Shin Ha-kyun

Shin Ha-kyun (; born May 30, 1974) is a South Korean actor. He first gained recognition for his role in Joint Security Area, 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).

Career 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 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. 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.

Personal life 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.

Filmography

Film

Television series Year Title Role English Korean 2003 Good Person Park Joon-pil 2010 Golden House Oh Bok-kyu 2011–2012 Brain Lee Kang-hoon 2013 All About My Romance Kim Soo-young 2014 Mr. Back Choi Go-bong / Choi Shin-hyung 2016 Pied Piper Joo Sung-chan 2018–2019 Less Than Evil Woo Tae-seok 2020 Soul Mechanic Lee Shi-joon 2021 Beyond Evil Lee Dong-sik 2022 Unicorn 유니콘 CEO Steve Yonder Jae-hyun 2023 Evilive Han Dong-soo 2024 The Auditors Shin Cha-il 2026 Fifties Professionals Jeong Heo-myung

Music videos Year Title Artist English Korean 2000 "I Love You" Position 2004 "Hwi-li-li" Lee Soo-young "Andante" 2010 "Just Laugh" Zia

Stage Theater +List of Theater Play(s) Year Title Role Theater Date English Korean 1993 Dropping a bomb 폭탄 투하 중 1997Taxi Driver - Where are you going?택시 드리벌 - 당신은 어디까지 가십니까?Passenger one (어깨1), drunk passenger (취객), Protest student (시위학생)Arts and Culture Center Small TheaterFebruary 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 CenterJune 16–30 2002 Welcome to Dongmakgol 웰컴 투 동막골 Pyo Hyun-chul (표현철)LG Arts CenterDecember 14–29

Discography + OST performances Year Title Artist Music Album English Korean 2004 "Brother's Letter" 형의 편지 Don Spike My Brother OST 2005 "Interogation" 심문(審問) Han Jae-kwon Murder, Take One OST 2019"Happy" Inseparable Bros OST 2020 "Sigh" 휴(休) Soul Mechanic OST

Awards and nominations

State honors + Name of country, year given, and name of honor Country Or Organization Year Honor Or Award National Tax Service 2007 41st Taxpayer's Day — Exemplary Taxpayer Commendation