Park Sung-woong is a South Korean actor who began his career in 1997 and has since established himself as one of the most recognizable faces in the country’s film and television industries. After graduating with a law degree, he pursued his primary interest in acting and appeared in his first film, a gangster comedy titled ‘No. 3’. He gradually gained prominence as an actor and made his television debut in 2002 with ‘Sunshine Hunting’ and ‘A Happy Woman’. As he developed as an actor, the length of the supporting roles he played increased significantly. He then appeared in critically acclaimed films such as ‘Mr. Socrates’ and ‘Sunflower,’ the latter of which was selected for distribution in North America by an American distribution company. However, the meatiest roles came his way only recently, when he starred in series such as ‘Hidden Identity’ and ‘Man to Man’. In terms of awards, he was nominated by nearly every major award organization for his film ‘New World’ and won the Special Acting Award for his role in the television series ‘Remember: War of the Son’. Since 2008, he has been married to actress Shin Eun-jung.
Childhood & Adolescence
Park Sung-woong was born on 9th January 1973 in Chungcheong, South Korea into a well-established middle-class conservative family. Though he was a gifted child, he was not permitted to think creatively. However, Park’s inner voice always suggested something else. He participated in sports during his high school years, and as a rebellious adolescent as he was, he wasn’t looking forward to taking a significant risk with his career by entering show business.
He excelled academically and aspired to be a lawyer, and thus studied law at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies.
However, the plays he continued to perform hooked Park on acting, and his passion for it grew along with him.
When he was forced to make a career choice, he chose to follow his passion and relocated to Seoul. After some deliberation, he made up his mind and began auditioning. However, he was well aware that a newcomer’s struggle can quickly devolve into a nightmare. Soon after, he was cast in the 1997 film ‘No. 3’, which launched his film career.
Career of Park
Park had a minor role in the 1997 low-budget gangster comedy ‘No. 3’, which was lauded for launching the careers of a number of its actors, as well as writer/director Song Nung-han. Park wasted no time in securing additional roles and appeared in a minor role in the 1998 film ‘Story of Man’.
Being a part of critically acclaimed films became a habit for Park after he appeared in ‘If the Sun Rises in the West’ and a small but significant role in ‘City of the Rising Sun’ a few months later.
‘Resurrection of the Little Match Girl’ became Park’s first film to garner critical acclaim at international film festivals in 2002.
Additionally, it was screened at the London Film Festival and the Fantasia International Film Festival. And the following year, Park made his television debut, appearing in a supporting role in the series ‘Sunshine Hunting’.
Although it was a popular medium in South Korea and some of the most prominent actors used it to grow their fan bases, Park stayed away from it for a long period of time following his debut. He had decided to appear on television only if he was offered interesting roles.
Meanwhile, film roles continued to pour in, and he ended up playing a pivotal role in the film ‘This Charming Girl’ as the female lead’s ex-husband. The film, which screened at numerous international film festivals, also became one of the most financially successful South Korean films of 2005. Needless to say, starring in these critically acclaimed films elevated Park to the ranks of some of South Korea’s most accomplished actors at the time.
In 2006, he was cast in the film ‘Sunflower,’ which told the story of a gangster whose plans to start a new life as an honest man were derailed by circumstance. The film received widespread praise for its cast members’ performances and was also a moderate box office success.
He returned to television in 2007 with the romantic drama series ‘A Happy Woman’ and the following year joined ‘The Legend,’ a period drama in which he played Jumuchi, a lord of the Gwanmi fortress.
He appeared in a supporting role in the suspense thriller ‘White Night’ in 2009. The film was a critical and commercial success, which helped Park land similar roles with more opportunity to perform.
In 2013, he starred in one of the lead roles in the crime drama ‘New World,’ for which he received widespread praise for his performance. This demonstrated that Park possessed all of the necessary skills for larger roles, and as a result, he began receiving offers to play the lead and other significant roles. As a result, he became more selective in his casting.
He also appeared in the horror anthology film ‘Horror Stories 2’ in 2013, where he played a pivotal role as a manager in the segment ‘444’, and on television in the same year, where he played a pivotal role in the brief series ‘She Is Wow!’
In what can be considered his busiest year professionally, 2014 saw him play pivotal roles in five consecutive films. He began his career with a significant cameo in the film ‘Man in Love’, followed by a role as a prosecutor in the film ‘Man on High Heels’ and a prominent role in the critically acclaimed drama ‘For the Emperor’.
2015 began with the release of the crime thriller ‘The Deal,’ and Park appeared in several other critically acclaimed films that year.
He has starred in films such as ‘The Shameless’ and ‘Office’. He was offered the lead role in the police procedural crime thriller drama ‘Hidden Identity’ and co-starred in the romantic drama ‘Remember: War of the Son’. He won the Special Acting Award at the SBS Drama Awards that year for his role in the series.
The string of significant roles continued into 2017, as he appeared as a prosecutor in ‘The Tooth and the Nail’ and is set to appear in three back-to-back films in the latter part of the year.
Park is best known for his strong script sense, which he has maintained to this day. Additionally, Park serves as a guest lecturer at Seoul University.
Private Life of Park
Park Sung-woong shuns the spotlight offstage and keeps his private life private. On the set of ‘The Legend,’ he met actress Shin Eun-jung. Their encounter developed into a relationship, and the couple married on 18th October 2008.
Estimated Net Worth
The net worth of Park is about $5 million.