Kim Yun-seok

Kim Yoon-seok (; born January 21, 1968) is a South Korean actor, film director and screenwriter. Kim began his career in theater and it subsequently led him to be cast in minor roles in films and television dramas. His breakout role came as the villain in gambling film Tazza: The High Rollers, but it was his performance as an ex-cop turned pimp in surprise hit The Chaser (2008) that brought him wider recognition.

Kim has since become an acclaimed actor in South Korea, with notable performances in films such as Running Turtle (2009), Jeon Woo-chi: The Taoist Wizard (2009), The Yellow Sea (2010), Punch (2011),The Thieves (2012), Hwayi: A Monster Boy (2013), The Classified File (2015), The Priests (2015), 1987: When the Day Comes (2017), Dark Figure of Crime (2018), and Escape from Mogadishu (2021).

In 2019, Kim made his directorial debut with Another Child, a family drama film starring Yum Jung-ah and Kim So-jin.

Early life and education Kim Yoon-seok was born on born January 21, 1968 in Danyang County, North Chungcheong Province, but his family moved to Busan shortly after his birth, where he lived for over 20 years. Influenced by his film-enthusiast parents, he developed a passion for cinema at an early age and spent much of his high school years frequenting movie theaters. He also showed an early talent for drawing.

After failing his 1985 entrance exam for the Department of Theater and Film at Hanyang University, Kim enrolled in the Department of German Language and Literature at Dong-eui University the following year. Due to frequent campus closures and class cancellations caused by the democratization movement, Kim initially considered military enlistment. However, after witnessing the university's theatrical arts club practicing outdoors, he joined the group, known as the Dramatic Arts Research Society, in 1986.

Career

Beginning in theater as university student Concurrently, the university's Dramatic Arts Research Association experienced a split, leading to the creation of the national theater research group "Yeongeuk Ai" (Theater Child). In 1987, after a one-year leave of absence, he served as the president of Yeongeuk Ai and made his directorial debut with Camus's work The Misunderstanding, which deals with existential issues. However, feeling disillusioned by what he perceived as the club's focus on abstract intellect and ideology over genuine engagement with reality, he left the group later that year to join the professional Theater Company Hyeonjang. During his tenure there, Kim studied stage production extensively while taking on various tasks. Kim made his professional acting debut that same year in a production of A Streetcar Named Desire. This achievement marked Dong-eui University's first time advancing past the regional preliminaries. The win earned Kim a spot on a month-long educational tour of European cities, including Moscow, Warsaw, Berlin, and Paris. His exposure to international youth theater during this trip significantly boosted his confidence to pursue acting professionally.

1995–1999: Returning to Busan Skeptical of the career instability in Seoul, Kim returned to his hometown of Busan in March 1995. While there, he worked as a freelancer, assisting with stage decoration and event planning at a live jazz cafe run by an acquaintance. His major productions during this period included the Budu Theater Company's stagings of Waiting for Godot, The Birthday Party, Lolita, and The Odd Couple.

When CEO Lee Seong-gyu of Budu Theater Company became the president of the Busan Theater Association in 1998, Kim served as the organization's secretary-general. However, about six months into the role, Kim grew anxious after watching his close friend, Song Kang-ho, rise to prominence in Seoul. With President Lee's permission, Kim left his position. In 1999, following an encouraging phone call from Song, Kim officially returned to Seoul to resume his career. Although Kim made his film debut in 1994, he spent a decade appearing primarily in minor roles. In 2004, he appeared in supporting roles in dramas such as Resurrection and Sisily 2km. That same year, He began gaining wider public recognition in 2004 when he was cast as a detective in Choi Dong-hoon's heist film The Big Swindle.

Critical acclaim A leading role followed in 2008 with The Chaser, directed by Na Hong-jin. The thriller was a critical and commercial hit, which surpassed 5 million viewers. This role led to critical acclaim and earned him Best Supporting Actor at the Grand Bell Awards and the Busan Film Critics Awards. With total 8 awards, it made him a major player in the Korean film industry.

In the same year, he won the Excellence Award at the MBC Drama Awards for his role in Love Me When You Can. He transitioned from character actors in the industry into a popular leading actor: Kim played a middle-aged man following his lifelong dream to play in a rock band in The Happy Life, a rural detective trying to capture a legendary prison breaker in Running Turtle, and a rival Taoist wizard in Jeon Woo-chi.

In 2010, Kim reunited with The Chaser costar Ha Jung-woo in Na's sophomore film The Yellow Sea. Kim then costarred with Yoo Ah-in in coming-of-age film Punch, a critically and commercial hit.

Subsequently, he solidified his position as a major box office draw with hits including The Yellow Sea (2010), Punch (2011). Kim once again triumphed in 2012, as his heist movie The Thieves became the second best-selling Korean film of all time. He recorded a total of 34 million admissions over a five-year period, a unique record in Korean cinema at the time.

In 2013, he continued working with one of Korea's leading directors, in Yim Soon-rye's family drama film South Bound. He then starred in Hwayi: A Monster Boy, an action thriller directed by Jang Joon-hwan. In 2014, Kim starred in the critically acclaimed arthouse film Sea Fog directed by Shim Sung-bo.

In 2015, Kim collaborated with director Kwak Kyung-taek in The Classified File., playing a detective cooperating with a shaman to find out and save a kidnapped girl. Kim then reunited with Kang Dong-won in The Priests, a supernatural mystery thriller by director Jang Jae-hyun. The Priests was a box office hit, attracting 5.44 million admissions to cinema. Kim then made a brief appearance in retro film C'est Si Bon by Kim Hyun-seok, playing a middle-aged man retrospecting his youth in 1980s. In 2016, Kim starred in romance film Will You Be There?, directed by Hong Ji-young, based on the novel of the same name of Guillaume Musso. Kim portrayed a middle-aged pediatric whose last wish before death was to see his first love once again.

In 2017, Kim starred in director Hwang Dong-hyuk's historical film The Fortress. He also reunited with director Jang Joon-hwan in 1987: When the Day Comes, another historical political film about pro-democratic movement in South Korea in 1987.

Filmmaking debut and other roles In 2018, Kim starred in murder mystery film Dark Figure of Crime. He reportedly worked on the script alongside director Kwak Kyung-taek. In 2019, Kim made his directorial debut with Another Child, a family drama film.

In 2021, Kim co-starred in Ryoo Seung-wan's action drama film Escape from Mogadishu, portraying the South Korean ambassador in a story based on real events during the Somali Civil War.

Kim signed with new agency Hodu&U Entertainment in October 2022. In 2023, he appeared in Noryang: Deadly Sea, the final installment of Kim Han-min's Yi Sun-sin trilogy, portraying the admiral in the film's depiction of the Battle of Noryang.

Filmography Film + Year Title Role Note(s) 1994 A Little Lover Student at karaoke Bit part 2001 Kiss Me Much Bailiff 1 Bit part 2002 Oollala Sisters Sachae Quik Bit part 2004 The Big Swindle Detective Lee 2007 The Happy Life Seong-wook 2008 The Chaser Eom Joong-ho 2009 Running Turtle Jo Pil-seong Jeon Woo-chi: The Taoist Wizard Hwadam 2010 The Yellow Sea Myun Jung-hak 2011 Punch Lee Dong-ju 2012 The Thieves Macao Park 2013 South Bound Choi Hae-gab Hwayi: A Monster Boy Seok-tae 2014 Sea Fog Captain Cheol-joo Tazza: The Hidden Card Agwi 2015 C'est Si Bon Oh Geun-tae (40s) The Classified File Gong Gil-yong The Priests Father Kim Bum-shin 2016 Will You Be There? Han Soo-hyun (present day) 2017 The Fortress Kim Sang-heon 1987: When the Day Comes Park Cheo-won 2018 Dark Figure of Crime Hyung-min 2019 Another Child Dae-won Directional debut 2021 Escape from Mogadishu Han Sin-seong 2023 Noryang: Deadly Sea Yi Sun-sin 2024About Family Ham Mu-ok 2025 Virus Lee Gyun

Television series

+ Year Title Role Note(s) 2004 Drama City "Anagram" Detective one act-drama Drama City "Blue Skies in Jeju Island" Kyung-soo 2005 Drama City "Home Improvement Activity Log" Kim Jin-kyu Loveholic Prosecution investigator Resurrection Cheon Gong-myung 2006 Thank You, My Life Kang Yoon-ho Love Me When You Can Han Dong-gyu 2024 The Frog Jeon Young-ha Netflix original series Gu Young-jin

Theater Plays +Play performances of KimYearTitleRoleTheaterDateEnglishKorean 1988 A Streetcar Named Desire 욕망이라는 이름의 전차 Stanley Kowalski Busan Women's Rebellion Prime Minister, Mayor Small Theater Sanwoolim 1994 Giselle Hilarion Batanggol Art Museum Diary of a Fat Sofa 살찐 소파에 대한 일기 Bidulgi Hall of the Dong-A Cultural Center Bicycle 자전거 1995 Waiting for Godot 고도를 기다리며 Didi Yeondang Small Theater The Birthday Party 생일파티 Budu Theater 1997 Lolita 로리타 Budu Theater 1997 Moskito 모스키토 Hakjeon Green Theater 1998 Equus 에쿠우스 Alan 2000 Assanace 아싸나체 Kuzma Plehanov Small Theater All and Nucleus Blood Brothers 의형제 Troublemaker, Old Man, Police Officer, Inspector, Servant Hakjeon Blue Theater 2001 The Name of Oedipus — Song of the Forbidden Flesh 오이디푸스의 이름 - 금지된 육체의 노래 Oedipus Seoul Arts Center Free Theater Subway Line 1Cheolsoo, passerby, evangelist Hakjeon Green Theater LG Art Center 2002 Long Day's Journey into Night 밤으로의 긴 여로 Edmund Dongsung Art Center 2006 Dream of Autumn 가을날의 꿈 Man Arunguji Small Theater

Accolades