Choi Woo-shik’s Net Worth: Inside ‘A Killer Paradox’ Star’s Fortune

Choi Woo-shik is a Korean-Canadian actor who built his net worth on the back of an extremely successful career in the world of Korean Entertainment and beyond. Here’s a closer look at his fortune.

From pursuing acting against his family’s wishes to being part of hit Korean movies and TV shows, Choi Woo-shik has definitely come a long way. Standouts from his portfolio include Train to Busan (2016), Parasite (2019), Our Beloved Summer (2021) and A Killer Paradox (2024).

Talking about his love for the profession, the actor said in an interview with Allure, “When you become an actor, your thoughts and your behaviour might be burdensome and overwhelming. I’m confident in the fact that I can show a natural image without any burden, be it as an actor or as myself.”

All about Choi woo-shik: Net worth, filmography and other earnings

Choi Woo-shik’s net worth

According to South China Morning Post and other K-media sources, Choi Woo-shik enjoys a net worth of USD 5 million, as of February 2024.

The Parasite actor’s income encompasses her earnings from films, TV shows, commercials and multiple brand endorsements.

Career and filmography

Masterfully covering diverse genres like action, romance and historical, South Korean actor Choi Woo-shik has delivered some of the best performances in movies and dramas in the last few years. The actor became a household name with his first leading role in the 2014 coming-of-age film Set Me Free — a story about the plight of foster children. Directed by Kim Tae-yong, Set Me Free also earned Choi the Actor of the Year at the 19th Busan International Film Festival. It collected over USD 158,070 at the box office, according to the Korean Film Council.

Choi Woo-shik made his acting debut as a supporting character in the 2011 historical drama series The Duo. The MBC K-drama was an instant hit and according to Nielsen Korea, scored over 15.5 per cent finale viewership ratings. Following this, he landed multiple other supporting roles in TV shows and movies like Special Affairs Team TEN (2011), Rooftop Prince (2012), Flu (2013), Secretly, Greatly (2013), You Are My Destiny (2014) and Pride and Prejudice (2014).

His debut film, Flu, a 2013 South Korean medical disaster flick directed by Kim Sung-su, amassed over USD 19,775,853 worldwide (via Box Office Mojo). Meanwhile, the 2014 action comedy Big Match, where Choi played genius hacker Guru, garnered a solid USD 7.8 million at the box office.

Choi continued to take the K-drama world by storm with the hit 2015 tvN romantic comedy Hogu’s Love. Co-starring actor Uee, the series is based on the webtoon of the same name by author Yoo Hyun-sook. The same year, Choi appeared in the R-rated Hong Kong-Singaporean film In the Room, which went on to premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2015.

The Korean star got his first blockbuster release with Train to Busan in 2016, where he excelled in the role of high school baseball player, Yong-guk. The zombie thriller enjoyed a special screening at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival and grossed over USD 93.1 million worldwide.

Over the years, Choi Woo-shik has been part of several successful releases that add extensively to his net worth. Some of these include hits like the science-fantasy Okja (2017), the period drama The Princess and the Matchmaker (2018) and the action film The Witch: Part 1. The Subversion (2018).

The Okja actor delivered his career-best performance in the 2019 Bong Joon-ho directorial Parasite. The black comedy thriller about class difference and struggle performed exceptionally well critically and commercially. So much so that, after its premiere at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, Parasite became the first South Korean film to win the prestigious Palme d’Or. It also created History by becoming the first South Korean Oscar-winning film to take home four Academy Awards — Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best International Feature Film, at the 92nd Academy Awards.

Furthermore, Choi also performed the film’s end credits song “Soju One Glass,” which was shortlisted for the Academy Award for Best Original Song. One of the highest-grossing Korean films, Parasite is inspired by the 1960 classic hit The Housemaid, the Christine and Léa Papin incident in the 1930s and Bong’s source material from a play written in 2013.

In December 2021, Choi returned to the small screen after a four-year hiatus since 2017 and became a part of the SBS drama Our Beloved Summer alongside Kim Da-mi. One of the most watched non-English TV shows on Netflix, the rom-com achieved over 78.2 million viewing hours since its release on 6 December 2021.

Choi, who is also a member of the well-known Korean celebrity group Wooga Squad — consisting of BTS singer V, rapper Peakboy and actors Park Seo-joon and Park Hyung-sik — appears in hit reality shows like IN THE SOOP: Friendcation. According to K-media outlet Kpopmap, IN THE SOOP: Friendcation ranked #1 in Japan and #2 in South Korea after its release in July 2022.

The same year, Choi Woo-shik made his return to the big screen with the film The Policeman’s Lineage. Based on the famous Japanese novel Blood of the Policeman by Joh Sasaki, the action thriller amassed around USD 5.9 million at the box office. In 2023, Choi was part of another hit tvN variety show Seo Jin’s, a spin-off series of the popular Korean cooking reality show Youn’s Kitchen.

The Train to Busan actor is currently riding high on the success of his hit 2024 crime drama A Killer Paradox. A global phenomenon, the Korean drama has taken Netflix by storm by landing in the top 10 in an impressive 52 countries, including Canada, France, India, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.

Choi Woo-shik’s next project is the upcoming Korean sci-fi film Wonderland, co-starring actors Bae Suzy and Park Bo-gum.

Luxury brand endorsements

Besides Korean movies and dramas, Choi Woo-shik also has earnings from an array of commercials and luxury brands that add to his massive net worth. Some of these include Lifestyle brand Project M, fragrance and beauty brand Fresh, TikTok Korea, and beverage brand Coca-Cola.

In October 2022, French fashion house AMI announced Choi Woo-shik as its global ambassador and said that they had collaborated with him for a “wide series of projects, in a close partnership to further establish the friendship between Paris and Seoul”. As a part of his collaboration with the brand, Choi, besides featuring in campaigns, was also seen making an appearance at AMI’s Spring/Summer 2024 collection show at Paris Fashion Week in France in June 2023.

 

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The actor has also been featured in multiple pictorials, including Dazed Korea and Esquire Korea.

With over 9 million followers as of February 2024, Choi also dominates Instagram with various project-related updates and sponsored posts. He reportedly earns around USD 10,000 to USD 100,000 per post on the social media platform.

Personal life

Born on 26 March 1990 in Seoul, South Korea, Choi Woo-shik migrated to Vancouver, Canada, with his family in grade five and spent the following ten years of his life there. He enrolled at Pinetree Secondary School with his English name Edward Choi, aka Eddie, and then graduated from Simon Fraser University.

Choi returned to Korea for an acting audition and decided to stay back. He then enrolled at Chung Ang University, where he majored in cultural studies and later went on to pursue his acting career.

The actor, who has been exempted from Military enlistment in Korea, is rumoured to be dating the beautiful South Korean model named Jung Ju-hee.

(Hero and featured image: Courtesy Choi Woo-shik/Instagram)

This story first appeared on Lifestyle Asia Hong Kong

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

– Who is the richest member of Wooga Squad?

According to the South China Morning Post, the richest Wooga Squad member is actor Park Seo-joon, with USD 21 million net worth. 

– How did BTS’ Kim Taehyung and Choi Woo-shik meet?

BTS member Kim Taehyung, aka V, and Choi Woo-shik first met through their mutual friend Park Seo-joon. 

– Why are they called Wooga Squad?

Wooga Squad is the name of the Celebrity friend group consisting of actors Park Seo-joon, Choi Woo-shik and Park Hyung-sik, rapper PeaKBOy and BTS singer V. 

– Is Choi Woo-shik Korean or Canadian?

Choi Woo-shik is a Korean-Canadian actor. He was born in Seoul, South Korea, and later migrated to Vancouver, Canada, with his family. The actor returned to Korea to pursue his career in acting.