fashion model A model is a person with a role either to display commercial products (notably fashion clothing in fashion shows) or to serve as an artist's model. Modelling ("modeling" in American English) entails using one's body to represent someone ...

Kick the Moon ''Kick the Moon'' () is a 2001 South Korean comedy-drama film directed by Kim Sang-jin. Plot Ten years ago, a legendary fighter named Choi Gi-dong and a timid straight-A student named Park Young-joon leave for a high school field trip to Gyeongj ...

Jail Breakers ''Jail Breakers'' () is a 2002 South Korean comedy film directed by Kim Sang-jin and starring Sul Kyung-gu, Cha Seung-won, and Song Yoon-ah. It was a box office hit with a total of 3,073,919 admissions nationwide, making it the 4th highest grossi ...

My Teacher, Mr. Kim ''My Teacher, Mr. Kim'' () is a 2003 in film, 2003 South Korean comedy-drama film about a man's transformation from a flawed scoundrel into a conscientious teacher when he gets transferred to a rural village school. Plot Kim Bong-doo is a young te ...

period Period may refer to: Common uses * Period (punctuation) * Era, a length or span of time *Menstruation, commonly referred to as a "period" Arts, entertainment, and media * Period (music), a concept in musical composition * Periodic sentence (o ...

thriller Thriller may refer to: * Thriller (genre), a broad genre of literature, film and television ** Thriller film, a film genre under the general thriller genre Comics * ''Thriller'' (DC Comics), a comic book series published 1983–84 by DC Comics i ...

Blood Rain Blood rain or red rain is a phenomenon in which blood is perceived to fall from the sky in the form of rain. Cases have been recorded since Homer's ''Iliad'', composed approximately 8th century BC, and are widespread. Before the 17th century it ...

melodrama A melodrama is a Drama, dramatic work in which plot, typically sensationalized for a strong emotional appeal, takes precedence over detailed characterization. Melodrama is "an exaggerated version of drama". Melodramas typically concentrate on ...

My Son My or MY may refer to: Arts and entertainment * My (radio station), a Malaysian radio station * Little My, a fictional character in the Moomins universe * ''My'' (album), by Edyta Górniak * ''My'' (EP), by Cho Mi-yeon Business * Marke ...

television series A television show, TV program (), or simply a TV show, is the general reference to any content produced for viewing on a television set that is broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, and cable, or distributed digitally on streaming plat ...

Bodyguard A bodyguard (or close protection officer/operative) is a type of security guard, government law enforcement officer, or servicemember who protects an very important person, important person or group of people, such as high-ranking public offic ...

City Hall In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or municipal hall (in the Philippines) is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses the city o ...

A Korean Odyssey ''A Korean Odyssey'' () is a South Korean fantasy television series starring Lee Seung-gi, Cha Seung-won, Oh Yeon-seo, Lee Hong-gi, and Jang Gwang. Written by the Hong sisters, the drama is a modern spin-off of the Chinese classic 16th-centur ...

Our Blues ''Our Blues'' () is a 2022 South Korean television series starring Lee Byung-hun, Shin Min-a, Cha Seung-won, Lee Jung-eun, Uhm Jung-hwa, Han Ji-min, and Kim Woo-bin. The series revolves around the sweet and bitter lives of people at the end, c ...

Sungkyunkwan University Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU or ''Seongdae'', ) is a private research university with campuses in Seoul and Suwon, South Korea. The institution traces its origins to the historic Sungkyunkwan founded in 1398 in central Seoul. and began a successful career as a fashion

model A model is an informative representation of an object, person, or system. The term originally denoted the plans of a building in late 16th-century English, and derived via French and Italian ultimately from Latin , . Models can be divided in ...

in 1988. He was cast in the TV

sitcom A sitcom (short for situation comedy or situational comedy) is a genre of comedy produced for radio and television, that centers on a recurring cast of character (arts), characters as they navigate humorous situations within a consistent settin ...

''New York Story'', which would eventually pave the way for his debut in film."Actors and Actresses of Korean Cinema: Cha Seung-won"
. Koreanfilm.org. Retrieved November 4, 2012. Although his debut film '' Holiday In Seoul'' (1997) and many of his subsequent roles did not establish him as a major star, he attracted attention in 2000 for his performance as an

arson Arson is the act of willfully and deliberately setting fire to or charring property. Although the act of arson typically involves buildings, the term can also refer to the intentional burning of other things, such as motor vehicles, watercr ...

ist in the firefighting film ''

Libera Me "Libera me" ("Deliver me") is a responsory sung in the Office of the Dead in the Catholic Church, and at the absolution of the dead, a service of prayers for the dead said beside the coffin immediately after the Requiem Mass and before burial ...

''. The following summer, the runaway success of Kim Sang-jin's comedy ''

Kick the Moon ''Kick the Moon'' () is a 2001 South Korean comedy-drama film directed by Kim Sang-jin. Plot Ten years ago, a legendary fighter named Choi Gi-dong and a timid straight-A student named Park Young-joon leave for a high school field trip to Gyeongj ...

'' (over 4.3 million tickets sold) secured his place in the industry as a leading actor with strong star appeal. Since then, Cha has become one of the few surefire box office draws in the country. In a 2005 survey of influential movie producers, he was ranked among the top ten most bankable stars in South Korea. In early 2003, Cha took on a slightly more serious role as a corrupt schoolteacher who is transferred to a country school in the film ''

My Teacher, Mr. Kim ''My Teacher, Mr. Kim'' () is a 2003 in film, 2003 South Korean comedy-drama film about a man's transformation from a flawed scoundrel into a conscientious teacher when he gets transferred to a rural village school. Plot Kim Bong-doo is a young te ...

''. The film grossed over 2.4 million admissions and drew Cha additional praise for his acting abilities (he would later team up again with director Jang Gyu-seong for 2007 comedy ''

Small Town Rivals ''Small Town Rivals'' () is a 2007 South Korean film. Plot Cho Chun-sam and Noh Dae-gyu, now both in their thirties, are old friends who went to the same elementary school. In their school days, Chun-sam was always the ambitious class president ...

''MOVIE REVIEW 'Small Town Rivals' puts comic twist on friendship
.

The Korea Herald ''The Korea Herald'' () is a South Korean English-language daily newspaper founded in August 1953 and published in Seoul. The editorial staff is composed of Korean and international writers and editors, with additional news coverage drawn from i ...

. March 22, 2007.). Cha appeared as a private bodyguard in KBS2's weekend drama ''Bodyguard'' aired in July, 2003. His next role, in '' Ghost House'', reunited him with director Kim Sang-jin in a successful comedy about a man who buys a dream home, only to discover it is haunted by a young female ghost. In 2005, Cha put aside the comic roles he had become known for and appeared in the grisly

period Period may refer to: Common uses * Period (punctuation) * Era, a length or span of time *Menstruation, commonly referred to as a "period" Arts, entertainment, and media * Period (music), a concept in musical composition * Periodic sentence (o ...

thriller Thriller may refer to: * Thriller (genre), a broad genre of literature, film and television ** Thriller film, a film genre under the general thriller genre Comics * ''Thriller'' (DC Comics), a comic book series published 1983–84 by DC Comics i ...

''

Blood Rain Blood rain or red rain is a phenomenon in which blood is perceived to fall from the sky in the form of rain. Cases have been recorded since Homer's ''Iliad'', composed approximately 8th century BC, and are widespread. Before the 17th century it ...

''."Dogged Cha Seung-won: Movie ''Tears of Blood''"
. The Dong-a Ilbo. April 13, 2005."K-FILM REVIEWS: 혈의 누 (Blood Rain)"

Twitch Film ScreenAnarchy, previously known as Twitch Film or Twitch, is a Canadian English-language website featuring news and reviews of mainly international, independent and cult films. The website was founded in 2004 by Todd Brown. In addition to films, ...

. September 12, 2005. The film's unexpectedly robust commercial success confirmed Cha's popularity among Korean audiences. He further proved his versatility in

Jang Jin Jang Jin (born February 24, 1971) is a South Korean film director, theatre director, playwright, screenwriter, film producer, actor, and TV personality. Career Jang dreamed of becoming a musician in middle school, but his ambition changed when ...

's ''Murder, Take One'' (also known as ''The Big Scene'')."Cha Seung-won: Not Groomed for Stardom"
.

The Chosun Ilbo ''The Chosun Ilbo'' (, ), also known as ''The Chosun Daily,'' is a Korean-language newspaper of record for South Korea and among the oldest active newspapers in the country. With a daily circulation of more than 1,800,000, ''The'' ''Chosun Ilbo ...

. August 2, 2005."''The Big Scene'' showcases a clever detective thriller"

The Korea Herald ''The Korea Herald'' () is a South Korean English-language daily newspaper founded in August 1953 and published in Seoul. The editorial staff is composed of Korean and international writers and editors, with additional news coverage drawn from i ...

. August 11, 2005."K-FILM REVIEWS: 박수칠 때 떠나라 (Murder, Take One)"
.

Twitch Film ScreenAnarchy, previously known as Twitch Film or Twitch, is a Canadian English-language website featuring news and reviews of mainly international, independent and cult films. The website was founded in 2004 by Todd Brown. In addition to films, ...

. January 2, 2006. He was named as major film actor from his agency Gooder Better Entertainment. Cha starred in his first

melodrama A melodrama is a Drama, dramatic work in which plot, typically sensationalized for a strong emotional appeal, takes precedence over detailed characterization. Melodrama is "an exaggerated version of drama". Melodramas typically concentrate on ...

'' Over the Border'' (2006), about a

North Korean defector People defect from North Korea for political, material, and personal reasons. Defectors flee to various countries, mainly South Korea. In South Korea, they are referred to by several terms, including "northern refugees" and "new settlers". To ...

."Comic star's melodramatic acting in ''South of the Border''"
.

The Korea Herald ''The Korea Herald'' () is a South Korean English-language daily newspaper founded in August 1953 and published in Seoul. The editorial staff is composed of Korean and international writers and editors, with additional news coverage drawn from i ...

via

Hancinema HanCinema () is an online South Korean movie and drama database created by Cédric Collemine during the summer of 2003 in Korea. It provides information related to Korean movies, television dramas, actors, and other related information. It is a ...

. April 27, 2006. He then reunited with Jang Jin in ''

My Son My or MY may refer to: Arts and entertainment * My (radio station), a Malaysian radio station * Little My, a fictional character in the Moomins universe * ''My'' (album), by Edyta Górniak * ''My'' (EP), by Cho Mi-yeon Business * Marke ...

'' (2007), and he said his experience as a father helped a lot in learning the character."Movies Reflect on Contemporary Fathers"
.

The Korea Times ''The Korea Times'' () is a daily English-language newspaper in South Korea. It is a sister paper of the ''Hankook Ilbo'', a major Korean language, Korean-language daily. It is the oldest active daily English-language newspaper in South Korea. ...

. April 24, 2007. Stylish crime thrillers ''

Eye for an Eye "An eye for an eye" (, ) is a commandment found in the Book of Exodus 21:23–27 expressing the principle of reciprocal justice measure for measure. The earliest known use of the principle appears in the Code of Hammurabi, which predates the wr ...

'' (2008),"''Eye'' Spies Perfect Crime"
.

The Korea Times ''The Korea Times'' () is a daily English-language newspaper in South Korea. It is a sister paper of the ''Hankook Ilbo'', a major Korean language, Korean-language daily. It is the oldest active daily English-language newspaper in South Korea. ...

. July 24, 2008. and ''

Secret Secrecy is the practice of hiding information from certain individuals or groups who do not have the "need to know", perhaps while sharing it with other individuals. That which is kept hidden is known as the secret. Secrecy is often controver ...

'' (2009) followed. Cha returned to television in 2009, in the political fairytale ''

City Hall In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or municipal hall (in the Philippines) is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses the city o ...

'' penned by writer

Kim Eun-sook Kim Eun-sook (; born 1973) is a South Korean screenwriter. She wrote the popular television dramas ''Lovers in Paris'' (2004), '' Secret Garden'' (2010), '' A Gentleman's Dignity'' (2012), ''The Heirs'' (2013), ''Descendants of the Sun'' (201 ...

. 2010 was a busy year for him, with Cha appearing in two films, the

Lee Joon-ik Lee Joon-ik (born September 21, 1959) is a South Korean film director and producer. He is best known for directing and producing '' King and the Clown'' (2005), one of the highest grossing Korean films of all time. Other notable films include ...

-helmed period actioner ''

Blades of Blood ''Blades of Blood'' () is a 2010 South Korean period action drama film directed by Lee Joon-ik. The film is based on Park Heung-yong's graphic novel ''Like the Moon Escaping from the Clouds''. Plot In the late 16th century, the kingdom of Joseo ...

'',"Traces of Lee Joon-ik's work in ''Blades of Blood''"
. 10Asia. April 20, 2010. and

Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...

film '' 71: Into the Fire'', followed by spy series '' Athena: Goddess of War''. Intothefire

In 2011 his character in the hit romantic comedy series '' The Greatest Love'', arrogant top star "Dokko Jin," became a mini pop culture phenomenon, giving rise to numerous commercial deals and parodies, as well as awards for Cha. Cha made his theater debut in 2012 in the stage play ''Bring Me My Chariot Fire'' alongside Japanese actors

Tsuyoshi Kusanagi is a Japanese actor, singer, television host, and a former member of SMAP, one of the best-selling boy bands in Asia. Early life Kusanagi grew up in Kasukabe, Saitama, Japan. Career Music In 1987, at age 13, Kusanagi auditioned to enter John ...

,

Ryōko Hirosue is a Japanese actress and singer, best known to international audiences for her roles in the Luc Besson-produced ''Wasabi'' (2001) and the Academy Award-winning Japanese film '' Departures'' (2008). She also starred in the 2008 comedy series '' ...

,

Teruyuki Kagawa is a Japanese actor, kabuki actor (as ), and boxing commentator. Unlike most other Kabuki actors in his family (such as his father Ichikawa En'ō II and his cousin Ichikawa Ennosuke IV) who play both male and female roles, he is a ''tachiyaku' ...

, and Korean veteran actor

Kim Eung-soo Kim Eung-soo (; born February 12, 1961) is a South Korean actor. Kim lived in Japan for seven years, where he studied filmmaking at the Japan Institute of the Moving Image. Filmography Film Television series Variety show Web sh ...

. Set in the historically turbulent early 1900s, the plot focuses on the friendship of artists from Korea and Japan who work together to preserve traditional Korean arts. In 2014, Cha signed with the talent agency

YG Entertainment YG Entertainment () is a South Korean Multinational corporation, multinational entertainment agency established in 1996 by Yang Hyun-suk. The company operates as a record label, talent agency, music production company, event management and conce ...

, then starred in the police series ''

You're All Surrounded ''You're All Surrounded'' () is a 2014 South Korean television series starring Lee Seung-gi, Cha Seung-won, Go Ara, Ahn Jae-hyun, Park Jung-min, Oh Yoon-ah, and Sung Ji-ru. It aired on SBS from May 7 to July 17, 2014, on Wednesdays and Thur ...

''. This was followed by his third team-up with director Jang Jin in the comedy noir film ''

Man on High Heels ''Man on High Heels'' (; lit. "High Heel") is a 2014 South Korean neo-noir action thriller film written and directed by Jang Jin, starring Cha Seung-won as a transgender homicide detective. Plot Yoon Ji-wook is a hard-as-nails homicide detective ...

'', which subverted Cha's "macho" image by having him play a

transgender A transgender (often shortened to trans) person has a gender identity different from that typically associated with the sex they were sex assignment, assigned at birth. The opposite of ''transgender'' is ''cisgender'', which describes perso ...

homicide detective. In 2015, Cha appeared in ''Three Meals a Day: Gochang Village'', a cable

reality show Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring ordinary people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 1990s ...

set on the remote Manjae Island for which he earned the nickname "Chajumma" (from the word ''

ajumma Ajumma (), sometimes spelled ahjumma or ajoomma, is a Korean word for a married, or middle-aged woman. It comes from the Korean word ''ajumeoni'' (). Although it is sometimes translated "aunt An aunt is a woman who is a sibling of a parent ...

'') because of his versatile cooking skills despite the minimal amount of ingredients and implements. He was then cast as Prince Gwanghae in the period drama ''

Splendid Politics ''Splendid Politics'' () is a 2015 South Korean television series starring Cha Seung-won, Lee Yeon-hee, Kim Jaewon, Seo Kang-joon, Han Joo-wan and Jo Sung-ha. It aired on MBC from April 13 to September 29, 2015 on Mondays and Tuesdays at 2 ...

'', which focused on power struggles for the throne amid the backdrop of the

Joseon Dynasty Joseon ( ; ; also romanized as ''Chosun''), officially Great Joseon (), was a dynastic kingdom of Korea that existed for 505 years. It was founded by Taejo of Joseon in July 1392 and replaced by the Korean Empire in October 1897. The kingdom w ...

. Cha next plays cartographer and geologist

Kim Jeong-ho Kim Jeong-ho (; 1804–1866?) was a Korean geographer and cartographer. His art name was Gosanja (). He was born in Hwanghaedo. It is believed that he walked the entire length and breadth of the Korean peninsula, through mountain and valley ...

in

Kang Woo-suk Kang Woo-suk (; born November 10, 1960, in Gyeongsan) is a South Korean film Film producer, producer and Film director, director. He has often been called the most powerful man in Korean cinema, topping Cine21 magazine's list of '50 Most Powerful ...

's period epic ''Gosanja,

Daedongyeojido Daedongyeojido (also Daedong yeojido, ) is a large scale map of Korea produced by Joseon dynasty cartographer Kim Jeong-ho in 1861. A second edition was printed in 1864. One source describes it as the "oldest map in Korea". Daedongyeojido is consi ...

'', adapted from

Park Bum-shin Park Bum Shin ( 박범신; born August 24, 1946) is a South Korean writer. Life Park Bum Shin was born in Nonsan, Chungcheongnam-do. He graduated from Jeonju National University of Education, Wonkwang University and Korea University. While wor ...

's novel ''The Map Maker''. In 2017, Cha was cast in tvN's fantasy romantic comedy drama ''

A Korean Odyssey ''A Korean Odyssey'' () is a South Korean fantasy television series starring Lee Seung-gi, Cha Seung-won, Oh Yeon-seo, Lee Hong-gi, and Jang Gwang. Written by the Hong sisters, the drama is a modern spin-off of the Chinese classic 16th-centur ...

'' by the

Hong sisters Hong Jung-eun (born 1974) and Hong Mi-ran (born 1977), collectively known as the Hong sisters (), are South Korean television screenwriters under Studio Shot, a label of Imaginus. Together, they have written popular romantic-comedies, notab ...

. Cha the starred in the family comedy-drama film ''

Cheer Up, Mr. Lee ''Cheer Up, Mr. Lee'' () is a 2019 South Korean comedy-drama film directed by Lee Gae-byok. The film stars Cha Seung-won, Um Chae-young, Park Hae-joon, Kim Hye-ok, Ahn Gil-kang, Jeon Hye-bin and Ryu Han-bi. Plot Cheol-su (Cha Seung-won) is physi ...

'' in 2019 and the disaster film ''

Sinkhole A sinkhole is a depression or hole in the ground caused by some form of collapse of the surface layer. The term is sometimes used to refer to doline, enclosed depressions that are also known as shakeholes, and to openings where surface water ...

'' in 2021. Later in 2021, he starred alongside

Kim Soo-hyun Kim Soo-hyun (; born February 16, 1988) is a South Korean actor. He is the recipient of five Baeksang Arts Awards, two Grand Bell Awards and one Blue Dragon Film Award. Kim made his television debut in 2007 with the family sitcom ''Kimchi Che ...

in the

Coupang Play Coupang Play () is a South Korean video on demand over-the-top streaming television service launched by Coupang in December 2020. It is based on the former Hooq's assets. After the 2022 '' Saturday Night Live Korea'' sketch lampooning Korean pre ...

's television series '' One Ordinary Day'', based on the British television series ''

Criminal Justice Criminal justice is the delivery of justice to those who have been accused of committing crimes. The criminal justice system is a series of government agencies and institutions. Goals include the rehabilitation of offenders, preventing other ...

''. In 2022, he appeared in the tvN drama ''

Our Blues ''Our Blues'' () is a 2022 South Korean television series starring Lee Byung-hun, Shin Min-a, Cha Seung-won, Lee Jung-eun, Uhm Jung-hwa, Han Ji-min, and Kim Woo-bin. The series revolves around the sweet and bitter lives of people at the end, c ...

''. In October 2022, it was revealed that Cha will participate in film '' The Tyrant'' as one of the main characters. Initially ''The Tyrant'' was originally created with theater release in mind, but after filming was completed, it was edited in four-part series. The decision to expand it was made to effectively showcase the individual charm of each character and highlight the directorial expertise of

Park Hoon-jung Park Hoon-jung (; born in 1975) is a South Korean film director and screenwriter. Park first gained recognition in the Korean film industry for his screenwriting, having written the screenplays for directors Kim Jee-woon's ''I Saw the Devil'' (20 ...

. It was announced as part of

Disney+ The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...

2024 lineup on February 19 and is set to premiere worldwide on August 14, 2024. In March 2025, Cha left

YG Entertainment YG Entertainment () is a South Korean Multinational corporation, multinational entertainment agency established in 1996 by Yang Hyun-suk. The company operates as a record label, talent agency, music production company, event management and conce ...

and signed with new agency

KeyEast KeyEast (; stylized in all caps) is a management agency founded by actor Bae Yong-joon. History In May 2009, KeyEast acquired Japanese company () () and made it an affiliated company. After the acquition by SM Entertainment, it was renamed Stre ...

.

Personal life

Cha and his wife Lee Soo-jin are the biological parents of their daughter, Cha Ye-ni (born 2003, christened Rachel). In July 2014, a man claiming to be the biological father of Cha and Lee's son, Cha No-ah (born 1989, christened Noah), filed—and quickly withdrew—a ₩100 million defamation lawsuit against Cha. Following this, Cha acknowledged that No-ah is Lee's son from a previous marriage and that he legally adopted No-ah, who was three years old at the time, after marrying Lee. Cha had previously falsified his marriage date as 1989 to align with No-ah's age, later apologizing for intentionally providing the incorrect date to protect their son's knowledge of his paternity.

Filmography

Film

Television series

Web series

Television shows

Music video appearances

Stage

Accolades

Awards and nominations

State honors

Listicles

Notes

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Cha, Seung-won 20th-century South Korean male actors 21st-century South Korean male actors South Korean male film actors South Korean male television actors South Korean male models Male actors from Anyang, Gyeonggi Living people 1970 births