Best Korean Male Actors

10 Best Korean Male Actors | Most Handsome Korean Movie Stars

The rising popularity of Korean dramas and films have given a rise to a new breed of celebrities – the best korean male actors and actresses!

Korean actors and pop stars have been taking the centre stage for quite some time now. 

They are known for their good looks and excellent acting and performing skills which have won them a huge fan following around the world.

Korean actors have been a major part of these television series and films and the audience have loved them and accepted them for the versatile roles they play. 

Let us look at some of the most popular actors that have been creating waves in the industry.

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Top Korean Male Actors 2021

Lee Joon Gi

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Lee Joon Gi is one of the most handsome actors in the south korean Industry. 

He is also a talented actor who has launched his music, dancing and modelling career. 

His debut film “The king and The Clown” won him accolades for his fine performance. 

He played the role of a homosexual clown which was widely accepted by the  audience.

He then went on to do “My Girl” and historical dramas such as “Sageuk” that lead to his rise in fame.  

Joon Gi is also recognised as one of the country’s top action stars because of his proficiency in Taekwondo. He rarely uses a stunt double in action scenes.

He has won numerous awards for his exceptional performances in both films and television series.

These include the Outstanding Korean Drama Actor award for the second time at the Seoul International Drama Awards.

Kim Soo Hyun

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Kim Soo Hyun shot to fame after acting in a number of Korean Dramas. 

He is also internationally known to have a huge fanbase, thanks to his Netflix Dramas that have gained huge popularity. 

Soo Hyun initially started taking acting classes because his mom forced him to take them up to change his introverted nature.

At the age of 19, he debuted in a TV series in 2007 and played a supporting role in the show “Kimchi Cheese Smile”. 

He has also appeared as a host in the food-based variety show ”Delicious Quiz”. However, it was the 2011 teen drama “Dream High” that turned him into a household name.

He set a record by endorsing up to seventeen products at the time, thanks to his huge popularity. 

His role in “My Love from the stars” has been widely accepted by the audience and contributed to his rising popularity.

Related: List Of Korean Drama Of Kim Soo Hyun

Seo In Guk

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Seo In Guk came from relatively humble beginnings. His mother was a recyclables collector and his father was a welder and he has a younger sister. 

As a kid, he was trained in wrestling, boxing and mixed martial arts. 

He got inspired by Korean Rock musician Kim Jung-min and decided to become a singer at the age of ten. 

Seo In Guk won the first edition of the tv show “Superstar K” and made his acting debut with Jellyfish entertainment. He became a household name with the television series Reply 1997.

Seo In Guk  was diagnosed with Osteochondritis after which he was exempt from the military service that he was supposed to do. 

He was also a part of the Forbes Korea Power Celebrity list in 2013.

His famous works include Television series like  Dream High (2011), Moon Embracing The Sun (2012), My Love from the Stars(2013), The Producers (2015), Its Ok to not be Okay (2020) and films like The Thieves (2012), Secretly, Greatly (2013) and Real (2017).

Nam Joo Hyuk

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Nam Joo Hyuk started his career as a model and he walked the runway for the SONGZIO homme Spring Summer collection 2014. 

He started appearing in Music Videos like “200%” and “Give Love”after that with “Akdong Musician” a YG Entertainment artist.

His stint with movies started with the television drama “Surplus Princess”. He has been signed under the actor’s agency “Managing SOOP”. 

Joo Hyuk played basketball for three years in school because he had decided to become a professional basketball player.

In November 2017, he became a model for Pennshoppe and signed up as a brand ambassador. Some of his noted work includes – “Who are you: School 2015 (2015)”, Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo (2016), a historical film “The Great Battle” which was his big-screen debut. 

He received accolades for the role and even won an award for the “Best new actor” at the Prestige Blue Dragon awards.

So Ji Sub

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So Ji Sub was born in Yongsan District, Seoul and raised in Incheon. He was trained to become a swimmer for eleven years and won the Bronze medal at Korean National Games. 

Ji Sub describes himself as introverted and insecure during his childhood and teenage years.

He signed as an actor under 51K Entertainment and debuted as a jeans model. 

Some of his most popular works include television series like What Happened in Bali, I Love You, Cain and Abel, Phantom, Master’s Sun, Oh My Venus, Terius behind Me and films like Rough cut.

He is also the owner of the Apgujeong-dong branch of CJ Foodville’s A Twosome Place. 

He is an investor in arthouse films including the US-British-French co-production Philomena (2014) the Chinese film Coming Home (2014), the Japanese crime thriller The World of Kanako (2014) and the American Horror film A Girl Walks Alone at Night (2015).

Park Bo Gum

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The multifaceted Park Bo Gum is an actor, model and singer. He rose to fame after his performance in his versatile roles in television dramas.

Some of these include the psychopathic lawyer in ‘Hello Monster’, a genius Go player in ‘Reply 1988’ a Joseon crown prince in ‘Love in the Moonlight’, and a tourist who falls for an older woman in ‘Encounter’. 

He is the youngest artist to be named Actor of the Year by Gallup Korea in 2016. Bo Gum became the first Actor to top the Forbes Korea Power Celebrity list in 2017. 

Gum has also won numerous awards for his excellent performances such as the 30th KBS Drama Awards and the Acting Award, 16th Korea Assembly Grand Award.

He started his obligatory military service on August 31, 2020 and got enlisted into the Navy as a cultural promotions specialist that allows him to play in the military band.

Lee Min Ho

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Lee Min Ho shot to fame with his role as Gu Jun Pyo in Boys Over Flowers (2009). He won the best new actor award at the 45th Baeksang Arts awards for that role. 

Min Ho is known as a top Hallyu Star after his excellent performances in TV series.

He has some of the highest numbers of followers on social media. Under the under the recommendation of his agency, he was earlier known under his stage name Lee Min . 

He has signed up for the Apple TV+ drama “Pachinko”.

Min Ho is one of the few Korean Celebrities to have a wax figure made at the prestigious Madame Tussauds.

 It was unveiled in Shanghai in 2013 and Hong Kong in 2014. He started his mandatory military service on May 12, 2017. 

Ji Chang Wook

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He is an actor and singer born in the Gyeonggi province in South Korea. Ji Chang Wook’s career began in musical theatre. 

However, he became a household name after playing the lead role in the drama series Smile Again (2010- 2011). 

His onscreen debut happened with the film “Days…” in 2006.He did a voiceover for the character “Tachibata Taki” for the Korean version of the popular Japanese Animation film “Your Name (2016)”. 

Some of his most popular performances include television series such as Warrior Baek Dong-soo, Empress Ki (2013-2014), Healer (2014-2015), The K2 (2015), Suspicious Partner (2017), Melting Me Softly (2019), Backstreet Rookie (2020) and LoveStruck in the city (2020).

After his mandatory military service in 2013, he was awarded a prize for high performance. 

He was later appointed in the Army’s 5th Artillery brigade at Cheorwon, Gangwon for the remaining military service.

Song Joong Ki

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Song Joon Ki is known for his diverse roles within television series like The Innocent Man, Descendants of the sun, Arthdal Chronicles, Vincenzo etc. 

He also became Gallop Koreas Actor of the year in 2012 and 2017.

In 2013, he became a part of the Forbes Korea Power Celebrity list. He grew up in the rural outskirts of Daejeon. 

Joong Ki represented his home city at the national level for speed skating until an injury forced him to give up the sport. 

He later enrolled at Sungkyunkwan University and graduated with a degree in Business Administration. 

Song Joong Ki has also established himself as a top Hallyu start with his excellent performance in film and television.

Lee Jong Suk

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Lee Jong Suk started his modelling career in 2005 as a runway model and his film career with the short film Sympathy in 2005. 

Funnily enough, he also tried his stint as a rapper for about three months for an idol group called “Real” but later went on to quit. Jong Suk has also confessed to suffering from scopophobia.

He also attended Konkuk University and majored in Professional Motion Pictures in 2016. 

Unfortunately, Jong Suk met with a car accident when he was sixteen because of which he was deemed unfit for military service.

His notable works include Secret Garden and High Kick Season 3.

Lee Jung-jae

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The name Lee Jung-jae has for sure been a frequently heard name world-wide after he gained global attention for his phenomenal acting in the 2021 Korean survival drama ‘Squid Game’.

Lee Jung-jae is a South Korean actor and former model who began his career in 1993 and made his debut in the series ‘feelings’ in 1994.

He has, thereafter, acted in many films and series which include ‘Sandglass’, ‘An Affair’, ‘Last Present’, ‘The Last Witness’ and many more.

Jung-ae has been nominated for and has won over 40 awards in the course of his acting career.

Hyun Bin

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Hyun Bin now has fans all around the world after he gained popularity in 2020, after playing the lead role in the romantic drama ‘Crash Landing on You’.

Hyun Bin has been in the acting Industry since 2003 and his noteworthy films and series include ‘Secret Garden’, ‘The Swindlers’, ‘The Negotiation’ and many more.

He has been nominated for and has won over 15 awards in the course of his acting career including the Grand Prize (Daesang) for TV at the 47th Baeksang Arts Awards.

Hyun Bin has even been awarded the state honour of ‘Presidential Commendation’ in 2020.

Wi Ha-jun

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A familiar face on Netflix of late, Wi Ha-jun is now a world-famous superstar after he played the role of the undercover cop in the recently trending Netflix series ‘Squid Game’.

Wi ha-jun began his acting career in 2012 after his debut in the short film ‘Peace in Them’ and has been active ever since then acting in many films and series like ‘Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum’, ‘Midnight’, ‘Something in the Rain’ ‘Romance is a Bonus Book’ and many more.

He has also been nominated for several awards in the years 2018 and 2019.

And those were the most popular stars of Korean cinema! There are several rising actors whose work has been phenomenal too.

These new generation of Korean male actors enjoy popularity in not just South Korea, but all over the world!

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