Byun Hee-bong

Acting

Byun Hee-bong

Born — Died

1942-06-08 — 2023-09-18

Place of birth

Jangseong, South Jeolla, South Korea

Known for

Acting

Credits

62 titles

Byun Hee-bong (Korean: 변희봉; born Byun In-chul; June 8, 1942 – September 18, 2023) was a Korean actor, known for his frequent collaborations with filmmaker Bong Joon-ho.

Known for

The Host poster
7.0

A teenage girl is captured by a giant mutated squid-like creature that appears from Seoul's Han River after toxic waste was dumped in it, prompting her family into a frantic search for her.

The Host

2006

Memories of Murder poster
8.1

A sadistic serial rapist and murderer of young women terrorizes a small province in 1980s South Korea. To prevent further crimes, three increasingly desperate detectives with conflicting methods race against time to unravel the violent mind of the killer in a futile effort to solve the case.

Memories of Murder

2003

My Lawyer, Mr. Jo poster
5.2

Jo Deul-Ho, who came from a poor family background, is a promising prosecutor, but he can't ignore the corruption at his workplace. He becomes a whistle-blower and loses everything. Jo Deul-Ho then works to become a lawyer.

My Lawyer, Mr. Jo

2016

Pinocchio poster
8.2

In-ha and Ha-myeong become reporters for different reasons: one aspires to follow in her mother's footsteps and the other seeks to do honest news.

Pinocchio

2014

The Sons of Sol Pharmacy House poster
7.7

Song Jin Poong is the eldest of four sons and works hard to earn money to support his family. He is also a man who cannot forget his first love. His mother, Ok Hee, wants him to get married because he is already 38 years old. Ok Hee believes that her sons are great catches and any woman would be lucky enough to marry them, however, their neighbors feel differently as each son has an unique problem.

The Sons of Sol Pharmacy House

2009

My Girlfriend Is a Gumiho poster
7.2

After meeting a mysterious yet very beautiful girl, a wannabe action star discovers that she's, in fact, a gumiho – a legendary fox with nine tails.

My Girlfriend Is a Gumiho

2010

Film credits

2010s · 8 titles

Okja poster
7.3

A young girl named Mija risks everything to prevent a powerful, multi-national company from kidnapping her best friend - a massive animal named Okja.

Okja

2017

The Spies poster
6.9

Kim, a North Korean spy, lives in South Korea for 22 years and is contacted unexpectedly by his superior. His team plans to complete an earlier mission and steal the target's large stockpile of cash.

The Spies

2012

Haunters poster
6.4

Cho-in has special powers that allow him to control everyone he can see, that is until he meets Kyu-nam, the only person he can't control. A series of events begins a confrontation that pushes both men to the brink.

Haunters

2010

By Quantum Physics: A Nightlife Venture poster
6.0

An advocate of the concept ‘thoughts create reality’, Chan-woo endeavors to realize his dream of running a high-end nightclub when he finds himself caught in the center of a power game in the criminal underworld.

By Quantum Physics: A Nightlife Venture

2019

Mr. Go poster
6.6

A 15-year-old circus ringmaster Wei-wei is left all alone with gorilla Ling-ling after grandfather passes away. Thanks to her grandfather's love for baseball, Ling-ling was trained to play baseball and has developed remarkable hitting skills.

Mr. Go

2013

I Am the King poster
6.1

King Taejong of Joseon decides to name Grand Prince Chungnyeong, his third son, as the heir apparent to the throne. Pressured by the decision, Chungnyeong decides to escape the palace.

I Am the King

2012

In Love and the War poster
7.0

In June 1950, soon after the start of the Korean War, a troop of North Korean soldiers enter a small South Korean village. Captain Jeong-woong proclaims that they came to liberate the villagers but their true agenda is to ferret out the reactionaries. The villagers and Seol-hee, who is separated from her fiance on her wedding day, offer them heartfelt hospitality and cooperation to avoid falling out of the army's favor. Eventually friendships starts to build up between the soldiers and the villagers.

In Love and the War

2011

Habitat poster
NR

After sudden unification, the Korean peninsula is struggling with economic chaos. An old laborer, Chan-ki, receives a new high-tech telephone from his son in China and goes to seek help from his neighbor, as he does not know how to use it.

Habitat

2018

2000s · 21 titles

The Host poster
7.0

A teenage girl is captured by a giant mutated squid-like creature that appears from Seoul's Han River after toxic waste was dumped in it, prompting her family into a frantic search for her.

The Host

2006

Memories of Murder poster
8.1

A sadistic serial rapist and murderer of young women terrorizes a small province in 1980s South Korea. To prevent further crimes, three increasingly desperate detectives with conflicting methods race against time to unravel the violent mind of the killer in a futile effort to solve the case.

Memories of Murder

2003

Barking Dogs Never Bite poster
6.8

An idle part-time college lecturer is annoyed by the yapping sound of a nearby dog. He decides to take drastic action.

Barking Dogs Never Bite

2000

Searching for the Elephant poster
4.9

Friends since childhood, three young professionals struggle with their compulsions—schizophrenia, sex addiction, and infidelity.

Searching for the Elephant

2009

Volcano High poster
6.0

Kim is expelled from his eighth school and finds himself at Volcano High where students fight to possess a treasured ancient document. Kim, who must resist from using his Chi, is caught in the middle.

Volcano High

2001

To Catch a Virgin Ghost poster
7.2

Seok-tae runs away with a huge diamond of his gang and comes to Sisily, a peaceful village. Yang-e runs after him to get the diamond back and finds Seok-tae's trail in Sisily. But all the town people lie about everything. These people turn out to be scarier than a ghost!

To Catch a Virgin Ghost

2004

Scent of Love poster
6.6

In-ha and Hee-jae were together in college and meet again after years. Their love is being tested when Hee-jae finds out she is ill.

Scent of Love

2003

Crying Fist poster
7.3

Tae-sik, a troubled middle aged man and Sang-hwan, a troubled youth will meet in the ring with their respective mission. To change their life.

Crying Fist

2005

Lovely Rivals poster
5.7

A teacher and her student compete for the affection of a handsome man.

Lovely Rivals

2004

Au Revoir, UFO poster
7.2

In a town where everyone believes in UFOs, a bus driver named Sam lives out his daydreams by making special radio programs for the passengers who ride his bus. A heartwarming story of a physically challenged but outgoing girl named Kate who falls in love with this timid but lovable bus driver.

Au Revoir, UFO

2004

My Teacher, Mr. Kim poster
7.4

A teacher attempts to lure his handful of students in a small, rural school to Seoul so that he can move on to a better school. His efforts backfire however, and his school becomes one of the highest ranked in the nation.

My Teacher, Mr. Kim

2003

Small Town Rivals poster
6.7

Cho Chun-sam and Noh Dae-gyu, now both in their thirties, are old friends who went to the same elementary school. In their school days, Chun-sam was always the ambitious class president, while Dae-gyu had to settle for a role as vice president. Twenty years later their roles are reversed: Chun-sam is now a humble farmer who has assumed the post of village chief in his hometown, while Dae-gyu is the newly elected county magistrate. At first, Chun-sam asks his old friend for favours regarding the development of his village, but these requests are turned down. Later, when Dae-gyu proposes building a nuclear waste disposal facility in the county, Chun-sam leads demonstrations against the plan, turning old friends into bitter rivals.

Small Town Rivals

2007

Detective Mr. Gong poster
4.7

Gong Pil-du is a detective recruited for his athletic skills and achievement, a bronze Universiade medalist in wrestling. Since then, however, he has had little success in his career, and remains a 40-year old bachelor with a terrible credit record. His greatest crisis comes when his beloved father needs money for crucial surgery. To get the money, Gong makes a deal with a vicious crime boss. This makes him more miserable than ever, as he is now suspected as a corrupt cop. Gong goes on a quest to prove his innocence. Will he be successful for once in his life?

Detective Mr. Gong

2006

Another Public Enemy poster
7.2

A criminal psychopath from a wealthy family is confronted with Chul-jung Kang, a former classmate who no longer likes his activities.

Another Public Enemy

2005

Making Memories of Murder poster
NR

Made in 2004, this extensive documentary chronicles the production and release of Memories of Murder.

Making Memories of Murder

2005

Sink & Rise poster
5.4

Under the Sungsan Bridge, in a waterside stand by the Han River, a poor and tired-looking father and daughter, Jae-mun, and In-seon, are arguing the generation gap over whether to buy boiled eggs or instant crackers. The stand owner Hee-bong hears Jae-mun suddenly declare that boiled eggs float.

Sink & Rise

2004

Spring Breeze poster
6.5

The cheapest and the stingiest! A man, who has never spent a dime on a date... A man, who prefers to double up on layers of thermals in the winter, instead of turning on the heater... A man, who insists on using his beeper in this 21st Century, a.k.a. The Age of Mobile Phones, to save his phone bill... He is the cheapest man alive! He's the infamous stingy writer, Seon-guk! As he wrestles with his unfinished (and very delayed) manuscript, an unexpected woman moves into his house. "I'm a respected man! I cannot live with a vulgar woman like her!"

Spring Breeze

2003

The Devil's Game poster
5.7

Struggling artist Min Hee-do is offered three billion won to bet his life to a game against a rich old man, Kang No-sik, who is dying from a terminal illness. The game is for each man to dial a random phone number and guess if the person who answers will be male or female. Hee-do loses the bet, and after a month long brain operation, he wakes up to find that they have swapped bodies.

The Devil's Game

2008

Lifting King Kong poster
7.0

Lee Ji-Bong is a former Olympics bronze medalist for weight-lifting, but a career-ending injury from the games forces him into early retirement. Unable to find another vocation, he becomes destitute. Down and out, he ends up working at a shady nightclub passing out flyers until he is visited by his former coach who insists he begin a career as a coach at a high school. There, he forms a weight-lifting team comprised of a rag-tag group of outcasts.

Lifting King Kong

2009

Digital Short Film Omnibus Project Twentidentity, Vol. 2 poster
NR

In order to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Korean Film Academy, 20 of the academy's former students (who are respected director's today) were invited to shoot an omnibus movie consisting of 20 short films. Overall this work was very well received by the critiques at the 17th Tokyo International Film Festival. The films include Twenty, Secrets and Lies, Looking for Sex, Race, A Runners High, Neighborhood, My Baby, It's different On Mobile Queen, At 2 O'clock and Sink & Rise.

Digital Short Film Omnibus Project Twentidentity, Vol. 2

2003

Mission Sex Control poster
6.5

In 1971 birth control was a major policy drive of the Korean government. Nevertheless, one poor farming village went against the trend, boasting the highest fertility rate in the country. This peaceful Yongdu Village receives an unwelcome visitor, the national family planning officer Hyun-joo, to oversee the villagers nocturnal pleasures. However as a single lady with little experience of her own, Hyun-joo finds it nearly impossible persuade the residents to use contraception. She finally appoints the village head Suk-gu as the local support officer and thus begins the “0% Birth Rate Project.” Appointing him brings more turmoil to the villagers and when the President comes to inspect…

Mission Sex Control

2006

1980s · 8 titles

Series credits

My Lawyer, Mr. Jo poster
5.2

Jo Deul-Ho, who came from a poor family background, is a promising prosecutor, but he can't ignore the corruption at his workplace. He becomes a whistle-blower and loses everything. Jo Deul-Ho then works to become a lawyer.

My Lawyer, Mr. Jo

2016

Pinocchio poster
8.2

In-ha and Ha-myeong become reporters for different reasons: one aspires to follow in her mother's footsteps and the other seeks to do honest news.

Pinocchio

2014

The Sons of Sol Pharmacy House poster
7.7

Song Jin Poong is the eldest of four sons and works hard to earn money to support his family. He is also a man who cannot forget his first love. His mother, Ok Hee, wants him to get married because he is already 38 years old. Ok Hee believes that her sons are great catches and any woman would be lucky enough to marry them, however, their neighbors feel differently as each son has an unique problem.

The Sons of Sol Pharmacy House

2009

My Girlfriend Is a Gumiho poster
7.2

After meeting a mysterious yet very beautiful girl, a wannabe action star discovers that she's, in fact, a gumiho – a legendary fox with nine tails.

My Girlfriend Is a Gumiho

2010

Funny Princes poster
NR

Four brothers living like a prince under the care of their father, need suddenly to adapt to their new life upon the death of their father and the bankruptcy of their company...

Funny Princes

2000

Windy Mi Poong poster
6.1

The romance between a bright woman, Mi-Poong, who defected from North Korea and a man, Jang-Go, in Seoul who is a stickler for the rules. Conflicts also arise over a 100 billion won inheritance.

Windy Mi Poong

2016

The Goddess of Fire poster
3.2

Joseon porcelain, the pinnacle of science and art in East Asia at the end of the 16th century. Jeong-i, the first female potter of Joseon and a woman of fire revered as the founder of Japan's Shintaro porcelain, known as the "Burning White Wave." Gwanghae, the turbulent Crown Prince who loved her yet had to let her go. This story portrays her fierce artistic spirit and love. Set against the backdrop of Joseon—the source of life itself, rather than Japan where the Buddhist pagoda was erected—it follows a life and love that burned like a flame.

The Goddess of Fire

2013

Save the Family poster
4.5

Jung Woo Jin is an ambitious doctor. After he failed in love, he no longer believes in true love. He views marriage as just a business. Meanwhile, Lee Hae Soo works as an assistant chef. She dreams of getting married to the right man and having a family. Then, Woo Jin falls in love with Hae Soo and He comes into conflict with love and ambition.

Save the Family

2015

Trap poster
6.8

Kang Woo Hyun is a respected anchor at a broadcasting station. He is a devout and happy father, who enjoys being surrounded by his charming family. He decides to try his luck in politics. One day, on a trip he makes with his family, a tragic incident happens. Meanwhile, Go Dong Kook, a veteran detective, who doesn't stop at anything until a case is solved, decides to take the case of Kang Woo Hyun and sets out to investigate what lies behind the tragic incident.

Trap

2019

My Girl poster
7.7

A woman with a gift for lying is employed by a chaebol heir to act as his long-lost cousin. To keep up the charade for his family, the two must live under the same roof, but their growing attraction to each other poses a problem for pretending to be relatives.

My Girl

2005

Behind the White Tower poster
8.0

Based on renowned Japanese novelist Yamazaki Toyoko's representative work Shiroi Kyotō, the drama brings viewers deep into the political inner workings of the medical field by taking a satirical look at malpractice and power plays at a university hospital, and contrasting the paths and personalities of two doctors.

Behind the White Tower

2007

Grudge: The Revolt of Gumiho poster
2.8

For the sin of falling in love with a human, Gumiho gives birth to a daughter and enters the world of humans in order to protect her young, tender child. However, Yun Dusu, the man who chose her, is the father of a dying daughter. In order to obtain a liver to save his beloved, illness-stricken daughter, he is forced to do the unthinkable: to kill Yeoni, the daughter of Gumiho. Unaware of this fact, Gumiho opens her heart to Dusu, who protects her as if she is family, and once again falls in love with a human, ultimately suffering for it. And the one man who falls in love with Gumiho, a nonhuman with more humanity than any human, realizes he truly loves her and attempts to make their love work.

Grudge: The Revolt of Gumiho

2010

Madame Antoine poster
6.3

A cunning cafe owner becomes entangled in a psychotherapist's secret experiment, where her keen senses and hidden motives challenge his research at every turn.

Madame Antoine

2016

Yu Hee, the Witch poster
5.3

As the director of her father's advertising company, Ma Yoo Hee is known as a witch for her ruthless, no nonsense character. After a string of failed attempts to hire a housekeeper, she (literally) runs into Chae Moo Ryong, ex-medical student turned aspiring chef. As a way to work off his debt for crashing into her car, he agrees to become her housekeeper and personal love affairs coach for one month. Gladly, he gives her a makeover that attracts both her old friend Johnny Kruger and her first love Joon Ha. Despite having a girlfriend, Sung Mi, Moo Ryong eventually finds himself falling for Yoo Hee.

Yu Hee, the Witch

2007

Damo poster
6.1

Damo is a 2003 South Korean fusion historical drama, starring Ha Ji-won, Lee Seo-jin, and Kim Min-joon. Set in the Joseon Dynasty, it tells the story of Chae-ok, a damo relegated to the low-status job of a female police detective who investigates crimes involving women of the upper class. Chae-ok shares a forbidden love with her mentor and superior Hwangbo Yoon, but while working undercover on a counterfeit ring case, she finds herself drawn to Jang Sung-baek, the mysterious leader of the rebel army she has infiltrated. It aired on MBC from July 28 to September 9, 2003 on Mondays and Tuesdays at 21:55 for 14 episodes.

Damo

2003

Flower Grandpa Investigative Team poster
6.2

The story about three detectives in their 20's who transform into old men in their 70's overnight and one elite detective who luckily stays young as himself. The drama will comically tell the story of the three detectives trying to regain their young bodies back.

Flower Grandpa Investigative Team

2014

Great Inheritance poster
5.6

Great Inheritance is a 2006 South Korean television drama starring Kim Jaewon and Han Ji-min. It aired on KBS2 from May 3 to June 29, 2006 on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 21:55 for 17 episodes.

Great Inheritance

2006

Ohlala Couple poster
6.5

A married couple gets divorced because of a husband’s adultery. ‘Ohlala Couple’ is a comical family drama about the surreal happenings of this couple as they find their bodies are switched by an accident one day!

Ohlala Couple

2012

Secret poster
4.4

Ji Eun finds out her sister Hee Jung is the daughter of a famous fashion designer and takes over her place as a real daughter. Ji Eun loses her sense of morality as gets into deeper sin out of jealousy toward Hee Jung who also steals both Jun Ho and Young Min's heart. The fashion designer doesn't have the luxury of enjoying the love of her real daughter, Hee Jung when she dies of leukemia. Ji Eun at last realizes unconditional love of this fashion designer and Hee Jung's forgiveness toward her.

Secret

2000

Green Rose poster
7.0

Green Rose is a 2005 South Korean television series that aired on SBS from 19 March to 29 May 2005 on Saturdays and Sundays at 21:45 for 22 episodes. Starring Go Soo, Lee Da-hae, Lee Jong-hyuk and Kim Seo-hyung, Green Rose interweaves romance into a story of revenge to offer a fascinating drama.

Green Rose

2005

나이거참 poster
NR

No synopsis available yet.

나이거참

2019

No artwork available
NR

No synopsis available yet.

아버지

1993

No artwork available
NR

No synopsis available yet.

사랑이라 부르는 것

1993