Global Leaderboard 100 in view

Most Famous People from South Korea

All 152,953
South Korea 274
1,574 BK Ban Ki-moon Ban Ki-moon South Korean Politician b. 1944
1,595 PC Park Chung-hee Park Chung-hee South Korean Politician 1917–1979
2,175 P Psy Psy South Korean Singer b. 1977
3,158 SR Syngman Rhee Syngman Rhee South Korean Politician 1875–1965
3,504 B BoA BoA South Korean Singer b. 1986
3,719 R( Rain (entertainer) Rain (entertainer) South Korean Actor b. 1982
4,545 KD Kim Dae-jung Kim Dae-jung South Korean Politician 1924–2009
4,566 PC Park Chan-wook South Korean Screenwriter b. 1963
4,602 LB Lee Byung-hun Lee Byung-hun South Korean Actor b. 1970
4,743 PG Park Geun-hye Park Geun-hye South Korean Politician b. 1952
5,825 KK Kim Ki-duk Kim Ki-duk South Korean Screenwriter b. 1960
6,743 LJ Lee Joon-gi Lee Joon-gi South Korean Actor b. 1982
6,829 SM Sun Myung Moon Sun Myung Moon South Korean Religious 1920–2012
7,012 YK Yuna Kim Yuna Kim South Korean Skater b. 1990
7,851 PS Park Shin-hye Park Shin-hye South Korean Actor b. 1990
7,981 KY Kim Young-sam South Korean Politician 1927–2015
8,389 CD Chun Doo-hwan Chun Doo-hwan South Korean Politician b. 1931
11,239 SK Song Kang-ho South Korean Actor b. 1967
12,194 SH Son Heung-min Son Heung-min South Korean Football b. 1992
13,989 KJ Kang Ji-young Kang Ji-young South Korean Singer b. 1994
14,205 KH Kang Hye-jung South Korean Actor b. 1982
14,972 HH Han Hyo-joo Han Hyo-joo South Korean Actor b. 1987
16,150 BY Bae Yong-joon Bae Yong-joon South Korean Actor b. 1972
16,192 SJ Sumi Jo Sumi Jo South Korean Singer b. 1962
17,197 SS Shin Sang-ok South Korean Film 1926–2006
17,259 JD Jang Dong-gun Jang Dong-gun South Korean Actor b. 1972
17,621 SJ Song Ji-hyo Song Ji-hyo South Korean Actress b. 1981
18,006 KJ Kim Jong-hyun (singer) Kim Jong-hyun (singer) South Korean Singer 1990–2017
18,109 KT Kim Tae-yeon Kim Tae-yeon South Korean Singer b. 1989
19,980 LH Lee Hyun-woo (actor) South Korean Actor b. 1993
22,553 KS Kwon Sang-woo South Korean Actor b. 1976
23,940 LD Lee Donghae Lee Donghae South Korean Singer b. 1986
24,393 D( D.O. (entertainer) D.O. (entertainer) South Korean Singer b. 1993
24,405 SI Seo In-guk South Korean Actor b. 1987
24,916 WB Won Bin Won Bin South Korean Actor b. 1977
25,138 JS Jung Sung-ryong South Korean Football b. 1985
26,497 HJ Hwang Jung-min Hwang Jung-min South Korean Actor b. 1970
26,947 UJ Uhm Jung-hwa Uhm Jung-hwa South Korean Actor b. 1969
28,607 SC Seung-Hui Cho South Korean Killer 1984–2007
29,249 KH Kim Hee-chul Kim Hee-chul South Korean Actor b. 1983
29,624 KO Kim Ok-vin Kim Ok-vin South Korean Actor b. 1987
30,547 KS Kim So-eun South Korean Actor b. 1989
30,559 O Onew Onew South Korean Singer b. 1989
30,679 JE Jung Eun-ji Jung Eun-ji South Korean Singer b. 1993
32,166 LJ Lee Jong-suk Lee Jong-suk South Korean Model b. 1989
33,301 T Taeyang Taeyang South Korean Singer b. 1988
34,149 TO Taejo of Joseon Taejo of Joseon South Korean King 1335–1408
35,075 IK Im Kwon-taek Im Kwon-taek South Korean Film b. 1936
37,832 LY Lee Yeon-hee Lee Yeon-hee South Korean Actor b. 1988
38,743 SO Seung-hwan Oh Seung-hwan Oh South Korean Baseball b. 1982
39,087 LY Lee Young-pyo Lee Young-pyo South Korean Football b. 1977
39,141 KY Kim Young-ha Kim Young-ha South Korean Writer b. 1968
40,394 PH Park Hyung-sik Park Hyung-sik South Korean Singer b. 1991
41,185 SK Sol Kyung-gu Sol Kyung-gu South Korean Actor b. 1968
41,594 RS Ryoo Seung-wan Ryoo Seung-wan South Korean Film b. 1973
41,712 KJ Kim Jae-joong Kim Jae-joong South Korean Actor b. 1986
42,326 YS Yoon Shi-yoon Yoon Shi-yoon South Korean Actor b. 1986
43,393 KB Kim Bo-kyung Kim Bo-kyung South Korean Football b. 1989
45,836 PY Park Yeon-mi Park Yeon-mi South Korean Activist b. 1993
46,226 CH Choi Hong Hi Choi Hong Hi South Korean Athlete 1918–2002
46,905 AC Ahn Changho Ahn Changho South Korean Politician 1878–1938
48,654 OD Oh Dal-su Oh Dal-su South Korean Actor b. 1968
51,996 S Seungsahn Seungsahn South Korean Abbot 1927–2004
52,266 S Sunmi Sunmi South Korean Singer b. 1992
52,543 KS Kim Shin-wook Kim Shin-wook South Korean Football b. 1988
54,276 CJ Chung Ju-yung Chung Ju-yung South Korean Entrepreneur 1915–2001
54,342 KJ Kim Jong-pil Kim Jong-pil South Korean Politician 1926–2018
54,408 KY Kim Yoon-seok South Korean Actor b. 1968
54,510 PW Park Wansuh Park Wansuh South Korean Writer 1931–2011
55,101 PC Park Cho-rong Park Cho-rong South Korean Singer b. 1991
55,345 LB Lee Byung-chul Lee Byung-chul South Korean Entrepreneur 1910–1987
55,541 GA Go Ara Go Ara South Korean Actor b. 1990
55,697 GS Go Soo Go Soo South Korean Actor b. 1978
56,090 SK Seo Kang-joon Seo Kang-joon South Korean Actor b. 1993
58,228 KD Kim Dong-jin Kim Dong-jin South Korean Football b. 1982
59,526 KS Kim Sowol Kim Sowol South Korean Poet 1902–1934
59,917 SD Shin Dong-hyuk Shin Dong-hyuk South Korean Activist b. 1982
60,026 LJ Lee Jun-ho (singer) South Korean Singer b. 1990
61,781 PK Pak Kyongni Pak Kyongni South Korean Poet 1926–2008
61,945 CB Cha Bum-kun Cha Bum-kun South Korean Football b. 1953
65,060 JI Jo In-sung Jo In-sung South Korean Actor b. 1981
65,249 PW Park Won-soon Park Won-soon South Korean Lawyer 1956–2020
65,920 CW Chun Woo-hee Chun Woo-hee South Korean Actor b. 1987
66,552 LY Lee Yong-dae Lee Yong-dae South Korean Badminton b. 1988
69,969 YK Yi Kwang-su Yi Kwang-su South Korean Poet 1892–1950
70,163 YS Yi Sang Yi Sang South Korean Writer 1910–1937
70,189 PS Paik Sun-yup Paik Sun-yup South Korean Militar 1920–2020
70,349 S Soyou Soyou South Korean Singer b. 1992
70,552 KJ Kim Ji-won (actress) Kim Ji-won (actress) South Korean Actress b. 1992
71,096 SE San E San E South Korean Singer b. 1985
71,129 CK Choi Kyu-hah Choi Kyu-hah South Korean Politician 1919–2006
72,702 HS Hwang Sun-hong Hwang Sun-hong South Korean Football b. 1968
73,612 PJ Park Jung-ah Park Jung-ah South Korean Singer b. 1981
74,506 BB Byun Baek-hyun Byun Baek-hyun South Korean Singer b. 1992
75,143 YY Yuk Young-soo Yuk Young-soo South Korean Wife Of 1925–1974
75,713 KS Kim Seong-su Kim Seong-su South Korean Independence 1891–1955
77,543 LS Lee Sedol Lee Sedol South Korean Go Professional b. 1983
78,464 PB Park Bo-young Park Bo-young South Korean Actor b. 1990
81,056 D Dok2 Dok2 South Korean Singer b. 1990
81,510 PS Park Si-hoo Park Si-hoo South Korean Actor b. 1977
See all 152,953 rankings →

Ranked by cross-verified academic notability — how it works

By the numbers

Inside South Korea

274 notable people in this slice of the dataset.

Through the Decades

One face per decade — the most globally famous figure born in South Korea during each.

Notable Births by Decade

Notable births in South Korea peaked in the 1980s with 57 people.

What South Korea Is Known For

Click any row to drill into that filter.

Film & TV is South Korea's biggest group — 29% of all notables (80).

South Korea over-indexes on film & tv — 4.2× the global rate.

South Korea under-produces religion — only 0.6× the global rate.

  1. Film & TV80
  2. Sports52
  3. Politics & Law39
  4. Music38
  5. Writing25
  6. Other11
  7. Religion8
  8. Military5
  1. Film & TV804.2×
  2. Music382.4×
  1. Religion80.6×
  2. Other110.6×
  3. Politics & Law390.7×

Profession Mix Over Time

Each band shows a profession family's share of South Korea's notable births by decade. Hover the chart for the breakdown at any decade.

  • Film & TV
  • Sports
  • Politics & Law
  • Music
  • Writing
  • Religion
  • Other

Datelines

The biggest birthplaces of fame — every city is a doorway.