This Korean actor leads an admirable life and career
From being dubbed an ugly actor to the king of the Korean big screen
Born in 1970, actor Hwang Jung Min developed a passion for movies and dramas super early one, and decided to pursue acting after watching a theatrical performance of “Peter Pan”. The actor received support from his family and started learning to act from high school, before enrolling in the Seoul Institute of the Arts. After graduating, he starred in various theatrical plays, before nailing his on-screen role in 2001 movie “Waikiki Brothers”. Immediately after, he earned praise from the public and critics alike, and is even compared to an intact gemstone by famous director Yim Soon Rye.
However, despite his indisputable acting skills, Hwang Jung Min was severely undermined early on in his career, criticized for having a “basic” appearance, and called “ugly” for his monolid eyes. There was even a period of time where the actor started to doubt his career choices, and even considered giving up on acting as he suffered from numerous harsh comments. Still, Jung Min’s fervor for acting was strong enough, and the actor managed to prevail.
In 2003, Hwang Jung Min achieved a big breakthrough with the movie “A Good Lawyer’s Wife” – one of the biggest box office hits at the time. He then cemented his standing via multiple famous movies, like “You Are My Sunshine”, “Black House”, “The Unjust”, “Dancing Queen”, before finally appearing on the small screen in 2009 with K-drama “The Accidental Couple”, which also became a major hit.
Most of Hwang Jung Min’s works managed to record impressive performances regarding ticket sales, making the actor one of the wealthiest in Korea, and a member of Chungmuro’s “100 Million Viewers Club”. His most famous works include “Ode to My Father” (14.26 million viewers), “Veteran” (13.41 million viewers), “The Himalayas” (7.76 million viewers), “A Violent Prosecutor” (9.71 million viewers), “The Wailing” (6.88 million viewers), “Asura: The City of Madness” (2.6 million viewers), “The Battleship Island” (6.4 million viewers), and more. In addition, these projects are not only box office hits but also critics’ picks, winning Hwang Jung Win various prizes at prestigious awards ceremonies like the Blue Dragon Film Awards and the Grand Bell Awards.
Forever loyal to his first love
To many Korean audiences, Hwang Jung Min is not only admirable for his career, but also his dreamlike romance with his classmate since high school, Kim Mi Hye.
According to Korean media, Hwang Jung Min and Kim Mi Hye shared the same class in high school, and the actor has fallen for her ever since. However, at the time, Mi Hye was only interested in a musical career, and did not give any regard to Jung Min. The couple then pursued the theater arts together, and Mi Hye was actually a crucial contributor to Jung Min’s current legendary career.
In 2000, Hwang Jung Min and Kim Mi Hye reunited in a theatrical play, and the famous actor decided he had to chase after her then. His hard work and loyalty finally paid off in 2004, as Kim Mi Hye accepted his marriage proposal, making them husband and wife amid congratulations from fans.
After marriage, Hwang Jung Min started to focus more on his movie appearances, while Kim Mi Hye halted acting to support her husband. The couple then founded Same Company, which specializes in organizing and producing theatrical plays. According to Jung Min, with the company, his wife is able to live out her life-long dream, despite no long standing on stage.
As of the moment, the married couple has been strong and standing for over 2 decades, and their relationship is considered to be one of the most iconic ones in the Korean entertainment industry.
