Cha Rae-hyung

Cha Rae-hyung is a South Korean actor born on 16 June 1984. He is a film-and-drama supporting actor known for strong, quiet performances. Viewers know him well as Hong Hee-seong in The Worst of Evil (2023) and as Kwon Jae-hong in The Good Detective (2020).

Early life

Cha studied acting in the Film and Performing Arts Department at Sejong University. After graduating, he built his foundation in theatre, performing in many productions in Daehak-ro, Seoul's famous theatre district. He then appeared in independent films and short productions, taking small parts and learning to make each scene count. It was slow, patient work with no quick fame, but it gave him the deep, natural style that casting directors later trusted for difficult, human roles.

Career and breakthrough

Cha gained wider attention in 2016 with the film The Boys Who Cried Wolf, where he played Myeong-woo. His textured performance marked him out as a rising scene stealer. More film roles followed, including Detective Cho in Svaha: The Sixth Finger (2019) and Prince Suyang in The King's Letters (2019). On television he played Park Seo-bang in The Tale of Nokdu (2019) and Shin Jae-ho, the company boss, in Strangers from Hell (2019).

Popular roles

His most popular drama roles are in police and crime stories. In The Good Detective (2020), he played Kwon Jae-hong, a detective in the West Incheon Police Station violent crimes team, across both seasons. In The Worst of Evil (2023), he played Hong Hee-seong in the dark 1990s crime story, bringing physical strength and real feeling to a tough world. Fans value the calm weight he brings to every investigation scene.

Recent work

Cha has been very busy in recent years. He played Park Chul-min in The Killing Vote (2023), Heo Dong-yoon in the hit film 12.12: The Day (2023), and Hun-ki in Mission: Cross (2024). He also played Seo Hyeong-ju in Trigger (2025) and Lee Gil-su in Nice to Not Meet You (2025). With each role, he keeps proving that a quiet supporting performance can stay with viewers long after an episode ends.