Son Hyun-joo

Son Hyun-joo (손현주, born June 24, 1965) is one of South Korean cinema and television's most reliably magnetic character actors. Active since 1991, he built his reputation across decades of supporting roles before a string of late-career leading performances rewrote his legacy entirely. Two back-to-back unexpected hits defined his ascent: The Chaser (2012), a critically acclaimed revenge drama that outperformed every expectation, and Hide and Seek (2013), a mystery thriller that made him a bona fide box office draw. In 2017, he won Best Actor at the 39th Moscow International Film Festival for Ordinary Person, placing him on an international stage. On television, Son anchored Empire of Gold (2013) and The Chronicles of Evil (2015), before taking on the procedural lead in The Good Detective (2020-2022), one of KBS2's highest-rated crime dramas. He followed with Captivating the King (2024) and Your Honor (2025), cementing a run of primetime anchors few actors his generation can match. In 2026, Son joins the Netflix superhero ensemble The WONDERfools alongside Park Eun-bin and Cha Eun-woo, directed by Yoo In-sik. He is managed by Blade Entertainment.