24 Notable alumni of Hankuk University of Foreign Studies
Updated: June 09, 2026 EliteDegrees
Hankuk University of Foreign Studies is ranked #1,865 in the world and #32 in South Korea by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 24 notable alumni from Hankuk University of Foreign Studies sorted by their wiki pages popularity. The directory includes famous graduates and former students along with research and academic staff. Many individuals affiliated with Hankuk University of Foreign Studies won Nobel Prizes for Peace, in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, and Economics.
1. Choe Sang-hun
1946-. (aged 80)
journalist
Choe Sang-Hun is a South Korean journalist. He has received a Pulitzer Prize and is Seoul Bureau Chief for The New York Times.
2. Kim Byong-joon
1954-. (aged 72)
politician
Kim Byong-joon is a former chief of staff (minister), Presidential Office of National Policies, Republic of Korea/ the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education and Human Resources Development. He is designated Prime Minister of South Korea by President Park Geun-hye, on November 2, 2016, but Park withdrew her designate November 8.
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3. Park Sung-joon
1969-. (aged 57)
television presenter
politician
announcer
Park Seong-jun, alternatively spelled Park Sung-joon, is a South Korean politician from the Democratic Party. He represents Jung–Seongdong B district in the National Assembly of South Korea since 2020.
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4. Kang Sung-hee
1972-. (aged 54)
politician
Kang Sung-hee is a South Korean politician and labour activist who was the floor leader of the Progressive Party from 2023 to 2024. He was a member of the 21st National Assembly representing the Jeonju B constituency.
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5. Yun Duk-min
1959-. (aged 67)
politician
Yun Duk-min is a South Korean political scientist who is the current ambassador of South Korea to Japan. He was a former chancellor of the Korea National Diplomatic Academy.
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6. Kim Seong-hun
1971-. (aged 55)
actor
screenwriter
film director
Kim Seong-hun is a South Korean film and television director. He directed How the Lack of Love Affects Two Men (2006), A Hard Day (2014), and Kingdom (2019–20).
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7. Lim Su-kyung
1968-. (aged 58)
journalist
politician
Lim Su-kyung is a South Korean activist and politician. She is best known for attending the 13th World Festival of Youth and Students, held in North Korea and praising President of North Korea Kim Il Sung in 1989, without first obtaining travel permission from the South Korean government. She attended the festival representing the student organization Jeondaehyop (전대협), now known...
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8. Lee Seung-hwan
1965-. (aged 61)
composer
songwriter
recording artist
singer
Lee Seung-hwan is a South Korean singer and record producer known as the country's "King of Live Performances" for his frequent solo concerts. Lee debuted in 1989 as a pop ballad singer and later incorporated rock elements into his music. He has released numerous hit songs and is the president and founder of South Korean entertainment agency Dream Factory.
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9. Dana
1986-. (aged 40)
singer
actor
Hong Sung-mi, known professionally as Dana, is a South Korean singer, musical actress and vocal coach. Dana first made her public appearance with acts on the boy group H.O.T's sci-fi movie Age of Peace in 2000. Dana later made her official debut as a solo singer, with released full-album DANA (2001) and Maybe (2003). Concurrently with her music career in...
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10. Kim Jun-hyun
1980-. (aged 46)
film actor
Kim Jun-hyun is a South Korean comedian. He joined KBS as a comedian for the 22nd open recruitment in 2007 and appeared in KBS's Laughter Club 2, Gag Concert, The Star Who Will Be Big, and Roller Coaster 2. He is currently hosting Immortal Songs: Singing the Legend, and he won the grand prize at the 2023 KBS Entertainment Awards.
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11. Song Seung-whan
1957-. (aged 69)
actor
Song Seung-hwan is a South Korean actor. He is known for his roles in dramas such as My Kids Give Me a Headache, Racket Boys, All About My Mom, One Spring Night and Three Bold Siblings. He also appeared in movies The Memo Of A 21-Year-Old, A Peculiar Woman, The Box and The Moon Is... the Sun's Dream.
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12. Ahn Sung-ki
1952-2026 (aged 74)
film actor
actor
television actor
Ahn Sung-ki was a South Korean actor. Known as one of the country's most respected actors, he is the recipient of numerous accolades in a career on screen spanning six decades.
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13. Lee Hyeon-seo
1980-. (aged 46)
writer
human rights defender
political activist
singer
Lee Hyeon-seo, best known for her book, The Girl with Seven Names, is a North Korean defector and activist who lives in Seoul, South Korea. She escaped from North Korea and later guided her family out of North Korea through China and Laos.
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14. Chung Bong-ju
1960-. (aged 66)
politician
Chung Bong-ju is a South Korean politician and the former Member of the National Assembly for Nowon 1st constituency from 2004 to 2008.
15. Um Hong-Gil
1960-. (aged 66)
mountaineer
Um Hong-gil is a South Korean mountaineer.
16. Kim Ji-seok
1981-. (aged 45)
film actor
actor
television actor
Kim Ji-seok is a South Korean actor.
17. Park Ji-hyun
1996-. (aged 30)
activist
investigative journalist
politician
Park Ji-hyun is a South Korean actress and model. She is best known for her role in the television series Rookie Historian Goo Hae-ryung (2019) and Do You Like Brahms? (2020), as well as films such as Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum (2018) and The Divine Fury (2019).
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18. Kim Sung-ryung
1967-. (aged 59)
stage actor
television actor
beauty pageant contestant
actor
film actor
Kim Sung-ryung is a South Korean actress and beauty pageant titleholder. She won Miss Korea 1988 later represented her country at Miss Universe 1989 pageant, Kim began her career as a reporter on KBS's showbiz news program Entertainment Weekly. In 1991, she made her film acting debut in Kang Woo-suk's Who Saw the Dragon's Claws?.
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19. Kim Jun
1984-. (aged 42)
singer
model
television actor
actor
film actor
Kim Joon is a South Korean rapper and actor who rose to stardom with his portrayal of one of the famous F4 members in the 2009 hit drama Boys Over Flowers.
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20. Younha
1988-. (aged 38)
singer
songwriter
pianist
jazz musician
film actor
Ko Younha, known mononymously as Younha, is a South Korean singer-songwriter and record producer. She began her career in 2004 in Japan, where she was nicknamed the "Oricon Comet" for her success on the Japanese music chart. In 2006, she debuted in South Korea, where she is regarded as one of the country's best singer-songwriters.
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21. Oh Se-hoon
1961-. (aged 65)
lawyer
judge
politician
Oh Se-hoon is a South Korean politician and lawyer who has served as the mayor of Seoul since 2021, an office he previously held from 2006 to 2011. A member of the People Power Party, he served as a member of the National Assembly from 2000 to 2004.
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22. Park Seong-ung
1973-. (aged 53)
film actor
actor
television actor
Park Sung-woong is a South Korean actor. Following his acting debut in No. 3 in 1997, Park has starred in several movies and television series, notably as a gangster in New World (2013) and a serial killer in The Deal (2015).
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23. Lee Kyoung-mi
1973-. (aged 53)
film director
screenwriter
Lee Kyoung-mi is a South Korean film director and screenwriter. She is widely recognized for her distinctive and often darkly comedic storytelling, frequently featuring complex female protagonists. Lee rose to prominence with her critically acclaimed feature directorial debut, Crush and Blush (2008), which earned her the Best New Director and Best Screenplay awards at the Blue Dragon Film Awards. Her...
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24. Kim Jong-in
1940-. (aged 86)
economist
professor
politician
Kim Chong-in is a South Korean economist and politician. He was the interim chairman of the Minjoo Party of Korea from January to August 2016 and a member-elect of the National Assembly on the party's proportional list since the April 2016 parliamentary election. He was previously a member of the Assembly from 1981 to 1988, 1992 to 1994, and 2004...
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