Biography
Byun Hee-bong (Korean: 변희봉), also credited as Byun In-chul, was a South Korean actor. He began his career in voice acting, debuting with DBS Donga Broadcasting in 1963 and joining MBC in 1965, before making his acting debut in 1970.
He was known for his frequent collaborations with director Bong Joon-ho, appearing in four of the filmmaker's features. These included the janitor in Barking Dogs Never Bite (2000) and Sergeant Koo Hee-bong in Memories of Murder (2003), as well as roles in The Host (2006) and Okja (2017). He also appeared in films such as Crying Fist (2005), Haunters (2010) and Mr. Go (2013), and in television series including Pinocchio (2014).
Byun received Best Supporting Actor awards for his performance in The Host at the Blue Dragon Film Awards and the Asia Pacific Film Festival. In 2020 he was awarded the Eungwan Order of Cultural Merit. He died on 18 September 2023.
