Kim Jae-wook (김재욱) is a South Korean actor, model, and musician born on April 2, 1983, in Seoul. He spent part of his childhood in Japan, where his father worked as a journalist, before returning to South Korea at the age of seven. He began his career as a model at age 17 and is also the guitarist for the rock band Walrus.
He made his acting debut in 2002 in the series Ruler of Your Own World, but it was in 2007 that he rose to fame thanks to his role as No Sun-ki in Coffee Prince. The series became a huge hit in Asia and truly launched his career. The following year, he appeared in The Kingdom of the Winds and made his film debut in Antique, where his performance earned him the Best New Actor award at the Korean Culture Entertainment Awards.
After appearing in several roles in Bad Guy, Marry Me, Mary! and Who Are You?, Kim Jae-wook completed his military service before returning to the spotlight. He went on to distinguish himself in a wide variety of roles, notably as the serial killer Mo Tae-gu in Voice in 2017. This role marked a turning point in his career and demonstrated his ability to portray complex characters.
In 2018, he played one of the lead roles in the fantasy series The Guest, in which he plays an exorcist priest. The following year, he won over a large international audience with his role as Ryan Gold in the romantic comedy Her Private Life, alongside Park Min-young.
In 2022, he returns as the headliner of Crazy Love, in which he plays Noh Go-jin, a brilliant but eccentric academy director. In 2024, he made a notable appearance in the second part of Death's Game before moving on to two Netflix productions in 2025: Dear Hongrang, in which he plays Prince Han Pyeong, and Melo Movie, in which he plays Ko Jun.
In 2026, Kim Jae-wook returns to a leading role in Secret Audit (The Files of Love). Alongside his on-screen career, he has also made a name for himself on stage in musicals Hedwig and the Angry Inch and Amadeus. Thanks to his natural elegance, his charisma, and his ability to switch seamlessly between thrillers, romances, and fantasy, he is now considered one of the most versatile actors of his generation.
