Ahn Jae-wook
South Korean actor and singer (born 1971)
title: "Ahn Jae-wook" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["korean-mandopop-singers", "south-korean-pop-rock-singers", "20th-century-south-korean-male-singers", "south-korean-male-musical-theatre-actors", "south-korean-male-stage-actors", "south-korean-male-film-actors", "south-korean-male-television-actors", "seoul-institute-of-the-arts-alumni", "male-actors-from-seoul", "people-from-seongbuk-district", "1971-births", "living-people", "21st-century-south-korean-male-singers", "singers-from-seoul", "best-new-actor-paeksang-arts-award-(television)-winners"] description: "South Korean actor and singer (born 1971)" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahn_Jae-wook" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary South Korean actor and singer (born 1971) ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox person"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Ahn Jae-wook |
| image | 180430 안재욱.jpg |
| caption | Ahn in April 2018 |
| birth_date | |
| birth_place | Donam-dong, Seongbuk District, Seoul, South Korea |
| occupation | Actor, singer |
| years_active | 1994–present |
| education | Seoul Institute of the Arts – Theater (1994) |
| Yonsei University Graduate School of Public Administration – Social Welfare | |
| agent | {{plainlist |
| spouse | |
| children | 2 |
| website | |
| module | {{Infobox Korean name/auto |
| hangul | %안재욱 |
| :: |
| name = Ahn Jae-wook | image = 180430 안재욱.jpg | caption = Ahn in April 2018 | birth_date = | birth_place = Donam-dong, Seongbuk District, Seoul, South Korea | occupation = Actor, singer | years_active = 1994–present | education = Seoul Institute of the Arts – Theater (1994) Yonsei University Graduate School of Public Administration – Social Welfare | agent = {{plainlist|
- EA&C
- Universal D | spouse = | children = 2 | website = | module = {{Infobox Korean name/auto|child=yes|headercolor=transparent | hangul = %안재욱
Ahn Jae-wook (; born October 30, 1971) is a South Korean actor and singer.
Career
Ahn Jae-wook spent most of his childhood in his hometown, the district of Donam-dong in Seoul, before graduating from Seoul Institute of the Arts, where he majored in theater. After graduating in 1994, Ahn made his acting debut in Song of a Blind Bird, which was based on a real-life story, followed by supporting roles in several 1995–96 television series such as Hotel and Their Embrace. In 1997 he and costar Choi Jin-sil shot to stardom in the highly popular trendy drama Star in My Heart, which reached ratings of over 49%. It not only ignited trends in hairstyle, fashion and products featured in the series, Ahn also became a Korean Wave star, extending his popularity to China, Japan and Southeast Asian countries, and his role as Lee Kang-min in that drama earned him the sobriquet "Nation's Boyfriend".
Star in My Heart likewise kick-started Ahn's music career. Forever, which was featured in the series' ending during the concert of his character Kang Min, sold over 700,000 copies, and became the title song of his debut album. He continued to compose and sing over the years, holding numerous concerts in Japan and China, and releasing albums such as Memories and Reds in Ahn Jae-wook.
In 1998, he played lead roles in three films – Rub Love with Lee Ji-eun, Tie a Yellow Ribbon with Kim Hye-soo, and First Kiss with Choi Ji-woo—but did not meet with box office success despite his popularity at the time. He also starred in Garden of Heaven with Lee Eun-ju in 2003, and the Korea-Japan telecinema project Triangle in 2009.
Instead, Ahn focused on the small screen, appearing in over 10 television series from the late 1990s and throughout the 2000s. Among these were Goodbye My Love with Kim Hee-sun, Oh Pil-seung and Bong Soon-young (also known as Oh Feel Young) with Chae Rim, and I Love You (also known as Saranghae) with Seo Ji-hye.
As he entered his forties and his matinee idol status gave way to younger actors, Ahn returned to his stage roots. He played Daniel in Jack the Ripper (a Korean adaptation of the Czech musical **) from 2009 to 2011, then reprised the role in the musical's run in Tokyo, Japan in 2012.
To commemorate the 50th anniversary of broadcaster MBC, Ahn headlined Lights and Shadows in 2011. The sprawling drama, which spotlights Korean show business against the backdrop of history in the 1960s to the 1980s, was number one in its timeslot for 20 consecutive weeks.
Ahn then played the title role in the 2012 Korean staging of Rudolf, a musical about the 1889 Mayerling Incident involving the Crown Prince of Austria.
In February 2013 Ahn underwent brain surgery in the U.S. for a subarachnoid hemorrhage. After resting for a year, Ahn returned to work in April 2014 via the musical Le Roi Soleil. He celebrated his 20th anniversary in entertainment by holding a concert titled One Fine Day in October 2014.
In September 2017, It was confirmed that Ahn will be a fixed cast member in Netflix's variety show Busted!. Ahn's involvement in a drunk driving incident in February 2019 caused him to be omitted in the promotions of Busted's second season - including removal from the opening credits and promotional posters, as well as to skip the already-scheduled musical "Hero".
Personal life
Ahn married musical theatre actress Choi Hyun-joo on June 1, 2015. The couple met in 2014 when they were cast as lovers in the stage musical Rudolf. The couple have a daughter and a son.
Filmography
Television series
::data[format=table]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Traveler in Heaven | ||
| Song of a Blind Bird | Kang Young Woo | ||
| 1994–1997 | Partner | Oh Min Soo | |
| 1995 | Make A Song | ||
| Hotel | Yeong Pal | ||
| Love and War | |||
| 1996 | Their Embrace | Ji Yun Woo | |
| Salted Mackerel | Sang Woo | ||
| 1997 | Star in My Heart | Kang Min Hee | |
| 1997–1998 | Revenge and Passion | Kang Joon Ho | |
| 1998–1999 | Sunflower | Dr. Jang Hyun Woo | |
| 1999 | Goodbye My Love | Chang Min Soo | |
| 2000 | Bad Friends | Kim Kang Seok | |
| 2000–2001 | Mothers and Sisters | Kong Su Chul | |
| 2003 | The Fairy and The Swindler | Jung Jae Kyung | |
| 2004 | Match Made in Heaven | Kim Suk Koo | |
| Oh Feel Young | Oh Pil Seung | ||
| 2006 | Mr. Goodbye | Yoon Hyun Suh | |
| 2008 | I Love You | Suk Chul Soo | |
| 2011–2012 | Lights and Shadows | Kang Ki Tae | |
| 2012 | Faith | Eun Soo's ex-boyfriend | ep 1 cameo |
| 2016 | Five Enough | Lee Sang Tae | |
| 2021 | Mouse | Han Seo-joon | |
| 2022 | The Driver | Ha Tae-joon | |
| The Empire | Na Geun-woo | ||
| 2023 | Not Others | Jin-hong | |
| 2025 | For Eagle Brothers | Han Dong-seok | |
| :: |
Film
::data[format=table]
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Rub Love | Jo Han |
| Tie a Yellow Ribbon | Joon Hyuk | |
| First Kiss | Han Kyeong Hyeon | |
| 2003 | Garden of Heaven | Choi Oh Sung |
| 2009 | Triangle | Ryu Sang Woo |
| :: |
Variety shows
::data[format=table]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Pot Stand | Host | |
| 2018–2019 | Busted! | Cast member | Season 1–2 |
| 2023 | Oh Eun-young Game | Judge | |
| :: |
Radio program
- 2007–2008: Mr. Radio (KBS Cool FM)
Theater
- 1995: Baby
- 1996: 한평 반짜리 혁명
- 1997: Butterflies Are Free
- 1998: Guys and Dolls
- 2009: Jack the Ripper
- 2010: Jack the Ripper
- 2010: Rock of Ages
- 2011: Jack the Ripper
- 2012: Jack the Ripper
- 2012–2013: Rudolf
- 2014: Le Roi Soleil
- 2014–2015: Rudolf
- 2022–2023: Dracula as Dracula
- 2023: Harlan County as John
Discography
::data[format=table]
| Album information | Track listing |
|---|---|
| Forever | {{hidden |
| Memories | {{hidden |
| Yesterday | {{hidden |
| Reds in Ahn Jae-wook | {{hidden |
| 사랑,이별 그리고... | {{hidden |
| Sounds Like You | {{hidden |
| 사랑의 향기는 설레임을 타고 온다 | {{hidden |
| 그녀에게 | {{hidden |
| Best Album | {{hidden |
| 사랑에 살다 | {{hidden |
| 청춘 | {{hidden |
| Jack the Ripper | {{hidden |
| At This Moment | {{hidden |
| 하늘아 제발 / 바람 | {{hidden |
| 너라는 하늘 | {{hidden |
| :: |
Awards and nominations
::data[format=table]
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | 13th MBC Drama Awards | Best New Actor | ||
| 1996 | 8th Baeksang Arts Awards | Best New Actor in TV | Love and War | |
| 15th MBC Drama Awards | Excellence Award, Actor | |||
| 1997 | KBS Song Festival | Top 10 Singer | ||
| Best New Singer | ||||
| 16th MBC Drama Awards | Best Couple Award | Ahn Jae-wook (with Choi Jin-sil) | ||
| Star in My Heart | ||||
| Popularity Award | Star in My Heart | |||
| 1998 | 19th Blue Dragon Film Awards | Best New Actor | Tie a Yellow Ribbon | |
| 2000 | 19th MBC Drama Awards | Top Excellence Award, Actor | Bad Friends | |
| Mothers and Sisters | ||||
| 2001 | Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism | Today's Young Artist Award | ||
| 2004 | 18th KBS Drama Awards | Top Excellence Award, Actor | Oh Feel Young | |
| Best Couple Award | Ahn Jae-wook (with Park Sun-young) | |||
| Oh Feel Young | ||||
| Grimae Awards | Best Actor | Oh Feel Young | ||
| 2007 | 6th KBS Entertainment Awards | Best Radio DJ | Mr. Radio | |
| 2010 | Seoul Art and Culture Awards | World Star Award | ||
| 2016 | 5th APAN Star Awards | Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Serial Drama | Five Enough | |
| 30th KBS Drama Awards | Daesang (Grand Prize) | |||
| Top Excellence Award, Actor | ||||
| Excellence Award, Actor in a Serial Drama | ||||
| 2025 | 11th APAN Star Awards | Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Serial Drama | For Eagle Brothers | |
| 39th KBS Drama Awards | Grand Prize (Daesang) | |||
| Best Couple Award | Ahn Jae-wook (with Uhm Ji-won) | |||
| For Eagle Brothers | ||||
| :: |
References
References
- Hong, Lucia. (August 19, 2011). "Ahn Jae-wook to hold summer camp with 400 fans". 10Asia.
- Seo, Ji-eun. (July 8, 2008). "Automakers try to make stars of their cars". [[Korea JoongAng Daily]].
- (November 24, 2003). "Actor Ahn Jae-wook and Actress Kim Hee-sun Most Popular in China". [[The Chosun Ilbo]].
- "타비몽 : 네이버 블로그".
- Lee, Min-a. (February 8, 2007). "Waves of teenage screams sweep across Jeju island as hallyu celebrates". [[Korea JoongAng Daily]].
- Kwon, Mee-yoo. (February 10, 2008). "Dramas Adapt New Way of Production". [[The Korea Times]].
- Kwon, Mee-yoo (July 5, 2011). [https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/art/2012/03/145_90265.html "Ahn Jae-wook returns with Jack the Ripper"] {{Webarchive. link. (March 4, 2016 . ''[[The Korea Times]]''. Retrieved 3 April 2012.)
- Hwang, Hyo-jin. (July 5, 2011). "At the rehearsal for musical ''Jack the Ripper''". 10Asia.
- link. (March 13, 2012 . ''[[The Korea Herald]]''. Retrieved 29 March 2012.)
- Hong, Lucia. (May 2, 2012). "Super Junior Sungmin's musical ''Jack the Ripper'' to open in Japan". 10Asia.
- Kwon, Mee-yoo. (September 18, 2012). "Musical as next ''hallyu''". [[The Korea Times]].
- Park, So-jung. (September 28, 2011). "Ahn Jae-wook to star in upcoming series". 10Asia.
- Lee, Hye-ji. (July 4, 2012). "''Light and Shadow'' keeps No. 1 status till last episode". 10Asia.
- (January 2, 2013). "2013.01.02 TICKET". [[Korea JoongAng Daily]].
- (February 6, 2013). "Korean actor Ahn Jae-wook receives surgery in U.S.". [[Yonhap]].
- (February 6, 2013). "Korean actor Ahn Jae-wook receives surgery in U.S.". [[The Korea Herald]].
- (February 7, 2013). "Ahn Jae-wook Has Emergency Brain Surgery". [[The Chosun Ilbo]].
- Sunwoo, Carla. (February 7, 2013). "Ahn Jae-wook rushed to brain surgery". [[Korea JoongAng Daily]].
- (March 5, 2013). "Korean actor Ahn returns home after getting surgery in US". [[The Korea Times]].
- (January 29, 2014). "Ahn, Shin to star in musical ''Sun King''". [[The Korea Times]].
- Lee, Sung-eun. (September 22, 2014). "Ahn Jae-wook celebrates 20 years".
- (April 5, 2018). "Netflix announces star-studded reality show".
- "안재욱, 음주운전 사과…'영웅' 측 "향후 일정? 확인 중" [공식입장]".
- (June 2, 2015). "Actor Ahn Jae-wook ties knot with musical actress".
- (June 1, 2015). "Actor Ahn Jae-wook ties knot with musical actress".
- (March 31, 2015). "Ahn Jae Wook Surprises Girlfriend with Romantic Proposal".
- Ha, Su-jeong. "'9살 연하♥' 안재욱, 반백살에 학부모 됐다..가족 총출동".
- link. (November 27, 2020)
- link. Kang Nae-ri. [[YTN]]. [[Naver]]. (August 18, 2021)
- link. Kim Na-young. MK SPORTS. (January 10, 2022)
- link. Kim So-yeon. [[The Korea Economic Daily]]. (September 9, 2021)
- link. Han Seon Han. [[Star News (South Korea). Star News]]. (September 9, 2021)
- link. Hwang Hye-jin. Newsen. (March 9, 2023)
- link. [[Osen (newspaper). OSEN]]. Jang. Woo-young. (December 16, 2024)
- link. Jang Woo-young. [[Osen (newspaper). OSEN]]. (December 19, 2022)
- link. Kang Jin-ah. [[Newsis]]. (October 11, 2022)
- link. Kang Jin-ah. [[Newsis]]. (April 4, 2023)
- link. Kumkang Ilbo. Cho. Eun-soo. (December 30, 2025)
- link. Park. Ha-na. News 1. (December 31, 2025)
- link. Choi. Ji-yoon. [[Newsis]]. (December 31, 2025)
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