In 2010, the year he turned 22, he debuted in the nine-member idol group ZE:A (Children of Empire).
The breakthrough yearIn 2012, he played the young Heo Yeom in MBC’s Moon Embracing the Sun, appeared on screen for about 20 seconds and reached the real-time search rankings. That year he also played Jang-il in KBS2’s Man from the Equator.
In 2013, he played Jin-woo in the film The Attorney. In January 2014, The Attorney passed 10 million admissions 33 days after opening, and in October he played Jang Geu-rae in tvN’s Misaeng: Incomplete Life. At the end of the year, he received the Popular Star Award at the Blue Dragon Film Awards.
In 2015, he won best new actor in television at the Baeksang Arts Awards for Misaeng. In 2016, he played Han Sang-ryeol, a South Korean army second lieutenant during the Korean War, in the film A Melody to Remember.
In 2017, he moved from the agency Star Empire to Plum Entertainment. In May, his film The Merciless opened and was invited to the Midnight Screenings section of the Cannes Film Festival, and in July he enlisted on active duty.
In 2019, he finished about 20 months of service and was discharged. In his comeback project, OCN’s Hell Is Other People, he played Yoon Jong-woo, a young man from the provinces. In 2020, he played Ki Seon-gyeom, a national sprint athlete, in JTBC’s Run On. In 2021, Run On finished its eight weeks on air.
In 2022, he played the terrorist Ryu Jin-seok in the film Emergency Declaration, and in October won best supporting actor at the Buil Film Awards.
In February 2023, the Netflix film Unlocked was released, and in September he played Seo Yun-bok, winner of the 1947 Boston Marathon, in the film Road to Boston. In October, he received the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s commendation at the Popular Culture and Arts Awards, and in November he played Jang Byung-tae in Coupang Play’s Boyhood.
In 2024, he won best actor at the Blue Dragon Series Awards for Boyhood. In December, he played Myung-gi, who meets his pregnant ex-girlfriend in the game arena, in Netflix’s Squid Game season 2, and two days after release the show was No. 1 in every country where Netflix is offered. In 2025, he continued as Myung-gi in Squid Game season 3.
In 2026, he was chosen as sole host of the 31st Busan International Film Festival closing ceremony.
Yim Si-wan (born Dec 1, 1988) debuted with ZE:A on Jan 15, 2010, the year he turned 22, and became known in 2012, the year he turned 24, as the young Heo Yeom in MBC’s Moon Embracing the Sun. In 2024, the year he turned 36, he played Myung-gi in Netflix’s Squid Game season 2.
Ages are by calendar year (the year minus the birth year), birthdays aside.
As a member of the nine-member group ZE:A (Children of Empire), he made his network TV debut on KBS2’s Music Bank. The debut song was “Mazeltov,” composed by Han Sang-won.
Source 01 · Sports Chosun (Korean) · ZE:A debut stage · opens in a new tabHe played the young Heo Yeom in MBC’s Moon Embracing the Sun. He appeared on screen for about 20 seconds in the first episode and reached the real-time search rankings.
He played Jang-il, who drives his friend Seon-woo to his death. Nocut News wrote that, unlike Moon Embracing the Sun, where his looks stood out, he drew attention with his acting.
Source 03 · Nocut News (Korean) · Man from the Equator and room to grow · opens in a new tab The date is that of the episode Nocut News covered, the 28th, not the first broadcast.In the film, based on the Burim case, he played Jin-woo, a gukbap restaurant owner’s son whom the lawyer Song Woo-seok (Song Kang-ho) defends.
Source 04 · Money Today (Korean) · The Attorney box office · opens in a new tab The date is the eve-of-release opening day.It passed 10 million admissions 33 days after opening, the ninth Korean film to do so.
Source 05 · News1 (Korean) · The Attorney passes 10 million · opens in a new tabHe played Jang Geu-rae, for whom baduk (go) had been everything until he failed to turn pro and was thrown into a harsh reality.
Source 06 · Segye Ilbo (Korean) · Misaeng premieres · opens in a new tabHe received the Chungjungwon Popular Star Award.
Source 08 · OSEN (Korean) · Blue Dragon Film Awards Popular Star Award · opens in a new tabThe final episode’s rating was 12.5% in the Seoul metropolitan area, more than six times the first episode’s.
Source 07 · Newsen (Korean) · Misaeng year-end roundup · opens in a new tabHe won best new actor in television for Misaeng.
Source 09 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Baeksang Arts Awards best new actor · opens in a new tabHe played Han Sang-ryeol, a South Korean army second lieutenant during the Korean War.
Source 10 · Sports Kyunghyang (Korean) · A Melody to Remember interview · opens in a new tabAfter his contract with ZE:A’s agency Star Empire ended that January, he signed an exclusive contract with Plum Entertainment.
Source 11 · MBN (Korean) · Exclusive contract with Plum Entertainment · opens in a new tab The exact contract date was not confirmed in news reports. The record gives the month only, based on the report of Apr. 12.He played Hyun-su, a rookie who joins a criminal organization. The film was officially invited to the Midnight Screenings section of the Cannes Film Festival, and he went there himself.
Source 12 · Viva100 (Korean) · The Merciless at Cannes · opens in a new tabSource 13 · MyDaily (Korean) · July TV schedule · opens in a new tabHe enlisted on active duty at a recruit training center in Yangju, Gyeonggi Province.
Source 14 · Money Today (Korean) · Enlists on active duty · opens in a new tabHe finished about 20 months of service and was discharged on completing his term.
Source 15 · Newsen (Korean) · Discharge roundup · opens in a new tabIn his comeback project after discharge, he played Yoon Jong-woo, a young man from the provinces who ends up in a boarding house in Seoul.
Source 16 · Asia Economy (Korean) · Hell Is Other People premieres · opens in a new tabHe played Ki Seon-gyeom, a national sprint athlete, opposite Shin Se-kyung.
Source 17 · Sisa Week (Korean) · Run On: Ki Seon-gyeom · opens in a new tabIt ended after eight weeks on air.
Source 18 · Xports News (Korean) · Run On ends · opens in a new tabHe played the terrorist Ryu Jin-seok.
Source 19 · MyDaily (Korean) · Emergency Declaration: Ryu Jin-seok · opens in a new tab The day of the release was not confirmed in news reports.He won best supporting actor for Emergency Declaration.
Source 20 · Busan Ilbo (Korean) · Buil Film Awards best supporting actor · opens in a new tab The date is that on which the award article was filed.He played Jun-yeong, who picks up another person’s phone, installs spyware and uses it to do harm. He said it was released in 190 countries at once.
Source 21 · KBS Entertainment (Korean) · Unlocked · opens in a new tabHe played Seo Yun-bok, the real marathoner who won the 1947 Boston Marathon.
Source 22 · Herald Business (Korean) · Road to Boston · opens in a new tabHe received a commendation from the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
Source 23 · News1 (Korean) · Minister’s commendation at the Popular Culture and Arts Awards · opens in a new tabIn the show, set in South Chungcheong Province in 1989, he played Jang Byung-tae, whose goal was to avoid getting beaten up until he was suddenly taken for the toughest kid in Buyeo.
Source 24 · Newsen (Korean) · Boyhood premieres · opens in a new tabHe won best actor for Boyhood.
Source 25 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Blue Dragon Series Awards best actor · opens in a new tabHe joined the cast as Myung-gi, who meets his pregnant ex-girlfriend Jun-hee in the game arena. Two days after release, the show was No. 1 in every country where Netflix is offered.
Source 26 · MBC Entertainment (Korean) · Squid Game season 2: Myung-gi · opens in a new tabSource 27 · Wikitree (Korean) · Squid Game season 2 hit · opens in a new tabSource 30 · Star News (Korean) · Squid Game 3 interview · opens in a new tabHe played Myung-gi again after season 2.
Source 28 · Geumgang Ilbo (Korean) · Squid Game season 3: Myung-gi and Jun-hee · opens in a new tabSource 30 · Star News (Korean) · Squid Game 3 interview · opens in a new tabHe was chosen to host the Busan International Film Festival closing ceremony.
Source 29 · JTBC (Naver) · Busan International Film Festival closing ceremony host · opens in a new tabEND OF SELECTED RECORDSSelected records, 2010–2026 · 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.
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Film & TV · South Korea
Dec 1, 1988 —
Ages are counted from the birth year 1988: the year of the event minus 1988, birthdays aside. “Key moment” labels and the connecting story are AgeTrail's editorial reading.
Fact-checked: 2026.09.29 · An independent archive, not affiliated with the person or their agency.