Theatre star and K-drama heartthrob Kim Sung-cheol has been making waves since being cast as Jung Jin-su in Hellbound season 2. Kim Sung-cheol’s noteworthy journey in showbiz includes numerous hit movies and K-dramas, adding to his growing net worth. Today, we take a close look at the star’s wealth and his life beyond K-dramas.
Over his decade-long career, Kim Sung-cheol has been a part of multiple success stories, from sold-out plays and hit music videos to some of the highest-grossing Korean movies and TV shows. Standouts from his acting portfolio include hits like Prison Playbook (2017), The Battle of Jangsari (2019), Sweet Home (2020), Vincenzo (2021), Our Beloved Summer (2021), Death’s Game (2023) and No Way Out: The Roulette (2024).
Talking about his role in his latest project Hellbound season 2, Kim shared during the Open Talk event at the 29th Busan Film Festival, “Since Season 1 built up Jung Jin-soo’s story, Season 2 naturally had to follow with his resurrection. I wanted to approach his emotional and personal moments with a smooth and natural feel. Filming took quite a long time, and I tried various approaches. Director Yoon and I exchanged ideas, and I believe we created a strong synergy.”
All about Kim Sung-cheol: Net worth, career, brand endorsements and other details
Kim Sung-cheol’s net worth
According to media outlets like Kdramastars and Najia News, Kim Sung-cheol’s net worth is reported to be between USD 1 million and 5 million, as of 2024.
While it is difficult to quote an exact figure, it goes without saying that the Korean celebrity earns handsomely from his acting stints and theatre projects.
A substantial addition to Kim Sung-cheol’s net worth also comes from commercials, luxury brand endorsements and social media earnings.
Career and filmography
Kim Sung-cheol began acting as a theatre artist and debuted in the 2014 musical Puberty. Following this, he became a renowned face in the world of theatre in Korea, with multiple musicals to his credit. These include My Bucket List, Romeo and Juliet, Fan Letter and Werther.
Television debut
In 2016, he played the role of Tobias Ragg in the Korean production of Sweeney Todd, receiving widespread fame and winning the Best Rookie Actor at the Korea Musical Awards. In 2017, Kim bagged the role of Seo In-hu in the revival of Mr. Mouse, a Korean musical based on the short story Flowers for Algernon by best-selling fiction author Daniel Keyes.
Kim Sung-cheol made his television debut with the critically acclaimed Prison Playbook in 2017. Co-starring Lee Do-hyun, Park Hae-soo and Jung Kyung-ho, Prison Playbook tells the story of a baseball star, who on being sent to prison under false charges, vows to prove his innocence and unravel the truth behind his misfortune. One of the highest-rated Korean dramas in cable television history, the show recorded a solid 11.19 per cent viewership rating after its finale episode on 18 January 2018, according to Nielsen Korea.
In July 2018, Kim went back on stage with the musical romantic comedy To. Jenny. Later that year, Kim made his big screen debut with the comedy movie Too Hot to Die, which grossed USD 239,654 at the box office, according to the Korean Film Council. In October 2018, Kim joined the crime drama Player, opposite Song Seung-heon and Krystal Jung.
Rise in popularity and Hellbound season 2
Kim’s popularity soared in 2019 and he bagged roles in multiple hit movies and TV shows like the romantic K-drama The Wind Blows, the historical tvN original show Arthdal Chronicles, the period war movie The Battle of Jangsari and the Gong Yoo starrer romance Kim Ji-young: Born 1982. The latter is a Korean movie adaptation of the best-seller novel of the same name by Cho Nam-Joo and made USD 27.7 million at the box office. Meanwhile, Arthdal Chronicles, which is loosely based on the story of Dangun, the founder of the first Korean Kingdom of Gojoseon, scored a finale viewership rating of 7.4 per cent according to Nielsen Korea.
Over the years, Kim Sung-cheol worked on multiple hit projects like Do You Like Brahms, Anarchist from Colony, Sweet Home season 1, Vincenzo and My Beloved Summer. The teenage romantic drama Do You Like Brahms earned Kim a nomination for Best New Actor at the 2020 SBS Drama Awards. Meanwhile, his portrayal of antagonist Jung Ui-myeong in the Netflix horror drama Sweet Home season 1, was applauded by both fans and critics. Additionally, Our Beloved Summer was an instant commercial success. One of the most-watched K-dramas on Netflix, it recorded over 22.73 million viewing hours according to the OTT platform.
The K-drama star has also proven his stature in the world of musicals with sold-out performances in musicals and plays like Death Note and Shakespeare in Love. Kim Sung-cheol also made a significant impact with his role as Crown Prince Sohyeon in the award-winning 2022 South Korean period thriller film The Night Owl. Directed by Ahn Tae-jin, it became the fifth highest-grossing Korean film of 2022 and garnered over USD 26,395,809 at the box office as of 16 January 2023.
Kim plays protagonist Jung Jin-su in his latest project, the apocalyptic horror K-drama Hellbound season 2. While Jin-su was initially portrayed by Korean actor Yoo Ah-in, on 3 February 2023, he was investigated for illegal drug use. When the police confirmed that the actor had tested positive for two substances, Yoo was dropped from the Hellbound franchise and Kim Sung-cheol was approached to join the cast for season 2. Helmed by Train to Busan director Yeon Sang-ho, Hellbound is one of the most-watched K-dramas on Netflix. Season 1 of the series recorded over 43.48 million viewing hours just three days after its release in 2021. Meanwhile, season 2 had a special premiere at the 29th Busan International Film Festival before its worldwide Netflix release on 25 October 2024.
Luxury brand endorsements that add to Kim Sung-cheol’s net worth
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Besides movies and TV shows, Kim Sung-cheol has endorsed multiple brands, which make a significant contribution to his net worth. These include Prada, MLB, Coway, Descente, Binggrae, Dongseo Food, Hyundai Motor, and Jungwonsam.
The Vincenzo actor has also been featured in multiple pictorials for magazines, including Marie Claire Korea, Allure, Elle, Cosmopolitan Korea, Esquire, Singles magazine and Arena.
With over 1.3 million followers as of 28 October 2024, Kim is one of the most popular Korean actors on Instagram. The actor, who often shares his magazine photoshoots and sponsored posts through his official Instagram account @sungcheol2, reportedly earns around USD 10,000 to USD 100,000 per post from the social media platform.
Personal life
Born on 31 December 1991 in Seoul, Kim Sung-cheol aspired to become an actor after he turned 18. He graduated from Jamsil High School and then attended the Korea National University of Arts to study theatre along with co-actor Kim Go-eun. Kim started his acting career with musicals and plays in 2014. He eventually made his television debut in the year 2017.
Kim served in the military when he was 21. Talking about completing his enlistment duties early on, the actor shared in a 2019 interview with K-media outlet Donga, “Thinking back now, I think it was a good choice because I was able to continue working without any break in my activities.”
On the relationship front, Kim Sung-cheol is single as of October 2024. However, he was rumoured to have dated his To. Jenny co-star Jung Chae-yeon. Additionally, Kim shared about one of his failed past relationships in a 2022 interview with The Swoon (via Pixstory), “I was dumped. I was in a relationship for ten years, but it turns out my girlfriend had a crush on my best friend.”
(Hero Image Credit: Story J Company; Featured Image Credit: Netflix K-Content/@netflixkcontent via X)
Frequently Asked Questions
Kim plays antagonist Jung Ui-myeong in the Netflix apocalyptic horror drama.
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Written by
Sushmita Mahanta
Digital Writer (Growth) - Entertainment
Sushmita is a writer with a passion for crafting engaging and informative stories. An avid fan of K-pop and K-dramas, Sushmita mostly writes about Korean culture and entertainment. When not writing, you can find Sushmita dancing, reading, collecting books, learning about fashion, art, motion pictures, and appreciating BTS.
