband, actor Kim Seung-woo, had divorced her ended up as one of the biggest entertainment-related stories of the year. Shortly thereafter, however, she won a Best Actress award from the 2000 Blue Dragon Awards ceremony for her role in the low-profile film Pisces. The award and all the press attention proved to be a boost to her career. In Indian Summer she played a woman accused of killing her husband, and then in November she starred as a Communist sympathizer in the latest feature by veteran director Bae Chang-ho. The following year she starred opposite mega-star Lee Byung-heon in the melodrama Addicted, as a woman who must cope with an unusual situation after her husband's death. After several years away from the screen, Lee returns in 2005 in Kwak Kyung-taek's blockbuster Typhoon, which ranks as the most expensive Korean film in history.

Complete filmography: Typhoon (2005) Addicted (2002) Last Witness (2001) Indian Summer (2001) Pisces (2000) Love Bakery (2000) Harmonium in My Memory (1999) Whispering Corridors (1998) Motel Cactus (1997) No. 3 (1997) Go Alone Like a Rhino's Horn (1995) I Will Survive (1993) Snow Flower (1992) An Afternoon Without Rain (1991) An Autumn Journey (1991) Happiness Has Nothing To Do With School Records (1989)

    Joo Jin-mo

Joo Jin-mo (b. August 11, 1975) began his acting career in TV dramas and some minor roles in film. He was first cast as a lead in Dance Dance (1999), Korea's only dance film, for which he underwent extensive dance training. Although the film itself did not perform well, it leant Joo some publicity before he broke through with the box-office and critical hit Happy End. His role as a spurned lover in this psycho-drama attracted considerable notice in Korea, and the film itself also traveled to Hong Kong. After taking the lead in Kim Ki-duk's mildly experimental Real Fiction (which was shot in 3 1/2 hours without any retakes), Joo took a major role in the much-hyped Musa, set in 14th century China and starring Zhang Ziyi from Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. He also acted in Wanee and Junah, a melodrama about a screenwriter and an animator opposite popular actress Kim Hee-sun. In 2003 he was rumored to take the lead role in an action blockbuster from Sidus Pictures, and also in the latest film by veteran director Park Kwang-su, but both films were then cancelled due to a lack of financing. Joo's return to the screen came in spring 2004, in the comedy Liar based on the play Run For Your Wife by Ray Cooney.

Complete filmography: 200 Pound Beauty (2006) Puzzle (2006) Liar (2004) Wanee and Junah (2001) Musa (2001) Real Fiction (2000) Happy End (1999) Dance Dance (1999) Park vs. Park (1997) Farewell My Darling (1996)

    Kang Su-yeon

From the mid-eighties until the end of the nineties, Kang Su-yeon (b. August 18, 1966) ranked as the best internationally known film star from Korea. After making her debut as a child actor in the 1970s, Kang continued to appear in a variety of low-profile films until her breakthrough with Im Kwon-taek's Surrogate Mother (1986). Her spirited performance in this film led the jury at the 1987 Venice International Film Festival to honor her with a Best Actress award, the first (and only) time a Korean actor had won such an award at one of the "big three" major international festivals. Two years later she would add to her prestige by also winning Best Actress at the Moscow International Film Festival for Im's Buddhist-themed feature Come, Come, Come Upward ("Aje Aje Para Aje"). At the same time, Kang won over younger fans with her appearance in Lee Kyu-hyung's hit film Mimi and Chul-soo's Adolescent Sketch, in which she played opposite Park Joong-hoon. Over the coming years she would appear in a mixture of popular features and works by the leading directors of the so-called Korean New Wave. Her best known films from the 1990s were Jang Sun-woo's acclaimed Road to the Racetrack; box office hit That Woman, That Man by Kim Ui-seok; Lee Myung-se's intense look at adultery Their Last Love Affair (1996); and Im Sang-soo's debut film Girls Night Out (1998). In all, Kang has acted in over 30 films. From 2001-2002, she also starred in an hugely popular 150-episode TV drama on SBS TV called Ladies in the Palace ("Yeo-in Cheon-ha"), which gave her new visibility among mainstream viewers.

Partial filmography: The Circle (2003) Rainbow Trout (1999) Girls' Night Out (1998) Blackjack (1997) Their Last Love Affair (1996) That Woman, That Man (1993) Western Avenue (1993) Blue in You (1991) Road to the Racetrack (1991) Berlin Report (1991) Come, Come, Come Upward (1989) Mimi and Chul-soo's Adolescent Sketch (1987) Potato (1987) Surrogate Mother (1986) Whale Hunting 2 (1985) I Confess (1976) Links: Interview with Kang Su-yeon

    Bae Yong-joon

Bae Yong-joon (b. August 29, 1972) spent the first nine years of his show biz career in TV dramas, gradually building up a tremendous fan base across Asia, and particularly in Japan, that has made him one of Korea's most famous stars. His debut came in the 1994 TV drama Love Greeting, and from 1995 to 2002 he went on to appear in nine more TV dramas. Have We Really Loved? (1999), Hotelier (2001) and especially Winter Sonata (2002) gave him tremendous exposure throughout Asia. In Japan in particular, Winter Sonata enjoyed unprecedented popular success, particularly among middle-aged women. Bae was subsequently dubbed with the honorific nickname "Yonsama", and became the most famous Korean star in Japan. Japanese prime minister Koizumi even joked, perhaps not untruthfully, that Bae's popularity had outstripped his own. Meanwhile his film debut, outside of a brief walk-on in the film Bbilgu in 1995, came after he was already quite famous, in E J-yong's 2003 period drama Untold Scandal. The film, in which he portrayed a womanizing aristocrat quite unlike his popular image from TV dramas, was a hit in Korea and also performed well in Japan. By the time he made his second film April Snow in 2005, his popularity had grown to the extent that an intense media frenzy followed him throughout the shooting schedule. The film, about a man who discovers his wife's infidelity after she falls into a coma, opened weakly in Korea but set a new box office record for a Korean film in Japan. In fall of 2006, Bae is scheduled to return to TV dramas with the lead role in Taewangsasingi, where he plays an emperor from the Goguryeo Dynasty who lived from 375-413.

Complete filmography: April Snow (2005) Untold Scandal (2003) Fansite: http://www.byj.co.kr/

    Kim Suna

Kim Suna (b. October 1, 1975) was born in Daegu and then spent much of her school years in Tokyo. After first appearing in a music video by Kim Hyun-cheol, she started appearing often on TV but did not emerge as a star. She would first become well known as a film actress, debuting in the big-budget box office failure Yesterday but going on to play a lead role as a student teacher in the unexpected hit Wet Dreams. Following this, Kim began to establish a niche for herself in comedies, often appearing as a straight-talking and not particularly demure comic heroine. She appeared in three films in 2003: a memorable cameo appearance in the period comedy Once Upon a Time in a Battlefield, opposite Im Chang-jung in the strong hit The Greatest Expectation, and together with Cha Tae-hyun in the little-watched Happy Naked Christmas. In 2004 she took the lead role in S Diary as a jilted woman who decides to get revenge on her ex-boyfriends. The early part of 2005 saw her star in the action-comedy She's On Duty, but she would follow this up by returning to the realm of TV dramas. It proved to be the best move of her career, as My Lovely Samsoon ended up becoming the most-watched drama of 2005. The forthright, independent personality she displayed in her leading role as a woman who finds unexpected success in life as a baker endeared her to women across Korea, and later Asia, establishing her as an top star. Currently Kim is re-enrolled in college at Ball State University in the US as a piano major, presumably also brushing up on her English skills in order to further her career.

Complete filmography: She's On Duty (2005) S Diary (2004) Happy Naked Christmas (2003) The Greatest Expectation (2003) Once Upon a Time in Battlefield (2003) Wet Dreams (2002) Yesterday (2002)

    Shim Eun-ha

Shim Eun-ha (b. September 23, 1972) debuted in 1994 in the basketball-themed TV drama The Last Match, and quickly became the nation's most popular and talked-about star. After acting in three more television dramas and two lesser-known films (including Born To Kill with Jung Woo-sung), she made a permanent mark in the film industry with her performance in Hur Jin-ho's modern-day classic Christmas in August (1998). Later that year Art Museum by the Zoo, which presented a more down-to-earth side of the actress, saw her win over more critical praise for her acting abilities. Throughout this period, Shim consistently topped magazine polls as the most popular actress in the film industry. In Tell Me Something, her star power combined with Han Seok-kyu to create one of the most highly anticipated works in Korean film history (though most viewers ultimately expressed disappointment at the film's convoluted narrative). The following year she appeared in Korea's first Dogme film Interview, which would end up being her last appearance. In 2002, after rumors surfaced of an engagement which was later called off, Shim decided to give up her entertainment career. In the ensuing years, despite periodic rumors that she would resume her film career, Shim has tried her best to remain out of the public eye, studying in France and taking up painting. However despite (or perhaps because of) her long absence, she remains the undisputedly most popular actress of the last decade. In October 2005 she was married to a professor from Yonsei University, and at the time she re-affirmed that she will not return to acting. Interview excerpts: What kind of film would you most like to make? "Something provocative and urban, with a decadent feel to it. A film featuring great female attraction. Something like Beatrice Dalle in Betty Blue, perhaps. Is there anything that can compare to that film?" [Cine21, #182, Dec 1998]

Complete filmography: Interview (2000) Tell Me Something (1999) The Uprising (1999) Art Museum by the Zoo (1998) Christmas in August (1998) Born to Kill (1996) My Old Sweetheart (1995)

Koreanfilm.org, last updated November 18, 2018.