Ha Jung-woo

Ha Jung-woo, born Kim Sung-hoon on March 11, 1978, is a prominent South Korean actor and filmmaker. Recognised as one of the highest-grossing actors in South Korea, his films have accumulated over 100 million ticket sales, making him one of only four actors to reach this benchmark and the youngest at the time of achievement.

Raised in a family involved in the performing arts, Ha is the son of veteran actor Kim Yong-gun and the brother of actor Kim Young-hoon. Inspired by his father from an early age, he attended a private acting institute, where he was instructed by actor Lee Beom-soo, before studying theater at Chung-Ang University. During his military service in the Armed Forces Public Relations Department starting in 1998, he appeared in 10 military promotional films.

Ha made his television acting debut in the 2002 sitcom Honest Living and his film debut in 2003's Madeleine. Joining the agency SidusHQ in 2005, he adopted his stage name and took his first lead role in the indie feature The Unforgiven. After gaining further visibility in Kim Ki-duk's films Time and Breath, the drama series H.I.T, and the American indie project Never Forever, he achieved his mainstream breakout playing a psychopath in Na Hong-jin's 2008 box office hit The Chaser.

Following his breakthrough, Ha demonstrated his range across various film genres, starring in the sports film Take Off, the crime drama The Yellow Sea, the legal thriller The Client, and the commercial hits Nameless Gangster: Rules of the Time, The Berlin File, and The Terror Live. In addition to acting, he spearheaded the 2012 documentary 577 Project, which tracked a cross-country walking expedition. He made his directorial debut with the 2013 comedy Fasten Your Seatbelt, which he followed by directing, writing, and starring in the 2015 adaptation Chronicle of a Blood Merchant.

Ha's success continued with roles in major hits such as Assassination, The Handmaiden, Tunnel, and the political drama 1987: When the Day Comes. He also portrayed the grim reaper Gang-rim in the fantasy blockbuster Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds and its 2018 sequel. His subsequent projects included the disaster film Ashfall, the horror feature The Closet, the sports drama Boston 1947, and the 2024 film Hijack 1971. In 2025, he returned to directing with the comedies Lobby and The People Upstairs, while also starring in the crime-thriller Nocturnal.

In addition to film, Ha earned critical acclaim for his role in the 2022 Netflix series Narco-Saints, winning awards at the Korea Drama Awards, Blue Dragon Series Awards, and Asian Academy Creative Awards. Outside of entertainment, he is a painter working in a style combining Pop art and Expressionism, having presented his work in multiple solo exhibitions, and he published an essay collection titled Ha Jung-woo, Good Feeling in 2011.