Kim Myung-min

Career

Early years

Kim Myung-min debuted as an actor when he won the 6th SBS public talent audition in 1996. Over the next five years he appeared in a number of television series in various supporting roles.

Kim' first leading role came with critically appraised 2001 horror film Sorum, the feature debut of the director Yoon Jong-chan, telling the story of a taxi driver moving into a decrepit building that hides several dark secrets. For this part Kim received Best New Actor award at 2001 Busan Film Critics Awards and Director's Cut Awards

Building on his new status of a lead actor, Kim started to work on several film projects, many of which however ended unfinished, mostly due to financial problems. At that time he also suffered from injuries incurred while he was shooting action scenes.

When he starred in the 2004 KBS family drama More Beautiful than a Flower, he was expected to have a successful career as a lead actor. However, he was badly injured while performing a stunt and his film contracts kept being withdrawn. This series of unfortunate events led him to quit stage acting in 2004. Kim then decided to end his acting career and emigrate to New Zealand with his family following the birth of his son. A turning point came in his career when he was given the opportunity to play the lead role in the 2004-2005 historical drama Immortal Admiral Yi Sun-sin after producers viewed his work in More Beautiful than a Flower. The 104-episode TV series based on the life of Korea's hero of the Imjin War put Kim in the spotlight and brought him a host of awards including Grand Prize at KBS Drama Awards.

Mainstream success

Kim was then cast in leading roles, playing a comical ex-gangster in Bad Family and a detective in Open City. He then played a surgeon in two productions: the television series White Tower and film Wide Awake. White Tower was a critical and ratings hit in South Korea, gaining praise for its acting (particularly by Kim), writing, direction, and its intelligent and uncompromising story without concessions to melodrama or romance. Kim won the Best Actor awards at the year-end Baeksang Arts Awards and Grimae Awards, and was chosen as the Best Performer of the year by producers.

Subsequently, his performance as a maestro in the 2008 TV series Beethoven Virus created a sensation in Korea referred to as "Kang Mae Syndrome" and again earned him acclaim from critics and viewers. Kim received the Grand Prize (Daesang) at the MBC Drama Awards and his second Baeksang for Best Actor in television. In late 2008, it was announced that his next project was a film about a character living with Lou Gehrig's disease, titled Closer to Heaven. To realistically portray the role of the dying patient, Kim painstakingly lost 20 kilos during the course of the filming. Kim was widely commended for this feat, and won Best Actor Awards in Korea's leading film ceremonies, the 46th Grand Bell Awards and the 30th Blue Dragon Film Awards. Closer to Heaven was followed by another film, Man of Vendetta, where Kim portrayed the role of a father for the first time.

In January 2011, Kim took on the role of Joseon's Sherlock Holmes in historical comedy-mystery film Detective K: Secret of the Virtuous Widow. He then starred in sports movie, Pacemaker, where he played a marathon runner. Summer of 2012 saw Kim as a pharmaceutical agent in disaster movie Deranged. The film, directed by Park Jung-woo became the fastest Korean film in 2012 to reach 2 million admissions, eight days after its July 5 release date. and topped the box office for three consecutive weeks. Kim then starred in The Spies, his second collaboration with Woo Min-ho, director of his 2010 film, Man of Vendetta. The film is centered on a North Korean agent and his three comrades who are working undercover in South Korea.

Kim made a comeback to the small screen after four years in satire dramedy The King of Dramas, where he played a drama production company CEO. He next played a brilliant but cynical lawyer who gets into an accident and loses his memory in A New Leaf (2014). In 2015, Kim reprised his role as Detective K in Detective K: Secret of the Lost Island, the second installment in the Detective K series. The historical television series Six Flying Dragons followed, in which he played Jeong Do-jeon, who served as the first prime minister of the Joseon dynasty. He next starred in the disaster film Pandora, portraying the aftermath of an explosion in a nuclear plant. Crime drama Proof of Innocence followed, where Kim played a former cop-turned-legal broker.

In 2017, Kim starred in the noir film V.I.P, playing a police detective.; followed by mystery thriller A Day. The same year, he was cast in the period comedy film Monstrum. In 2018, Kim again reprised his role as Detective K in Detective K: Secret of the Living Dead, the third installment in the Detective K series. The same year, he returned to the small screen in the melodrama The Miracle We Met. which won him another Grand Prize at the KBS Drama Awards. In 2019, Kim starred in the war film The Battle of Jangsari. In 2021, he starred in the legal drama series Law School playing a prosecutor-turned-professor who teaches criminal law. In 2022, it was reported that the contract with agency C-JeS Entertainment Kim's has expired. Later the same day it was confirmed that the original agency contract had expired.

Filmography

Film

Television series

Music video appearances

Discography

Ambassadorship

• 2010 Seoul National University Bundang Hospital Goodwill Ambassador
• 2009 Korea Dental Association, "Ambassador for Oral Hygiene"
• 2008 Kia Soul CUV
• 2007 Oral Health Care Campaign, "OQ Publicity Ambassador"
• 2007 National Election Commission, "Clean Election Publicity Ambassador"
• 2007 Yeon-se Severance Health Publicity Ambassador
• 2006 National Pension Service
• 2005 Social Welfare Society
• 2005 The Great Admiral Lee Soon-shin Festival

Awards and nominations

Listicles

Notes

References

References

1. link
2. Lee, Ji-young. (23 February 2015). "KIM Myung-min of DETECTIVE K: SECRET OF THE LOST ISLAND: "I hope this film series will be remembered by the film industry"".
3. (18 September 2018). "Bankable Actor KIM Myung-min".
4. (18 June 2010). "Actor faces a new test: Faith".
5. (16 April 2013). "Entertainment Weekly - Meeting with Actor 'Kim Myung Min' (2013.04.11)".
6. link. (2024-08-29 last retrieved: 16 April 2000)
7. link. (2018-02-12 last retrieved: 16 April 2000)
8. link. (2024-08-29 last retrieved: 16 April 2000)
9. (22 August 2007). "Intensity and sense of purpose create the materials for a star".
10. (26 June 2017). "Star Zoom In : Kim Myungmin [Entertainment Weekly / 2017.06.26]".
11. (15 August 2005). "Admiral Yi Sun-shin moves nation". [[The Korea Herald]].
12. Hancinema: [http://www.hancinema.net/immortal-admiral-yi-sun-shin-gains-popularity-in-china-2667.html "Immortal Admiral Yi Sun-shin" Gains Popularity in China] {{Webarchive. link. (2008-12-01 last retrieved: 7 December 2008)
13. (27 June 2007). "Kim Myung-min Casted In Movie, "Open City"". Broasia.
14. (9 January 2008). "SON Ye-jin and KIM Myeong-min tangle in "Open City"". Korean Film Biz Zone.
15. (16 March 2007). "Kim Myung-min Still Haunted by 'White Tower' Role".
16. (9 July 2007). "Kim Myung-min, "You can expect a different image from 'White Tower'"". Broasia.
17. (February 13, 2007). "TV Review: In the White Tower, all you need is power". [[Korea JoongAng Daily]].
18. (May 22, 2007). "Korea in the Grip of U.S. Soap Fever". [[The Chosun Ilbo]].
19. Hancinema: [http://www.hancinema.net/kang-mae-syndrome-sweeps-marketing-16462.html Kang "Mae Syndrome" Sweeps Marketing] last retrieved: 7 December 2008
20. (26 September 2008). "Beethoven Virus Interview with Kim Myung-min".
21. (19 December 2008). "PARK Jin-pyo casts KIM Myung-min".
22. (26 September 2009). "Kim Myung-min Goes to the Edge for New Film".
23. link. (2024-08-29 ". ''Korea JoongAng Daily''. 4 December 2009. Retrieved on 11 November 2009.)
24. (20 January 2011). "Actors enliven uncanny period adventure".
25. (4 January 2012). "'Pacemaker' fetes unsung sports heroes".
26. (24 August 2011). "Kim Myung-min cast in {{sic".
27. link. (2018-02-12 ". ''Korean Film Biz Zone''. 18 July 2012. Retrieved on 23 September 2012.)
28. link. (2016-03-03 ". ''10Asia'', 16 July 2012. Retrieved on 23 September 2012.)
29. (21 September 2012). "'The Spy,' 'Covertness' offer different takes on espionage".
30. link. (2013-12-15 . ''10Asia'', 25 July 2012. Retrieved on 23 September 2012.)
31. (30 April 2014). "Managing expectations".
32. Tae, Sang-joon. (16 June 2014). "DETECTIVE K: LABORER'S DAUGHTER to Crankin in June".
33. (27 October 2015). "Kim Myung-min to once again immerse in character".
34. (22 September 2015). "Who are the 'Six Flying Dragons'?".
35. (4 December 2016). "Disaster movie 'Pandora' rings true more than ever".
36. (2 June 2016). "[In-depth] "Proof of Innocence" Kim Myung-min, "I want to try to be a psychopath one day"". [[The Asia Business Daily]].
37. (18 August 2017). "Star-studded cast comes together to stop killer".
38. (28 July 2017). "'Mulgoe' wraps up three months of filming".
39. (2 February 2018). "Hit period comedy 'Detective K' returns for round 3".
40. (5 February 2018). "Actor Kim Myung-min to return to small screen with new KBS 2TV drama".
41. (August 22, 2019). "'Battle of Jangsari' stars honor forgotten heroes".
42. "Law School | Netflix Official Site".
43. link. Kim. Hyun-jeong. X-ports News. (June 2, 2022)
44. link. Park. Jeong-min. Newsen. (June 2, 2022)
45. (1 January 2006). "TV Networks Hand Out Awards". [[The Korea Times]].
46. (16 February 2007). "Song Il-gook Voted TV Performer of the Year". [[KBS World]].
47. (7 January 2008). "2007 Year-end Korean drama awards round-up".
48. (29 February 2008). "TV Producers Pick the Year's Favorites". [[KBS World]].
49. (2 January 2009). "MBC Should Be Ashamed of Farcical Awards". [[The Chosun Ilbo]].
50. (2 November 2008). "Actor Kim Wins Top Prize at Korea Drama Festival Awards". [[The Korea Times]].
51. Han, Sang-hee. (8 November 2009). "Grand Bell Film Fest Puzzles Movie Fans".
52. (18 June 2015). "Kim Myung-min and Son Hyun-joo, TOP actors". [[Nate (web portal).
53. link. Woo. Bin. (January 1, 2019). Ten Asia
54. (July 19, 2010). "In Pictures: Korea's Power Celebrity List". [[Forbes]].
55. 조선일보. (2021-01-18). "[공식] 영화진흥위원회, 韓배우 200인 선정..'Korean Actors 200' 해외 홍보 나선다".
56. "KOREAN ACTORS 200".
57. (2020-01-02). link