most popular korean actors
10 Most Popular Korean Actors
We all appreciate Koreans for their looks and physical attributes, but their talent should not be overlooked. With the movie industry booming in Korea, we at Buzzle, have compiled a list of 10 famous and handsome Korean actors.
Did You Know?
In South Korea, it is mandatory for all the males between the ages of 18 to 35 to complete military service. The period of service varies according to the military branch: 24 months for Air Force, 21 months for Army, and 23 months for Navy. Actors are no exception, they have to take a break from their acting career and complete their service.1. Kim Soo-hyun
His chocolate boy looks drive girls crazy in South Korea. Born on February 16th, 1988, he is best known for his role in television dramas (soaps) like Dream High, Moon Embracing the Sun, and My Love from the Star. He started his career in the year 2007, by landing a supporting role in the family sitcom Kimchi Cheese Smile. He also studied dance and song at JYP Entertainment to prepare for a role in a drama. In the year 2012, he bagged his first screen role in the movie The Thieves, which is a Korean version of Ocean's Eleven. He was the lead actor of My Love from the Star till early 2014. So far, he has acted in a few yet notable movies like Cherry Blossom, Worst Friends, Secretly Greatly, and the recent Miss Granny. Apart from daily soaps and movies, he has endorsed various products like Samsung Printers, Maserati, Coco Cola, Hyundai, etc. In the year 2010, he bagged the SBS Drama Award, 6th Asia Model Festival Award, and the Best New Actor Award. Recently, he was nominated as one of the top 10 style icons of Korea. He is known to be a humble and enthusiastic actor, no wonder he has so many female fans.2. Yoo Seung-ho
He is the youngest actor in our compiled list, but nevertheless, he is quite talented. He made his entry into the entertainment world by appearing in a commercial for n016 in 1999. He started his acting career in the year 2000 by mostly doing television dramas, which eventually lead to his first screen role in the film The Way Home. This movie won millions of people's hearts, and he was affectionately labeled as "Korea's Younger Brother". Simultaneously, he did many soaps like Magic Warriors Mir & Gaon, and Master of Study. A bit of bad news for his fans is that Yoo has already started his military service and is currently a trainer of new recruits. Apart from movies and dramas, he also appeared in many music videos like Have You Ever Been Lovesick?, I Was Thankful, Believe In Love, Eraser, etc. In 2002, he won the Young Artist Award, MBC Drama Award, and in 2012, he was nominated for the Excellence Award. Well, he has a long way to go, after all, he is barely 21 now.3. Kim Bum
Your heart definitely skips a beat when you see this handsome guy smiling, Kim Bum is quite famous for his role as So Yi-Jung, in Boys Over Flowers. Born in Seoul on July 7, 1989, he is currently studying acting at the Film and Theater Department at Chung-Ang University. He joined the Survival Star Audition, but could not progress further because he was barely 17; however, this audition brought in many opportunities, he received offers to star in many television dramas. In 2008, he won the Netizen Popularity Award at the Korea Drama Awards. He has acted in many films like Hellcats, Deathbell, Flight, and Psychometry. In 2013, he was nominated for an Excellence Award.4. Hyun Bin
He is best known for his leading role in the sitcoms My name is Kim Sam-Soon and the Secret Garden. His acting career began in 2003 with the television series Bodyguard, followed by My Name is Kim Sam-Soon and Kim Sun-ah, for which he won the Top Excellence Award at the MBC Drama Awards. In February 2011, he got a chance to walk the red carpet at the 61st Berlin International Film Festival, where two of his films were screened (Come Rain, Come Shine, and Late Autumn). In Korea, going under the knife is fairly common, especially by celebrities and actors. It is believed, or rather speculated, that Hyun Bin has also gone under the knife to fix his jawline and nose. Nevertheless, he has won many awards, the latest being the Producers Choice Award at the 18th Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival.5. Lee Min-ho
Like other ordinary boys, Lee also dreamed of being a football player, but an injury in fifth-grade dashed all his dreams, so instead, he opted for modeling. He started his modeling and acting career in the 2nd year of high school. With a little bit of practice and auditioning, he landed minor roles in several dramas like Nonstop 5 and Love Hymn. Like all the other famous actors and actresses, Lee Min Ho has become quite famous all over the world, so famous that in 2013, his wax figure was unveiled at Madame Tussauds in Shanghai. His recent projects include a movie Gangnam Blues, he chose this project because he wanted to prove his versatility as an actor by doing a manly and serious role. He has won many awards like the Best New Actor (TV) in 2009, Best Couple Award (2009) with Ku Hye-Sun, Hot Actor award in 2010, and Most Popular Korean TV Artiste award in 2012.6. Kim Hyun-joong
This hottie is a versatile actor, he is an entertainer and leader and main rapper of the Boyband SS501. He is known for his roles in the Korean drama Boys Over Flowers and Playful Kiss for which he received the Seoul International Drama Award. He is a style icon in Korea and has won many Style Icon Awards in 2010, and 2011. His singles include Kiss Kiss/Lucky guy, Heat, Tonight, etc. He has also endorsed many products like Hotsun Chicken, The Face Shop, etc.7. Rain
Jung Ji-Hoon, best known by his stage name Rain, is a singer, actor, producer, and quite a talented dancer, I must say. He was always interest in dance since childhood and decided to pursue his passion, and voila, now he is a famous dancer. In the year, 2006, he was included in the list of "100 Most Influential People Who Shape Our World" by Time magazine. He also made it to the list of "Most Beautiful People In the World" published by People magazine in 2007 . He has acted in many Hollywood movies like Speed Racer and Ninja Assassin. He has released many single albums, and I won't do any justice by just stating only a few of his released albums. He is believed to be the highest paid actor in South Korea.8. Jung Yong-hwa
He began his career in the Korean drama You're Beautiful, followed by a main role in Heartstrings. He is also a lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the rock band CNBLUE. His music videos include Fool and Can't Stop, which were composed and produced by him. In 2009, he won popularity award and in 2014, he has been nominated for the Most Popular Actor (TV).9. Kim Woo-bin
He has wooed many fans with his chocolate-boy looks after he made his debut in the sitcom Vampire Idol. He was always passionate about modeling and still appears at the Seoul Fashion Week. He started taking acting classes and did a few television dramas, now he has signed two films; namely, Criminal Designer and Twenty. In 2013, he won the Popular Foreign Actor Award, and in 2014, he bagged the Asia Star Award, and has recently been nominated for Excellence Award Actor.10. Choi Si-won
Along with being an actor, model, and recording artist, Si-won is a member of the K-pop boy band Super Junior, and a Mandopop boy band Super Junior-M. He started his musical career in 2005 after making his debut in Super Junior. In 2007, he acted in his first Hong Kong film, A Battle of Wits, and after that, he appeared in numerous sitcoms and TV shows. In 2013, their band released their second album Breakdown. His popularity can be gauged by the fact that he is the first Korean actor to have more than 4 million followers on Twitter. In 2010, he won the New Star Award and Best Cover Magazine Award. In 2013, he was nominated for World's Best Artist and World's Best Entertainer Award.