Sul Kyung-gu

1993–1997: Early career

Sul studied theater and film at Hanyang University (Class of '86). In May 1993, When Sul was in his 4th year of college, he directed a play for the 1st Young Theatre Festival, The Moon, Moon, The Bright Moon [ko]. At that time, Sul planned to enter the 3rd KBS Talent Recruitment, but he had no choice but to give up the recruitment due to his professor's request.^[4] He was also active in Dongsung-dong since the second semester of his senior year, including guest directing play Bison, a performance for the drama class at Deoksung Women's University [ko], as a part-time job.^[4] Gradually, he naturally gave up his dream of becoming a film director, and debuted in 1993 with the play Simbasame as Sul joined Hanyang Theater Company, a theater company with alumni of the Department of Theater and Film at Hanyang University as the majority of its members.^[4]

When Sul was in his 4th year of college, Sul received a full scholarship with straight-A credits and went up to the department at once. Before graduating from Hanyang University, he received invitations from his advisor to study master at Hanyang University graduate school or Korea National University of Arts, but he refused.^[4] Sul continued his theatre activities in Hanyang Theater Company, however Sul didn't want to be under the shadow of his school. After graduating, Sul left the company.^[5]

In May 1994, Sul asked a college senior who was the head of the planning department at the theater company Hakjeon [ko] for a part-time job. He met Kim Min-ki and was cast in the hit Korean adaptation of the German rock musical Subway Line 1 [ko]. Sul participated in this production from the premiere in 1994 to 1996, playing all but two of the 80 roles, accumulating various experiences and acting skills and achieving great success.^[6] In addition, he has been active as a theater actor and musical actor in Daehakro, appearing in plays such as Korean productions of Sam Shepard's True West and musical Mosquito (Musical) [ko].^[1]

Since 1988, Sul began taking on minor roles in television. On stage, he was a star actor who played 14 roles, but in television dramas, he was just an aspiring actor.^[7] In the mid-1990s, Sul began taking on minor roles in feature films. In 1996, Sul made his screen debut in his first film A Petal, playing the role of Woo-ri, a college student who is chasing the whereabouts of the female lead (Lee Jung-hyun), on the recommendation of director Shim Kwang-jin, a college classmate who was taking directing lessons from director Jang Seon-woo.

1998–2002: Career breakthrough

In 1997, Sul met Cha Seung-jae, the CEO of Sidus FNH, the producer of the film Girls' Night Out, which was released in 1998. Sul had a minor role, and his name was featured in the credits as an actor.^[8][9] Sul played a cartoonist who spends a night with Yeon (Jin Hee-kyung), a hotel employee in the play, and his acting was short but impressive. He then signed management contracts with Sidus HQ and made his breakthrough, with major roles in Rainbow Trout, Phantom: The Submarine, and The Bird That Stops in the Air (1999).^[10]

In early 1999, Sul was selected for the lead role through an audition for director Lee Chang-dong's film Peppermint Candy. Initially, Sul failed in the first audition, but the director's wife, known as the playwright of the production Confession, saw him in the audition film she saw in the living room by chance, and recommended him, saying, "Here's Kim Young-ho", recognizing him as famous.^[11]

In addition, director Lee Chang-dong revealed the reason for casting Sul Kyung-gu:

Unlike other actors, I rather liked that he hesitated and said that he had no confidence. He looked weak in charisma with an ordinary mask, but his face was different every time I saw him, and that seemed to enable him to express various colors as well as good and evil, so he was cast.^[12]

In film Peppermint Candy, Sul played Kim Yeong-ho, a suicidal man devastated by the two-decades of historical change his country undergoes.^[13] After shooting for six months from mid-May to the end of September, the film debuted on October 14 of that year as the opening film at the 4th Busan International Film Festival. The film was acclaimed and Sul received rave reviews. He swept 10 New Actor Awards and Best Actor Awards at the Korean Film Critics Association Award, Chunsa Film Art Awards, Blue Dragon Film Awards, Daejong Awards, and Baeksang Arts Awards.

Sul next appeared in the romantic comedy I Wish I Had a Wife with Jeon Do-yeon in 2001, playing the role of Bong-su, an ordinary old bachelor bank clerk who yearns for romance. Then acted in a Japanese TV drama produced by NHK.

In 2002, Sul starred in three major films. As a violent and unscrupulous police detective in Public Enemy, he won Best Actor at the Grand Bell Awards and Blue Dragon Film Awards respectively. In August, he starred in Lee Chang-dong's acclaimed third film Oasis, which won the Silver Lion for Best Director at the Venice Film Festival. Sul's portrayal of a mildly mentally disabled outcast with sociopathic inclinations won him Best Actor at the Chunsa Film Art Awards, Korean Association of Film Critics Awards, Korean Film Awards, Director's Cut Awards, and 29th Seattle International Film Festival. In November, he acted together with Cha Seung-won in a box office hit Jail Breakers by director Kim Sang-jin.^[14]

2003–2011: Success as a box-office actor

In 2003, Sul starred in Silmido, directed by Cinema Service founder Kang Woo-suk. The film is based on Baek Dong-ho's 1999 novel of the same name, which in turn is based on the true story of Unit 684. Silmido was the first Korean film in history to surpass 10 million viewers, with a total of 11.081 million admissions. This success earned Sul a spot in the "Ten Million Club (천만클럽)," a term for actors who have starred in a film with over 10 million admissions.^[15][16][17]

His next role was as the title character in Rikidōzan, about the legendary ethnic Korean pro wrestler who became a national hero in Japan in the 1950s. Sul gained 20 kilograms for the role and also delivered 95% of his lines in Japanese. Although his performance was acclaimed, the film vastly underperformed on its local release.^[18][19]

In 2005, Sul starred in the sequel Another Public Enemy, which surpassed the original film in box office gross. A second sequel, Public Enemy Returns followed in 2008. Both films were directed by Kang Woo-suk.^[20] In October 2005, Sul played the role of the male protagonist Andy in A. R. Gurney's Love Letters by the theatre company Hanyang Repertory. It was directed Professor Choi Hyung-in [ko], his acting teacher.^[21] It was his comeback onstage for the first time in years since his latest the musical Subway Line 1.^[22]

His next role was in Yoon Je-kyun's 2009 film Haeundae (2009). Sul played Man-sik, a local from Busan's Haeundae District who, years earlier, unexpectedly lost the father of Yeon-hee (Ha Ji-won), during the 2004 tsunami. For his performance, Sul won the Grand Prize at the 2009 Korean Culture and Entertainment Awards [ko].^[23] Haeundae also became a massive box office success, attracting 11.083 million viewers. This made Sul the first actor to have two films as actor of the "Ten Million Club."^[17]

He went on to win the Best Actor award at the 18th Chunsa Film Art Awards for his performance in 2010 film No Mercy. His other films The Tower (2012) and Cold Eyes (2013) have also been box office hits.^{[24][25][26][27][28][29]}

2012–2015: Career resurgence

Sul Kyung-gu returned to the big screen after about a year and a half with the disaster film The Tower in December 2012.^[30] In 2013, Sul appeared in three movies, Cold Eyes,^[31][32] The Spy: Undercover Operation,^[33] and Hope and mobilised a total of 1681 million viewers in 2013. He ranked 2nd after Song Kang-ho in the box office actor.^[34] In director Lee Jun-ik's family drama Hope,^[35] which is based on the child sexual assault case known as the Cho Doo-soon case, Sul played the role of Dong-hoon, expressing the desperate need of a father to watch his daughter's pain and suffering, and resonating with the audience.^[31][36] He received favorable reviews for his excellent acting, and won the Best Actor at the 50th Baeksang Arts Awards.^[37][38][39]

In a media interview, director Lee Jun-ik commented on Sul:

He was a very respectable actor. Before filming, he came to the scene with a lot of emotion and only looked at the wall, but when the filming started, he poured out his emotions terribly. Because of Sul Kyung-gu, he was able to complete 'Wish'. He is a great learner.^[40]

The following year, Sul starred in My Dictator, as an aspiring actor who is forced to impersonate North Korean leader. For his performance in My Dictator, he won Best Actor at the 35th Golden Cinematography Awards.^[41]

Sul began teaching acting in 2014 at his alma mater Hanyang University, as an adjunct professor in the College of Performing Arts.^[42][43][44]

In 2015, Sul starred in the war drama film The Long Way Home alongside Yeo Jin-goo. Sul played the role of Jang Nam-bok, a farmer who is suddenly dragged to the battlefield with a newborn baby in the war film Western Front, the directorial debut of playwright Cheon Seong-il. The film depicts the story of the confrontation between Jang Nam-bok of the South Korean Army and Kim Yeong-gwang (Yeo Jin-goo) of the North Korean Army ahead of the armistice agreement in July 1953. With this film, he took on the role of a soldier for the third time following the previous films Peppermint Candy and Silmido.^[45][46][47]

2017–2022: Film comeback and other ventures

In 2017, Sul starred opposite Yim Si-wan in The Merciless. It was shown out of competition in the Midnight Screenings section at the 70th Cannes Film Festival on May 24, 2017.^[48][49] The film brought Sul to win Best Actor awards at the 54th Grand Bell Awards and 37th Korean Association of Film Critics Awards. He next starred in thriller film Memoir of a Murderer, as a retired serial killer with Alzheimer's disease.^[50][51] For his performance in Memoir of a Murderer, Sul received Best Actor awards at the 17th Director's Cut Awards in 2017 and the 9th Korea Film Reporters Association Film Awards (KOFRA) in 2018.^[52][53] The release of Sul's third film in 2017, I Want to Know Your Parents,^[54] has been postponed indefinitely following the scandal of actor Oh Dal-su.^[55]

Sul next starred in a 2019 film Idol opposite Han Suk-kyu and Chun Woo-hee, which opened in March.^[56] Despite the solid acting by three senior actors, Idol received mix reviews.^[57] In April 2019, Sul reunited with Jeon Do-yeon, eighteen years after I Wish I Had a Wife, in the film Birthday.^[58] The film, inspired by the Sinking of MV Sewol tragedy, deals with the struggles faced by a couple who lose their son in a tragic accident.^[59] The film had its international premiere at the 2019 Far East Film Festival in Udine.^[60] The same year, Sul starred in the human comedy film Man to Men with Cho Jin-woong.^[61][62]

Sul has reunited with The Merciless director Byun Sung-hyun for the film Kingmaker. It was released in December 2021.^[63]

In 2022 Sul was honoured by 26th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival by hosting an actor special exhibition 'The Actor, Sul Kyung-gu' focusing on actor Sul Kyung-gu's 29-year acting career along with various events such as the publication of a commemorative booklet entitled 'Sul Kyung-gu is Snow Gyeong-gu', and mega talk during the festival.^[64]

2023–present: Streaming series

In 2023, Sul reunited once again with director Byun Sung-hyun and Jeon Do-yeon for Netflix action thriller film Kill Boksoon. is a 2023 South Korean. Also starring Kim Si-a, Esom, and Koo Kyo-hwan, the film premiered on Netflix on March 31, 2023.^[65][66][67]

Returning to the small screen after decades, Sol starred in the political drama series The Whirlwind, which premiered on Netflix on June 28, 2024.^[68] This marked his first time in an OTT drama series. He stars opposite Kim Hee-ae. Directed by Park Kyung-soo, directed by Kim Yong-wan [ko], the series features Sol as Park Dong-ho, who serves as Prime Minister, Acting President, and eventually President of South Korea.^[69]

In 2025, Sul starred in streaming series Hyper Knife, directed by Kim Jung-hyun and written by Kim Sun-hee. The series explores his complex relationship with her former mentee, played by Park Eun-bin.^[70] Disney+ confirmed the release date of the series to be on March 19, 2025.^[71] In May 2025, Netflix announced that Sul will be one of the main characters of their new drama The Rat, alongside Ryu Jun-yeol.^[72]

Philanthropy

Sul Kyung-gu and his wife Song Yoon-ah, are known for their philanthropic efforts. In July 2010, they covered the entire surgical expenses for a child with congenital heart disease and personally visited her at Seoul St. Mary's Hospital.^[73][74] They later donated ₩100 million through the Korean Committee for UNICEF to assist victims of the sinking of MV Sewol in April 2014. Sul expressed deep sympathy for the tragedy, stating, "I felt indescribable pain witnessing the Sewol ferry disaster. I sincerely wish for recovery."^[75][76] More recently, on February 13, 2023, the couple contributed another ₩50 million to Korea's UNICEF Committee to support children affected by the 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes.^[77]

Relationships

Sul married Ahn Nae-sang’s younger sister in 1996, and they have one daughter together. After four years of separation, they divorced on July 21, 2006.^[78] Few years later Sul remarried. He and actress Song Yoon-ah had their wedding ceremony on May 28, 2009, in a Catholic church in Bangbae-dong, followed by a reception at The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company in Seoul.^[79] Both are graduates of Hanyang University and have shared the screen in Jail Breakers (2002) and Lost in Love (2006).^{[80][81][82][83]} Their son, Sul Seung-yoon, was born on August 3, 2010.^[84] In 2014, Song Yoon-ah filed a defamation suit against 57 netizens who spread online rumors about an alleged extramarital affair with Sul in 2002 during his first marriage, which reportedly contributed to his divorce in 2006.^[85][86] Both Sul and Song have denied these claims, asserting that their relationship began in 2007.^[81]

Film

Television

Music videos

Musical

Theater

Listicles