When Andreas Fronk tells you he’s died many times, he’s not exaggerating. From "Carter" to "Vincenzo" to "Hunt" and even "Moving," the German actor has built a career in Korean film and drama playing mercenaries, CIA agents and gangsters who rarely see the end credits.

But that tough-guy image is only part of the story. Behind the stoic on-screen villain is a thoughtful artist who’s spent nearly two decades understanding Korean culture, mastering martial arts and navigating the unique challenges of being a foreign actor in Korea.

“You might have seen me die in a lot of movies,” he laughs. “Or you have spotted me in 'Parasite.' Well, I didn't die, but almost everybody else."

From Kung Fu films to Korean sets

Fronk’s introduction to Asia and martial arts started young, far away from Korea. Growing up in Germany, he devoured Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and Jet Li movies.

He didn’t just watch. By 15, he was training in ninjutsu — Japanese sword fighting and stealth techniques — before switching to Muay Thai and kickboxing two years later.

His first direct link to Korea came unexpectedly during his university days in Heidelberg. While studying, he joined a taekwondo class taught by a Korean master who wove Korean history, philosophy and cultural lessons into every training session.

“That was actually my first real physical connection to Asian culture,” Fronk recalls.

Soon he was training four or five times a week in taekwondo, two to three times a week in capoeira and two to three times a week in Muay Thai.

After graduating, Fronk faced a common dilemma: what next? While friends settled into stable careers in Germany, he felt drawn to something bigger.

When a friend suggested he go to Asia, Fronk thought, "Why not?" Though the idea was originally to head to Japan, he chose Korea instead — familiar enough thanks to his taekwondo background, but still full of unexplored possibilities. He began studying Korean and searched for any opportunity to get there, from jobs and internships to scholarships.

He eventually landed a job in Germany with a Korean medical-device company.

“They were all Korean and (then there was) me,” he says. “The top management didn't speak any German or English. I worked for that company for two and a half years, and they taught me everything about Korean business culture.”

He traveled back and forth between Korea and Germany before officially moving to Korea in 2008.

Typecast, but strategically

When Fronk finally decided to settle in Korea, acting wasn’t on his radar.

He got into it almost by accident: An agent he’d met through modeling gigs started sending him out for film roles, often needing “a foreign-looking guy” as a mercenary or CIA operative. His first part was in "Okja" by Bong Joon-ho, playing — you guessed it — a mercenary.

“Of course, there you end up getting typecast. Kind of,” he says. “But, I mean, you have to start somewhere, right?”

Recognizing the limits of being “the tough-looking foreigner,” Fronk decided to differentiate himself further.

“While we were filming 'Take Point' (a 2018 Korean action film directed by Kim Byung-woo), I got to do a little wire stunt, and that time I met the Seoul Action School martial arts director,” he says. “We talked about martial arts and action and stunt training, and he invited me to come to Seoul Action School.”

Seoul Action School offered six months of intense stunt training, free for those who commit fully.

Fronk described his time at the Seoul Action School as a humbling experience. “I was already in my 40s when I started that. And all the other students were in their early 20s, but I was considered ‘maknae’ (junior),” Fronk says. “Four hours of constant training every day, starting with running and exercising for endurance training and then one hour punching and kicking, another hour doing acrobatic and falling, tumbling. And then at the end, maybe another hour of strength training. Every day. That can be really, really taxing. So for six months I didn't do anything else.”

The payoff was real. The training gave him an edge, landing more action-heavy roles in "Vincenzo," "Hunt" and "Carter" — scenes that often required serious stunts and precise choreography. As the only foreigner based in Korea with extensive stunt training, he was often recommended when movies needed exactly that. As relationships were built, he made a name for himself as the go-to foreign stuntman, not only able to handle demanding stunts but also known for staying safe and avoiding injuries.

“Creating a team and certain atmosphere for you to become successful in this industry means you build relationships with all the people. And most of the stunt team — I knew and they knew me — so they were comfortable working with me. And that's why everything felt safe all the time. And everybody was less concerned.”

Crafting an actor mindset

But stunt work has its limits. Approaching 50, Fronk is candid about the toll action roles take on his body. “I love stunts, but you can’t do this forever,” he admits.

To expand his horizons, Fronk decided to hone in on his acting skills.

The challenge, however, was that very few acting classes in Korea cater to foreigners, especially in English. While his Korean is decent for daily life, the nuance needed for acting is on another level.

So he joined some of his actor friends in a weekly acting workshop designed for foreigners.

“Our Sunday acting club doesn't really have a name. The technical term is ‘Scene Study Group’ because we take a scene from a movie, a play or something originally written by somebody else, and then we act it in front of the people. Then we talk about the scene itself before we start acting in the group. We talk about our lives. So you could also call it an actors’ therapy session. It's open for anyone to enjoy.”

He also credits his growth to understanding Korean work culture deeply.

“In the Western culture, we are very individually thinking ... and every person is basically on the same level. But Korea is more group-oriented. Everybody's working for the group. And in these groups there are certain hierarchies,” he explains.

“If I want to be successful here and do my share, I have to become part of that society and dial down my individual way of thinking. And also, yeah, humble myself to find my place within this certain group and then act accordingly. I think this is true for every situation in Korean society. If you are on a film set, you need to be present. You need to be humble. You need to care about other people. It's not all about you. Even though you are the actor or the main star of the scene, it's still the whole team that makes this happen, and you're supposed to add to the atmosphere there. So for good cooperation: check your ego, leave your ego at the door, and play ball.”

He’s seen that philosophy in Korea’s top directors too.

“When you talk to him (Bong Joon-ho), you can feel his passion. At the same time, he is not putting himself above anybody else. So when you work with him on set, he's always kind and nice, and he's always considerate about the team and the other actors. ... That's the atmosphere that I also want to create when I'm on set.”

After nearly 20 years in Korea and countless onscreen deaths, Fronk says he is still evolving. He understands that building a career here goes far beyond getting cast. It means learning the language, honing acting skills despite limited resources and earning trust through genuine collaboration. For foreign actors hoping to succeed, the real challenge — and reward — lies in becoming part of the story both on and off the screen.

“This is my life in Korea,” he says with a smile.

Watch the full episode of Fronk's "Life In Korea" on The Korea Herald YouTube channel.