Byun Yo-han South Korean Actor Born 1986 in Incheon

Early life

Byun Yo-han was born in Incheon on 29 April 1986. He attended Jeil High School and later studied at the Korea National University of Arts. While a student there he took part in more than thirty short films, which served as his training ground before he moved into television and feature films.

Career

Byun's acting debut is dated to 2011 in published accounts, although the first screen credit in the filmography used here is the film Tinker Ticker from 2013. His public profile changed in 2014 with a supporting part in the workplace cable drama Misaeng: Incomplete Life, a series that was widely watched in South Korea at the time.

The next year was crowded. He took a leading role in the independent film Socialphobia and starred in the romantic comedy Ex-Girlfriends' Club. He was also one of six main characters in the historical drama Six Flying Dragons, a 50-episode SBS series in which he played a master swordsman. In 2016 he appeared opposite Kim Yoon-seok in the fantasy film Will You Be There?, and the film A Day followed in 2017.

His role in Mr. Sunshine (2018) brought him to a larger audience. The drama is among the more watched series in the history of Korean cable television, and it is the title carrying the widest international coverage in his filmography, with entries in 26 language editions of an online encyclopedia.

In 2021 he starred in Lee Joon-ik's black-and-white historical film The Book of Fish, with second billing. The same year he appeared in the film On the Line. In 2022 he played the Japanese naval commander Wakisaka in Kim Han-min's Hansan: Rising Dragon, again with second billing; the film is recorded with a worldwide box office of about 18.4 million US dollars.

Byun appeared in several productions in 2024. Uncle Samsik, a series set in the 1960s that stars Song Kang-ho and was written and directed by Shin Yeon-shick, was released on Disney+ and Hulu from 15 May to 19 June 2024, and he held second billing in it. He was also in the series Black Out and in the film Following, again in a leading position. His most recent entry is the film Pavane: For A Dead Princess, dated 2026. In total his listing covers ten films and six television series from 2013 to 2026, with action the most frequent genre and drama second. He has worked more than once with the actor Jo Jae-yun, including in On the Line.

Recognition

For The Book of Fish he was nominated for Best Actor in a film at the Baeksang Arts Awards. In 2023 he was chosen as the representative of the "Next Actor" programme at the 11th Muju Film Festival, held from 2 to 6 June, and his work and career were presented in an exhibition at the Muju Choibuk Art Museum during the festival.

Public roles

Beyond acting, Byun keeps a visible online presence. As of October 2026 his Instagram account had about 470,000 followers.