The year he turned 20, while a student in the theater department at Seoul Institute of the Arts, he made his debut in a bit part in the film The General’s Son. In 1994, he appeared in Hakjeon’s musical Line 1. He is also known, with Sul Kyung-gu, Kim Yoon-seok, Jang Hyun-sung and Cho Seung-woo, as one of the “Hakjeon Eagle Five Brothers.” In 1999, he appeared briefly in the film Shiri.
In 2001, he appeared in Yim Soon-rye’s Waikiki Brothers. In 2002, he won the new actor award at the Blue Dragon Film Awards for Road Movie. In 2004, he married a producer of the same age.
The breakthrough yearThe year he turned 35, he won best actor at the Blue Dragon Film Awards for You Are My Sunshine and became known. That year he also won best actor and best supporting actor together at the Korean Film Awards.
In 2006, his son was born. In 2008, he appeared in A Man Who Was Superman. In 2010, he played Choi Cheol-gi of the Violent Crimes Unit in The Unjust.
In 2012, he appeared in Dancing Queen. In 2013, he played Jeong Cheong, the organization’s number two, in New World, and won the Blue Dragon best actor award again after eight years. In December 2014, Ode to My Father was released. In January 2015, Ode to My Father passed 10 million viewers in 28 days, making him a 10 million actor for the first time, and in August Veteran also passed 10 million.
In 2016, he played the shaman Il-gwang in The Wailing. In 2017, he appeared in The Battleship Island. In 2018, his daughter was born, and he played Black Venus in The Spy Gone North.
In 2020, Deliver Us from Evil was released. In 2022, he played the drug lord Jeon Yo-hwan in Netflix’s Narco-Saints. In 2023, The Point Men and 12.12: The Day were released one after another. 12.12: The Day passed 10 million viewers in 33 days of release, his third 10 million film.
In 2024, he won the Baeksang Arts Awards best actor in film and a third Blue Dragon best actor award for 12.12: The Day, and I, the Executioner (Veteran 2) was also released. In 2026, Hope was released.
Hwang Jung-min (born Sep 1, 1970) debuted in 1990, the year he turned 20, in the film The General’s Son, and became known on Nov 29, 2005, the year he turned 35, when he won best actor at the Blue Dragon Film Awards for You Are My Sunshine. His first 10 million film, Ode to My Father, came in 2015, the year he turned 45.
Ages are by calendar year (the year minus the birth year), birthdays aside.
In 1990, while a student in the theater department at Seoul Institute of the Arts, made his screen debut in a bit part as the manager of the Umigwan theater.
Source 01 · Skydaily (Korean) · Hwang Jung-min, actor of two 10 million films · opens in a new tabSource 02 · Chosun Ilbo (Korean) · Interview with Hwang Jung-min · opens in a new tabAppeared in the production directed by Kim Min-ki. He is also known, with Sul Kyung-gu, Kim Yoon-seok, Jang Hyun-sung and Cho Seung-woo, as one of the “Hakjeon Eagle Five Brothers.”
Source 03 · Korea Economic Daily (Korean) · Kim Min-ki’s Hakjeon and Line 1 · opens in a new tabSource 04 · Etoday (Korean) · The two Hwang Jung-mins · opens in a new tab The premiere was in 1994. The date he started in the production was not confirmed.Appeared briefly in the film directed by Kang Je-gyu, on the introduction of the actor Jang Hyun-sung.
Source 01 · Skydaily (Korean) · Hwang Jung-min, actor of two 10 million films · opens in a new tabPlayed Kang-su, a drummer, in the film directed by Yim Soon-rye. It was his first lead role, and he calls Yim the benefactor who let him begin in film.
Source 05 · Dong-A Ilbo (Korean) · Waikiki in Suanbo · opens in a new tabSource 06 · Edaily (Korean) · Interview on The Point Men · opens in a new tabSource 01 · Skydaily (Korean) · Hwang Jung-min, actor of two 10 million films · opens in a new tabWon the new actor award for the film Road Movie. Newsen reports that he took four prizes for new actor with Waikiki Brothers and Road Movie.
Source 07 · MHN Sports (Korean) · A third Blue Dragon best actor award · opens in a new tabSource 08 · Newsen (Korean) · New World, met again after 8 years · opens in a new tab The date of the ceremony (month and day) was not confirmed.Married a musical actress of the same age whom he had first met in high school. His wife is the head of the performance production company Sam Company.
Source 09 · Newspim (Korean) · Queen of supporting a husband · opens in a new tabSource 10 · Newsen (Korean) · Stars who married their first love · opens in a new tabWon best actor at the 26th Blue Dragon Film Awards for You Are My Sunshine, which drew 3 million viewers. My Daily reports that the same year he stood out as a top star on the screen with A Bittersweet Life and You Are My Sunshine.
Won best actor for You Are My Sunshine and best supporting actor for A Bittersweet Life together.
Source 14 · NoCut News (Korean) · Sweeping the year-end lead acting awards · opens in a new tabHis first child, a son, was born.
Source 29 · Tenasia (Korean) · Appears on Hanging Out · opens in a new tab This article gives 2005 as the year of the marriage, but this page follows the articles that give a September 2004 marriage.Played a man who believes he is Superman. Appeared with Jun Ji-hyun.
Source 15 · OSEN (Korean) · Filmography during the Ode to My Father interview · opens in a new tabSource 16 · Segye Ilbo (Korean) · Casting for A Man Who Was Superman · opens in a new tab The month and day of the release were not confirmed.Played Choi Cheol-gi of the Violent Crimes Unit in the film directed by Ryoo Seung-wan. It drew 2.72 million viewers in total.
Source 17 · Korea Lecturer News (Korean) · Profile of The Unjust · opens in a new tabPlayed a man running for mayor of Seoul. His wife was played by Uhm Jung-hwa. It drew 4.05 million viewers.
Source 18 · Korea Lecturer News (Korean) · Profile of Dancing Queen · opens in a new tabSource 19 · Queen Economy Queen (Korean) · Dancing Queen audience · opens in a new tabIn Park Hoon-jung’s film, played Jeong Cheong, the number two of the criminal organization Goldmoon. It drew 4.68 million viewers.
Source 20 · Topstar News (Korean) · New World audience · opens in a new tab The day of the release was not confirmed in news reports.Won best actor at the 34th Blue Dragon Film Awards for New World, eight years after his first.
Source 08 · Newsen (Korean) · New World, met again after 8 years · opens in a new tabIn Yoon Je-kyoon’s film, played Deok-su, a father who lived for his family from the Korean War to the present day.
Source 21 · Korea Lecturer News (Korean) · Profile of Ode to My Father · opens in a new tabPassed 10 million viewers in 28 days of release, the 11th Korean film to join the 10 million club. It is the first 10 million film in his filmography.
Source 22 · Kukmin Ilbo (Korean) · Ode to My Father passes 10 million · opens in a new tabSource 23 · MBN (Korean) · Hwang Jung-min, first 10 million actor · opens in a new tabThe film, opened Aug. 5, passed 10 million viewers in 25 days. He played the detective Seo Do-cheol, and Readers News reports that by the end of September it was third at the box office in Korean film history.
Source 24 · Readers News (Korean) · Veteran, third at the box office · opens in a new tabSource 25 · Sports Today (Korean) · Veteran, 10 million in 25 days · opens in a new tabIn Na Hong-jin’s film, played Il-gwang, a shaman who comes to the village. It drew 6.88 million viewers.
Source 26 · Korea Lecturer News (Korean) · Profile of The Wailing · opens in a new tabIn a film about forced labor under Japanese rule, played Kang Ok, the leader of the Bando Hotel band in Gyeongseong. It drew 6.59 million viewers.
Source 27 · Korea Lecturer News (Korean) · Profile of The Battleship Island · opens in a new tabSource 28 · Korea Economic TV (Korean) · Casting for The Battleship Island · opens in a new tabA daughter was born as his second child.
Source 29 · Tenasia (Korean) · Appears on Hanging Out · opens in a new tabIn Yoon Jong-bin’s film, played Park Seok-yeong, who infiltrates North Korea’s leadership under the code name Black Venus. It drew 4.97 million viewers.
Source 30 · Korea Lecturer News (Korean) · Profile of The Spy Gone North · opens in a new tabOpened while COVID-19 had shrunk theater attendance and drew 4.35 million viewers.
Source 31 · Joy News 24 (Korean) · Opening of Deliver Us from Evil · opens in a new tabSource 32 · SPOTV News (Korean) · Box office stars of 2020 · opens in a new tabPlayed Jeon Yo-hwan, a drug lord operating in South America. Worked opposite Ha Jung-woo.
Source 33 · News1 (Korean) · Narco-Saints Netflix lineup · opens in a new tabSource 34 · News1 (Korean) · Presence in Narco-Saints · opens in a new tabPlayed Jae-ho, a diplomat who heads to Afghanistan to save Koreans kidnapped by the Taliban, with Hyun Bin. It was the first Korean film shot in Jordan.
Source 35 · The Fact (Korean) · First meeting for The Point Men · opens in a new tabSource 36 · Bizent (Korean) · The Point Men on KBS · opens in a new tabSource 37 · Straight News (Korean) · The Point Men opens · opens in a new tabIn Kim Sung-su’s film, played Chun Doo-gwang, the commander of the Defense Security Command. More than 200,000 viewers saw it on opening day.
Source 38 · Korea Lecturer News (Korean) · Profile of 12.12: The Day · opens in a new tabSource 39 · Korea Lecturer News (Korean) · Opening day of 12.12: The Day · opens in a new tabPassed 10 million viewers in 33 days of release, becoming his third 10 million film after Ode to My Father and Veteran. It is also the 31st 10 million film at the domestic box office.
Source 40 · Herald Business (Korean) · 12.12: The Day passes 10 million · opens in a new tabSource 41 · JoongAng Ilbo (Korean) · Jung Woo-sung is also a 10 million actor · opens in a new tabWon at the 60th Baeksang Arts Awards for 12.12: The Day.
Source 42 · Xportsnews (Korean) · Baeksang Arts Awards best actor · opens in a new tabSource 43 · Maeil Business (Korean) · Baeksang Arts Awards film acting awards · opens in a new tabIn Ryoo Seung-wan’s film, returned as the detective Seo Do-cheol after nine years. It drew 7.52 million viewers.
Source 44 · Korea Lecturer News (Korean) · Profile of Veteran 2 · opens in a new tabSource 45 · Wikipedia (Korean) · Veteran 2 · opens in a new tab The nine years and the world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on May 20 of the same year are from Wikipedia and were not confirmed in news reports.Won his third best actor award at the 45th Blue Dragon Film Awards for 12.12: The Day. The film also won best film.
Source 46 · MHN Sports (Korean) · Four prizes for 12.12: The Day · opens in a new tabSource 07 · MHN Sports (Korean) · A third Blue Dragon best actor award · opens in a new tabNa Hong-jin’s first film in 10 years since The Wailing, invited to the competition at the Cannes Film Festival. More than 330,000 viewers saw it on opening day, the best opening of any Na Hong-jin film.
Source 47 · TV Chosun (Korean) · Opening of Hope · opens in a new tabSource 48 · My Daily (Korean) · Interview with director Na Hong-jin · opens in a new tabEND OF SELECTED RECORDSSelected records, 1990–2026 · not a complete list of work. “Key moment” is an editorial label, not a measure of success.
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Film & TV · South Korea
Sep 1, 1970 —
Ages are counted from the birth year 1970: the year of the event minus 1970, birthdays aside. “Key moment” labels and the connecting story are AgeTrail's editorial reading.
Fact-checked: 2026.09.28 · An independent archive, not affiliated with the person or their agency.