# Kwak Dong-yeon
**Kwak Dong-yeon** (곽동연; born 1997) is a South Korean actor and musician who debuted as a child actor in the 2012 KBS2 family drama *[My Husband Got a Family](https://www.edgepedia.org/my-husband-got-a-family)* and later became known for supporting and character roles in hit dramas including *Love in the Moonlight* (2016), *[Vincenzo](https://www.edgepedia.org/vincenzo-tv-series)* (2021), and *Queen of Tears* (2024)[1](https://www.koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/films/index/peopleView.jsp?peopleCd=20254033) • [2](https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20260721002100315).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1997, Daejeon, South Korea[1](https://www.koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/films/index/peopleView.jsp?peopleCd=20254033) |
| Debut | 2012, KBS2 drama *My Husband Got a Family*, as Bang Jang-gun[1](https://www.koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/films/index/peopleView.jsp?peopleCd=20254033) |
| Early award | Best Young Actor, 2012 Korea Drama Awards, for his debut role[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6249492/) |
| Breakthrough | Kim Byeong-yeon, the prince's royal guard, in *Love in the Moonlight* (2016)[1](https://www.koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/films/index/peopleView.jsp?peopleCd=20254033) |
| Signature TV roles | Jang Han-seo in *Vincenzo* (2021); Hong Soo-cheol in *Queen of Tears* (2024)[4](https://www.koreajoongangdaily.com/entertainment/kwak-dongyeon-learns-to-love-acting-and-steals-the-spotlight/10901466) • [5](https://www.k-ennews.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=1867) |
| Agencies | FNC Entertainment, then H& Entertainment (2020, later Blitzway Entertainment), then THEBLACKLABEL (April 20, 2026)[6](https://www.soompi.com/article/1418874wpp/kwak-dong-yeon-leaves-fnc-entertainment-signs-with-new-agency) • [7](https://www.soompi.com/article/1834426wpp/kwak-dong-yeon-signs-with-theblacklabel) |
| Military service | Army active-duty enlistment on August 25, 2026[2](https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20260721002100315) |
## Early life and debut
Kwak was born in Daejeon in 1997 and initially aspired to a singing career, already playing in a band as a teenager. At the age of 13 he left his hometown for Seoul, and after a successful audition he made his acting debut in 2012 in the KBS2 family drama *My Husband Got a Family*, playing Bang Jang-gun[1](https://www.koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/films/index/peopleView.jsp?peopleCd=20254033). The role earned him the Best Young Actor award at the 2012 Korea Drama Awards[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6249492/).
He kept a foot in both worlds: he attended the [School of Performing Arts Seoul](https://www.edgepedia.org/school-of-performing-arts-seoul) with a specialization in practical music while acting, and landed his first lead role the next year in the four-part high school drama *Puberty Medley* (2013), part of the KBS Drama Special Series[1](https://www.koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/films/index/peopleView.jsp?peopleCd=20254033). In interviews he has described the trainee period as one he once wanted to hide, saying he later came to value what it taught him about persistence[4](https://www.koreajoongangdaily.com/entertainment/kwak-dongyeon-learns-to-love-acting-and-steals-the-spotlight/10901466).
## From child actor to rising star
Through the mid-2010s Kwak built a steady television resume, appearing in *[Jang Ok-jung, Living by Love](https://www.edgepedia.org/jang-ok-jung-living-by-love)* (2013), *Inspiring Generation* (2014), *Modern Farmer* (2014), and *Puck!* (2016), among others[8](https://asianwiki.com/Kwak_Dong-Yeon). His supporting role in the film *Misbehavior* (2017) was his first important cinema role, but the turning point came on television: as Kim Byeong-yeon, the prince's royal guard in the period drama *Love in the Moonlight* (2016), he was positioned as a rising star to watch[1](https://www.koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/films/index/peopleView.jsp?peopleCd=20254033).
He has called the role a turning point that moved him out of his child-actor image and into adult roles[9](https://v.daum.net/v/iDA4n7ORXq). The drama's ratings passed 20 percent, and Kwak described the young ensemble cast, including [Park Bo-gum](https://www.edgepedia.org/park-bo-gum), as working with strong chemistry[9](https://v.daum.net/v/iDA4n7ORXq). His friendship with Park Bo-gum, formed on that production, became a recurring thread in his later career.
## Vincenzo and character work
**Villain and comic turns.** In the 2021 tvN series *Vincenzo*, Kwak played Jang Han-seo, the acting chairman of the conglomerate Babel Group. The character begins as an unlikeable figure involved in wrongdoing, then, after being displaced by his half-brother Jang Jun-woo ([Ok Taec-yeon](https://www.edgepedia.org/ok-taec-yeon)), earns laughter through a comic performance built on inferiority and ambition[4](https://www.koreajoongangdaily.com/entertainment/kwak-dongyeon-learns-to-love-acting-and-steals-the-spotlight/10901466). Kwak said the key word for the character was "survival" and that he came to feel pity for Han-seo once the character's abusive upbringing was revealed[4](https://www.koreajoongangdaily.com/entertainment/kwak-dongyeon-learns-to-love-acting-and-steals-the-spotlight/10901466).
The same period showed his range across genres. He made a praised special appearance as the manic patient Kwon Gi-do in *It's Okay to Not Be Okay* (2020), for which he researched how patients with manic symptoms behave[4](https://www.koreajoongangdaily.com/entertainment/kwak-dongyeon-learns-to-love-acting-and-steals-the-spotlight/10901466) • [10](https://enews.imbc.com/News/ViewAmp/300151). In 2022 he took his first drama lead as the oblivious employee Lee Sang-sik in the webtoon adaptation *Gaus Electronics*, played Jerry in MBC's *Big Mouth*, and took on the villainous role of Kwak Yong-ju in the TVING occult series *Monstrous*[8](https://asianwiki.com/Kwak_Dong-Yeon) • [11](https://morningcalm.koreanair.com/media/pages/archive/may-jun-2023/dec4631eb4-1741698317/morningcalm_2023-05-06.pdf). His film work in these years included the comedy *6/45* (2022), in which he played the South Korean soldier Man-cheol, and *Love in the Big City* (2024)[8](https://asianwiki.com/Kwak_Dong-Yeon).
## Queen of Tears
In the 2024 tvN weekend drama *Queen of Tears*, Kwak played Hong Soo-cheol, the younger brother of Hong Hae-in (Kim Ji-won) and husband of Cheon Da-hye (Lee Ju-bin). The drama's final episode recorded a 24.9 percent viewership rating nationwide (Nielsen Korea), a record for a tvN drama[5](https://www.k-ennews.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=1867). Kwak said his guiding principle for the role was "not to malingeringly play it cute," and he performed both comic scenes and emotional ones, including boxing-trained action sequences in which his character defends his wife[12](https://www.yna.co.kr/amp/view/AKR20240430148800005). He reported losing 8 kg during the production[13](https://www.chosun.com/entertainments/enter_general/2024/05/06/QMOELMYHBZE4MJOGBPMOF2VGLA/).
The role also marked a reunion: screenwriter [Park Ji-eun](https://www.edgepedia.org/park-ji-eun) had written his debut drama twelve years earlier, and Kwak said he was grateful that she had watched and acknowledged his work since[14](https://www.newsis.com/view/NISX20240505_0002724085).
## Variety, stage, and The East Palace
Beyond scripted drama, Kwak hosted an episode of the Coupang Play comedy show *SNL Korea* season 6 in 2024, performing a range of satirical characters[15](https://news.coupang.com/archives/47144/?print=pdf). He returned to the stage in the Korean premiere of *Waiting for Godot to Wait for Godot*, a homage to Beckett's play, describing the production as a 90-minute display of sustained acting energy[16](https://www.mk.co.kr/news/entertain/11153486).
In 2026 he appeared in the Netflix dark fantasy series *The East Palace* as the Crown Prince, a special appearance that grew into roughly five months of filming with three-hour special-effects makeup sessions, wire action, and chroma-key work[17](https://www.yna.co.kr/amp/view/AKR20260724101500005). The series reached first place on Netflix's Korean Top 10 list on release[18](https://www.newsis.com/view/NISX20260724_0003721681). He also joined Park Bo-gum and Lee Sang-yi in the first season of the tvN reality show *[The Village Barber](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-village-barber)*[2](https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20260721002100315).
## Agencies and military service
Kwak's management history tracks his career phases. He began under [FNC Entertainment](https://www.edgepedia.org/fnc-entertainment), left when his contract ended in June 2020, and signed that August with H& Entertainment, a company founded by former KeyEast executive Hong Min Ki; the agency was later renamed Blitzway Entertainment[6](https://www.soompi.com/article/1418874wpp/kwak-dong-yeon-leaves-fnc-entertainment-signs-with-new-agency). After six years with Blitzway, he signed an exclusive contract with THEBLACKLABEL on April 20, 2026, joining a roster that includes Park Bo-gum, Yim Si-wan, Taeyang, Jeon Somi, and [Rosé](https://www.edgepedia.org/rose-singer) of BLACKPINK[7](https://www.soompi.com/article/1834426wpp/kwak-dong-yeon-signs-with-theblacklabel).
His agency announced in July 2026 that he would begin mandatory military service, joining the Army on August 25 without a public send-off event[2](https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20260721002100315). In pre-enlistment interviews he described the service period as an "intermission" in his acting career, a time to prepare for a second act, and noted that a Japanese film and a Korean film he had completed were scheduled for release during his absence[17](https://www.yna.co.kr/amp/view/AKR20260724101500005). He had earlier deferred enlistment once, giving up a reserve-forces placement to film *Love in the Moonlight* in 2016[19](https://www.osen.co.kr/article/G1112845553).
## References
1. [GWAK Dong-yeon, Korean Film Council (KOFIC) KOREAN ACTORS 200 profile](https://www.koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/films/index/peopleView.jsp?peopleCd=20254033)
2. [Actor Kwak Dong-yeon to begin military service next month, Yonhap News Agency](https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20260721002100315)
3. [Kwak Dong-yeon, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6249492/)
4. [Kwak Dong-yeon learns to love acting and steals the spotlight, Korea JoongAng Daily](https://www.koreajoongangdaily.com/entertainment/kwak-dongyeon-learns-to-love-acting-and-steals-the-spotlight/10901466)
5. [Queen of Tears Star Kwak Dong-yeon on His Emotional Role, K-en News](https://www.k-ennews.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=1867)
6. [Kwak Dong Yeon Leaves FNC Entertainment + Signs With New Agency, Soompi](https://www.soompi.com/article/1418874wpp/kwak-dong-yeon-leaves-fnc-entertainment-signs-with-new-agency)
7. [Kwak Dong Yeon Officially Signs With THEBLACKLABEL, Soompi](https://www.soompi.com/article/1834426wpp/kwak-dong-yeon-signs-with-theblacklabel)
8. [Kwak Dong-Yeon, AsianWiki](https://asianwiki.com/Kwak_Dong-Yeon)
9. [Kwak Dong-yeon interview on Love in the Moonlight, Star News via Daum](https://v.daum.net/v/iDA4n7ORXq)
10. [Actor Kwak Dong-yeon, new profile photo shoot, iMBC Entertainment](https://enews.imbc.com/News/ViewAmp/300151)
11. [Gaus Electronics review, Morning Calm (Korean Air) in-flight magazine](https://morningcalm.koreanair.com/media/pages/archive/may-jun-2023/dec4631eb4-1741698317/morningcalm_2023-05-06.pdf)
12. [Queen of Tears Kwak Dong-yeon interview, Yonhap News Agency](https://www.yna.co.kr/amp/view/AKR20240430148800005)
13. [Queen of Tears Kwak Dong-yeon interview, Chosun Ilbo](https://www.chosun.com/entertainments/enter_general/2024/05/06/QMOELMYHBZE4MJOGBPMOF2VGLA/)
14. [Interview with Kwak Dong-yeon on reuniting with Park Ji-eun, Newsis](https://www.newsis.com/view/NISX20240505_0002724085)
15. [SNL Korea season 6 episode 3 press release, Coupang Newsroom](https://news.coupang.com/archives/47144/?print=pdf)
16. [Waiting for Godot to Wait for Godot stage review, Maeil Business](https://www.mk.co.kr/news/entertain/11153486)
17. [The East Palace Kwak Dong-yeon interview, Yonhap News Agency](https://www.yna.co.kr/amp/view/AKR20260724101500005)
18. [The East Palace interview, Newsis](https://www.newsis.com/view/NISX20260724_0003721681)
19. [Kwak Dong-yeon on giving up reserve placement for Love in the Moonlight, OSEN](https://www.osen.co.kr/article/G1112845553)
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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: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 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