Story
From a daily-drama lead in 2010 to the Cannes red carpet in 2026
Ji Chang-wook made his screen debut in 2008 with a small part in the omnibus film Sleeping Beauty. Two years later he took his first leading role, as the title character of KBS's daily drama Smile, Dong-hae (2010–11). Alongside the screen, he built a stage career in musicals including Thrill Me, Jack the Ripper and The Days.
Leading roles in SBS's historical action drama Warrior Baek Dong-soo (2011) and MBC's Empress Ki (2013–14), in which he played Ta Hwan, brought him wider recognition, including an Excellence Award at the 2013 MBC Drama Awards.
Healer (KBS2, 2014–15), in which he played an odd-job man who works under the name "Healer", became a hit with audiences across Asia and earned him the Popularity and Best Couple awards at the 2014 KBS Drama Awards. Action and romance followed in tvN's The K2 (2016), the film Fabricated City (2017) and SBS's Suspicious Partner (2017).
After completing his military service in April 2019, he returned with tvN's Melting Me Softly and went on to lead Backstreet Rookie (2020), Lovestruck in the City (2020–21), Netflix's musical fantasy The Sound of Magic (2022) and If You Wish Upon Me (2022). In 2023 he received the Next Generation Award at the Asian Film Awards.
His recent work has ranged widely: an undercover police officer in Disney+'s The Worst of Evil (2023); the Jeju-set JTBC drama Welcome to Samdal-ri (2023–24), which earned him the Top Excellence Award at the 2024 APAN Star Awards; a villainous turn in Disney+'s Gangnam B-Side (2024); and King Gogukcheon in TVING's Queen Woo (2024). On film he played the caller behind a bomb threat in Hard Hit (2021) and won Best Supporting Actor at the 2024 Korean Film Producers Association Awards for Revolver.
He led Disney+'s action series The Manipulated (2025) and joined the ensemble of Yeon Sang-ho's film Colony, which premiered in the Midnight Screenings at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival and drew more than five million viewers in Korea. In 2026 he starred as Cho Won in Netflix's Joseon-era series The Scandal. Next come Merry Berry Love, a Korean-Japanese romantic comedy premiering on Disney+ on 7 October 2026, JTBC's Human X Gumiho, and Yoon Jong-bin's Netflix film The Generals. He is represented by Spring Company.
Photo: Portrait: Photo courtesy of Spring Company · Story photo: Republic of Korea (Korea.net) / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Timeline
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2008
Screen debut in Sleeping Beauty
A small part in one segment of the omnibus film Sleeping Beauty.
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2010
First leading role in Smile, Dong-hae
Played the title role in KBS1's daily drama, which ran into 2011.
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2013
MBC Drama Awards Excellence Award for Empress Ki
Recognised for his role as Ta Hwan in MBC's historical drama.
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2014
Healer becomes a hit across Asia
Won the Popularity and Best Couple awards at the 2014 KBS Drama Awards.
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2019
Returns from military service with Melting Me Softly
Completed his military service in April 2019 and returned to the screen in tvN's Melting Me Softly that September.
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2013
Best New Actor at The Musical Awards
Recognised for his stage work at the 7th Musical Awards, alongside his screen career.
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2023
Asian Film Awards Next Generation Award
Honoured at the 16th Asian Film Awards.
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2024
APAN Star Awards Top Excellence Award
Won for his role in JTBC's Welcome to Samdal-ri.
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2024
Best Supporting Actor for Revolver
Won at the 11th Korean Film Producers Association Awards for his role as Andy in Revolver.
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2026
Colony premieres at Cannes
Yeon Sang-ho's Colony premiered in the Midnight Screenings at the Cannes Film Festival and went on to draw more than five million viewers in Korea.