Kim Soo-hyun is one of the most popular and successful actors in South Korea, who achieved fame through a series of appearances in both films and TV shows. He burst onto the acting scene in 2007 with the family sitcom Kimchi Cheese Smile. He is best known for his roles in the television dramas Dream High (2011), Moon Embracing the Sun (2012), My Love from the Star (2013–2014), The Producers (2015), and It’s Okay to Not Be Okay (2020). Kim has also starred in movies like The Thieves (2012), Secretly, Greatly (2013), and Real (2017). He has been named one of the most influential people in South Korea by Forbes magazine and was included in Forbes’ 30 Under 30 Asia list in 2016. Here’s everything you need to know about South Korean actor Kim Soo-hyun. So, who is Kim Soo-hyun? Here’s everything we know about the actor.
Kim Soo-hyun Biography
Birth Name
Kim Soo-hyun
Nick Name
Kim
Born
February 16, 1988
Age
36 years old
Birth Place
Seoul, South Korea
Birth Sign
Aquarius
Profession
Actor
Nationality
South Korean
Ethnicity
He has Korean ancestry.
Family Details
Kim’s father, Kim Chung-hoon, is a famous singer and was the lead singer of the 80’s band “Seven Dolphins”. There are not much known details about his mother but she encouraged him to take acting classes and later he made a career out of it. He has a half-sister named Kim Ju-na, who is also a singer.
Education
Kim Soo-hyun developed a strong liking for acting when he was a kid, and thanks to his mother who fueled his acting ambitions by enrolling him in acting classes. After graduating from high school, Kim attended Chung-Ang University’s Graduate School of Culture and Arts, where he majored in Film and Theater.
He began acting onstage while in school and his credits include Shakespeare’s comedy A Midsummer Night’s Dream and the musical Grease and the tragedy Hamlet.
Residence
Seoul, South Korea
Height
5 feet 10¾ inches or 180 cm
Body Build
Slim
Hair Color
Black
Eye Color
Dark Brown
Sexuality
Straight
Personal Life
Although Kim is known to be one of the hottest actors in South Korea, he’s still single. He has never dated anyone publicly but he has been linked to many women, particularly his co-stars.
Career Overview and Net Worth
Kim Soo-hyun began his career as a child actor, appearing in the sitcom Kimchi Cheese Smile in 2007. He then went on to star in the television dramas Jungle Fish(2008), Giant (2010), and Dream High (2011). His career really took off with Dream High which put him in the spotlight and made him a household name. He won the Best New Actor award at the 2011 KBS Drama Awards.
Kim’s acting career saw a rise when he starred in the 2012 historical drama Moon Embracing the Sun, playing the role of King Leehwon. The film was a huge success and earned him the Top Excellence Award at the 2012 MBC Drama Awards. He then starred in the romantic comedy series My Love from the Star (2013), which was a massive hit and earned him the Grand Prize at the 2013 SBS Drama Awards.
In 2015, Kim Soo-hyun was cast as Baek Seung-chan in the television series The Producers, which earned him the Top Excellence Award at the 2015 KBS Drama Awards. He then starred in the films Real (2017) and The King (2019). In 2020, Kim Soo-hyun starred in the television series It’s Okay to Not Be Okay, which earned him the Grand Prize at the 2020 SBS Drama Awards. He portrays the role of Baek Hyun-woo: Hae-in’s husband who is the legal director of Queens Group in the 2024 Queen of Tears opposite Kim Ji-won.
As of 2024, Kim Soo-hyun has an estimated net worth of $117 million.
Kim Soo-hyun Facts
In 2009, Kim co-hosted Mnet’s Boys & Girls Music Countdown with KARA’s Han Seung Yeon.
His wax figure was installed in Madame Tussauds, Hong Kong, and Musée Grévin, Seoul in 2015.
In 2017, Korean Movie Critic/Blogger Pierce Conran included Real in his list of top 15 Korean Movies of 2017 for its uniqueness and originality.
He enlisted for his mandatory military service on October 23, 2017, and was discharged from his military service on July 1, 2019.
After a two-year hiatus, he made his comeback with his cameos in the Korean dramas Hotel del Luna and Crash Landing on You.
In 2021, he starred alongside Cha Seung-won in his web series debut One Ordinary Day, which is based on the British television series Criminal Justice.
In September 2021, Kim became the global ambassador for Tommy Hilfiger.
He is one of the most sought-after celebrity endorsers in South Korea.
In August 2023, Kim was appointed the new brand ambassador of fashion brand, Eider.