Hwang Jung-min
Hwang Jung-min (황정민) is a South Korean actor. He was born on September 1, 1970 and began his career in musical theatre, making his acting debut in Line 1 in 1995. He then starred in various musicals and plays in Daehangno such as "Jesus Christ Superstar" and "Cats".
Despite a career on stage, Hwang had difficulty transitioning to film. He went through a long struggle for recognition, with people saying he "didn’t have the right face for film." He even considered giving up his dream, but stuck to his conviction about walking the path of acting. Hwang said, "After becoming interested about the stage and how it feels to be that person on stage, I've never thought of anything else. That I never swayed -- that is one thing I can say with confidence." His big break came when he was cast in Waikiki Brothers, a 2001 film that was a sleeper hit in Korea. In his role as a hopeless drummer, Hwang left a strong impression and earned favorable reviews, with director Im Soon-rye calling him "an uncut gemstone."
It was in 2005 that Hwang became a household name, portraying a naive farmer in love with an AIDS-stricken prostitute in the hit melodrama "You Are My Sunshine". Hwang explains that he was "moved by the tale of the genuine love between two people. I agreed with the director's idea of showing it as pure love, like an uncut gem, without sloppily adding to it or embellishing it." When he accepted the best actor award at the Blue Dragon Film Awards for his performance in You Are My Sunshine, many were moved by his now-famous speech: "All I did was add a spoon to a dinner table that had already been prepared by others."
Acting
Movie
The Wailing
as Il-gwang
2016
Movie
A Bittersweet Life
as Mr. Baek
2005
Movie
New World
as Jung Chung
2013
Movie
Kill Boksoon
as Kim Gwang-il / Shinichiro Oda
2023
Movie
The Battleship Island
as Lee Kang-ok
2017
Movie
Veteran
as Seo Do-cheol
2015
Movie
Deliver Us from Evil
as Kim In-nam
2020
Movie
The Spy Gone North
as Heuk Geum-seong / Park Seok-yeong
2018
Movie
Hunt
as Lieutenant Ri
2022
TV
Running Man
2010
Movie
Shiri
as Special Investigation Team
1999
TV
Narco-Saints
as Jeon Yo-hwan
2022
Movie
Mission: Cross
as Kang-mu
2024
Movie
12.12: The Day
as Chun Doo-gwang
2023
Movie
Ode to My Father
as Yoon Deok-soo
2014
Movie
A Violent Prosecutor
as Byun Jae-wook
2016
Movie
Asura: The City of Madness
as Park Seong-bae
2016
Movie
The Unjust
as Choi Cheol-gi
2010
Movie
I, the Executioner
as Seo Do-cheol
2024
Movie
A Good Lawyer's Wife
as Joo Young-jak
2003
TV
Nine Puzzles
as Oh Cheol-jin
2025
Movie
A Man Who Was Superman
as Superman / Lee Hyun-suk
2008
Movie
Black House
as Jun-oh
2007
Movie
The Point Men
as Jung Jae-ho
2023