2003–2007: Career beginnings and rise to stardom Hyun's first film was
Shower in 2002. However, filming was stopped and was not released due to lack of proper funding. He eventually made his debut as an actor in the 2003 television series
Bodyguard. He then starred in the sitcom
Nonstop 4 and quirky romance drama
Ireland, and made his film debut the same year in the youth sports film
Spin Kick. Hyun shot to stardom with the 2005 romantic comedy
My Lovely Sam Soon with
Kim Sun-a, for which Hyun won the Top Excellence Award at the
MBC Drama Awards.
My Lovely Sam Soon was a massive hit with average viewership ratings of over 37% and recorded 50.5% for the finale, making it one of the
highest-rated Korean drama of all time. The high level popularity of the drama and his portrayal as Sam-sik established Hyun Bin as a top star in South Korea and a
Hallyu star as his popularity expanded beyond South Korea to Japan and other countries in Asia. Hyun starred in a lead role in his first film ''
A Millionaire's First Love'', written by internet novelist
Guiyeoni. The film was a hit with young audiences. Hyun's next television project was
The Snow Queen, although the series underperformed, it earned him his first
Best Actor nomination at the
Baeksang Arts Awards.
2008–2011: New career challenges and Secret Garden To expand his acting profile, Hyun started to choose more eclectic projects. In 2008, he acted in director
Yoon Jong-chan's film
I Am Happy, playing as Man-soo, a man who suffered from mental illness. The film was selected to screen at the 13th
Busan International Film Festival in 2008, but it was not released in theatres until late 2009. He later returned to television with
Worlds Within, which was well-received for
Noh Hee-kyung's writing. He was praised for his nuanced acting in the drama series. In 2009, Hyun drew critical acclaim with his portrayal as a
sociopath in the
gangster saga
Friend, Our Legend. To prepare for his role, he reportedly watched
Kwak Kyung-taek's
original film 20 to 30 times. In 2010, Hyun starred in
Secret Garden, a romantic fantasy drama written by
Kim Eun-sook. The drama recorded a high viewership rating of 35%, and gained enormous popularity both domestically and internationally for its fashion, catchphrases and music. His portrayal as Kim Joo-won created a "
Hyun Bin Syndrome" as his name and face were plastered everywhere, from newspapers to television and the internet. Hyun was recognized at the
2010 SBS Drama Awards and the
47th Baeksang Arts Awards for his stellar performance. He also contributed to the
soundtrack of the drama with "That Man", which peaked at number one in eight Korean music portals. In 2011, Hyun appeared in two films that were released back to back;
Come Rain, Come Shine, a minimalist breakup indie directed by
Lee Yoon-ki, and
Late Autumn directed by
Kim Tae-yong. Shot in
Seattle city,
Late Autumn is an
English-language remake of the 1966
Lee Man-hee classic, in which Hyun played a man on the run who falls in love with a woman who is on special leave from prison. It was the highest-grossing Korean film released in China to date, taking in more than over two weeks, which was unprecedented for a melodrama. He received a good review from
The Hollywood Reporter which stated, "it is Hyun who impresses more for not underplaying the dandy, narcissistic side of his personality." Hyun walked the red carpet at the
61st Berlin International Film Festival, where the two films were both selected to be screened. He described the honor as his "most happiest achievement".
2011–2012: Military enlistment and discharge On March 7, 2011, Hyun began his 21-month
mandatory military service as a soldier in the
Marine Corps. He volunteered to serve in the Marine Corps, said to be the toughest branch of the Korean military, as he had a good impression of the Marines. Competition rate to enter the Marines at that time was high at 4:1 with Hyun placing in the top 5% of applicants. Hyun applied to be a combat soldier. Seven broadcasting companies, including Japan's NHK, requested access to the training camp. Hyun hit the target 19 times out of 20 in day shooting training, and all of his 10 shots hit the target during night training. To qualify as a top marksman, rookies must hit the target more than 18 times out of 20 in day training and nine out of 10 at night. The Corps originally planned to put Hyun on public relations duty; however due to public criticism and Hyun's reported desire to serve on the front line, Hyun was assigned on active duty to the island
Baengnyeongdo, close to the
Northern Limit Line and
Yeonpyeong, site of a
November 2010 artillery engagement between the North and South Korean forces. After joining the Marines and completing his six months in the service, Hyun participated in the "Seoul Reclamation Anniversary Marine Marathon Competition". He ran a 6.25 km long course with 400 exemplary senior marines. This event was held in remembrance of the historically significant event when the Marines won back the capital Seoul that had been taken during the 6.25 Korean War. He was discharged on December 6, 2012, and was awarded the Secretary of Defense Award and the Marine Corps Commandant Commendation for being an exemplary soldier. After the merger of their former agency AM Entertainment with
SM Entertainment, Hyun's reps announced in November 2012 that the actor and
Shin Min-ah had decided to go independent and set up their own management agency O& Entertainment.
2013–2016: Comeback to entertainment industry Hyun spent most of 2013 shooting ad commercials as an in-demand product endorser, and holding fan meetings all over Asia. For his acting comeback after military service, Hyun chose
The Fatal Encounter, his first
period film, in which he played the lead role of
King Jeongjo who faced fierce party strife and assassination attempts during his reign. It was released in April 2014 and drew more than three million admissions. However, Hyun was criticized for his flat tonation and lack of emotions in the film, which received mostly negative reviews. In 2015, Hyun made a comeback in the Korean drama scene after four years, via romantic comedy
Hyde Jekyll, Me. In the drama inspired by the
literary character, he played a man with
split personality disorder whose two personas both fall for the same woman. In January 2016, he set up his own agency, VAST Entertainment, a wholly owned subsidiary of
Kakao M.
2017–present: Career resurgence Hyun returned to big screen with action-thriller film
Confidential Assignment (2017), where he played the role of a North Korean detective who was secretly sent to South Korea to apprehend a crime ring made up of North Korean traitors. The film was a success, and Hyun received positive reviews from critics for his action scenes and comedic performance. He then starred in a blockbuster crime action film
The Swindlers, along with
Yoo Ji-tae, about a prosecutor who plans to catch a con man who has swindled a large sum of money. In 2018, Hyun played his first villain role in crime thriller
The Negotiation, alongside
Son Ye-jin; and zombie blockbuster
Rampant, co-produced by VAST Entertainment. The same year, he returned to the small screen with fantasy suspense drama
Memories of the Alhambra with
Park Shin-hye. The series is one of
highest rated Korean drama in cable television history, and Hyun was praised for his seemingly indifferent but humorous depiction of his character. In 2019, Hyun played the role of a North Korean army captain in the romance drama
Crash Landing on You, reuniting with
The Negotiation co-star
Son Ye-jin. The drama was a huge success and is the
fifth highest-rated Korean drama in cable television history, and Hyun was praised for his versatile range of emotions and acting skills. For his portrayal as Captain Ri Jeong Hyuk, a North Korean elite army officer, Hyun won Grand Prize at the
APAN Star Awards. In the 2023 action thriller film
The Point Men, directed by
Yim Soon-rye, Hyun starred as an NIS agent. ==Philanthropy==