There were many Asian actors who appeared on MASH as Koreans or “indigenous personnel.” However, during the 1970s and 80s, unfortunately, there were few actual Korean actors working in television or film. Almost all of the Korean people on MASH were played by Japanese or Chinese actors. Jack Soo, Pat Morita, Mako, Sab Shimoto, Keye Luke, and even George Takei are among them. But were there any real Korean actors on MASH? As far as I know, there are only three verified Korean actors who appeared in MASH, and one possible other. Soon-Tek Oh, Philip Ahn, and Johnny Yune were three Korean-American actors who made several appearances on the show. The other possible candidate was Oksun Kim, who appeared as a Korean lady in two episodes.
The Four Korean Actors On MASH
While many Asian actors appeared on the series as “indigenous personnel,” the industry landscape of the 1970s and 80s meant that few actual Korean performers were working in Hollywood. Consequently, Japanese and Chinese actors typically filled most of these roles. Despite this trend, a small handful of ethnic Korean actors did bring an authentic presence to the 4077th, contributing to some of the show’s most memorable and poignant storylines. Below are the verified Korean actors who appeared throughout the series.
Soon-Tek Oh – One of the Most Frequent Korean Actors on MASH (5 Episodes)
A veteran of stage and screen, Soon-Teck Oh was a pioneer in opening paths for Asian actors to appear in more diverse roles. He founded his own theatre troupe along with fellow Asian actor MAKO, another MASH guest star. Credited variously as Soon-tek Oh, O Sun-taek Soon-taik Oh, Soon-teck Oh, he amassed an impressive array of acting credits, including as the voice of Fa Zhou in Disney’s Mulan movies. His trademark was playing sadistic and evil Asian villains, such as the sadistic Colonel Yin in Missing in Action 2: The Beginning.
Along with being one of the most prolific Korean actors on MASH, he appeared in countless television shows like MacGyver, Charlie’s Angels, The Fall Guy, Airwolf, Magnum, P.I., Kung Fu, Logan’s Run, Highlander, The Series, and many more. He also appeared in many films. In 2008, Soon-tek Oh was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the San Diego Asian Film Festival.
Soon-Tek Oh also appeared in an episode of the MASH spin-off Trapper John, M.D.
Soon-Tek Oh MASH Appearances
- Season 3, Episode 20, “Love and Marriage”
- Season 4, Episode 6, “The Bus”
- Season 5 Episode 9, “The Korean Surgeon”
- Season 8, Episode 10, “The Yalu Brick Road”
- Season 11, Episode 3, “Foreign Affairs”
First Appearance: Soon-Tek Oh’s first appearance in MASH was Season 3, Episode 20, entitled Love and Marriage. Hawkeye, Trapper, and Radar are trying to keep an American soldier from marrying a Korean girl who has TB while also helping a Korean Soldier. Soon-Tek Oh plays the soldier Mr. Kwang, who is trying to join his pregnant wife. Kwang is also a recurring orderly/anesthesiologist. Mr. Kwang usually has no lines and is barely visible in the scenes he appears in. This character is played by Leland Sun in one episode, but usually went uncredited, although there is evidence that Sun played him in other episodes, since Hawkeye, in one scene, calls him over and addresses him as “Leland”, suggesting that Mr. Kwang’s first name is Leland, meaning he is portrayed by Leland Sun. But in Love and Marriage is the most substantial appearance of Mr. Kwang, as portrayed by Soon-Tek Oh.
Second Appearance: Soon-Tek Oh’s second appearance on MASH was in Season 4, Episode 6, entitled The Bus. Hawkeye, B.J., Colonel Potter, Frank, and Radar are on their way back from a medical convention when they become lost and their bus breaks down, leaving them stranded.
While they are spending the night in the bus, Radar goes out to pee but doesn’t come back for hours. Meanwhile, someone shows up, and everyone thinks it is Radar, but it turns out to be a wounded Korean soldier, played by Soon-Tek Oh, who wants to surrender to the doctors. The doctors accept his surrender, treating him kindly, except for Frank, of course, who is having tough-guy delusions.
When Radar finally comes back, having blamed himself for them being stranded and trying to scout for help or a way out, he is startled to find the North Korean soldier lying down on one of the bunks, but soon finds out he is friendly.
Third Appearance: Soon-Tek Oh’s third appearance on MASH is in Season 5, Episode 9, entitled The Korean Surgeon. Soon-Tek plays an injured North Korean surgeon who arrives along with a group of wounded, including some other North Koreans. Hawkeye operates, and when they find out that he is a surgeon named Dr. Paik, Hawkeye and B.J. contrive to have him join the staff of the 4077th instead of sending him to a prison camp, which he dreads, as he will not be able to use his skills as a doctor except for mundane complaints.
Since Dr. Paik was educated in Chicago, Hawkeye and B.J., with the help of Radar, get him a set of fake papers saying he is Dr. Cho-Wan Ho, from Chicago, class of 1949. They shave his goatee and sneak him in while pretending to ship him out. This gambit works an Dr. Paik joins the surgeon staff, where he excels for a short time until Margaret becomes suspicious, knowing she recognizes him despite the lack of a goatee.
A series of events occurs that causes Col. Potter to figure out what’s been going on, so he confronts Hawkeye and B.J. While Potter is sympathetic, he has no choice in the matter, and Dr. Paik is taken away, happy to have had the chance to be a doctor for a little while.
Fourth Appearance: Soon-Tek Oh’s fourth appearance was in Season 8, Episode 10, entitled The Yalu Brick Road, an episode written by Mike Farrell. Hawkeye and BJ get lost in enemy territory after crashing their jeep while trying to track down some antibiotics. Meanwhile, back at camp, the whole unit is stricken with salmonella from a bad turkey Klinger procured.
The doctors are wandering and happen upon a lone North Korean soldier who enthusiastically surrenders to them. They, of course, have no desire to take prisoners but the soldier insists and starts following them like a kid brother, causing Hawkeye to give him the nickname “Ralph,” after a friend’s kid brother who used to tag along with her on dates.
While Hawkeye and B.J. are resting by some bushes, Ralph suddenly turns his gun on them and starts barking orders in Korean. He makes them move out to the road, where they see a group of North Korean soldiers coming.
Ralph speaks to the Koreans gruffly, seeming proud and defiant. The soldiers ready their weapons and appear ready to shoot, but Ralph gets them to stop and then speaks to them in whispered tones. They finally seem satisfied and begin to walk off, but Ralph trains his gun on the doctors and yells at them. Then, he attempts to “wink” at the doctors, comically, and it becomes clear that he was pretending to the North Korean soldiers that they were his prisoners. After this, Ralph puts his hands up and becomes their prisoner again. They realize he has saved their lives, and they give him a big hug.
The three start walking again and then come across an old man with his ankle trapped under his heavy wooden cart. They move the cart off him, but he is too weak to walk, so Hawkeye enlists B.J. to carry him back to his home. They nickname the man ‘Fred’ and get him back home.
There, the old man and his wife offer them a beat-up, rusty motorcycle. B.J. claims that he can ride it. The man gives them some gasoline, and Hawkeye climbs in the sidecar, with Ralph behind B.J., and they manage to get back to the 4077th. Once home, the doctors are going to Post Op to help, but Ralph keeps surrendering to them, so Hawkey tells him to come along with them, saying, “There’s a whole ward full of people you haven’t surrendered to.”
Fifth Appearance: Soon-Tek Oh’s fifth and final appearance on MASH was in Season 11, Episode 3, entitled, Foreign Affairs. In this episode, Charles falls in love with a French Red Cross woman, whom he thinks is as “sophisticated” as he is, but soon finds out that she has free-thinking ways and lives a “bohemian” lifestyle, causing her to rebuff her and tell her that not only could his family never accept her, but that he could not, either.
Meanwhile, a North Korean patient of Hawkeye and B.J. is being bribed by a sleazy Army PR man named Major Reddish. The major wants the North Korean pilot, to become a traitor and come to America to be put on display and help the people back home accept the war. It turns out the patient can’t speak English, so Major Reddish brings in a South Korean interpreter, Joon-Soong, played by Soon-Tek Oh.
With Joon-Soon translating, the North Korean has no interest in the major’s offer. Despite the patient’s flat refusal, the officer persists, refusing to take no for an answer. He tries to bribe him with gifts, thinking the fact they are American-made would be too good to pass up. The North Korean continues to refuse.
The translator, Joon-Sung tells Hawkeye and B.J. that the North Korean prisoner is looking a gift-horse in the mouth and that he would be glad to take his place. So, they of course determine to try to make this happen. They lie to Major Reddish and tell him that the North Korean prisoner finally agreed. A happy Major Reddish gets in his jeep to take his prisoner away, but realizes that the man in the back seat is not the North Korean but instead the South Korean translator.
Hawkeye and B.J. try to convince the major that this is the perfect solution since Joon-Soon actually wants to go and would smile and wave in all the parades, plus he speaks perfect English. What’s more, he was drafted and had no interest in being a soldier, had no family ties, and would like nothing more than to get away.
Reddish isn’t crazy about the idea, not wanting to lie about the South Korean, but he soon realizes he has no choice since the PR campaign as already begun back home and he couldn’t show up empty-handed. He decides to go along with it and claim success in his efforts. Joon-Soon is very happy and gets to go to the States. The North Korean pilot, on the other hand, is going to a POW camp, with a brand new American suit. It turns out this is the one gift offered by Reddish he really wanted.
Philip Ahn: Legend Among Korean Actors on MASH (3 Episodes)
Philip Ahn stands out among Korean actors on MASH as a veteran performer who appeared in hundreds of films and television shows, usually playing Chinese or Japanese characters. He often played a kindly Asian soul like his appearances in MASH, but he could also play the villain when necessary. Although he amassed over 180 acting roles during his career, including many popular TV shows like Dragnet, Mission: Impossible, Bonanza, and more, he is perhaps best known to the American audience as Master Kan in the television show “Kungfu” with David Carradine. Older audience will remember his name for David Carradine’s character, “Grasshopper,” as well as his famous line:
Quickly as you can, snatch the pebble from my hand.
[Young Caine tries to do so and fails]
Master Kan: When you can take the pebble from my hand, it will be time for you to leave.
Philip Ahn MASH Appearances
- Season 4, Episode 19, “Hawkeye”
- Season 5, Episode 13, “Exorcism”
- Season 6, Episode 9, “Change Day”
First Appearance: Philip Ahn first appears in Season 4, Episode 19, entitled Hawkeye, as the father in the South Korean family who takes Hawkeye in after his jeep crashes and he suffers a head injury. The stern father, played by Philip Ahn, doesn’t seem to want Hawkeye to stay, but he gives in to his wife’s insistence and endures Hawkeye’s obnoxious ramblings and rude behavior while he carries on. Hawkeye has a concussion, and while he knows it is a myth, he is afraid to fall asleep lest he never wakes up. Therefore, he maintains a constant stream of babble to keep himself awake while the family can’t understand a word he is saying.
The mother in this episode bears at least a passing resemblance to Oksum Kim, another plausible Korean actor, but it is actually Shizuko Hoshi, a Japanese woman who appears in various roles in MASH. She is one of the three women to play Rosie, the owner and operator of Rosie’s Bar, just outside of camp.
Shizuko, winner of the US Open women’s singles title in table tennis in 1958 and 1959, had several film and television roles, as well as voice roles. She also appeared in Chicago Hope, The Six Million Dollar Man, Quincy M.E., The Bob Newhart Show, and Starsky and Hutch, among others. She was married to Mako, another Japanese actor who made frequent appearances, usually as a Korean officer, and a friend of Soon-Tek Oh. Mako is also known for Conan the Barbarian, Conan the Destroyer, Seven Years in Tibet, and many other roles. Mako passed away from cancer in 2006, but Shizuko still lives, although her last acting credit is in 1998.
Second Appearance: Philip Ahn’s next MASH appearance was as another Korean father in Season 5, Episode 13, entitled Exorcism. He plays a peddler who, with his family, moves a huge cart loaded with knick-knacks into the compound and sets up shop. Col. Potter tells the man to leave and gives him one hour to do so since his cart is blocking traffic. But the man insists that this is their land.
Potter then tells Radar to move a “spirit post” out of the way, which Radar is hesitant to do since the post has been set up their by the locals to ward away evil. He tries to talk Potter out of moving the post, but the Colonel insists. Afterwards, the camp suffers an uncanny string of bad luck, starting with a young Korean man crashing his bike in to the peddler’s cart just after Radar moves the post.
Afterwards, an old Korean man, accompanied by his daughter, runs into the road and gets hit by an ambulance, causing an accident that injures the wounded inside, causing them to be shipped back to the 4077th. The daughter brings the old man into the unit and explains that he is not a whiplash hustler, but instead, had jumped into the road because he believes he is inhabited by evil spirits. He had hoped that the evil spirits would be scared away by the oncoming vehicle and that the driver would understand and stop in time. The man needs treatment, but refuses because he wants to be treated by a Korean shaman.
Col. Potter agrees to bring in a Korean priestess to perform an exorcism, something that Frank adamantly opposes, as you would expect. The priestess is fetched by Hawkeye, arriving in colorful clothes. She cleanses the camp and the operating room, comforts the old man, who relaxes and allows himself to be treated. Col Potter tells Radar to put the spirit post back.
Third Appearance: Philip Ahn’s next and final appearance is in Season 6, Episode 9, entitled Change Day. In this episode, Ahn has a more prominent role and speaks English. He plays Mr. Kim, a tailor who is making a shirt for Charles. At this time, the army is changing all the blue-colored Army money (called scrip) to red-colored money. This is done to combat counterfeiting. This means that everyone in camp must exchange all their blue money for red money and before this occurs, the camp will be cordoned off and nobody will be able to get in and out during the exchange.
After Mr. Kim makes Charles a shirt, instead of paying the tailor, Charles enlists him in a scheme to “buy” the old blue army scrip from local Koreans for 10 cents on the dollar, giving Charles a hefty profit. Mr. Kim refuses to do such a dishonest thing to his people but Charles convinces him, since otherwise, he’s not going to get paid. Charles goes out and does the exchange, with the help of Mr. Kim, successfully cheating a group of local South Koreans, but is thwarted in the end by Hawkeye and B.J., although the Koreans are still cheated.
Johnny Yune – 4 Episodes
Johnny Yune was a South Korean-born Korean-American actor best known for the Kungfu parody films, “They Call Me Bruce” and “They Still Call Me Bruce.” His career began as a stand-up comedian, though. While performing at a Santa Monica comedy club, he was spotted by Johnny Carson, who invited him on the Tonight Show. He first appeared in February 1979 and was a smashing success. The main attraction, Charlton Heston, didn’t show up that night so Yune ended up doing 20 minutes, performing a stand-up routine, singing a song, and chatting with Johnny. He was invited back 34 times.
In addition to he “They Call Me Bruce” movies, Yune appeared in the films Cannonball Run and Gidget’s Summer Reunion. He also made an appearance on the TV show Love Boat. In 1989, he had his own KBS Talk Show, The Johnny Yune Show.
“Like other Korean actors on MASH, Johnny Yune is credited under a variation of his name, appearing as Jon Yune in his four episodes.
Johnny Yune MASH Appearances
- Season 5, Episode 7, “The Abduction of Margaret Houlihan”
- Season 5, Episode 13, “The Exorcism”
- Season 6, Episode 13, “Comrades In Arms, Part 1”
- Season 6, Episode 14, “Comrades in Arms, Part 2”
First Appearance: Johnny Yune’s first appearance on MASH was in Season 5, Episode 7, entitled The Abduction of Margaret Houlihan. While Margaret is thought to be missing and is being searched for, Colonel Potter gives a childbirth class to a group of Korean women. Yune plays a Korean translator who is translating what Potter says for the women.
Second Appearance: Johnny Yune appeared in the same episode as Philip Ahn, above. While Ahn was playing the Korean peddler with the huge cart, Yune returned as the Korean translator helping Colonel Potter communicate with him, starting at just around 1 minute and 15 seconds in.
Third Appearance: This is the only appearance of Yune I am not sure about. It is claimed he appeared in Season 6, Episode 13, entitled Comrades In Arms, Part I, but that his role is uncredited. If he appears in this episode, I have been unable to ascertain for certain what role he plays.
In this episode, Hawkeye and Margaret are trapped behind enemy lines. Their jeep broke down and was taken by a group of North Korean soldiers (who got it started in a jiffy). They have come upon an abandoned hut and are going to take refuge when Hawkeye looks outside and notices a wounded Korean lying in on the ground. He is clutching his abdomen and reaches out for help. Hawkeye goes to him, but by the time he reaches him, the soldier has died. The wounded solider may have been played by Yune, but it is hard to be sure as he is far from the camera and his face is partially obscured.
Fourth Appearance: Johnny Yune’s fourth appearance on MASH was in Season 6, Episode 14, entitled Comrades in Arms, Part 2. Hawkeye and Margaret are still trapped behind enemy lines and have spent the night in the abandoned hut. They have awakened after falling into each other’s arms during the harrowing night. Awkwardness ensues as Margaret thinks this is the beginning of a serious relationship, and Hawkeye is caught like a deer in the headlights.
In this role, Yune joined the small group of ethnic Korean actors on MASH by playing a North Korean soldier wandering by the hut, searching for food. He first checks the dead soldier outside the hut to see if he can salvage food or supplies. If the soldier was played by him, then presumably another actor is now playing the dead soldier. Since he is coming into the hut, Hawkeye and Margaret hide under a rug. Yune walks in, finds a bite of food left on a table, then realizes someone is hiding. However, it turns out he is gravely injured and passes out before he can confront them.
Oksum Kim – 2 Episodes
Little information is available about the actress Oksum Kim, who appeared in two MASH episodes. According to Monster MASH wiki, Oksum Kim is a Korean name. Kim is a common surname in Korea, to be sure. However, it is not certain that she is ethnic Korean.
Oksum Kim MASH Appearances
- Season 1, Episode 24, “Showtime”
- Season 11, Episode 15, “As Time Goes By”
First Appearance: Oksum Kim’s first appearance was in Season 1, Episode 24, entitled Showtime. In this episode, Henry Blake’s wife gives birth to a son. Meanwhile, a USO troupe arrives at the camp to perform. Henry feels depressed at not being home with his wife and newborn son. To cheer him up, Radar borrows the baby of a Korean woman, which he brings to Henry to let him hold and spend time with. The mother of the baby, played by Oksum Kim, is a Korean woman who works in the camp laundry.
Second Appearance: Oksum Kim’s second appearance is in Season 11, Episode 15, entitled As Time Goes By, the final episode to be filmed (the 2 1/2 hour finale had been shot much earlier in the season).
In this episode, while Margaret is gathering up contributions for a time capsule she wants to bury in the compound. Wounded arrive, however. Among them is a female Korean who is accused of having shot an American soldier. This female is the beautiful Soon-Lee who Klinger later falls in love with and marries. Now, he is in charge of incarcerating her as a prisoner. She continually protests her innocence, telling Klinger she has been separated from her family. If she doesn’t find them soon, she may never see them again. Klinger tries to explain to her that she can’t let her go until ordered to do so, hoping she will understand, which she doesn’t.
Father Mulcahy realizes that she might be the missing daughter of a Korean couple he encountered earlier. They were going to be shipped south to a refugee camp. The Korean woman, played by Oksum Kim. and her husband tell Father Mulchahy that their daughter had been working in the fields and they had been separated from her. Muchahy and Klinger manage to get Soon-Lee to the refugee camp,p but they find out that she is not the missing daughter of the Korean couple.
While her ethnicity remains unverified, like the verified Korean actors on MASH, Oksum Kim might have appeared as an uncredited actor in other episodes, but these are the only two we can be sure of.
While the 4077th was filled with many talented Asian performers, the presence of verified Korean actors on MASH, like Soon-Tek Oh, Philip Ahn, Johnny Yune, and Oksun Kim, provided a vital layer of authenticity to the show’s setting. These actors did more than just fill roles; they helped bridge the gap between Hollywood storytelling and the real-world Korean experience. By revisiting their contributions, we can better appreciate how their performances enriched the series and honored the culture it depicted. Though they were few in number, their legacy remains a significant part of what made MASH a truly groundbreaking television masterpiece.
