South Korea

Famous South Korean People: South Korean Artists, Scientists, Leaders, Musicians, Politicians and Athletes

South Korea is a melting pot of cultures, ethnicities and religions with outstanding individuals who made a difference with their remarkable achievements.

:: List of Famous People from South Korea ::

Lee Myung-bak
Lee Myung-bak was sworn in as the 17th President of the Republic of Korea on February 25, 2008. Prior to his presidency, he was the CEO of Hyundai and the mayor of Seoul.

Ban Ki-moon
Ban Ki-moon became the eighth Secretary-General of the United Nations after succeeding Kofi Annan in 2007. At the time of his election as Secretary-General, Mr. Ban was the Republic of Korea’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Lee Dong-gun
Lee Dong Gun is a South Korean actor who debuted as a singer in 1998. He released two albums, namely, “Time to Fly” (1998) and “Much More” (2000). Although he was given the much needed attention when he debuted, his popularity as a singer did not make quite a long lasting impression. His acting career began when he guested in the Korean sitcom “Three Friends”. Though his stint here was just short, it shed new lights for his career. His performance in the hit SBS Drama “Lovers in Paris” particularly paved way for his success as an actor.

Choi Min-sik
Choi Min-sik started his career as a theatrical actor before adding film roles, first with parts in Park Jong-won’s films Kuro Arirang and Our Twisted Hero and later in the 1990s by appearing as a police investigator in No. 3 and as a North Korean agent in Korea’s most successful film ever at that point, Shiri. In the 2000s, aided by the success of Shiri, Choi continued to get versatile lead roles first as a gangster in Failan and then as a 19th-century painter in Chihwaseon. In 2003, he took on the role that brought him international attention as revenge-seeking Oh Dae-su in Oldboy.

Jang Dong-gun
Prominent South Korean actor and musician Jang Dong-gun made his debut in the MBC drama Our Heaven. In 2000, he starred in the film Friend, which at the time was the highest grossing Korean film of all time. Jang gained widespread critical acclaim for his portrayal of a troubled high school student who joins the mafia, paving the way for him to star in the 2004 Taegukgi: The Brotherhood of War, about the Korean War, which again shattered box office records. His portrayal of one of two brothers drafted into the war earned him a third Blue dragon award.

Ahn Sung-ki
Ahn Sung-ki is known to the public as the “National Best Actor of Korea”. A Roman Catholic, he was born in Daegu and grew up as a child actor, appearing in director Kim Ki-young’s celebrated film The Housemaid (1960). Starting from the 1980s, he appeared in nearly 100 movies. Due to his ability to speak several foreign languages, Ahn was appointed as UNICEF representative, and his image is often seen in advertisements on planes travelling to Korea.

Yoo Ji-tae
South Korean model, actor and director Yoo Ji-tae became well known nationally early in his career by managing to secure roles in a string of successful films, such as Attack the Gas Station and Ditto. Internationally, he is probably best known for his role as the antagonist in Park Chan-wook’s Oldboy.

Cha Seung Won
Cha Seung Won attracted attention in 2000 for his performance as an arsonist in the 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 box-office successes.

Song Seung-heon
South Korean model and actor Song Seung-heon started his career as a model in 1995 and began acting in sit-coms and TV dramas in 1996. In 1999 he made his film debut in Calla and has since then gathered a prominent fan base throughout Asia. Song is noted for his roles in Korean dramas like Autumn Fairy Tale (2000) and Summer Scent.

Son Ye-jin
Son Ye-jin’s big-screen debut came in Secret Tears (2000). In 2002 she won the 22nd Korean Federation of Film Critics “Best New Actress Award” for her role as Soo-In in Lovers’ Concerto (2002). Her moving acting in the movie The Classic (2003) earned her several other awards as well as international recognition (see Awards). In 2008 she won “Best Leading Actress” for her role in My Wife Got Married at the Blue Dragon Film Awards.

Kang Dong-won
Film and television actor Kang Dong-won began his acting career with two dramas, and then filmed his first movie, Too Beautiful to Lie. However, his first real breakthrough was in Temptation of the Wolves, after which he became one of the top actors in South Korea.

Rain (Jeong Ji-hoon)
Rain is a famous South Korean pop singer, dancer, model, actor, businessman, and designer. His musical career includes seven albums (six Korean, one Japanese), 19 singles and numerous concert tours around the world. His acting career began in 2003, when he won the KBS Best New Actor award for his role in the drama Sang Doo! Let’s Go To School. In 2004, Rain won the KBS Excellence in Acting award for his role in the drama Full House. After starring in A Love To Kill, he acted in his first Korean film, I’m a Cyborg, But That’s OK (2006), which won the Alfred Bauer Prize at the Berlin International Film Festival. Rain has acted in the American films Speed Racer (2008) and Ninja Assassin (2009), the latter of which made him the first Korean to win an MTV award.

Shim Eun-ha
Shim Eun-ha started her acting career in 1993 with the huge hit TV series “The Last Match”, and during her acting career, she became one of the most popular and beloved actress in South Korea.

Han Suk-kyu
After a debut in the 1990 MBC campus drama Our Paradise, South Korean actor Han Suk-kyu rose to stardom as “Hong-shik” in The Moon of Seoul (1994). Before the end of the 20th century, Han headlined films that were critically acclaimed (Green Fish, No. 3) and commercially successful (The Contact, Christmas in August, Shiri — the latter two making particular impact in Japan.)

Park Shin-yang
Park Shin-yang became famous as a cast member in the well-loved Korean television series, Lovers in Paris, joined by Kim Jung Eun and Lee Dong-gun. His film The Big Swindle also became a big hit in Korea.

Kwon Sang-woo
Kwon Sang-woo was made known to Asian countries through his popular movie, My Tutor Friend (2003), and Sad Love Story (2005) but it was his character as Cha Song Joo in Stairway to Heaven alongside Choi Ji Woo that boosted his popularity, especially in Asian countries, as Stairway to Heaven was amongst the most popular Korean dramas in the Asian region. Another popular role was in Once Upon a Time in High School, set in the 1970s, highlighting the authoritarian nature of Korean society at the time.

Won Bin
Won Bin made his big breakthrough in 2000 with drama Kkokji and Autumn Fairy Tale. His role as a rebellious youngest son in Kkokji proved his acting potential and his role in the widely successful drama Autumn Fairy Tale landed him on the A-list for Korean performers. Autumn Fairy Tale gained wide popularity in Asia and he became one of the most popular Korean actors in Korea and Asia as well. In 2002, Won became the first Korean actor to get wide popularity in Japan through the first Japan and Korea joint production drama Friends.

Lee Byung-hun
Lee Byung-hun is most famous for his roles in Park Chan-wook’s Joint Security Area, Kim Ji-woon’s A Bittersweet Life, and Korean TV Series IRIS, All In and Beautiful Days. He made his Hollywood debut in G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra as Storm Shadow.

Jun Ji-hyun
After appearing in a number of TV sitcoms, Jun Ji-hyun’s movie debut came in White Valentine (1999). This was followed by a role in Il Mare (2000), which proved to be a success. An American remake of Il Mare, The Lake House, was released 14 June 2006. However, her biggest breakthrough was in My Sassy Girl (2001), a romantic comedy which bought her international recognition, and won her a Best Actress award at the Daejong Film Festival in 2002. In 2004, she starred in the film Windstruck, a South Korean fantasy-romantic comedy which was directed by Kwak Jae-yong. The film was also another major success and was the 8th-highest grossing Korean film of 2004.