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Bong Joon-ho is a South Korean filmmaker. The recipient of three Academy Awards, his filmography is characterized by emphasis on social themes, genre-mixing, black humor, and sudden tone shifts. He first became known to audiences and achieved a cult following with his directorial debut film, the black comedy Barking Dogs Never Bite (2000), before achieving both critical and commercial success with his subsequent films: the crime thriller Memories of Murder (2003), the monster film The Host (2006), the science fiction action film Snowpiercer (2013), and the black comedy thriller Parasite (2019), all of which are among the highest-grossing films in South Korea, with Parasite also being the highest-grossing South Korean film in history.

All of Bong's films have been South Korean productions, although both Snowpiercer and Okja (2017) are mostly in the English language. Two of his films have screened in competition at the Cannes Film Festival-Okja in 2017 and Parasite in 2019; the latter earned the Palme d'Or, which was a first for a South Korean film. Parasite also became the first South Korean film to receive Academy Award nominations, with Bong winning Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay, making Parasite the first film not in English to win Best Picture. In 2017, Bong was included on Metacritic's list of the 25 best film directors of the 21st century. In 2020, Bong was included in Time's annual list of 100 Most Influential People and Bloomberg 50.

In addition to dominating her own country, Song Hye-Kyo has left a lasting impression on the global scene thanks to her stunning beauty, extraordinary acting abilities, and captivating presence. As a model who transitioned into acting, Song has become one of Asia's most well-known and significant actors thanks to her gifts, attractiveness, and contributions to Korean entertainment. Over the years, she has established herself as one of South Korea's most attractive women and even gained recognition as the pinnacle of beauty in the nation of South Korea as a whole.

Song Hye Kyo was born on November 22, 1981, in Daegu, South Korea. She grew up in a middle-class family with her parents and older brother. Her parents divorced when she was a young girl and her mother raised her. They moved from her birthplace in Daegu to the Gangnam District in Seoul, where she trained as a figure skater in elementary school, but quit when she was in the eighth grade. From a young age, Song was interested in the arts, particularly in acting. In 1996, she began her career in modeling at the tender age of 14 as Song, who was back then a third-year junior high school student, won first place in the SunKyung Smart Model Contest, and she made her entertainment debut as a model for the school uniform company. This opportunity would lead to her being cast in a small role in her first television drama, First Love (1997).

Song Hye Kyo would go on to star in several different sitcoms and dramas, most notably "Soonpoong Clinic (1998)." But the actress wouldn't become well-known until 2000 when she co-starred with Song Seung-Hun and Won Bin in the lead part of the well-liked KBS drama "Autumn in My Heart (2000)." Because of the romantic melodrama's widespread appeal, Song became well-known in Korea and throughout Asia. The show was a big hit at the time and is now frequently regarded as a classic, setting off a trend in Korean melodramatic television that is now known as the "Korean Wave" and helping to pioneer the genre. In 2003, her popularity continued to climb when she played a leading role alongside Lee Byung-Hun in the gambling drama "All In (2003)", which drew solid viewership ratings nationwide throughout its run with a peak viewer rating of 47.7 percent. The following year, she co-starred with singer Rain in the hit romantic comedy series "Full House (2004)." The drama achieved pan-Asia success and established Song as one of the most well-known Korean actresses in Asia.

In early 2005, She went to San Francisco to study English and later traveled to Seattle. Song took time off to recharge herself after Full House. "I have had a good rest. It was a good opportunity to reflect on myself," said Song. She returned to Korea on March 5, 2005. The same year, She made her big-screen debut in My Girl and I (a Korean remake of Crying Out Love in the Center of the World), which was panned by audiences and critics alike. Vocal about her dissatisfaction with typecasting in the roles she was being offered, she took on different roles the following year.

She made her TV comeback in late 2008 with the Korean Drama "The World That They Live In (2008)" (also known as Worlds Within), a series set at a broadcast station in which Song and Hyun Bin played drama PDs who work together and fall in love. In 2010, she starred in "Camellia (2010)", an omnibus pic made up of three short films directed by three Asian directors. Each episode is set in the past, present, and future of the city of Busan. In the film's final segment 'Love for Sale', Song and Gang Dong-won play former lovers who forget their memories about each other which later leads them to a fatal destiny.

Song then played a documentary filmmaker who finds the strength to forgive the 17-year-old boy who killed her fiancé but instead of redemption, only finds greater tragedy in A Reason to Live, which was released in October 2011 after several delays. Song was a huge fan of director Lee Jung-Hyang and had actively sought her out. Though she had difficulty getting into character, she said she fell in love with the script and felt her acting had matured. She considers the film "a turning point" in her life.

In 2011, she became the first Asian actress to sign a contract with the French global agency Effigies, paving the way for her possible entry into the European market. She released a photo essay book in 2012 titled It's Time for Hye-Kyo.

Song reunited with the writer and director of Worlds Within in "That Winter, the Wind Blows (2013)", a 2013 remake of the 2002 Japanese drama Ai Nante Irane Yo, Natsu ("I Don't Need Love, Summer"). She played a blind heiress in the melodrama, opposite a con man pretending to be her long-lost brother (played by Jo In-Sung). That Winter, the Wind Blows placed number one in its time slot during most of its run, and Song and Jo were praised for their performances. Song won the Daesang (or "Grand Prize"), the highest television award, at the 2nd APAN Star Awards.

In 2014, Song reunited with Gang Dong-Won in My Brilliant Life (2014), E J-Yong's film adaptation of Kim Ae-Ran's bestselling novel "My Palpitating Life", about a couple who watched their son suffering from Progeria, grow old prematurely.

As of her debut in South Korean films, Ye-jin Son became one of the stars of Chungmoore, the Korean Hollywood, notably appearing in the beautiful "Drunk on Women and Poetry" by the master Kwan-taek Im. In "April Snow", directed by Jin-ho Hur (2005), she questioned her pure innocent girl image, playing to perfection an ordinary housewife confronted to tragedy and to an unexpected love story.

Kim Ji-yeon was born on 19 August 1995 in Gwangyeoksi, Daegu, South Korea. She is an actress, known for Homemade Love Story (2020), Joseon Attorney (2023) and Twenty Five Twenty One (2022).

Tom Choi was born in Taegu, South Korea and moved to Des Moines, Iowa when he was four years old. After graduating high school, Tom moved to Seattle, Washington where he graduated from The University of Washington with a bachelor's degree in Drama. Moving to Los Angeles, he has continued to act in film, television and many commercials. He attended the LACC School of Cinema and Television and now adds producing, directing and writing to his credits.

Lee Chang-Dong was born in 1954 in Daegu, which some consider the most right-wing city in South Korea. Lee is a former high-school teacher and an acclaimed novelist. He turned to cinema when he was over 40 years old. His debut film "Green Fish" (1997) brought immediate success and critical acclaim. "Peppermint Candy" (2000), seemingly having the same 'lost innocence' theme as his former work, shoots fiery criticisms against the still-powerful remnants of the Korean military dictatorship regime. With "Oasis" (2002) Lee received countless awards, including the Special Director's Award at the Venice Film Festival. Since 2003, Lee worked as the Minister of Culture in the newly elected liberal national government.

Yoo Ah-In is a South Korean actor and creative director. He has built a unique filmography that distinguishes him from other actors of the same age, playing a series of impressive characters in films and TV series. Not only is he known as an icon of youth in Korea, but also he has made remarkable achievements in numerous industry awards. Yoo is representing his generation by focusing on the growth of the characters he portrays, which is leading him to gain applause from the public.

Yoo was born Uhm Hong-sik on October 6, 1986, in Daegu, Korea, as the youngest of three children. In the first year of high school majoring in fine arts, he was discovered by a casting agent in front of the school and came up to Seoul by himself to attend auditions. In 2003, He made his debut in a TV commercial for noodles under the current stage name of Yoo Ah-in. He then started to appear in teen-series Sharp (2003) and garnered a huge popularity from teenagers.

After that, however, he halted his activities for one year to think about his identity and the path of acting without being influenced by popularity. Returning with independent film Boys of Tomorrow (2006) and family-comedy Skeletons in the Closet (2007), he attracted a lot of attention of critics and viewers as a promising newcomer. Yoo went on to win Best New Actor from the Busan Film Critics Association and was nominated at the Blue Dragon Film Awards. Also, he had played various roles across films and TV series, such as a lonely assassin in Strongest Chil Woo (2008), a patisserie aspirant and former boxer in Antique (2008), a young assistant at the architectural office in The Man Who Can't Get Married (2009), and a pizza delivery man in Sky and Ocean (2009).

In 2010, Yoo rose to prominence when he starred in Sungkyunkwan Scandal (2010), creating a syndrome called 'Geol-oh Love Sickness', which earned him praise as a unique actor in his generation. He was then cast in the coming-of-age film Punch (2011), met with critical and commercial success, thereby cementing his status as screen star. This was followed by the first nomination for Best Actor in his career. Since then, he had gone on to star in a wide spectrum of works, including Fashion King (2012), Jang Ok-jung, Living by Love (2013), Tough as Iron (2013) and Thread of Lies (2014).

In 2014, Yoo played a genius pianist who falls in love in melodrama Secret Love Affair (2014), where he actually played the piano. His performance was much appreciated by musical performers, critics and audiences. The next year, he achieved considerable critical and public acclaim for his brilliant portrayals of both the villain in big-hit action film Veteran (2015) and a tragic prince in historical film The Throne (2015). This also led to gaining wider recognition as an established actor when he acted the protagonist in 50 episodes of Six Flying Dragons (2015) for six months. During this period, as he gained a huge popularity and received various accolades from prestigious awards, the media called this phenomenon 'Ah-in Era'. Especially, he won the Best Actor award in the Blue Dragon Film Awards, which means that he is the first actor to win in this category under 30 in fifteen years.

Later, he took a shot to romantic comedy in the ensemble film Like for Likes (2016). The following year, he starred in fantasy TV series Chicago Typewriter (2017), where he played the double roles of a 2017 renowned writer and a leader of a resistance group in mid-1930s. In 2018, Yoo featured in a critically acclaimed film Burning (2018) that premiered in Cannes and later made the headlines for being the first Korean film to make it into the final shortlist for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Yoo gained international recognition, with The New York Times including him in its end-of-year roundup of best actors and Forbes seeing in him an up-and-coming star to watch. The same year, he starred in the financial drama Default (2018), taking over the role of a young stockbroker who predicts national bankruptcy in 1997 and bets on it.

While Yoo has been pretty busy in a couple of years with his other activities such as running a art gallery, producing a talk show and proclaiming the resolution of peace, he made a brilliant comeback in 2020 when he headlined #Alive (2020), which became the first hit film in South Korea since COVID-19 hit the film industry and the first Korean film to top Netflix movies worldwide chart. His next performance as a mute worker without a single line throughout the film Voice of Silence (2020), a critically acclaimed indie drama, earned him a slew of awards including Fantasia International Film Festival and Asian Film Awards. Also, Yoo became the second actor to win Best Actor twice before 40 at the Blue Dragon Film Awards, and the first actor born after the 1980s to win Best Actor in both film and TV categories at the Baeksang Arts Awards.

His next roles will be those of a cult leader in Netflix series Hellbound (2021), a Go player in biopic film The Match (2025), a ordinary man with superpower in fantasy comedy High Five (2025), and a drift driver in crime action Seoul Vibe (2022).

Yoo is the one of the few actors who courageously expresses his own opinions about political and social issues in the Korean entertainment industry. This allows him to acquire an unconventional image of an artist who is questioning the world and the youth who is constantly seeking answers. He is also interested in the welfare of children and adolescents, such as writing a public letter to encourage participation in donation or creating a fund named after him as well as holding the charitable campaigns through his art studio. He has written poems personally and contributed articles to magazines. In addition, he is known as a fashionista and has caused a great sensation with the design of combination of Korean and English.

In particular, he is a creative director of an art group and open gallery called Studio Concrete. Yoo is trying to capture the spirit of the times, displaying various exhibits and improving access to the arts for the public.

Lee Hee-joon was born on 29 June 1979 in Daegu, South Korea. He is an actor and director, known for Mouse (2021), The Man Standing Next (2020) and Flu (2013). He has been married to Lee Hye-jung since April 2016.

Kim Tae-Hyung known professionally as V is a South Korean singer, song-writer, dancer, actor and a member of the boy band BTS.

After graduating from Korean Arts High School in 2014, V enrolled in Global Cyber University, graduating in August 2020 with a major in Broadcasting and Entertainment. As of 2021, he is enrolled at Hanyang University, pursuing a Master of Business Administration in Advertisement and Media.

V became a trainee for Big Hit Entertainment after passing an audition in Daegu. The CEO of the label, Bang Shi-Hyuk revealed in interview that V was kept as a "hidden member" until the septet's debut in 2013 to avoid any chances of him being pursued by other music labels.

As a singer and song-writer, V is popularly known and critically acclaimed for his husky baritone, diverse range and the confidence to present something new with every solo release. As a performer, V is deemed as the "Textbook for Idols" due to his ability to embody any choreography, his duality, and for the sheer charm he presents on stage. V is also named as the "Idol of Idols" due to the amount of K-pop idols naming him as their inspiration.

In 2016, V made his acting debut with a supporting role in a historical drama Hwarang: The Poet Warrior. In 2019, he debuted as a music directed with his self-composed song "Winter Bear." Throughout his career, V has released commercially successful soundtracks for two Korean drama series along with collaborating with his fellow members and friends with self-composed hits. His official solo debut EP Layover released on September 8, 2023 received global critical acclaim for his authenticity and vocal performances and has set multiple records worldwide.

In 2018, V became one of the youngest recipient of the fifth-class Hwagwan Order of Cultural Merit medal, awarded to him by the President of South Korea alongside the members of BTS for their role in the spread of Korean culture. Throughout his career, V has won various awards in areas such as singing, dancing, choreography and he also owns two Guinness World records for being the fastest artist to reach one and ten million followers on Instagram. In 2022, V was facilitated by the National Tax Services for being a Conscientious Taxpayer.

Kim Hee-seon was born on 11 June 1977 in Daegu, South Korea. She is an actress, known for The Myth (2005), Alice (2020) and Wanee & Junah (2001). She has been married to Ju-Young Park since 21 October 2007. They have one child.

Park Ji-hu was born on 7 November 2003 in Daegu, South Korea. She is an actress and writer, known for House of Hummingbird (2018), All of Us Are Dead (2022) and Concrete Utopia (2023).

Moon Chae-won was born on 13 November 1986 in Daegu, South Korea. She is an actress, known for War of the Arrows (2011), The Princess' Man (2011) and Good Doctor (2013).

Sung Hoon was born on 14 February 1983 in Nam District, Daegu, South Korea. He is an actor, known for Five Children (2016), The Great Doctor (2012) and My Secret Romance (2017).

Seo Ji-hoon was born on 25 April 1997 in Daegu, South Korea. He is an actor, known for To All the Guys Who Loved Me (2020), Revenge of Others (2022) and My Lovely Liar (2023).

Kim Seon-a was born on 1 October 1973 in Daegu, South Korea. She is an actress and producer, known for The Five (2013), Scent of a Woman (2011) and Should We Kiss First (2018).

Nancy McDonie was born on 13 April 2000 in Daegu, South Korea. She is an actress, known for Dae Jang-Geum Is Watching (2018), Momoland: Jjan! Koong! Kwang! (2016) and The Soulmate Project (2021).

Kim Min-jae was born on 20 March 1979 in Daegu, South Korea. He is an actor, known for Peninsula (2020), My Sassy Girl (2001) and The Good the Bad the Weird (2008). He has been married to Choi Yoo-ra since 10 September 2016. They have two children.

Made his film debut at the age of 5 in 1957 and has been one of the most popular actors in Korea ever since. Graduated from Korea University of Foreign Studies majoring in Vietnamese. Won the best actor award in Asia-Pacific film festival in 1993 for his role in the film 'White Badge' (based on the novel of the same title about the Vietnamese war viewed from eyes of a Korean soldier). He's one of few Korean actors who made a successful transition from a child prodigy to a mature adult actor. He is a 5-time winner of Baeksang Art Award (best actor) in Korea and won best actor award in several Korean and Asia-Pacific film festivals. He was selected the top Korean actor in recent popular polls and the best actor of the year in 1997 by the premier Korean movie weekly Cine21. His long-running series of TV commercial for a Korean instant coffee company enforced his image as an ideal husband and dad.

SUGA was born on 9 March 1993 in Daegu, South Korea. He is an actor and composer, known for IU Feat. SUGA of BTS: eight (2020), Agust D Feat. IU: People Pt.2 (2023) and PSY Feat. SUGA of BTS: That That (2022).

Kim Yeong-cheol was born on 25 February 1953 in Daegu, South Korea. He is an actor, known for A Bittersweet Life (2005), My Father (2007) and The Princess' Man (2011).

Bae Joo Hyun, known professionally as Irene, is a South Korean singer, rapper, television host, and model. She is a member and leader of the South Korean girl group Red Velvet. Irene was in Daegu, South Korea. Her family consists of her parents and a younger sister. She attended Haknam High School in Daegu. She joined SM Entertainment in 2009 and trained for five years. In December 2013, Irene was one of the second batch of trainees introduced as a member of SM Entertainment's pre-debut group, SM Rookies,

Han So-eun was born on 8 July 1993 in Daegu, South Korea. She is an actress, known for 18 Again (2020), By Quantum Physics: A Nightlife Venture (2019) and Death to Snow White (2024).

Park Ji-young was born on 25 December 1980 in Daegu, South Korea. She is an actress, known for Wok of Love (2018), Save Me (2017) and Dream High (2011).

Choi Seung Cheol, professionally known as S.Coups, is a rapper and leader of the South Korean idol group SEVENTEEN under Pledis Entertainment. He was born in Daegu, South Korea. He was a trainee for 6 years before his debut and was one of the original Pledis Boys. He was supposed to debut with NU'EST, another boy group under Pledis. His stage name S.Coups comes from: S - his name Sungcheol, Coups - Coup d'état. He created his stage name himself. His role models are Uknow Yunho, G-Dragon and Zico.

Yu Geon was born on 21 January 1983 in Daegu, South Korea. He is an actor, known for My Mighty Princess (2008), That Winter, the Wind Blows (2013) and Dasepo Naughty Girls (2006).