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Choi Gwi-hwa

Choi Gwi-hwa

Actor · Born March 3, 1978 (48) · Yeonggwang, South Jeolla, South Korea

Choi Gwi-hwa is a South Korean actor, primarily known for his supporting roles in many popular films. Born March 3rd, 1978, he made his acting debut in a minor role in the 2009 film, 'Why Did You Come to My House?'. He has since appeared in many popular films, including 'Train to Busan', 'A Taxi Driver', and 'The Roundup', each hitting over 10 million viewers. He won 'Best New Actor' in 2017 for his role as Civvies Leader in 'A Taxi Driver', also winning ‘Best Supporting Actor’ the same year for his role as ‘Captain Jeon Il-man’ in ‘The Outlaws’. He then reprised his role in 2022 in 'The Roundup', which hit the 5th highest-grossing film in the Korean Box Office. He has also appeared in many popular television dramas, including 'Incomplete Life', 'Squid Game', and 'Bad Guys: Vile City'.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
March 3, 1978 (48)
From
Yeonggwang, South Jeolla, South Korea
Works as
Actor
Titles
27 on MovieCove · 44 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 156 days to Oct 27Up 37% in 30 days

What are Choi Gwi-hwa's films like?

Across their 14 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.

Genres

Action6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 88th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Action movies
Comedy2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 63rd percentile
: browse their Comedy movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Morality
36%
Bonds
26%
Power
13%
Self
11%
Survival
9%
Society
4%
Justice6 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love5 titles, browse their movies with this themeOppression3 titles, browse their movies with this themeSacrifice3 titles, browse their movies with this themeRevenge2 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose3 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds2 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 11 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 4 · Serious 1 · Dark 6

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 4 · Stylized 7 · Heightened 0

Intense: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their intense movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 0 · Charged 4 · Intense 7

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 2 · Shifting 5 · Whiplash 4

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 7 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 2

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 1 · Even-paced 7 · Relentless 3

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 3 · Engaged 6 · Full focus 2

Heavy: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their heavy movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

Easy watch 1 · Affecting 3 · Heavy 7

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 8 · Open-ended 3 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

3 analyzed roles
Mentor
1 of 3
Ally
1 of 3
Trickster
1 of 3

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
10
Warm
4
Romantic
4
Hopeful
4
Melancholic
4
Other
13

How their films linger

Bittersweet5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteDevastating3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 2 with a twist

  • Happy3
  • Bittersweet4
  • Tragic3
  • Ambiguous4

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Choi Gwi-hwa's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 21 of their 27 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (12).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Choi Gwi-hwa's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

44 credits, 27 with a MovieCove page; 2 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Nice to Not Meet You(2025)

    Show 16 episodes · as Hwang Ji-sun

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all shows

  • The First Ride(2025)

    as Nam Jung-dae

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • The Murky Stream(2025)

    Show 9 episodes · Actor

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all shows

  • Bon Appetit, Your Majesty(2025)

    Show 12 episodes · as Prince Jesan

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all shows

  • Korean Time (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)

    Writer · Actor

  • Devils(2023)

    as Team leader

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Project Wolf Hunting(2022)

    as Alpha

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • The Roundup(2022)

    as Jeon Il-man

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Boogie Nights (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    as Yu-bin

  • 안티에이짐 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Black: I Saw the Devil (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    Show 16 episodes · Actor

  • Squid Game(2021)

    Show 6 episodes · as Gi-myeon / Player 203 · as Kim Gi-min / Player 203

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all shows

  • The Running Mates: Human Rights(2019)

    Show 14 episodes · as Kang Ho-joon

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all shows (provisional, few ratings)

  • Jesters: The Game Changers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    as Mal-bo

  • Homme Fatale(2019)

    as Yook-gam

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Long Live the King(2019)

    as Choi Man-soo

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • The Secret Mission(2019)

    as Postman

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • The Drug King(2018)

    as Head of Department Ham

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • The Soul-Mate(2018)

    as Jong-sik

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Suits (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    Show 16 episodes · as Chae Geun-Sik

  • Bad Guys: Vile City (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    Show 16 episodes · as Ha Sang-Mo

  • The Outlaws(2017)

    as Jeon Il-man

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • My Golden Life(2017)

    Show 52 episodes · as Kang Nam-Goo

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all shows

  • A Taxi Driver(2017)

    as Civvies Leader

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Distorted (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    Show 32 episodes · as Yang Choo-Sung

  • The Discloser (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    as Seon-ho

  • The Net(2016)

    as Director Lee

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Train to Busan(2016)

    as Homeless Man

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Seondal: The Man Who Sells the River (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    as Jung Pan-seok

  • Vampire Detective (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    Show 12 episodes · as Jang Tae-sick

  • No Tomorrow (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    Actor

  • Seoul Searching(2015)

    as Mr. Chae

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Gangnam 1970(2015)

    as Nam Sun-cheol's Gang Member 1

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Incomplete Life(2014)

    Show 1 episode · as Park Yong-goo

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • Bad Guys (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Show as Ha Sang-Mo

  • Scarlet Innocence(2014)

    as Gambler

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • One on One(2014)

    as Oh Ji-ha

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all films

  • Way Back Home(2013)

    as Detective from Seoul Prosecutor's Office

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Very Ordinary Couple(2013)

    as Groom

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Runway Cop (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    as Detective Pyung

  • Doomsday Book(2012)

    as Removal Team

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • My Dear Desperado (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    as Gang Member 1

  • Nice Shorts (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    as Go Dong-pil

  • The Sword: Rebirth of the Red Wolf (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Actor

Career shape

Star power in the 97th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 44 titles, 43 of them dated from 2009 to 2025; peak year 2017.

Biggest box office

The Roundup (2022)

$101M worldwide

Highest rated

A Taxi Driver (2017)

Midcredits 99th

Most popular right now

Train to Busan (2016)

Film career

20092025

Peak 2017 · steadily prominent in film for years. Top draw in 1 MovieCove title. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting44 of 44: 43 only acting, 1 with another role · typical Midcredits score68thWriting1 of 44: 0 only writing, 1 with another role

By decade

2000s1 · acting2010s30 · acting2020s12 · 12 acting · 1 crew

Billing

usually 10th · top billed in 0% of 19 roles
1217

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

How do Choi Gwi-hwa's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 64th percentile, the median of all 20; across their 11 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 77th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

77thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 11

Approval · how many liked their films

74thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 11

Reach · how many have seen their films

77thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 11

Midcredits score across 27 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up12
  • 50th to 74th8
  • 25th to 49th7

Shape of the crowd

14 of their 27 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved5
  • Crowd Pleaser14
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed7

Most divisive · actor

The Running Mates: Human Rights (2019)

65th percentile spread · 17% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

A Taxi Driver (2017)

Midcredits 99th · 91% liked

Reviewers score the acting 77/100 in their films, across 11 reviewed titles; fans 82, detractors 54. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Choi Gwi-hwa's work okay for kids?

Across up to 5 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore and frightening / intense run heavier than most films and sex & nudity lighter.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore5 titles55–87 · median 87 · severeheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity5 titles4–13 · median 5 · minimallighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity5 titles23–86 · median 33 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs5 titles13–51 · median 28 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense5 titles32–82 · median 68 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Choi Gwi-hwa work with?

People who share at least 2 of Choi Gwi-hwa's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Ma Dong-seok shares the most, 5.

Directors

Actors

Composers and cinematographers

Producers