Kim Jung-hyun is a South Korean actor who was born on April 5, 1990. He is best known for his roles as the lead in the television series School 2017 (2017), Welcome to Waikiki (2018), and Time After Time (2018). He rose to international prominence after appearing in the dramas Crash Landing on You (2019-20) and Mr. Queen (2020-21), which are among the highest-rated Korean dramas in cable television history.
Kim was born in the South Korean city of Busan. At the Korea National University of Arts, he majored in acting.
Beginnings in Your Career in 2015
Kim made his silver screen debut in the film Overman, which premiered at the 2015 Busan International Film Festival after appearing in several musical theatre plays. This earned him nominations for Best New Actor at the 25th Buil Film Awards and the 22nd Chunsa Film Art Awards.
Rising popularity from 2016 to 2018.
Kim made his small-screen debut in 2016, playing Gong Hyo-younger jin's brother in the romance comedy Don't Dare to Dream.
He later appeared in the historical drama The Rebel. Kim won the Best New Actor award at the 2017 MBC Drama Awards after the series was a critical and commercial success.
The same year, he co-starred in MBC's two-episode series Binggoo with Han Sun-hwa.
He also co-starred with Gugudan's Kim Se-jeong in KBS2's teen drama School 2017. His popularity grew as a result of the series' popularity among young people. Critics and audiences praised Kim's portrayal of a troubled and rebellious student. He received Best New Actor nominations for the series at the 54th Baeksang Arts Awards, the 2017 KBS Drama Awards, and the 1st The Seoul Awards.
Kim then appeared in the music video Break Up In The Morning by 4Men.
Later that year, Kim was cast as the lead in the KBS2 drama special Buzzcut Love.
Kim appeared as a cynical but kind-hearted movie director in JTBC's youth series Welcome to Waikiki in 2018. The series was well-received throughout Asia, cementing Kim's reputation as a versatile actor.
He then co-starred in the 4DX VR film Stay With Me with Seo Yea-ji, portraying an aspiring musician with stage fright. Kim contributed vocals to the Moonlight soundtrack.
Later, he co-starred with Girls' Generation's Seohyun in the MBC melodrama Time, playing a chaebol whose time is running out due to his failing health. Kim received critical acclaim for her portrayal of the drama's main character, a terminal patient with only a few months to live. He left the series halfway through due to a "eating disorder and sleep disorder."
2019–present: Return to international prominence
Kim returned to television in December 2019 with Hyun Bin, Son Ye-jin, and Seo Ji-hye in the tvN romance drama Crash Landing on You. It went on to become the most-watched tvN drama and the third-most-watched Korean drama in cable television history. Audiences praised Kim's portrayal of Goo Seung-joon, the former fiancé of Yoon Se-ri (Son Ye-jin) and eventual love interest of Seo Dan (Seo Ji-hye). His character's name, "Goo Seung-joon," went on to top Korea's real-time search rankings, which he later described as "extremely rewarding" in an interview.
Kim made a cameo appearance as her long-term boyfriend in his Crash Landing on You co-star Seo Ji-drama hye's Dinner Mate in May 2020.
On June 5, 2020, it was announced that Kim would star in tvN's fusion sageuk drama, Mr. Queen, alongside Shin Hye-sun as King Cheoljong. From December 2020 to February 2021, the drama aired. Mr. Queen became the seventh-highest-rated Korean drama in cable television history and the fifth-highest-rated tvN drama on record on February 15, 2021. According to the Korea Times, Kim's complex portrayal of the two-faced King "left a deep impression on viewers with a heavy presence that took the center of the play." Kim provided vocals for the soundtrack's song Like the First Snow, for which he also wrote the lyrics.
Kim signed with Story J Company in September 2021, followed by movie and drama casting news in 2022. His agency confirmed in January 2022 that he will play a Detective in the indie film Se2cret.
Kim returned to television in 2023 with MBC's Kokdu: Season of Deity, playing a Grim reaper and a doctor alongside actress Im Soo-hyang. Kim was praised for 'perfectly portraying two opposing characters' with a variety of charms. He also contributed vocals to the drama's opening theme song, "I am."
Private life
Enlistment in the military
Kim finished his mandatory military service as an assistant in Kangwon-3rd do's division at the age of 21.
Controversy
During the press conference for his drama The Time in July 2018, he was chastised for "answering questions unenthusiastically" and refusing to join arms with his co-star Seohyun. He explained that he was attempting to stay in character from the drama. He officially withdrew from the series halfway through its run, citing health reasons.
In April 2021, the South Korean local tabloid Dispatch revealed alleged text messages between Kim Jung-hyun and actress Seo Yea-ji and blamed Kim's behavior at the press conference on Seo's requests.
" In response, Gold Medalist, Seo's agency, denied that she was the reason for Kim's behavior and abrupt exit from the series.
On April 14, he posted a personal handwritten apology to the director, screenwriter, fellow actors, and staff, which read:... I brought deep disappointment and pain upon the director, screenwriter, fellow actors, and staff. I sincerely apologize...
Kim's representative issued a statement on May 12 to announce the termination of his contract with O& Entertainment and to address the actor's health issues while filming The Time in 2018. Kim claimed that his agency had failed to perform their duties and that he would sue them for defamation and spreading false information. The following day, YTN revealed that they had obtained Kim's hospital records, which revealed that he had anxiety disorder, panic disorder, sleep disorder, and depressive episodes. After the handwritten apology, he met with Jang Jun-ho, the director of The Time, who expressed his willingness to work with him again.
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | I'll Be with You | Jin-woo | Short Film |
| 2014 | The Beginning Of Murder | Do-hyun | |
| 2016 | Going My Home | Lee Shi-joon | |
| Overman | Choi Do-hyun | Independent film | |
| 2017 | One Day | Assistant manager Cha | |
| 2018 | Stay With Me | Woo-jin | 4DX VR film |
| 2019 | Rosebud | Woo-seong | |
| 2021 | Black out : Mafia game | Short Film | |
| TBA | Se²cret | Detective Lee Dong-geun | Independent Film |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Don't Dare to Dream | Pyo Chi-yeol | |
| 2017 | The Rebel | Mo Ri | |
| Frozen Love | Go Man-soo | Miniseries | |
| School 2017 | Hyun Tae-woon | ||
| Drama Special – The Love of a Buzz Cut | Bae Chi-hwan | one act-drama | |
| 2018 | Welcome to Waikiki | Kang Dong-gu | |
| Time | Cheon Soo-ho | ||
| 2019–2020 | Crash Landing on You | Gu Seung-jun / Alberto Gu | |
| 2020 | Dinner Mate | Lee Young-dong | Cameo (Eps. 1–2) |
| 2020–2021 | Mr. Queen | Lee Won-beom / King Cheoljong | |
| 2023 | Kokdu: Season of Deity | Kokdu / Do Jin-woo / Oh Hyun |
| Year | Song Title | Artist |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | "Break Up In The Morning" | 4Men |
| Title | Year | Album |
|---|---|---|
| "Moonlight" | 2018 | Stay with me OST |
| "Like the First Snow" | 2021 | Mr. Queen OST |
| "I Am" | 2023 | Kokdu: Season of Deity OST |
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 경성아리랑 26년 MusicalArirang | |
| Therese Raquin | Laurent LeClaire | |
| 2015 | 조그만 입술 | |
| 가야십이지곡 Gayashib i Jigok Musical |
| Award ceremony | Year | Category | Nominee / Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| APAN Star Awards | 2021 | Best Supporting Actor | Crash Landing on You | Nominated |
| Asia Artist Awards | 2020 | Popularity Award (Actor) | Kim Jung-hyun | Nominated |
| Baeksang Arts Awards | 2018 | Best New Actor – Television | School 2017 | Nominated |
| Buil Film Awards | 2016 | Best New Actor | Overman | Nominated |
| Chunsa Film Art Awards | 2017 | Nominated | ||
| KBS Drama Awards | 2017 | Best New Actor | School 2017 | Nominated |
| Netizen Award, Male | Nominated | |||
| Best Couple Award | Kim Jung-hyun (with Kim Se-jeong) School 2017 | Nominated | ||
| MBC Drama Awards | 2017 | Best New Actor | The Rebel | Won |
| 2018 | Best Couple Award | Kim Jung-hyun (with Seohyun) Time | Nominated | |
| Soompi Awards | 2018 | Best Couple Award | Kim Jung-hyun (with Kim Se-jeong) School 2017 | Nominated |
| Breakout Actor Award | School 2017 | Nominated | ||
| The Seoul Awards | 2017 | Best New Actor (Drama) | Nominated |
