Byun Yo-han

Acting

Byun Yo-han

Born 1986-04-29 · Incheon, South Korea

Byun Yo-han (born April 29, 1986) is a South Korean actor celebrated for his depth, expressive eyes, and mastery across film, television, and even musical theater. Unlike many stars who debut in mainstream projects, he meticulously built his career on the foundation of the independent film scene. Byun Yo-han is an alumnus of the prestigious Korea National University of Arts (KNUA), a training ground for many of Korea’s top actors. During his student years, he dedicated himself to the craft, appearing in over 30 short and independent films starting in 2011. This period gave him the experience to tackle nuanced, unconventional roles early in his career, such as his lead performance in the independent hit film Socialphobia (2015). His professional breakthrough came in 2014 with the cable television series, Misaeng: Incomplete Life. Playing Han Seok-yool, the overly talkative, slightly eccentric, but ultimately deeply empathetic intern with long, messy hair, Byun captured the imagination of the public. He won the Best New Actor award at the APAN Star Awards, launching him from an unknown indie darling into a recognized television star. Following Misaeng, Byun quickly cemented his status as a talented lead actor in historical dramas, a genre that demands powerful presence and technical skill. Six Flying Dragons (2015–2016): He took on the epic role of Ddang-sae / Lee Bang-ji, a tragic figure who becomes the legendary master swordsman. The demanding physical and emotional scope of the 50-episode sageuk earned him critical praise and an Excellence Award at the SBS Drama Awards. Mr. Sunshine (2018): In one of the highest-rated dramas in cable history, Byun starred as Kim Hee-sung, the wealthy, sensitive fiancé to the female lead. His portrayal of a man trapped by his family's dark history and the era's changing politics showcased a lighter, yet profoundly melancholic, side to his acting. While maintaining a strong television presence, Byun Yo-han consistently returned to film to challenge himself with diverse characters. In 2021, he starred in the black-and-white historical drama The Book of Fish, delivering a standout performance as Chang-dae, a zealous Confucian scholar. This role earned him multiple nominations for Best Actor. His film career reached a new peak with the 2022 naval blockbuster, Hansan: Rising Dragon, where he played the pivotal antagonist, Wakizaka Yasuharu, a cunning Japanese commander and rival to Admiral Yi Sun-sin. Byun's portrayal was widely praised for its intensity, leading him to win the Best Supporting Actor prize at prestigious ceremonies including the Baeksang Arts Awards, Blue Dragon Film Awards, and Grand Bell Awards. Most recently, Byun Yo-han has starred in the Disney+ political drama Uncle Samsik (2024) and the dark thriller series Black Out (2024), continuing to demonstrate his preference for complex, character-driven narratives. Byun Yo-han’s career is defined by his versatility and his deep commitment to the emotional truth of every role, making him one of South Korea's most trusted and acclaimed contemporary actors.

Acting credits

Pavane poster
7.3

Three lonely strangers meet at their department store jobs and find solace in each other's company while they explore connection and the nature of love.

Pavane

2026

Cold Eyes poster
7.5

Ha Yoon-ju becomes the newest member of a unit within the Korean Police Forces Special Crime Department that specializes in surveillance activities on high-profile criminals. She teams up with Hwang Sang-jun, the veteran leader of the unit, and tries to track down James who is the cold-hearted leader of an armed criminal organization.

Cold Eyes

2013

Hansan: Rising Dragon poster
6.5

In 1592, admiral Yi Sun-sin and his fleet face off against the might of the invading Japanese navy and its formidable warships. As the Korean forces fall into crisis, the admiral resorts to using his secret weapon, the dragon head ships known as geobukseon, in order to change the tide of this epic battle at sea.

Hansan: Rising Dragon

2022

No Tears for the Dead poster
7.3

A hitman accidentally kills a little girl. Filled with regret, he wants to quit. But then to tie up loose ends, he is forced to go on another job, to kill the girl's mother.

No Tears for the Dead

2014

The Journey to Gyeong-ju poster
9.0

Eight years ago, the youngest daughter, Gyeong-ju, disappeared during a school field trip to Gyeongju and never came home alive. On what would have been her birthday, her mother Ok-sil and her three daughters—Jang-ju, Young-ju, and Dong-ju—put on matching family T-shirts and set off for Gyeongju, the place where Gyeong-ju vanished, in what appears to be a family trip to honor her memory. But beneath the cheerful façade lies a deadly secret. In the trunk of their van is a bound and unconscious man zipped inside a plastic bag.

The Journey to Gyeong-ju

2026

Believer 2 poster
6.7

A determined detective continues his search for the truth behind Asia's largest drug organization and its elusive boss he has unfinished business with.

Believer 2

2023

On the Line poster
7.7

Seo-joon, loses everything to voice phishing and infiltrates a organization in China to meet Kwak Pro, the designer behind this phishing system.

On the Line

2021

No artwork available
NR

No synopsis available yet.

Gulf of Aden

The Book of Fish poster
7.8

When the scholar Jeong Yak-jeon is exiled to Heuksando Island during the Catholic Persecution of 1801, he decides to write a fish-based encyclopaedia.

The Book of Fish

2021

Will You Be There poster
7.2

A terminally ill surgeon travels back in time through the use of unique capsules to reunite with his dead lover. He then meets his juvenile self and they try to prevent her death.

Will You Be There

2016

Following poster
7.0

A realtor who loves sneaking into people's homes finds the dead body of a scamming social media influencer – can he find out who did it?

Following

2024

A Day poster
7.7

Three years ago, a father saved his daughter's life. After she's involved in a car accident, it looks like he'll have to do it again, no matter how many attempts it takes.

A Day

2017

The Secret Scandal poster
6.5

A reporter and a prosecutor investigate the death of an actress, and in the process come into conflict with a group of very powerful people. Based on the true story of actress Jang Ja-yeon's suicide.

The Secret Scandal

2013

Tazza: The Song of Beelzebub poster
NR

No synopsis available yet.

Tazza: The Song of Beelzebub

2026

Madonna poster
5.9

A hospital caregiver tries to stop an unidentified female ER patient, in a brain dead state and pregnant, from becoming a heart donor for a VIP patient.

Madonna

2015

Run to the West poster
5.1

An action movie of people trapped in the middle between the world and the afterlife, and the grim reapers who seek to destroy their souls.

Run to the West

2025

Shaving poster
NR

Three years after escaping an abusive relationship, Suyeon retreats to her father's rural mansion to rebuild her life, writing horror fiction by day. When her caring boyfriend Shinji arrives for the holidays, a strange cut from a rusted razor sets something in motion. Something that wears his face but isn't him anymore. Isolated, with nowhere to run, they can no longer tell nightmare from reality as something begins to hunt them down.

Shaving

The Sun Stands Still poster
6.7

Kazuhiko Takano and Ryoichi Taoka are industrial spies. A conspiracy exits behind the technology which can shake the political and economic world in Japan. Takano faces Korean spy Kim, a mysterious woman Ayako and powerful men from various countries.

The Sun Stands Still

2021

My Father's Table poster
NR

A wife diagnosed with a condition that stops her from cooking! Cooking for the first time in his life is hard enough... But penalty points if it tastes bad, and 10 points mean DIVORCE?!

My Father's Table

2026

Tylenol poster
NR

Jong-su has a job interview for a pharmaceutical company. He checks all predictable questions but it turns out that...

Tylenol

2015

Working on Saturday poster
8.0

Do-yeon, an Internet installer, meets a young girl who is guarding her house alone at an applicant's house. Do-yeon could not leave her alone

Working on Saturday

2011

No artwork available
NR

No synopsis available yet.

An Dong

Socialphobia poster
7.4

A woman is attacked by Internet users after posting provocative remarks online. Using her personal information, they go to her place but what they find is her body; she took her own life. Who made her kill herself? Or, was she killed by someone else?

Socialphobia

2015

손 없는 날 poster
NR

No synopsis available yet.

손 없는 날