Shin Ha-kyun

(2003), and Welcome to Dongmakgol (2005). Shin has also been active in television, earning praise for his roles in Brain (2011), Less Than Evil (2018–2019), and Beyond Evil (2021), the latter of which earned him the Baeksang Arts Award for Best Actor. His more recent works include the box-office hit Extreme Job (2019), the heartwarming drama Inseparable Bros (2019), and the legal drama The Auditors (2024).

• Name — Shin Ha-kyun • Born — 30 May 1974 • Birthplace — Jungnang-gu, Seoul, South Korea • Occupation — Actor • Education — Seoul Institute of the Arts • Years Active — 1998–present • Agent — Hodoo Shin Ha-kyun (born May 30, 1974) is a South Korean actor. He first gained recognition for his role in Joint Security Area (2000), followed by notable performances in Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2002), Save the Green Planet! (2003), and Welcome to Dongmakgol (2005). Shin has also been active in television, earning praise for his roles in Brain (2011), Less Than Evil (2018–2019), and Beyond Evil (2021), the latter of which earned him the Baeksang Arts Award for Best Actor. His more recent works include the box-office hit Extreme Job (2019), the heartwarming drama Inseparable Bros (2019), and the legal drama The Auditors (2024).

Shin Ha-kyun first trained as a stage actor at the Seoul Institute of the Arts before acting in a large number of plays by Jang Jin. Shin was cast in Jang's first movie, The Happenings, and he has since appeared in almost all of Jang's feature films. Impressed by his acting abilities, director Kim Jee-woon cast him in minor roles in The Foul King and his 30-minute internet film Coming Out. Shin first became a superstar with his role as a young North Korea soldier in Park Chan-wook's smash hit Joint Security Area in late 2000. He developed a large fan following which, together with that of co-star Won Bin, helped make his next film Guns & Talks a huge commercial hit. In Park Chan-wook's acclaimed 2002 film, Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, Shin played a deaf man with bright green dyed hair who is driven by desperation to kidnap a young girl. In Jang Joon-hwan's Save the Green Planet! (2003), Shin played a mentally unbalanced man who believes that aliens are plotting to invade the earth. Also noteworthy are Shin's performances in two films set during the Korean War: Welcome to Dongmakgol, a dramedy that takes place in a small mountainous village, and The Front Line, a harrowing tale of soldiers fighting over a small, heavily-contested hill which frequently changes hands. His other film roles include: a developmentally disabled man in My Brother, a rural postman in A Letter From Mars, a suspect under interrogation in Murder, Take One, an eccentric hitman in No Mercy for the Rude, a struggling artist who makes an unwise bet in The Devil's Game, a sickly cuckolded husband in Thirst, a macho cop in Foxy Festival, and a music teacher involved in an affair in Cafe Noir. Primarily a film actor, Shin's first TV series was 2003's Good Person on MBC. In 2010 he returned to television in Golden House. His portrayal of a cold, ambitious neurosurgeon in the 2011 medical drama Brain, brought him new levels of popularity. For his performance in Brain, he won the Grand Prize ("Daesang") at the KBS Drama Awards. In 2013, Shin headlined the romantic comedy series All About My Romance about two legislators from rival political parties who fall in love, followed by the high-profile action film Running Man about an ordinary man forced to become a fugitive after he gets framed for murder. He then played a septuagenarian whose body magically reverts to his thirties in the 2014 romantic comedy series Mr. Back. Shin’s next turn was as a villainous mastermind game planner in the action-thriller Big Match. In 2015, he headlined his first period film with Empire of Lust, playing a distinguished admiral of the recently established Joseon empire. In 2016, Shin starred in the police procedural crime drama Piped Piper (2016), playing a negotiator. He then starred in the comedy film Detour, followed with comedy thriller Room No.7. He also played a supporting role in the action film The Villainess co-starring Kim Ok-vin. In 2018, Shin starred in the romantic comedy What a Man Wants. The same year, he was cast in the comedy film Inseparable Bros. He returned to the small screen in the Korean remake of the British crime drama Luther. In 2020, Shin starred in the medical drama Soul Mechanic. In 2021, Shin starred in the psychological thriller drama Beyond Evil, directed by Shim Na-yeon, as an impulsive and eccentric police officer. His performance earned him the award for Best Actor - Television at 57th Baeksang Arts Awards. In 2022, he appeared in the mystery-thriller film Anchor and in the Coupang Play sitcom Unicorn.

His niece, Park Eun-young, is a former member of the Korean idol group Brave Girls. Shin and Kim Go-eun were in a relationship from 2016 to 2017.

• Year — Title — Role — Ref. Reference(s) • English — Korean • 2003 — Good Person — 좋은 사람 — Park Joon-pil • 2010 — Golden House — 위기일발 풍년빌라 — Oh Bok-kyu • 2011–2012 — Brain — 브레인 — Lee Kang-hoon • 2013 — All About My Romance — 내 연애의 모든 것 — Kim Soo-young • 2014 — Mr. Back — 미스터 백 — Choi Go-bong / Choi Shin-hyung • 2016 — Pied Piper — 피리부는 사나이 — Joo Sung-chan • 2018–2019 — Less Than Evil — 나쁜 형사 — Woo Tae-seok • 2020 — Soul Mechanic — 영혼수선공 — Lee Shi-joon • 2021 — Beyond Evil — 괴물 — Lee Dong-sik • 2022 — Unicorn — 유니콘 — CEO Steve • Yonder — 욘더 — Jae-hyun • 2023 — Evilive — 악인전기 — Han Dong-soo • 2024 — The Auditors — 감사합니다 — Shin Cha-il • 2026 — Fifties Professionals — 오십프로 — Jeong Heo-myung

• Year — Title — Artist • English — Korean • 2000 — "I Love You" with Cha Seung-won — Position (포지션) • 2004 — "Hwi-li-li" — 휠릴리 — Lee Soo-young • "Andante" — 안단테 • 2010 — "Just Laugh" — 웃음만 — Zia

List of Theater Play(s) • Year — Title — Role — Theater — Date — Ref. Reference(s) • English — Korean • 1993 — Dropping a bomb — 폭탄 투하 중 • 1997 — Taxi Driver - Where are you going? — 택시 드리벌 - 당신은 어디까지 가십니까? — Passenger one (어깨1), drunk passenger (취객), Protest student (시위학생) — Arts and Culture Center Small Theater — February 27 – March 18 • 1997 — (21st) Seoul Theater Festival: Taxi Driver - Where are you going? — (제21회) 서울연극제: 택시 드리벌 - 당신은 어디까지 가십니까? — October 10–15 • 1998 — Magic Time — 매직타임 — Ha-kyun (하균) • 1999 — Heotang — 허탕 — Yoo Dal-soo (유달수) — Academic Green Small Theater — August 7 to October 31 • 2000 — Leave When They're Applauding — 박수칠 때 떠나라 — The bellboy (벨보이) — LG Arts Center — June 16–30 • 2002 — Welcome to Dongmakgol — 웰컴 투 동막골 — Pyo Hyun-chul (표현철) — LG Arts Center — December 14–29

• Year — Award — Category — Nominated work — Result • 2000 — 3rd Director's Cut Awards — Best New Actor — Joint Security Area • 8th Chunsa Film Art Awards — Best Supporting Actor • 21st Blue Dragon Film Awards — Best Supporting Actor • 2001 — 38th Grand Bell Awards — Best Supporting Actor • 22nd Blue Dragon Film Awards — Best Supporting Actor — Guns & Talks • 16th Golden Disk Awards — Popular Music Video Award — Position – I Love You • 2003 — 4th Busan Film Critics Awards — Best Actor — Save the Green Planet! • 2nd Korean Film Awards • 2009 — 30th Blue Dragon Film Awards — Best Supporting Actor — Thirst • 2011 — KBS Drama Awards — Grand Prize (Daesang) — Brain • Top Excellence Award, Actor • Excellence Award, Actor in a Miniseries • Netizen Award, Actor • Best Couple Award with Choi Jung-won • 2012 — 48th Baeksang Arts Awards — Best Actor (TV) • 7th Seoul International Drama Awards — Best Actor • 24th Korean PD Awards • 1st K-Drama Star Awards — Top Excellence Award, Actor • 2013 — SBS Drama Awards — Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Miniseries — All About My Romance • 2014 — MBC Drama Awards — Mr. Back • Popularity Award, Actor • 2018 — MBC Drama Awards — Grand Prize (Daesang) — Less Than Evil • Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Monday-Tuesday Drama • In Awe Award • 2019 — 39th Korean Association of Film Critics Awards — Best Actor — Inseparable Bros • 2020 — 34th KBS Drama Awards — Top Excellence Award, Actor — Soul Mechanic • Excellence Award, Actor in a Miniseries • 2021 — 57th Baeksang Arts Awards — Best Actor (TV) — Beyond Evil

Name of country, year given, and name of honor • Country Or Organization — Year — Honor Or Award — Ref. Reference(s) • National Tax Service — 2007 — 41st Taxpayer's Day — Exemplary Taxpayer Commendation