Biography of Namkoong Min
Actor, director and screenwriter Namkoong Min, who made his significant breakthrough with the super-hit comedy television drama, ‘Good Manager’, is one of the leading stars in the South Korean entertainment industry. He gained popularity with his notable roles in films, including ‘A Dirty Carnival’, ‘Remember: War of the Son’, ‘One Dollar Lawyer’, ‘The Veil’, ‘Doctor Prisoner’, ‘Beautiful Gong Shim’, and ‘Falsify’.
Early Life and Education
Namkoong Min was born on 12 March 1978 in Seoul, South Korea. His father, Namkoong Hwon, was a principal at Sinneung Middle School, whereas the name of his mother and her profession are unknown to the public yet. He spent his childhood with his brother Namkoong Yoon.
He completed his schooling at Daesung High School in Eunpyeong-gu and Ilsan Seongsa Elementary School. Afterwards, Namkoong Min enrolled at Chung-Ang University and graduated in Mechanical Engineering. Next, after his graduation, he worked as a Social Service Agent at Korea Army Training Centre for 18 months in Nonsan.
Career
Namkoong Min started his entertainment career in 1999 after winning the KMTV Music Star Contest. He debuted his career in acting in 2001 with the film, ‘Bungee Jumping of Their Own’, as Kim Sung-chul co-starring Lee Byung-hun and Lee Eun-ju in lead roles. Eventually appeared in a South Korean film, ‘Bad Guy’, directed by Kim Ki-duk. He played the boyfriend role of the female lead, Sun-hwa.
He made his debut television appearance in 2002 with the drama, ‘Dae Bak Family’ and gained public attention for his outstanding performance in the series. Immediately after, he appeared in five back-to-back projects in 2003, such as ‘Rose Fence’, ‘Drama City – ‘To William’, ‘Wedding Story – My Love My Oppa’, ‘Pearl Necklace’ and ‘HDTV Literature “Mould Flower’.
In 2004, Namkoong Min gained more audience prominence with his role in a South Korean single episode short drama, ‘Drama City – ‘After Love’, as Eun-jae. The same year, the brilliant actor was cast in the television series, ‘My Lovely Family’, in the role of Ahn Jin-gook, which increased his recognition.
Subsequently, he received acclaim for a 2006 South Korean neo-noir action film, ‘A Dirty Carnival’ by Yoo Ha. Although he played several roles in South Korean television series and movies till 2011, he gained global popularity after his lead performance in the series, ‘Listen to My Heart’, co-starring Kim Jaewon and Hwang Jung-eum. In 2014, he starred in a South Korean mystery rom-com television series named ‘My Secret Hotel’.
His hard work paid off after winning the ‘Best Villain award for his role in the 2015 South Korean television series, ‘A Girl Who Sees Smells’ as Chef Kwon Jae-hee, a serial killer. The following year, Namkoong Min’s role as the lead protagonist Kim Sung-ryong in the television series, ‘Good Manager’, was the breakout role in his entire career as of 2023. He was also appreciated for his perfect acting and character portrayal in the series. He was seen in three other series, ‘Man to Man’, ‘Falsify’ and ‘Drama Special – ‘You Are Closer Than I Think’.
He returned to the big screen in 2017 with the South Korean action comedy film, ‘Part-Time Spy’ as Min-seok, starring alongside Kang Ye-won and Han Chae-ah in the lead roles. He received plenty of praise for his role in the television series, ‘Falsify’, a story about reporters struggling to get to the truth of social corruption.
In 2018, he played a lead role in the South Korean television series, ‘The Undateables’ alongside Hwang Jung-eum. His role in this series as Kang Hoon-nam, a relationship expert who does not believe in love, garnered him global recognition.
One of the favourite stars of South Korea, Namkoong Min, starred in the television series, ‘Doctor Prisoner’ in the lead roles with Kwon Nara, Choi Won-young and Kim Byung-chu in 2019.
His role as Baek Seung-soo in the television drama ‘Hot Stove League’ from 2019 to 2020 received critical appreciation for his excellent acting skills and high-quality script. His lead co-actors were Park Eun-bin, Oh Jung-se, and Jo Byeong-kyu.
In 2021, he renewed his contract with 935 Entertainment. It is his third contract renewal. In the same year, he appeared in two television series, ‘Awaken’ by Kim Jung-hyun and ‘The Veil’ by Kim Sung-yong.
The South Korean television series, ‘One Dollar Lawyer’, starring Min, Kim Ji-eun, Choi Dae-hoon, Lee Deok-hwa, and Park Jin-woo in the lead role with Namkoong Min, was his only television drama in 2022. His prominent role in the series, Chun Ji-hoon, a legal hero, made him prevalent worldwide.
He made a cameo appearance in the television series, ‘Taxi Driver’ in 2023, starring Kim Eui-sung, Pyo, Lee Je-hoon, Ye-jin, Jang Hyuk-jin, Bae Yoo-ram with Esom in the first season and Shin Jae-ha in the second season.
As of 2023, the South Korean television series, ‘Lovers’, by Kim Sung Yong, about a love story between a mysterious man and a noblewoman, is the latest drama of Namkoong Min.
Achievements
One of the promising South Korean actors, Namkoong Min, who works under the agency 935 Entertainment, has acted in over 35 television series, eight films and several television shows as of 2023.He gained popularity through his excellent acting skills and has achieved a ton in his career. Here are some of his significant achievements.
- Recently, Namkoong Min became the new model of the fashion editing shop ‘WELLMADE’ on 6 February 2023.
- He won the SBS Drama Award for Top Excellence in Acting in 2016.
- He was among the top 10 stars in the SBS Drama Awards 2016.
- In 2017, he won the SBS Drama Award for Top Excellence in Acting.
Military Life
Soon after graduating in Mechanical Engineering from Chung-Ang University, the South Korean actor Namkoong Min performed as a Social Service Agent at Korea Army Training Center for 18 months in Nonsan.
Personal Life
Since late 2015, the South Korean actor Namkoong Min has reportedly been in a relationship with model Jin Ah-reum. After six years of dating, the couple married on 7 October 2022 at Hotel Shilla in Seoul in a private ceremony, surrounded by their close-knit friends and family.
Net Worth and Lifestyle
Namkoong Min is one of the most famous television actors in South Korea, who has over 30 years of successful acting career. He has won several awards and recognitions for his excellent acting skills and also earned a lot from his career.
Based on reports, the estimated net worth of Namkoong Min is around 12 million US Dollars.
Awards
- APAN Star Awards 2016
Excellence Award, Actor in a Miniseries – ‘Remember: War of the Son’ (2016) - Asia Artist Awards 2016
Best Celebrity Award, Actor – ‘Remember: War of the Son’ (2016) - Asia Artist Awards 2017
Best Artist Award, Actor – ‘Good Manager’ (2017) - Grimae Awards 2020
Best Actor – ‘Hot Stove League’ (2020) - KBS Drama Awards 2003
Best Actor in a One-Act/Special Drama – ‘To William’ (2003) - KBS Drama Awards 2005
Popularity Award – ‘My Rosy Life’ (2005) - KBS Drama Awards 2017
Top Excellence Award, Actor – ‘Good Manager’ (2017) - KBS Drama Awards 2017
Best Couple Award – Namkoong Min with Lee Jun-ho – ‘Good Manager’ (2017) - KBS Entertainment Awards 2016
Best Entertainer Award — Variety Show Category – ‘Singing Battle’ (2016) - Kinolights Awards 2022
Actor of The Year (Domestic) – ‘One Dollar Lawyer’ (2022) - KMTV Music Star Contest 1999
VJ Grand Prize (1999) - Korean Broadcasting Awards 2017
Best Actor – ‘Good Manager’ (2017) - Korea PD Awards 2021
Best Actor – ‘Hot Stove League’ (2021) - MBC Drama Awards 2021
Grand Prize (Daesang) – ‘The Veil’ (2021) - MBC Entertainment Awards 2014
New Star of the Year – ‘We Got Married’ (2014) - SBS Drama Awards 2015
Special Award, Actor in a Miniseries – ‘The Girl Who Sees Smells’ (2015) - SBS Drama Awards 2016
Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Romantic Comedy Drama – ‘Beautiful Gong Shim’ (2016) - SBS Drama Awards 201
Top 10 Stars – ‘Remember: War of the Son’, ‘Beautiful Gong Shim’ (2016) - SBS Drama Awards 2017
Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Monday–Tuesday Drama – ‘Falsify’ (2017) - SBS Drama Awards 2020
Grand Prize (Daesang) – ‘Hot Stove League’ (2020) - SBS Drama Awards 2022
Director’s Award – ‘One Dollar Lawyer’ (2022)
Interesting Facts About Namkoong Min
- Namkoong Min’s nickname is Little Bae Yong-joon.
- Namkoong Min gained public recognition for his role in the movie ‘A Dirty Carnival’.
- Namkoong Min put on 17 kilograms for Han Ji-hyuk, his lead role in the drama, ‘The Veil’.
- Namkoong Min loves wearing watches.
- Namkoong Min married his girlfriend, Jin Ah-reum, on 7 October 2022.
Credit: Pinterest
FAQs
- What is the Instagram ID of Namkoong Min?
The Instagram ID of Namkoong Min is min_namkoong. - Where was Namkoong Min born?
Namkoong Min was born in Seoul, South Korea. - What is the debut film of the actor Namkoong Min?
‘Bungee Jumping of Their Own’ is the debut film of the actor Namkoong Min.
