# Kim Jung-tae (김정태)
**Kim Jung-tae** (김정태; born 1972, birth name Kim Tae-wook) is a South Korean actor from Busan known for supporting roles in Korean film and television, most famously as Doruko in the hit film *[Friend](https://www.edgepedia.org/friend-2001-film)* (친구), and more recently for his reality-television family life and his move into directing.[1](https://host.cine21.com/db/person/info/?href=main&person_id=19078)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Birth name / born | Kim Tae-wook, born 1972, Busan-born[1](https://host.cine21.com/db/person/info/?href=main&person_id=19078) |
| Education | Kyungsung University, Department of Theater and Film[1](https://host.cine21.com/db/person/info/?href=main&person_id=19078) |
| Debut | 1999 film *Lee Jae-sue's Rebellion* (이재수의 난)[2](https://v.daum.net/v/20260701185628673) |
| Signature roles | Doruko in *Friend*; Jinmuk in *Doguk* (똥개); Yong-cheol in *Banga? Banga!*[1](https://host.cine21.com/db/person/info/?href=main&person_id=19078) • [3](https://www5.osen.co.kr/article/G1008310073) |
| Screen credits | About 70 listed works, including *Family Trip* (2026)[1](https://host.cine21.com/db/person/info/?href=main&person_id=19078) |
| Family life | His eldest son Kim Ji-hu, known as 'Yakkungi', appeared with him on *The Return of Superman*[4](https://sports.donga.com/ent/article/all/20260113/133148611/1) |
| Directing | Preparing his first film as director, *Family Trip*, set for a September release[2](https://v.daum.net/v/20260701185628673) |
## Film career
Kim made his debut in 1999 with *Lee Jae-sue's Rebellion*, working under his birth name, Kim Tae-wook.[2](https://v.daum.net/v/20260701185628673) The breakthrough came with *Friend*, in which his character Doruko entered audiences' memory as the film became a major hit.[1](https://host.cine21.com/db/person/info/?href=main&person_id=19078)
His intense screen presence in gangster roles led to a run of similar parts. In *Doguk* he played Jinmuk, who threatens the character played by [Jung Woo-sung](https://www.edgepedia.org/jung-woo-sung), and in *Our Brother* (우리형) he appeared as a man in a track suit clashing with the protagonists, performances that put his name on lists of character actors to watch.[1](https://host.cine21.com/db/person/info/?href=main&person_id=19078) In interviews he has described how far he went to prepare for such roles: while working part-time jobs in his early years he met a hospitalized gangster whose stories he collected, and later he dined with gangsters and observed a brawl firsthand to research the character for *Doguk*.[5](https://www.osen.co.kr/article/G1112793954)
The range later widened. In the comedy *Banga? Banga!* (2010) he played Yong-cheol, the protagonist's reliable helper and a master of dubious dealings, adding ad-libs, witty retorts, and slapstick in an image change from his rough-guy parts.[3](https://www5.osen.co.kr/article/G1008310073) He took the role of Tae-ju in the 2013 film *Palm-san Geondal* (박수건달), a shaman by day and a gangster by night.[6](https://www.newsis.com/view/NISX20130112_0011754070) His television work includes the dramas *The Perfect Wedding Formula* (완벽한 결혼의 정석) and *Show Window: The Queen's House*, and the films *Jangsu Store* (장수상회) and *Kkangcheori* (깡철이).[2](https://v.daum.net/v/20260701185628673) He also appeared in variety programs, including KBS's *Boss in the Mirror* in 2022, where his singing drew praise on the program.[7](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8RYT19qy9o)
## Television family and public profile
**Yakkungi.** Kim became widely known to the general public as a father through the KBS reality program *The Return of Superman* (슈퍼맨이 돌아왔다), where his eldest son Kim Ji-hu was nicknamed 'Yakkungi' (야꿍이) and received a broad national following.[4](https://sports.donga.com/ent/article/all/20260113/133148611/1) In 2026, roughly twelve years after those broadcasts, he appeared on TV Chosun's *Dad and Me: Season 3* with his grown-up sons.[8](https://v.daum.net/v/20260311085627751)
On those broadcasts Kim addressed rumors that had circulated about his son. He explained that Ji-hu's slurred Korean had been misread as a developmental disability and said the rumor was untrue.[9](https://www.newsis.com/view/NISX20260305_0003535634) The same appearances showed another side of the boy: at 16, Ji-hu had completed a gifted-education program in information security, was preparing to enter Busan Software Meister High School, a school focused specifically on coding rather than university entrance, and planned to study abroad after graduation.[4](https://sports.donga.com/ent/article/all/20260113/133148611/1) Reports at the time of the broadcasts also described the boy's individuality alongside his ability, with his mother speaking about the difficulties behind his special traits.[8](https://v.daum.net/v/20260311085627751)
**His sons in acting.** The younger son, Kim Si-hyun, entered acting himself. In November of the previous year he signed an exclusive contract with PA Entertainment, Kim Jung-tae's own agency, becoming a junior at his father's company.[4](https://sports.donga.com/ent/article/all/20260113/133148611/1) He has appeared on KBS 2TV's *Study and Nolbu*, the web drama *An Idol Lives in the Living Room*, and the films *The Consultant* and *Family Trip*.[10](https://www.newsen.com/news_view.php?uid=202609300559122110) In September 2026, Kim shared photographs of a joint advertising shoot with Si-hyun, commenting on how much his son had grown, and the two signed their agency contracts together.[10](https://www.newsen.com/news_view.php?uid=202609300559122110)
## Directing debut and recent work
Kim is preparing his first film as a director, *Family Trip* (가족여행), scheduled for release in September; in it he also acts, playing Chang-wook, an inept husband who chases only his own dreams. The project follows the firm standing he built with *Friend*, one of Korea's films with more than ten million admissions, in which he appeared.[2](https://v.daum.net/v/20260701185628673) In an interview about the film, Kim described himself as an avid film and music enthusiast and said the film referenced the 2014 drama *Still Alice*.[11](https://view.mk.co.kr/entertainment/article/279764/amp/?noamp=mobile)
His recent screen credits include *Family Trip* (2026) and the show *Ddoonershow* (뒤너쇼, 2026).[1](https://host.cine21.com/db/person/info/?href=main&person_id=19078) In 2026 he was also reported to be appearing on the trot singing program *Unknown Legend* (무명전설).[12](https://v.daum.net/v/20260210120303760)
## Health
Kim interrupted and rebuilt his career around a serious illness. A 2019 entertainment program introduction described him as the 'Yakkungi dad' who had returned after overcoming liver cancer (간암).[13](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Egj3803lybU) Later interviews and broadcasts have continued to refer to his cancer struggle when recounting his career.[5](https://www.osen.co.kr/article/G1112793954)
## References
1. [Kim Jung-tae profile, Cine21](https://host.cine21.com/db/person/info/?href=main&person_id=19078)
2. [Kim Jung-tae, a 10-million-admission actor, challenges film direction with 'Family Trip', Daum News (July 2026)](https://v.daum.net/v/20260701185628673)
3. [Kim In-kwon's first lead film 'Banga? Banga!', OSEN (2010)](https://www5.osen.co.kr/article/G1008310073)
4. [Kim Jung-tae shares update on 'Yakkungi' Ji-hu: coding prodigy dreaming of studying abroad, Sports Donga (January 2026)](https://sports.donga.com/ent/article/all/20260113/133148611/1)
5. [Actor Kim Jung-tae on his cancer battle and dining with gangsters for 'Doguk', MBN Dongchimi via OSEN (May 2026)](https://www.osen.co.kr/article/G1112793954)
6. [Kim Jung-tae interview for 'Palm-san Geondal', Newsis (January 2013)](https://www.newsis.com/view/NISX20130112_0011754070)
7. [Kim Jung-tae's singing praised on Boss in the Mirror, KBS Entertain (September 2022)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8RYT19qy9o)
8. [Kim Jung-tae's son Yakkungi appears after 12 years on Dad and Me, Daum News / Sports Korea (March 2026)](https://v.daum.net/v/20260311085627751)
9. [Kim Jung-tae addresses developmental disability rumors about his son, Newsis (March 2026)](https://www.newsis.com/view/NISX20260305_0003535634)
10. [Kim Jung-tae shoots an ad with his actor son, Newsen (September 2026)](https://www.newsen.com/news_view.php?uid=202609300559122110)
11. [Interview with director-actor Kim Jung-tae and Lee Hwi-hyang on 'Family Trip', Cine Play / Maeil Business (2026)](https://view.mk.co.kr/entertainment/article/279764/amp/?noamp=mobile)
12. [Actor Kim Jung-tae transforms into a trot singer on 'Unknown Legend', Daum News (February 2026)](https://v.daum.net/v/20260210120303760)
13. [Kim Jung-tae, tender dad to his son, on Shinsionhan Nampyeon, ENA / skyTV (May 2019)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Egj3803lybU)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of East and Southeast Asia › South Korean actors, 2000s onward › Surnames Ki to K*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license