In Memories of Murder, he took on the role of a local detective chief, while in The Host, he captivated audiences as Park Hee-bong, the grandfather of the film's protagonist's family.

Byun In-chul was born in Sinchang Village, Sinpyeong-ri, Buk-myeon, Jangseong County, South Jeolla Province.

At the time of his debut, he used his real name, Byeon In-cheol, but in 1977, in an attempt to improve his image as a villain, he used the stage name Byun Hee-bong.

[8] It rejuvenated his career, and Bong would later cast him in the short film Sink & Rise (2004), and his seminal works crime drama Memories of Murder (2003) and monster movie The Host (2006).

[12][13] Among Byun's other notable roles were in martial arts fantasy Volcano High (2001), rural dramedy My Teacher, Mr. Kim (2003), horror comedy To Catch a Virgin Ghost (2004), body swap thriller The Devil's Game (2008),[14][15] and espionage film The Spies (2012).