Koo Kyo Hwan

Koo Kyo Hwan (구교환; born December 14, 1982) is a South Korean actor and film director signed to Namoo Actors. Born in Seoul, he enrolled at the Seoul Institute of the Arts intending to study acting, but mistakenly applied to the film department, gaining training in directing, cinematography, producing, and editing alongside performance -- a dual fluency that defines his career. He made his acting debut in the 2009 film Children, directed by his classmate Yoon Sung-hyun.

Koo first drew serious industry attention with the 2016 independent film Jane, in which he played a transgender woman. To prepare, he lost 10 kg and developed a specific high-pitched vocal delivery. The performance won him Actor of the Year at the Busan International Film Festival. His transition into commercial cinema came with the blockbuster Peninsula (2020) -- the sequel to Train to Busan -- where he played the menacing Captain Seo. He followed that with the ensemble war-thriller Escape from Mogadishu (2021), and gained a generation of new fans through Netflix's military drama D.P. (2021-2023).

In 2025 he delivered two back-to-back performances: the psychological thriller Once We Were Us (만약에 우리) and a flashback role in the action film Mantis (사마귀). He stars in the highly anticipated 2026 action spectacle Colony (군체) alongside Jun Ji-hyun and Ji Chang-wook. He has been in a relationship with film director Lee Ok-seop since 2013.