Korean netizens on an online community forum selected which Korean actors are the best. Want to know who they chose? Then keep on reading!
6. Cho Jin Woong
Cho Jin Woong first debuted as an actor in the drama "Once Upon a Time in High School" with a minor role as a gang member. He achieved breakthrough success in 2011 as he played the role of Sejeong the Great's loyal bodyguard in "Deep Rooted Tree", as well as for his role as a mobster in "Nameless Gangster: Rules of the Rule" in 2012. He also starred in the film as the villain in "A Hard Day" in 2014. For dramas, he earned massive praise for his role in "Signal" (2016).
5. Cha Tae Hyun
Cha Tae Hyun kickstarted his career as a silver medalist in the 1996 KBS Talent Contest. Following that, he participated in numerous TV dramas, variety shows, and commercials. He was also active as a radio DJ. He achieved mainstream success with the box-office hit comedy "My Sassy Girl" in 2001. Other dramas he is known for is "Scandal Makers" (2008), "Hello Ghost" (2010", "Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds" (2017) "Jeon Woo-chi" (2012), and "The Producers" (2015). He made his directorial debut with the drama "Hit the Top".
Additionally, he is the founder of entertainment agency Blossom Entertainment.
4. Cho Seung Woo
Cho Seung Woo came from a musical family and dreamed of becoming a musical actor. He debuted as an actor in 2000 with the film "Chunhyang". Though the film debuted as the first Korean film in competition at Cannes, it was a flop in South Korea. He went on to pursue a career in musical theatre.
In 2003, he achieved breakthrough success with the film "The Classic" (2003). Other films he is known for include "Tazza: The High Rollers" (2006), and "Inside Men" (2015). He also acted in the dramas "The King's Doctor" (2012), "Stranger" (2017), and "Life" (2018). Additionally, he is known for acting in the musicals "Jekyll & Hyde", "Hedwig and the Angry Inch", and "Man of La Mancha".
3. Jo Jung Suk
Jo Jung Suk debuted as a musical theatre actor with a role in "The Nutcracker" in 2004. In terms of musical theatre, he is known for acting in "Spring Awakening", "Hedwig and the Angry Inch", and "The Harmonium in My Memory".
In 2012, he made his film debut in the box office hit "Architecture 101", earning him domestic recognition. He is known for his roles in dramas "The King 2 Hearts" (2012), "You're the Best, Lee Soon Shin" (2013), "Oh My Ghost" (2015), "Don't Dare to Dream" (2016), and "Hospital Playlist" (2020).
For films, he is known for his roles in "The Face Reader" (2013), "My Love, My Bride" (2014), "My Annoying Brother" (2016), and "Exit" (2019).
2. Ha Jung Woo
Ha Jung Woo is one of the biggest and highest-grossing actors in South Korea, with the films he's starred in accumulating more than 100 million tickets. He first debuted as an actor in the 2002 SBS sitcom "Honest Living". He achieved breakthrough success in 2008 with the film "The Chaser", which raked in over 5 million in ticket sales and earned high praise from critics.
He is known for his roles in films "My Dear Enemy" (2008), "Take Off" (2009), "The Yellow Sea" (2010", "Nameless Gangster: Rules of the Time" (2012), "Love Fiction" (2012), "The Berlin Fire" (2013), "The Terror Live" (2013), "Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds" (2017), "Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days" (2018).
He debuted as a director with the film "Fasten Your Seatbelt" (2013).
1. Gang Dong Won
Gang Dong Won started his career as a model, appearing on catwalks in Paris for brands such as DKNY, Gucci, and Hugo Boss. He first started acting for Jo Sung Mo's music video for "I Swear". After falling in love with acting, he quit modeling and debuted as an actor in 2003 with the drama "Country Princess" and "Something About 1%". He debuted as an actor in 2004 with the rom-com "Too Beautiful to Lie".
He achieved breakthrough success in 2004 with the film "Temptation of Wolves", which caused his popularity to skyrocket across Asia, especially in Japan. He is known for his role in films "Maundy Thursday" (2006), "Duelist" (2006), "Jeong Woo-chi: The Taoist Wizard" (2009), "Secret Reunion" (2010), "Haunters" (2010), "Kundo: Age of Rampant" (2014) "The Priests" (2015), "A Violent Prosecutor" (2016), and "Illang: The Wolf Brigade" (2018).
In terms of dramas, he gained fame for his roles in "Maundy Thursday" (2006) and "M" (2007).
