The year he turned 19, he began modeling on the Songzio collection runway. In 2006 he finished his public service duty.
The breakthrough yearThe year he turned 24, he shot a pictorial with Lee Hyo-ri for the March issue of W Korea and became known as “Lee Hyo-ri’s man.” That year he also shot his first commercial, for KTF “SHOW.”
In 2008 “Bae Jung-nam Jeans” passed 10,000 pairs sold about an hour after the pictorial was released. In 2009 he began acting in SBS’s Dream, and in August he appeared on Infinite Challenge for the first time.
The year he turned 29, he appeared in the film Over My Dead Body, and in November he signed an exclusive contract with Barujeong Entertainment. In 2013 the film The Berlin File opened. In 2016 he appeared in the film Master.
The year he turned 34, he appeared on Radio Star, and in May the film The Sheriff in Town opened. That month he also appeared on Infinite Challenge’s Future Entertainment Lab.
The year he turned 35, he appeared in tvN’s Mr. Sunshine and won the Hot Star Award at the year-end SBS Entertainment Awards. In 2019 he began Korean Hostel in Spain on tvN. In 2020 the films Mr. Zoo: The Missing VIP and Okay! Madam opened.
The year he turned 39, he played Jo Do-seon in the film Hero. In 2024 he voiced Sophie in KBS2’s Dog Knows Everything.
The year he turned 42, he appeared in April on the Netflix variety show Try? Choo-ry! and in June walked the Songzio Homme show at Paris Fashion Week. In November it was reported that he would join Okay! Madam 2. In 2026 tvN’s Spring Fever ended, and he went on to KBS2’s Love Is Coming and the film Okay! Madam 2.
Bae Jung-nam (born Mar 19, 1983) debuted as a model at the Songzio collection in 2002, the year he turned 19, and became known in 2007, the year he turned 24, when a W Korea pictorial with Lee Hyo-ri led to him being called “Lee Hyo-ri’s man.” On Aug 1, 2008, the year he turned 25, “Bae Jung-nam Jeans” passed 10,000 pairs sold about an hour after the pictorial was released.
Ages are by calendar year (the year minus the birth year), birthdays aside.
Began modeling after being picked for the Songzio collection runway. Yonhap News Agency reports that he ran a clothing shop in Busan before entering the modeling world.
Source 01 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Interview for The Sheriff in Town · opens in a new tabSource 35 · Insight (Korean) · In his 24th year since debut · opens in a new tab The month and day were not confirmed.Finished his public service duty. Sports Chosun reports that he then signed with Kaismedia and began acting lessons the following February.
Source 39 · Sports Chosun (Korean) · Preparing for acting debut · opens in a new tab The month follows the “last October” in a May 2007 article; the day was not confirmed.The Korea Economic Daily reports that he walked in Seoul Collection from 2002 to 2007. The same article says he began to make a name working as a model for GQ, Esquire, Maxim, Elle Girl and Vogue.
Source 05 · The Korea Economic Daily (Korean) · 10,000 jeans within an hour of the pictorial · opens in a new tab Placed in 2007, the last year of the period.Shot a pictorial with Lee Hyo-ri for the March issue of the fashion magazine W Korea, a special for its second anniversary. Joynews24 writes that this pictorial cemented his position as “Lee Hyo-ri’s man” and that he emerged as a new fashionista.
The commercial, in which he dances as a masked robber, was his first. MyDaily writes that he made his name by appearing in it.
Source 37 · Sports Chosun (Korean) · KTF “SHOW” commercial · opens in a new tabSource 38 · MyDaily (Korean) · KTF “SHOW” commercial cast · opens in a new tab Sports Chosun reported on May 15, 2007 that the commercial was on the air. The first air date was not confirmed.Jeans made with the designer Park Hye-rin and the models Akira and Kang Min-seok passed 10,000 pairs sold about an hour after the pictorial was released. The Korea Economic Daily reported that they passed 50,000 pairs in 25 days from the start of sales.
Source 04 · Segye Ilbo (Korean) · “Bae Jung-nam Jeans” sold out in an hour · opens in a new tabSource 05 · The Korea Economic Daily (Korean) · 10,000 jeans within an hour of the pictorial · opens in a new tabSource 06 · The Korea Economic Daily (Korean) · 50,000 jeans in 25 days · opens in a new tabSource 07 · Joynews24 (Korean) · “Bae Jung-nam Jeans” launch · opens in a new tab The Korea Economic Daily called this the “Bae Jung-nam effect.” Before the launch, Joynews24 wrote that he had emerged as a fashionista through the pictorial with Lee Hyo-ri the year before, so the point he became known was taken to be 2007.After working as a model, he took his first step as an actor in this Monday-Tuesday drama. He appeared as one of a troupe of pretty-boy fighters.
Source 08 · Xports News (Korean) · Exclusive contract · opens in a new tabSource 09 · Star News (Korean) · Exclusive contract · opens in a new tabSource 40 · Newsen (Korean) · Dream, a troupe of pretty-boy fighters · opens in a new tab The first broadcast date follows Newsen’s July 15 report that it was due to air July 27.Appeared in the survival cohabitation special. It was the episode in which he first crossed paths with the program.
Source 41 · Newsen (Korean) · Infinite Challenge, first variety outing · opens in a new tabSource 10 · Newsen (Korean) · Variety show appearances · opens in a new tab Newsen (2017) describes this episode as a summer vacation special.Appeared in the film Over My Dead Body that year.
Source 09 · Star News (Korean) · Exclusive contract · opens in a new tab The opening date was not confirmed.Signed with an agency for actors that includes Jo Jae-yoon and Lee Yeon-kyung.
Source 08 · Xports News (Korean) · Exclusive contract · opens in a new tabSource 09 · Star News (Korean) · Exclusive contract · opens in a new tabAppeared in the film directed by Ryoo Seung-wan. It passed 2 million admissions in five days of release.
Source 14 · OhmyNews (Korean) · The film The Berlin File · opens in a new tabSource 09 · Star News (Korean) · Exclusive contract · opens in a new tabAppeared as a member of the intelligent crimes investigation team.
Source 01 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Interview for The Sheriff in Town · opens in a new tabSource 15 · TenAsia (Korean) · Master VIP screening · opens in a new tab The opening date was not confirmed. An article reports his attendance at the VIP screening on Dec. 19, 2016.Variety show appearances such as Infinite Challenge followed this broadcast.
Source 10 · Newsen (Korean) · Variety show appearances · opens in a new tabSource 01 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Interview for The Sheriff in Town · opens in a new tabPlayed Chun-mo in the film, which is set in Gijang, Busan.
Source 11 · News1 (Korean) · Interview for The Sheriff in Town · opens in a new tabSource 12 · OSEN (Korean) · Director interview for The Sheriff in Town · opens in a new tabSource 01 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Interview for The Sheriff in Town · opens in a new tab The opening date follows News1’s Apr. 30 report that it was due to open May 3. Yonhap News Agency writes that he was having a second heyday around this time.Appeared with Kim Jin-woo of WINNER, Moon Se-yoon, DinDin, Yoo Byung-jae and Crush.
Source 13 · Herald POP (Korean) · Variety show appearance · opens in a new tabSource 10 · Newsen (Korean) · Variety show appearances · opens in a new tabPlayed Chun-sik in the Saturday-Sunday drama written by Kim Eun-sook and directed by Lee Eung-bok.
Source 16 · Sports Chosun (Korean) · Mr. Sunshine first broadcast · opens in a new tabSource 17 · Sports Today (Korean) · Mr. Sunshine cast · opens in a new tabReceived it in the year he gained popularity from appearing in My Little Old Boy.
Source 18 · Donghaeng Media Sidae (Korean) · 2018 SBS Entertainment Awards · opens in a new tabA variety show in which he ran a hostel for travelers on the Camino de Santiago with Cha Seung-won and Yoo Hae-jin.
Source 19 · News1 (Korean) · Korean Hostel in Spain first broadcast · opens in a new tabAppeared with Lee Sung-min, Kim Seo-hyung and Shin Ha-kyun, playing Man-sik, a subordinate of Joo Tae-ju.
Source 20 · Korea Lecturer News (Korean) · Mr. Zoo: The Missing VIP · opens in a new tab The opening date follows Korea Lecturer News.Appeared in the film with Uhm Jung-hwa, Park Sung-woong and Lee Sang-yoon. It passed 1 million admissions in eight days of release.
Source 21 · Newsis (Korean) · Okay! Madam passes 1 million · opens in a new tabPlayed the independence fighter Jo Do-seon. The first-day audience was 105,472.
Source 22 · Seoul Economic Daily (Korean) · Hero on its opening day · opens in a new tabSource 23 · Nocut News (Korean) · Hero opens · opens in a new tabVoiced Sophie, a dog who was formerly a police dog, in the Wednesday-Thursday drama.
Source 42 · Sports Donga (Korean) · Dog Knows Everything, episode 2 · opens in a new tabSource 24 · SPOTV News (Korean) · Joins The Orb of God · opens in a new tabSource 34 · Xports News (Korean) · Dog Knows Everything ends · opens in a new tabAppeared as a guest on the Netflix variety talk show in which Choo Sung-hoon gets to know his guests.
Source 44 · Sports World (Korean) · Netflix Try? Choo-ry! · opens in a new tabWalked as a model in the Songzio Homme 2026 S/S collection show, “POLYPTYCH.” He says it was his first Paris Fashion Week in 23 years as a model. His debut stage in 2002 was also a Songzio collection.
Source 25 · SBS Entertainment News (Korean) · Paris Fashion Week runway · opens in a new tabSource 26 · SBS Entertainment News (Korean) · My Little Old Boy at Paris Fashion Week · opens in a new tabSource 01 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Interview for The Sheriff in Town · opens in a new tab Local time.It was reported that he would join the sequel to the 2020 film Okay! Madam.
Source 27 · MyDaily (Korean) · Joins Okay! Madam 2 · opens in a new tabA drama he appeared in ended in February.
Source 28 · Newsen (Korean) · Spring Fever · opens in a new tab The month follows Newsen’s report of Mar. 11; the broadcast period and role were not confirmed.Played Jo Heung-sik in the weekend drama.
Source 29 · Maeil Business Newspaper (Korean) · Appears in Love Is Coming · opens in a new tabSource 30 · Sports Kyunghyang (Korean) · Love Is Coming, episode 2 · opens in a new tabSource 31 · YTN (Korean) · Love Is Coming · opens in a new tab The first broadcast date follows Maeil Business Newspaper’s June 29 report that it was due to air July 25, while Sports Kyunghyang reports that the 26th was episode 2. YTN reported on Sept. 18 that the drama reached its own highest rating, 17.3% of households nationwide.Appeared as Hyun-min again, as in the first film. It is the sequel to the 2020 film Okay! Madam.
Source 43 · MHN Sports (Korean) · Introducing Okay! Madam 2 · opens in a new tabSource 32 · TV Report (Korean) · Okay! Madam 2 · opens in a new tabSource 33 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Box office · opens in a new tab The opening date follows MHN Sports’ Aug. 29 line “opened on the 12th.” Yonhap News Agency reported on Aug. 10, before the opening, that it ranked third in advance bookings.END OF SELECTED RECORDSSelected records, 2002–2026 · not a complete list of work. “Key moment” is an editorial label, not a measure of success.
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Fashion · South Korea
Mar 19, 1983 —
Ages are counted from the birth year 1983: the year of the event minus 1983, birthdays aside. “Key moment” labels and the connecting story are AgeTrail's editorial reading.
Fact-checked: 2026.10.03 · An independent archive, not affiliated with the person or their agency.