In 2014, he had a bit part in the film Scarlet Innocence and co-produced and starred in the play Sarangi Bultanda with Choi Hee-seo.
In 2016, the year he turned 33, he debuted in the film Black Stone. The Kyunghyang Shinmun says he debuted late, after turning 30. In 2017, he appeared in Netflix’s Sense8 season 2. He says it came around the time he was about to quit after failing auditions again and again.
The breakthrough yearThe year he turned 35, he played an abusive villain in tvN’s Mother. News1 describes it as the work that first caught viewers’ eyes, and Sports Kyunghyang says his recognition began to grow after it. That October he took his first TV lead in KBS2’s Matrimonial Chaos.
In 2019, he appeared in the film Hit-and-Run Squad and tvN’s Designated Survivor: 60 Days, and in September he made a special appearance in JTBC’s Be Melodramatic. In 2020, he was confirmed for Netflix’s D.P. In 2021, D.P. was released and he starred in the film Nothing Serious.
In 2022, he appeared in quick succession as Mr. Gu in JTBC’s My Liberation Notes and as Kang Hae-sang in the film The Roundup. The Roundup passed 10 million admissions 25 days after opening, and in November he won best new actor at the Korean Film Critics Association Awards. In 2023, he returned to the stage after nine years in Army on the Tree, and D.P. season 2 was released.
In 2024, A Killer Paradox and Troll Factory came out, and Night Fishing, the first work of the production company he founded, opened in theaters. In 2025, he starred in JTBC’s Heavenly Ever After and Disney+’s Nine Puzzles, and Night Fishing won the Grand Prix at Cannes Lions. In 2026, the Korean-American film Bedford Park and Netflix’s The Blue Road are due.
Son Suk-ku (born Feb 7, 1983) debuted in 2016, the year he turned 33, in the film Black Stone, and became known on Jan 24, 2018, the year he turned 35, as the villain in tvN’s Mother. In 2022, the year he turned 39, My Liberation Notes and The Roundup came out in quick succession.
Ages are by calendar year (the year minus the birth year), birthdays aside.
He played a burly man at a gambling den. Some articles give this as his debut.
Source 04 · The Fact (Korean) · Son Suk-ku’s filmography · opens in a new tabSource 31 · Wikipedia (Korean) · Son Suk-ku · opens in a new tab The Fact gives Scarlet Innocence in 2014 as his debut. The role name and release year are from Wikipedia.He produced it with Choi Hee-seo and played the lead. After this stage run he did not appear in theater for nine years.
Source 12 · Nocut News (Korean) · Army on the Tree opens in June · opens in a new tabThe Kyunghyang Shinmun introduced it as an independent film, and Sports Kyunghyang as a Korean-French co-production. The Kyunghyang Shinmun says he debuted late, after turning 30.
Source 01 · The Kyunghyang Shinmun (Korean) · The Roundup interview · opens in a new tabSource 02 · News1 (Korean) · My Liberation Notes and The Roundup · opens in a new tabSource 03 · Sports Kyunghyang (Korean) · A few faces of Son Suk-ku · opens in a new tabSource 31 · Wikipedia (Korean) · Son Suk-ku · opens in a new tab Articles differ on his debut. One gives Scarlet Innocence in 2014 as his debut (The Fact), and another gives Sense8 season 2 in 2017 (Mydaily). The month and day of release were not confirmed.He says it came around the time he was about to quit after failing auditions again and again. Sports Kyunghyang describes it as his formal debut.
Source 03 · Sports Kyunghyang (Korean) · A few faces of Son Suk-ku · opens in a new tabSource 05 · Mydaily (Korean) · Nothing Serious interview · opens in a new tabSource 07 · Star Today (Korean) · You Quiz on the Block · opens in a new tabSource 31 · Wikipedia (Korean) · Son Suk-ku · opens in a new tab The release date was not confirmed. The role name, Detective Moon, is from Wikipedia.He played an abusive villain. News1 describes it as the work that first caught viewers’ eyes, and Sports Kyunghyang says his recognition began to grow after it.
It was his first lead in a Monday-Tuesday drama. That year he also played the lawyer David Kim in KBS2’s Suits.
Source 09 · Xports News (Korean) · First lead in Matrimonial Chaos · opens in a new tabSource 04 · The Fact (Korean) · Son Suk-ku’s filmography · opens in a new tabFor this film he was nominated for best new actor in film at the 55th Baeksang Arts Awards.
Source 04 · The Fact (Korean) · Son Suk-ku’s filmography · opens in a new tabSource 31 · Wikipedia (Korean) · Son Suk-ku · opens in a new tab His appearance and the best new actor nomination are confirmed in articles. The release date was not confirmed, and the role name Ki Tae-ho is from Wikipedia.He played a senior administrative officer in the Blue House chief of staff’s office.
Source 04 · The Fact (Korean) · Son Suk-ku’s filmography · opens in a new tabFrom this episode he appeared as the commercial director Sang-su. Sports Kyunghyang says that although it was a special appearance, his scenes were widely talked about and his screen time grew sharply.
Source 27 · Star News (Korean) · Special appearance in Be Melodramatic · opens in a new tabSource 03 · Sports Kyunghyang (Korean) · A few faces of Son Suk-ku · opens in a new tabHis appearance was confirmed along with Jung Hae-in, Koo Kyo-hwan and Kim Sung-kyun.
Source 24 · Mydaily (Korean) · D.P. cast confirmed · opens in a new tabIn the series about a team that arrests military deserters, he played an officer. Han Jun-hee directed.
Source 23 · Newsen (Korean) · D.P. release confirmed · opens in a new tabSource 31 · Wikipedia (Korean) · Son Suk-ku · opens in a new tab The release date and director are confirmed in articles. The role name Im Ji-seop is from Wikipedia.He starred opposite Jeon Jong-seo. In an interview before the release he said acting suited his nature.
Source 05 · Mydaily (Korean) · Nothing Serious interview · opens in a new tabIt aired from this day, and the word “chuang,” roughly meaning to adore or worship, spread widely from the drama. News1 says the series opened the peak of his career.
Source 02 · News1 (Korean) · My Liberation Notes and The Roundup · opens in a new tabIt passed 10 million admissions on June 11, 25 days after opening. It was his first action film.
Source 15 · Xports News (Korean) · The Roundup passes 10 million · opens in a new tabSource 02 · News1 (Korean) · My Liberation Notes and The Roundup · opens in a new tabSource 10 · News1 (Korean) · KBS2 Entertainment Weekly Live · opens in a new tabHe won it for The Roundup, a new-actor prize six years after his debut.
Source 14 · Mydaily (Korean) · 42nd Korean Film Critics Association Awards · opens in a new tabSource 01 · The Kyunghyang Shinmun (Korean) · The Roundup interview · opens in a new tabHe said he studied in the U.S. as a middle-school student and majored in documentary at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, then returned to Korea during his studies to enlist and spent six months deployed to the Zaytun Division in Erbil, Iraq. He also said that after his discharge he went to Canada when he was 26, hoping to become a basketball player, and did door-to-door sales for a company his family had run since his grandfather’s time without selling a single unit.
Source 06 · News1 (Korean) · You Quiz on the Block · opens in a new tabSource 07 · Star Today (Korean) · You Quiz on the Block · opens in a new tabSource 10 · News1 (Korean) · KBS2 Entertainment Weekly Live · opens in a new tab The years of his study abroad, deployment and move to Canada appear neither in his remarks nor in the articles, so they were not confirmed.He appeared with Choi Min-sik and Lee Dong-hwi in the series set in the Philippines.
Source 26 · Star Today (Korean) · Big Bet release confirmed · opens in a new tabIt ran at LG Arts Center Seoul through Aug. 5. It came nine years after Sarangi Bultanda in 2014.
Source 12 · Nocut News (Korean) · Army on the Tree opens in June · opens in a new tabSource 11 · Star News (Korean) · Army on the Tree press conference · opens in a new tabIn an interview with JTBC Newsroom, he said it was a misunderstanding caused by immature language and that he reflected fully.
Source 13 · JTBC Newsroom (Korean) · Explanation of remarks about stage acting · opens in a new tabHe returned as Im Ji-seop. He says his screen time seems longer because his character changed so much.
Source 25 · Xports News (Korean) · D.P. season 2 release confirmed · opens in a new tabSource 29 · News1 (Korean) · D.P. season 2 interview · opens in a new tabHe played a detective in the series based on a webtoon by Kkomabi.
Source 18 · TenAsia (Korean) · A Killer Paradox release confirmed · opens in a new tabSource 31 · Wikipedia (Korean) · Son Suk-ku · opens in a new tab The release date and the detective role are confirmed in articles. The role name Jang Nan-gam is from Wikipedia.He played a reporter suspended after exposing a conglomerate’s abuses.
Source 19 · OSEN (Korean) · Troll Factory release confirmed · opens in a new tabMade by Stanum and Hyundai Motor, the 12-minute-59-second short had tickets priced at 1,000 won. It is the first work of Stanum, the production company he founded.
Source 17 · Sports Kyunghyang (Korean) · Night Fishing opens at CGV · opens in a new tabSource 16 · Mydaily (Korean) · Stanum and Night Fishing at Cannes Lions · opens in a new tabHe appeared as the husband of Kim Hye-ja’s character.
Source 20 · Star Today (Korean) · Heavenly Ever After press conference · opens in a new tabHe played a detective investigating serial murders alongside Kim Da-mi. Yoon Jong-bin directed.
Source 21 · JTBC (Korean) · Nine Puzzles released · opens in a new tabSource 30 · Sports Hankook (Korean) · Nine Puzzles finale interview · opens in a new tabA year after Stanum was founded, its first work won the Grand Prix and a Silver.
Source 16 · Mydaily (Korean) · Stanum and Night Fishing at Cannes Lions · opens in a new tabHe plays a former wrestler, and Stanum took part in the production. Shooting finished in New Jersey in May 2025, and a 2026 release is planned.
Source 16 · Mydaily (Korean) · Stanum and Night Fishing at Cannes Lions · opens in a new tabIn the series, which follows serial murders that cross national borders, Son plays the Korean detective and Eita Nagayama the Japanese detective. It will be shown first in the On Screen section of the 31st Busan International Film Festival.
Source 22 · TenAsia (Korean) · Netflix submission to the Busan International Film Festival · opens in a new tabEND OF SELECTED RECORDSSelected records, 2014–2026 · not a complete list of work. “Key moment” is an editorial label, not a measure of success.
What did they do, and at what age?
AgeTrail lines up the key moments of a life by age.
Debut and breakthrough are marked separately, and every record has a source.
Film & TV · South Korea
Feb 7, 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: 2026.09.21 · An independent archive, not affiliated with the person or their agency.