Kim Eui-sung facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kim Eui-sung
Kim Eui-sung in 2019
Born	(1965-12-17) December 17, 1965 (age 59) Seoul, South Korea
Education	Seoul National University (BBA)
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1988–present
Agent	An Company
Korean name
Hangul	김의성
Hanja	金義聖
Revised Romanization	Gim Ui-seong
McCune–Reischauer	Kim Ŭisŏng

Kim Eui-sung (Hangul: 김의성; born December 17, 1965) is a famous South Korean actor. He began his acting journey on stage in the 1980s and 1990s before moving to films. He is well-known for his roles in popular movies like Train to Busan (2016) and 12.12: The Day (2023). He has also starred in hit TV shows such as W (2016), Mr. Sunshine (2018), and Taxi Driver (2021).

Early Life and Acting Start

Kim Eui-sung went to Seoul National University and studied business. He started acting in college by joining the drama club in his second year. He was inspired after watching a school play. He even performed plays with his friend Jung Jin-young, traveling around the country. From 1987, he worked with many theater groups.

Acting Career

First Steps in Acting

Kim first appeared on screen in 1988. He became more noticed after being in director Hong Sang-soo's 1996 film The Day a Pig Fell into the Well. He also acted in other movies and dramas, including Go Alone Like a Rhinoceros and Ju No Myeong Bakery.

Break from Acting

Kim took a break from acting for over ten years. During this time, he worked as a producer, even becoming a CEO for media companies in Vietnam. He stopped acting because he wasn't happy with his performances. While in Vietnam, he produced a successful local TV show.

Return to the Screen

In 2010, Kim met director Hong Sang-soo again and decided to return to acting. He appeared in the film The Day He Arrives the next year. He gained new attention for his role as Han Myeong-hoe in The Face Reader. In 2015, he played Jeong Mong-ju in the drama Six Flying Dragons. His performance in a scene on Seonjuk Bridge was highly praised.

Since his comeback, he has appeared in many films. These include Architecture 101, Assassination, and Office.

Famous Villain Roles

In the worldwide hit movie Train to Busan, released in 2016, Kim played Yong-suk, a business executive. His role left a strong impression on the audience, making him known for playing bad characters. Kim also played villains in other projects like The Priests, Inside Men, and The King.

Kim gained more recognition in the MBC drama W. He played Oh Sung-moo, a webtoon writer and the father of the main character. He was even nominated for a "Best Couple Award" with another actor! In 2017, Kim joined Artist Company, an acting agency.

Besides movies, he has appeared in dramas like Mr. Sunshine and Memories of the Alhambra. He also hosted MBC's exploration program Straight.

In Mr. Sunshine, he played Yi Wan-ik, a selfish official. He spoke Korean (with a special dialect), Japanese, and English, and his Japanese speaking was especially praised.

In Memories of the Alhambra, he played Cha Byung-jun, a university professor.

Recent Works

In 2020, Kim joined a new agency called KeyEast.

In 2021, he played a main role in the SBS drama Taxi Driver as Jang Sung-chul. Unlike his past villain roles, his character in this show was good but also had a tough side. People praised his performance, and the drama was very popular.

From October 2022, he appeared as Chief State Councillor Hwang Won-hyeong in the historical drama Under the Queen's Umbrella. He played another strong and ambitious villain, acting alongside Kim Hye-soo and Kim Hae-sook. The series was a big success and one of the most-watched dramas on Korean cable TV.

In 2023, Kim played Minister of National Defense Oh Guk-sang in the film 12.12: The Day. This movie was about a military coup in 1979. Even though it was a supporting role, his acting made the audience feel a lot of anger towards his character. The film earned a lot of money and became the highest-grossing Korean film of 2023. It is also one of the highest-grossing films in South Korean history. Later, Kim started his own agency called Ahn Company.

Filmography

Movies

Television Series

Web Series

Theater Plays

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Kim Eui-sung para niños