Park Hee-soon

Biography:

Park was born on February 13, 1970, and graduated with a degree in Theater from the Seoul Institute of the Arts. His acting career began in 1990 when he joined the Mokwha Repertory Company. After spending 12 years with the troupe, he informed Oh Tae-seok, the director of Mokwha, that he wanted to explore opportunities beyond the company.

Although he appeared in minor film roles as early as 1994, it was only from 2001 that he actively pursued a career in film. Initially, establishing himself in Chungmuro, the hub of the South Korean film industry, proved to be a challenge. However, he gradually gained recognition by taking on small roles in films like Three, Box X Files, and So Cute.

His breakthrough came in 2004 when he played a gang leader in A Family, earning praise for his portrayal of the villain. His performance led to a nomination for Best New Actor at the 3rd Korean Film Awards. In early 2005, he returned to the theater stage, starring as Dan in the Korean adaptation of Closer, performed at The Seoul Art Center’s Towol Theater.

That same year, he appeared in Antarctic Journal, delivering a compelling performance as a squad leader. He then secured his first leading role in the romantic comedy Love Talk. His reputation as a versatile actor grew in 2007 with his role in Seven Days, where he played a tough detective. His performance won him several Best Supporting Actor awards, including the Blue Dragon Film Award and the Korea Film Award. He also made his television debut in Drama City: Reservoir on KBS2, followed by his first miniseries, Evasive Inquiry Agency.

In 2009, he portrayed Hwang Jong-gu, a former gangster turned financier, in The Scam, a commercially successful film that also earned him critical acclaim. His performance won him the Best Supporting Actor award at the 17th Chunsa Film Art Awards. The following year, he played Kim Won-kang, a former footballer who moves to East Timor, in A Barefoot Dream, a film based on the true story of Kim Shin-hwan. The project was a collaboration between South Korea and Japan, directed by Kim Tae-kyun.

In 2011, he starred in The Showdown, set in the 11th year of Gwanghaegun’s reign during the Manchu invasion of Joseon. He portrayed Heon-myung, a military commander forced to engage in a brutal battle against Manchu forces in Manchuria. After a six-year hiatus from television, he returned in 2013 with the SBS miniseries All About My Romance. That same year, he appeared in the action-spy thriller The Suspect, playing a South Korean NIS operative who is demoted following a failed mission.

In 2014, he returned to the stage after nine years to participate in the 20th-anniversary performance of Mokhwa, starring in Baekma River in the Moonlight, which was staged at the Seoul Namsan Arts Drama Center. Known for his dedication to his craft, he has emphasized the importance of sincerity in acting, believing that authenticity comes from the effort put into preparing for a role.

In 2017, he appeared in the political thriller 1987: When the Day Comes, portraying Lieutenant Jo Han-kyung. His performance earned him the Best Supporting Actor award at the 54th Baeksang Arts Awards. That year, he also reunited with director Park Hoon-jung for the crime-action film V.I.P., in which he played Ri Dae-bum, a North Korean officer who secretly crosses the border to track down a criminal.

In 2018, he played Mr. Choi in the sci-fi action horror film The Witch: Part 1. The Subversion, directed by Park Hoon-jung. In 2021, he joined the Netflix series My Name, playing Choi Mu-jin, the leader of a powerful organization. He also starred alongside Lee Sun-kyun in Dr. Brain, Apple TV+’s first Korean-language series, where he played private investigator Kangmu Lee. The show was based on a webtoon by Hongjacga and marked the drama debut of director Kim Jee-woon.

In 2022, he appeared in the Netflix series A Model Family, directed by Kim Jin-woo. His personal life became public in 2011 when it was revealed that he was in a relationship with actress Park Ye-jin, whom he met two years earlier as they worked under the same agency. They registered their marriage in 2015 and had a small celebration with family and friends the following year.

In 2010, he participated in a charity project in Chad to honor his late friend Park Yong-ha. As part of the initiative, a school named after Park Yong-ha was established on September 18 to help provide education to children in Chad. The project was documented and aired on Hope TV on October 22.