With 17 years of acting experience under his belt, Uhm Ki Joon is the actor behind the characters we all love and ~love to hate~. A veteran musical theater actor, Ki Joon has starred in various theater productions like Grease, Bonnie & Clyde, The Count of Monte Cristo, and many more. The 46-year-old actor grew even more popular by portraying villainous characters in both television and film. His most recognized work, The Penthouse, has earned him multiple awards, including the Top Excellence Award for an actor in a mid-length drama at the 2020 SBS Drama Awards. Including The Penthouse, here are eight dramas and movies starring the talented Uhm Ki Joon:
Early projects:
1. Kimchi Cheese Smile (2007)
Who else is in it: Shin Goo, Lee Hye Young, Kim Soo Hyun
Kimchi Cheese Smile is a long-running sitcom about two seemingly opposite families who become in-laws. Shin Goo's simple, *kimchi-like* family life gets a bit more complicated when his son Byeong Jin (Lee Byeong Jin) marries the daughter of the rich, *cheese-like* Sunwoo Eun Sook. Uhm Ki Joon stars as an announcer and Byeong Jin's close friend in this 121-episode drama. After moving into the Shin family home, he develops a relationship with Shin Goo's eldest daughter, Hye Young (Lee Hye Young).
2. Worlds Within (2008)
Who else is in it: Song Hye Kyo, Hyun Bin
Worlds Within tells the story of college sweethearts Jung Ji Oh (Hyun Bin) and Joo Joon Young (Song Hye Kyo) who cross paths again years later after their ~complicated~ breakup. Now drama directors in a broadcasting station, problems from the past as well as some professional conflict threaten their second chance at love. Uhm Ki Joon portrays a talented but ill-tempered director Song Gyu Ho. He casts rookie actress Jang Hae Jin (Seo Hyo Rim) in his latest drama and soon falls in love with her. Gyu Ho is forced to decide between continuing their budding romance or protecting Hae Jin’s career and reputation.
3. Killer Toon (2013)
Who else is in it: Lee Si Young, Moon Ga Young
Popular horror comic book writer Kang Ji Yoon (Lee Si Young) gets entangled in a crime scene investigation when the latest draft of her comic depicts exactly the events that led to her editor’s violent death in real life. She then becomes the primary suspect in the investigation of detective Lee Ki Cheol (Uhm Ki Joon) when a second victim dies similar to what is depicted in her new comic. It turns out, Ji Yoon has been getting drafts from an anonymous source and publishing them as her own. Unraveling the mystery of the murders, Ji Yoon and Ki Cheol find themselves in an abandoned apartment building where Ji Yoon's disturbed friend Jo Seo Hyun (Moon Ga Young) used to live.
Recent projects:
4. Innocent Defendant (2017)
Who else is in it: Ji Sung, Kwon Yuri
In Innocent Defendant, prosecutor Park Jung Woo (Ji Sung) gets his picture-perfect life turned upside down after waking up one day to find himself in prison and accused of murdering his wife and daughter. With no memory of the past four months, Jung Woo struggles to clear his name and get justice for his family. His last case before imprisonment involves twin brothers, Cha Min Ho and Cha Sun Ho (Uhm Ki Joon), the successors of Chamyung group. After a violent beating of a woman leads Jung Woo to investigate Vice President Min Ho, Min Ho devices a plan to let President Sun Ho take the blame and commit suicide, and finally, Min Ho assumes his brother’s life.
5. Heart Surgeons (2018)
Who else is in it: Go Soo, Seo Ji Hye
Thoracic surgery fellow Park Tae Soo (Go Soo) becomes a whistleblower in a medical malpractice investigation against a senior surgeon in a provincial hospital. In a weird twist of fate, his mother suddenly becomes in need of emergency heart surgery and the only surgeon who can operate is the one he reported. With no other choice, he enlists the help of genius thoracic surgeon Cho Suk Han (Uhm Ki Joon) of the prestigious Taesan Hospital. Suk Han gets Tae Soo a fellow position in the hospital and the two, along with Yoon Soo Yeon (So Ji Hye), a thoracic surgical assistant and the hospital director’s daughter, find themselves involved in hospital politics, revenge, and many more.
A somewhat breather from his usual villain roles, Uhm Ki Joon's portrayal of Suk Han will *definitely* tug at your heartstrings. As a surgeon who also came from a provincial hospital, Suk Han often gets taken advantage of by doctors who came from wealthy and powerful families. He also embarks on a path of revenge after his daughter dies needing heart surgery while he operates on the director's daughter Soo Yeon.
6. The Penthouse: War in Life (2020-2021)
Who else is in it: Lee Ji Ah, Kim So Yeon, Eugene
The Penthouse is a highly addictive and *stressful* suspense drama with an ensemble cast. The drama revolves around the lives of super-wealthy families, with season 1 dealing with the mysterious death of student Min Seol Ah (Jo Soo Min) at a party in the Hera Palace. Here we get introduced to the character of Joo Dan Tae (Uhm Ki Joon), a power-hungry and violent businessman who is also the husband of the *queen* of Hera Palace, Shim Su Ryeon (Lee Ji Ah).
*Spoilers ahead* Season 2 deals with the aftermath of Su Ryeon's apparent death and Oh Yoon Hee being framed for her murder by none other than Dan Tae and Cheon Seo Jin (Kim So Yeon). He eventually marries Seo Jin, all while Yoon Hee plans her revenge and Su Ryeon (not so shockingly) comes back from the dead. The Penthouse's last season picks up from Dan Tae's prison escape at the end of season 2. With the series ending, viewers were treated with a glimpse into Dan Tae's tragic past and a fitting ending for a character we all loved to hate.
7. Little Women (2022)
Who else is in it: Kim Go Eun, Nam Ji Hyun, Park Ji Hu
Loosely based on Louisa May Alcott's 1868 novel of the same name, this currently airing family drama tells the story of three sisters who are struggling with poverty. Oh In Joo (Kim Go Eun), the eldest sister and an accountant, gets involved in a corporate embezzlement case and the disappearance of a 70 billion won slush fund. Meanwhile, news reporter In Kyung (Nam Ji Hyun), revisits an old corruption case after the suspected involved Park Jae Sang (Uhm Ki Joon) emerges as a potential mayoral candidate. To make matters worse, the youngest sister, In Hye (Park Ji Hu), gets roped into creating an art piece that the daughter of the rich and powerful Park family will get credit for.
Upcoming project:
8. The Escape Of The Seven (TBA)
Who else is in it: (in talks) Lee Joon, Yoon Jong Hoon, Hwang Jung Eum
Uhm Ki Joon is set to reunite with Penthouse director Joo Dong Min and scriptwriter Kim Soon Ok in this upcoming drama. While no details about the plot have been revealed, Korean news reports shared that actors Lee Joon, Yoon Jong Hoon, and Hwang Jung Eum are all in talks to join the cast.
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