Oh Young Soo, Youn Yuh Jung, Bong Joon Ho and More South Korean Stars Who Made it Big in Hollywood
Viewers are seeing the global phenomenon of K-contents, thanks to the popularity of "Parasite," "Squid Game," "Minari," and more.
Moreover, the massive fame of Kdramas and movies have brought monumental achievements to Korea, not to mention several record-breaking histories made by some personalities.
From Academy Award winners Bong Joon Ho, Youn Yuh Jung to Oh Young Soo, who recently won at the Golden Globes 2022, here are the South Korean stars and personalities who made it big in Hollywood.
Oh Young Soo
"Squid Game" scored three nods at the 79th Golden Globe Awards, but only the veteran actor took home a trophy.
Oh Young Soo bagged Best Supporting Actor for Golden Globes 2022 and surpassed his fellow nominees such as Kieran Culkin of "Succession," Brett Goldstein of "Ted Lasso," as well as Billy Crudup and Mark Duplass, both from "The Morning Show."
Apart from it, the 77-year-old actor became the first-ever South Korean to win the title at the prestigious ceremony. The award-winning actor expressed his gratitude towards his family and the public.
READ MORE: 'Squid Game' Star Oh Young Soo Becomes the First Ever Korean to Win Best Supporting Actor at the Golden Globes
"After hearing the news of the award, I told myself, 'I'm a decent guy,' for the first time in my life." He said, adding, "Now, it's no longer 'us within the world,' but it's 'the world within us.' While embracing the scent of our culture and while embracing the love for my family deep in my heart, I give thanks to everyone in the world. I hope you all live beautiful lives. Thank you."
To recall, he wowed the audience with his stellar performance as player number 001, Oh Il Nam, in "Squid Game."
Youn Yuh Jung
In 2021, Youn Yuh Jung moved everyone with her hilarious speech at the Oscars 2021 after taking home Best Supporting Actress for the movie "Minari."
Apart from thanking the director Lee Isaac Chung, the veteran actress had a mini starstruck moment with Brad Pitt, who awarded her the category.
"Mr. Brad Pitt, finally, nice to meet you," she said and jokingly added, "Where were you when we were filming? I'm very honored to meet you."
Youn Yuh Jung made history as the first South Korean actor and the second Asian to win a Best Supporting title at the Academy Awards.
Bong Joon Ho
Not only did "Parasite" captivate the hearts of its global audience but director Bong Joon Ho became the first South Korean filmmaker to bag the Best Director award at the 92nd Academy Awards.
In addition, he is also the second foreign-language film director to bring home the title after Mexican filmmaker Alfonso Cuarón won the same award in 2018.
Over his acceptance speech, he recognized his seniors Quentin Tarantino for "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Todd Phillips for "Joker," and especially Martin Scorsese, who mentioned that his works "carved deep" into his heart.
Lee Byung Hun
Being a renowned actor in South Korea, Lee Byung Hun carved his name in Hollywood with numerous notable films.
He made his debut in the U.S after landing the role of Storm Shadow in "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra." He reprised his role in the sequel, "G.I. Koe: Retaliation" and also starred in "Terminator Genisys," "Red 2," and "The Magnificent Seven."
Adding to his achievements, Lee Byung Hyun also became the first South Korean actor to present an award at the Oscars.
Bae Doona
The 42-year-old award-winning actress made her Hollywood debut in the 2012 movie "Cloud Atlas" directed by the Wachowskis and Tom Tykwer.
Years later, she reunited with the Wachowskis in the 2015 sci-fi film "Jupiter Ascending."
Her Hollywood projects continued and she appeared as one of the lead stars in the American science fiction series "Sense8" created by the Wachowskis and co-written by J. Michael Straczynski.
