One of the most respected actors within Chungmuro, but not quite as familiar to mainstream audiences, Yonsei University graduate KIM Jae-rok started appearing in films in the mid-1990s. His unique physiognomy and taciturn characters led to parts in <The Eternal Empire> (1995), HUR Jin-ho’s <Christmas in August> (1998), <Marathon> (2005) and <Mr. Socrates> (2005), among many others. However, he was afforded the opportunity to shine in a leading part ...More

One of the most respected actors within Chungmuro, but not quite as familiar to mainstream audiences, Yonsei University graduate KIM Jae-rok started appearing in films in the mid-1990s. His unique physiognomy and taciturn characters led to parts in <The Eternal Empire> (1995), HUR Jin-ho’s <Christmas in August> (1998), <Marathon> (2005) and <Mr. Socrates> (2005), among many others. However, he was afforded the opportunity to shine in a leading part in the small but highly acclaimed indie <Host & Guest> (2006), in which he played a grouchy ex-professor with a grudge against the world who begins an unlikely friendship with a young missionary. Though more mainstream roles followed, namely in <A Man Who Was Superman> (2008) and <Postman to Heaven> (2009), KIM became a darling of the indie realm, racking stacks of credits in acclaimed films, such as SHIN Su-won’s <Passerby #3> (2010) and <Pluto> (2012), KIM Ki-duk’s <Pieta> (2012), <Moebius> (2013) and <One on One> (2014), the KIM Ki-duk produced <Poongsan> (2011) and <Red Family> (2013) and YEON Sang-ho’s <The King of Pigs> (2011), among others.Less