Woo Do-hwan is undeniably one of the most sought-after actors in the Korean entertainment industry, with a career on the rise and a massive net worth to match. In this article, we are taking a look at the K-celebrity’s wealth, acting stints, brand deals and his life beyond the camera.
Famous for playing Gun-woo in the action thriller Bloodhounds (2023), Woo Do-hwan has multiple other highest-rated Korean dramas and movies to his credit. These include Save Me (2017), Tempted (2018), The Divine Fury (2019), The Divine Move 2: The Wrathful (2019), The King: Eternal Monarch (2020), My Heart Puppy (2023) and Joseon Attorney (2023).
Talking about his role in Bloodhounds, one of the most-watched K-dramas on Netflix, Woo Do-hwan told TheKoreaTimes, “For me, Bloodhounds was the first work since I ended mandatory military service, so there was a lot of pressure. I was also nervous because I’ve never played such a character. I’ve always done hard-outside-but-soft-inside, funny or cool characters. But Gun-woo is just like a puppy. Sometimes he’s cute but sometimes he’s like a fool. Yet, he needs to be better at action than anyone else. So it was full of things I’ve never done.”
All details about Woo Do-hwan: Net worth, filmography, expensive things and more
Woo Doo-hwan’s net worth
According to multiple media outlets, including Kdramastars, Woo Do-hwan enjoys an estimated net worth of USD 4 to 5 million, as of 2023.
While quoting an exact figure in 2024 seems difficult, it goes without saying that Woo, who has been in the Korean entertainment industry since 2011, earns quite handsomely from his acting endeavours. Additionally, a substantial portion of his fortune comes from diversified sources, including fan meeting tours, social media earnings and luxury brand endorsements.
Career and filmography
Be it the 2019 action horror thriller film The Divine Fury or the 2024 Netflix original limited series Mr. Plankton, Woo Do-hwan’s movies and TV shows have always been a treat for K-drama lovers. A Kim Joo-hwan directorial, The Divine Fury was a box office hit and grossed over USD 11.8 million, according to Box Office Mojo. Meanwhile, with director Hong Jong-chan building an engrossing plot, Mr. Plankton successfully made it to Netflix’s Global Top 10 TV (Non-English) list after its release on 8 November 2024. The K-drama also has a solid 8.2 rating on IMDb.
Early years
Woo Do-hwan made his acting debut with the MBN Korean drama Come, Come, Absolutely Come in 2011. Following this, the actor landed a supporting role in the 2012 show Shut Up: Flower Boy Band, starring Sung Joon.
Five years later, the thriller Save Me, co-starring Seo Ye-ji and Taecyeon, became his claim to fame. Adapted from the webtoon Out of the World by Jo Geum-san, the K-drama earned Woo his first Best New Actor nomination at the 54th Baeksang Arts Awards in 2018.
The TV star made his big screen debut with a minor role in 2016 with the South Korean spy war film Operation Chromite. Directed by John H. Lee, the film was a massive commercial success and earned USD 50.9 million at the box office, against a budget of USD 12.7 million. The following year, Woo bagged the role of swindler Kim Min-joon in the crime thriller K-drama Mad Dog. According to Nielsen Korea, the show recorded a solid viewership rating of 9.3 per cent after the release of its finale episode on 30 November 2017.
Rise in fame, Bloodhounds and more
Over the years, Woo Do-hwan has been a part of multiple success stories.
While the romance drama Tempted (2018) earned Woo the Excellence Award, Actor in a Monday-Tuesday Drama at the 2018 MBC Drama Awards, the neo-noir crime action film The Divine Move 2: The Wrathful (2019) proved his box office stature. According to the Korean Film Council, it grossed over USD 14.3 million from 2,159,081 admissions as of 20 June 2022.
Additionally, Woo’s OTT debut performance in the Lee Min-ho-starrer romantic fantasy The King: Eternal Monarch received widespread critical acclaim. For his role as Jo Yeong, Captain of the Royal Guard of the Kingdom of Corea, Woo was nominated for the Excellence Award, Actor in a Miniseries Fantasy/Romance Drama at the SBS Drama Awards in 2020. Written by Kim Eun-sook, the series consistently maintained its #1 spot on the weekly Wavve drama chart for eight weeks. Not just that. According to Netflix’s 2020 year-end viewing lists, The King: Eternal Monarch was the most viewed Korean drama series in Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and India.
Woo Do-hwan landed his career best with the 2023 Netflix original series Bloodhounds. Formerly titled Hunting Dogs, this noir action drama is based on the webtoon of the same name by Jeong Chan and tells the story of two young boxers, Gun-woo (played by Woo) and Woo-jin (played by Lee Sang-yi), as they team up to bring down an evil loan shark in Korea. Helmed by Officer Black Belt director Jason Kim, Bloodhounds became a global sensation and recorded over 27.9 million viewing hours within three days of release. One of the most popular K-dramas of all time, the series has been viewed 146,700,000 hours as of 6 December 2023.
The same year, Woo Do-hwan showcased his versatility in the webtoon-based historical Korean drama Joseon Attorney. Co-starring K-pop idol Bona, the show earned Woo the Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Miniseries at the 2023 MBC Drama Awards.
The South Korean actor plays Hae-jo, a terminally ill man searching for his biological father in his latest project, the 2024 Netflix hit Mr. Plankton. Woo Do-hwan will be next seen in the Disney Plus original series crime thriller Knock Off, co-starring Kim Soo-hyun and Jo Bo-ah. He will also reprise the role of Gun-woo in season 2 of Bloodhounds. According to K-media sources, the show is under production and is most likely to hit the screens in 2025.
Luxury brand endorsements like Gucci and Chopard
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Besides Korean movies and dramas, Woo also has massive luxury brand endorsement earnings adding up to his net worth.
The actor has endorsed various brands, including Gucci, Omega, Boss, Chopard, Noon Shop Eyewear, Lancôme, Diadora Korea, The North Face, White Label, Uniqlo, dinh van, Sprite, Brunello Cucinelli, 187label, TAG Heuer and Malbon, Onitsuka Tiger Korea.
His fashion stints also include editorials for popular magazines like Harper’s Bazaar Korea, Allure, 1st Look, MEN’S FOLIO, Whales magazine, Esquire, Marie Claire, GQ Korea, Dazed Korea, Noblessemen and Arena.
One of the highest-paid K-drama actors, Woo has over 5.9 million Instagram followers as of 12 November 2024. The Bloodhounds star often shares his sponsored posts and career updates on the social media platform and reportedly earns around USD 10,000 to USD 100,000 per post on Instagram.
Expensive things owned by Woo Do-hwan that add to his net worth
The Korean superstar is also known for spending his wealth on expensive cars. He reportedly owns a luxurious BMW 530d.
Woo Do-hwan is also a celebrity pet parent and has a Toy Poodle, Yoshi.
Personal life
Born on 12 July 1992, in Anyang, South Korea, Woo wanted to be a pilot while growing up. However, his parents encouraged him to pursue a film course. Later, Woo graduated as a theatre major from Dankook University.
The Save Me actor joined his mandatory military service on 6 July 2020 and was discharged on 5 January 2022.
As for his relationship, Woo Do-hwan is single according to his agency H& Entertainment. However, he is rumoured to have dated his Tempted co-actor Moon Ga-young and Red Velvet member Joy.
(Hero and featured image credit: Woo Do-hwan/Instagram)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
According to multiple media outlets, Woo Do-hwan's estimated net worth is around USD 4 to 5 million, as of 2023. While quoting an exact figure in 2024 seems difficult, it goes without saying that Woo, who has been in the Korean entertainment industry since 2011, earns quite handsomely from his acting endeavours, fan meeting tours, social media earnings and luxury brand endorsements.
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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.
