Nam Joo-hyuk (
Korean
Korean may refer to:
People and culture
* Koreans, ethnic group originating in the Korean Peninsula
* Korean cuisine
* Korean culture
* Korean language
**Korean alphabet, known as Hangul or Chosŏn'gŭl
**Korean dialects and the Jeju language
** ...
: 남주혁; born February 22, 1994) is a South Korean model and actor. He began his career as a model, and appeared in several music videos before making his screen debut in 2014 with ''
The Idle Mermaid
''The Idle Mermaid'' (; literally ''Surplus Princess'') is a 2014 South Korean romantic comedy Korean drama, television series starring Jo Bo-ah, On Joo-wan, Song Jae-rim, and Park Ji-soo (actress), Park Ji-soo. A modern retelling of the 1837 fair ...
''. He rose to prominence with his role in the television series ''
Who Are You: School 2015'' (2015), and has since became notable for his leading roles in ''
Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo
''Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo'' () is a 2016–2017 South Korean television series starring Lee Sung-kyung in the title role, with Nam Joo-hyuk. It is a coming-of-age sports drama, inspired by the life of Olympic gold-medalist Jang Mi-ran. I ...
'' (2016), ''
The Bride of Habaek
''The Bride of Habaek'' () is a South Korean television drama spin-off of the 2006 sunjung manhwa '' Bride of the Water God'' by Yoon Mi-kyung. The series stars Shin Se-kyung in the titular role alongside Nam Joo-hyuk, Lim Ju-hwan, Krystal ...
'' (2017), ''
The Light in Your Eyes
"The Light in Your Eyes" is a song written by Dan Tyler, and recorded by American country music artist LeAnn Rimes. It was released in March 1997 as the sixth and final single from her debut album ''Blue''. The song made it to number five on the ...
'' (2019), ''
The School Nurse Files
''The School Nurse Files'' () is a South Korean streaming television series starring Jung Yu-mi and Nam Joo-hyuk. Based on the 2015 award-winning novel ''School Nurse Ahn Eun-young'' by Chung Serang, it was released on Netflix on September 25, ...
'' (2020), ''
Start Up'' (2020), and ''
Twenty-Five Twenty-One
''Twenty-Five Twenty-One'' () is a 2022 South Korean television series directed by Jung Ji-hyun and starring Kim Tae-ri, Nam Joo-hyuk, Bona, Choi Hyun-wook and Lee Joo-myung. The series depicts the romantic lives of five characters spanning ...
'' (2022) .
In 2021, Nam was featured in
Forbes 30 Under 30
''Forbes'' 30 Under 30 is a set of lists of people under 30 years old issued annually by ''Forbes'' magazine and some of its regional editions. The American lists recognize 600 business and industry figures, with 30 selected in twenty industries ...
owing to his successful acting and modeling career.
Early life
Nam Joo-hyuk was born on February 22, 1994, in
Busan
Busan (), officially known as is South Korea's most populous city after Seoul, with a population of over 3.4 million inhabitants. Formerly romanized as Pusan, it is the economic, cultural and educational center of southeastern South Korea, w ...
, South Korea. During his studies in
Gyeongnam Middle School, Nam dreamed of becoming a professional basketball player, hence he played on the basketball team for three years, however after sustaining an injury and later undergoing an operation, his basketball days soon came to an end.
After moving to
Seoul
Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) as stated iArticle 103 ...
, he won the contest ''Top Model'' which was sponsored by K-Plus. Soon after, Nam signed an exclusive contract under the modelling agency.
Career
2013–2014: YGKPlus and music video appearances
Nam debuted in 2013 as a model for the
SONGZIO Homme 2014 S/S collection.
In 2014, he appeared in the music videos ''200%'' and ''Give Love'' of fellow
YG Entertainment
YG Entertainment Inc. () is a South Korean 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 concert production compa ...
artist
Akdong Musician
AKMU ( ko, 악뮤), also known as Akdong Musician ( ko, 악동뮤지션), is a South Korean sibling duo consisting of Lee Chan-hyuk and Lee Su-hyun who debuted under YG Entertainment in April 2014 with studio album ''Play'' after winning SBS' ...
.
Soon after, he made his acting debut as a supporting role in the
tvN TVN may refer to:
* TVN (Australian TV channel), a former horse racing channel
* Televisión Nacional de Chile, a public broadcaster
* TVN (Indonesia), a former television station; predecessor of Rajawali Televisi
* TVN (Norway), or TVNorge, a comm ...
drama, ''
The Idle Mermaid
''The Idle Mermaid'' (; literally ''Surplus Princess'') is a 2014 South Korean romantic comedy Korean drama, television series starring Jo Bo-ah, On Joo-wan, Song Jae-rim, and Park Ji-soo (actress), Park Ji-soo. A modern retelling of the 1837 fair ...
''.
2015–2018: Rising popularity and big screen debut
![Nam Joo-hyuk in 2015](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ea/Nam_Joo-hyuk_in_2015.jpg)
Nam landed his first major role in
KBS’s coming-of-age teen drama ''
Who Are You: School 2015'', in which he portrayed a high school student named Han Yi-an, who experiences growing pains such as a crush on a schoolmate and injuries affecting his swimming career.
He garnered attention with his appearance in the series, eventually winning several accolades including Best New Actor at the
4th APAN Star Awards and the Popularity Award at the
2015 KBS Drama Awards.
In 2016, he played supporting roles in college romance series ''
Cheese in the Trap
''Cheese in the Trap'' () is a South Korean manhwa series written and illustrated by Soonkki. The webtoon was released on Internet portal Naver WEBTOON since 2010, and the first volume in print was published on March 2, 2012. It was adapted int ...
'' and historical drama ''
Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo''.
The same year, Nam became a cast member in the variety show ''
Three Meals a Day
''Three Meals a Day'' () is a South Korean reality show, reality cooking show broadcast on TVN (South Korean TV channel), tvN. The cast live in a small rural or fishing village for three days a week and are tasked to use whatever food they find ...
''.
He then starred in his second lead role in the youth sports drama ''
Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo
''Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo'' () is a 2016–2017 South Korean television series starring Lee Sung-kyung in the title role, with Nam Joo-hyuk. It is a coming-of-age sports drama, inspired by the life of Olympic gold-medalist Jang Mi-ran. I ...
'' alongside
Lee Sung-kyung
Lee Sung-kyung (; born August 10, 1990) is a South Korean model, actress and singer. She is best known for her roles in television series ''Cheese in the Trap'' (2016), '' The Doctors'' (2016), ''Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo'' (2016), ''Dr. R ...
, portraying a talented yet playful swimmer named Jung Joon-hyung. Nam's performance in the series received favorable reviews and garnered him more widespread recognition.
In 2017, he led tvN's fantasy romance series ''
The Bride of Habaek
''The Bride of Habaek'' () is a South Korean television drama spin-off of the 2006 sunjung manhwa '' Bride of the Water God'' by Yoon Mi-kyung. The series stars Shin Se-kyung in the titular role alongside Nam Joo-hyuk, Lim Ju-hwan, Krystal ...
'' opposite
Shin Se-kyung
Shin Se-kyung (; born July 29, 1990) is a South Korean actress, singer and model. She started as a child actress and had her breakthrough in 2009 with the sitcom ''High Kick Through the Roof''. Since then she starred in the films ''Hindsight'' ...
, wherein he portrayed a narcissistic Water God in pursuit of his rightful throne.
Then in 2018, Nam starred in the historical film ''
The Great Battle'', which marked his big screen debut.
Nam received acclaim for his performance, with Yoon Mi-sik of ''
The Korea Herald
''The Korea Herald'' is a leading English-language daily newspaper founded in 1953 and published in Seoul, South Korea. The editorial staff is composed of Korean and international writers and editors, with additional news coverage drawn from int ...
'' writing that he "delivers a rock-solid portrayal of a wavering youth who is unsure of what is right or wrong." His performance in the film led him to win Best New Actor accolades at the prestigious
Blue Dragon Awards.
2019–present: Transition to more leading roles
Nam starred in the fantasy romance drama ''
The Light In Your Eyes
"The Light in Your Eyes" is a song written by Dan Tyler, and recorded by American country music artist LeAnn Rimes. It was released in March 1997 as the sixth and final single from her debut album ''Blue''. The song made it to number five on the ...
'' alongside
Han Ji-min and
Kim Hye-ja
Kim Hye-ja (; born October 25, 1941) is a South Korean actress and humanitarian. Best known to South Korean audiences as the archetypal mother figure in popular television series such as ''Country Diaries'', ''What Is Love?'', ''My Mother's Sea'' ...
in 2019, receiving positive reviews for his performance.
In 2020, Nam starred in
Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...
's supernatural crime drama ''
The School Nurse Files
''The School Nurse Files'' () is a South Korean streaming television series starring Jung Yu-mi and Nam Joo-hyuk. Based on the 2015 award-winning novel ''School Nurse Ahn Eun-young'' by Chung Serang, it was released on Netflix on September 25, ...
'' and in the
tvN TVN may refer to:
* TVN (Australian TV channel), a former horse racing channel
* Televisión Nacional de Chile, a public broadcaster
* TVN (Indonesia), a former television station; predecessor of Rajawali Televisi
* TVN (Norway), or TVNorge, a comm ...
romance series ''
Start-Up''.
The same year, Nam also starred in the romance film ''
Josée'', a remake of the 2003 Japanese film ''
Josee, the Tiger and the Fish
is a 1984 Japanese short story by author Seiko Tanabe. It was first published in the June 1984 issue of ''Monthly Kadokawa''. It was later included alongside various stories in the short story collection ''Josee, the Tiger and the Fish'', whi ...
''. The film reunites Nam with ''
The Light In Your Eyes
"The Light in Your Eyes" is a song written by Dan Tyler, and recorded by American country music artist LeAnn Rimes. It was released in March 1997 as the sixth and final single from her debut album ''Blue''. The song made it to number five on the ...
'' co-star
Han Ji-min.
With the success of ''The School Nurse Files'' and ''Start-Up'', Nam was featured in ''
Forbes
''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also re ...
''
'
30 Under 30 Asia list under the "Entertainment & Sports" category in 2021.
Nam then worked with
Kim Tae-ri
Kim Tae-ri (born April 24, 1990) is a South Korean actress. She is known for starring in the films ''The Handmaiden'' (2016), ''Little Forest (film), Little Forest'' (2018), ''Space Sweepers'' (2020) and in the historical drama ''Mr. Sunshine ( ...
in leading the tvN drama ''
Twenty-Five Twenty-One
''Twenty-Five Twenty-One'' () is a 2022 South Korean television series directed by Jung Ji-hyun and starring Kim Tae-ri, Nam Joo-hyuk, Bona, Choi Hyun-wook and Lee Joo-myung. The series depicts the romantic lives of five characters spanning ...
''. The series, which tells the story of love between a man and a woman who met in the midst of the IMF crisis set in 1998, premiered in February 2022.
He received favourable reviews for his performance in portraying the character Baek Yi-jin, with Korean media outlet OSEN referring to Nam as the "symbol of youth" as they commended his acting skills which created what is known as the "Joohyuk's Pain" syndrome. Writer Kim Bo-ra cited his "solid physique, warm-hearted visuals, and deep sensibility" which made him "look like a character in a teen comic." Kim adds, "
am'saffectionate warm voice and clear gaze make viewers’ hearts flutter and fall for Baek Yi-jin."
Nam starred in the film ''
Remember
Remember may refer to:
Film and television
* ''Remember?'', a 1939 film starring Robert Taylor and Greer Garson
* ''Remember'' (1926 film), an American silent drama film
* ''Remember'' (2015 film), a Canadian film by Atom Egoyan, starring Chris ...
,'' which was released theatrically on October 26, 2022. He played the role of a young man who helps an Alzheimer's patient commit revenge. His performance was described as one that was able to "show sympathy that transcends generations in a way only
amcan."
Nam is set to star in a leading role for the drama ''Vigilante'', based on the Naver webtoon of the same name drawn by Kim Gyu-san. He is set to portray a police college student who operates as the titular vigilante.
Other activities
![Nam Joohyuk Dior Sauvage 2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a4/Nam_Joohyuk_Dior_Sauvage_2.png)
Endorsements
In November 2017,
Penshoppe
Penshoppe is a casual wear retail brand based in the Philippines. Established in 1986, Penshoppe is the flagship brand of Golden ABC, Inc., a fashion house based in the Philippines.
Brand history
Philippines
Established in Cebu in 1986, the br ...
signed Nam as the new model of the clothing brand and he became one of its brand ambassadors. On April 17, 2019, it was officially announced that Nam was chosen as the brand ambassador of
Dior Men in Asia.
Philanthropy
On April 6, 2019, it was reported that Nam donated about 30 million won to the Hope Bridge Association of the National Disaster Relief for the victims of the
Gangwon Province wildfire in South Korea. In February 2020, he donated 50 million won to the
Daegu
Daegu (, , literally 'large hill', 대구광역시), formerly spelled Taegu and officially known as the Daegu Metropolitan City, is a city in South Korea.
It is the third-largest urban agglomeration in South Korea after Seoul and Busan; it is ...
Social Welfare Community Chest to be used for quarantine supplies and medical support needed to prevent
COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...
.
Public image
On June 20, 2022, a netizen alleged that he was a former victim of bullying and Nam Joo-hyuk was the perpetrator of his bullying during his six years in middle school and high school, claiming that Nam was part of a group of bullies that harassed him. Nam's management company denied the allegations and stated that they were untrue, and announced that they would seek criminal complaints against the netizen. On June 28, another person made school bullying accusations against Nam which were again denied by his management. On July 5, Korean news outlet Dispatch published an article containing statements of 20 people: 2 high school teachers and 18 classmates of Nam, defending him against the allegations.
Personal life
Military service
On October 17, 2022, it was reported that Nam would be enlisting in the military in December.The agency later confirmed that Nam was scheduled to serve in the
mandatory military service
Conscription (also called the draft in the United States) is the state-mandated enlistment of people in a national service, mainly a military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and it continues in some countries to the present day un ...
in December but has not received an official summons.
Filmography
Film
Television series
Web series
Television show
Web shows
Music video appearances
Discography
Soundtrack appearances
Awards and nominations
Listicles
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nam, Joo-hyuk
1994 births
Living people
21st-century South Korean male actors
South Korean male models
South Korean male television actors
South Korean male film actors
South Korean television personalities
Male actors from Busan