Jo In-sung

Jo In-sung
Jo in 2011
Born	(1981-07-28) July 28, 1981 Seoul, South Korea
Other names	Zo In-sung
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1998-present
Agent	IOK Company
Korean name
Hangul	조인성
Hanja	趙寅成
Revised Romanization	Jo In-seong
McCune–Reischauer	Cho Insŏng

Jo In-sung (Hangul: 조인성; born July 28, 1981) is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his leading roles in the television series What Happened in Bali (2004), That Winter, the Wind Blows (2013), and It's Okay, That's Love (2014), as well as the films A Dirty Carnival (2006) and A Frozen Flower (2008).

Early life

Jo In-sung was born and raised in Cheonho-dong, Gangdong District, Seoul, South Korea.^[1] His childhood dream was to become a Taekwondo trainer.

Career

Jo made his entertainment debut in 1998 as a model for clothing brand Ziozia. In 2000, he began his acting career by starring in the teen drama School 3 and in the second season of the sitcom Nonstop.^[2]

In 2001, he first drew notice in a supporting role in the television drama Piano, co-starring Go Soo as his stepbrother. He was cast in his first drama leading role in 2002, as an illiterate actor in Shoot for the Stars opposite Jeon Do-yeon.

Meanwhile, on the big screen, Jo starred in three romance-themed films in 2003, notably Kwak Jae-yong's The Classic, with Son Ye-jin and Jo Seung-woo.

In 2004, he returned to television in What Happened in Bali, alongside Ha Ji-won and So Ji-sub. Aside from its high ratings, Jo won the Best Actor awards at both the Baeksang Arts Awards and SBS Drama Awards. In 2005, he starred opposite Go Hyun-jung in her comeback drama Spring Day, a remake of the Japanese drama Hoshi no Kinka ("Heaven's Coins").

Jo collaborated with renowned director Yoo Ha in his next two films: 2006's A Dirty Carnival, in which he played a charismatic small-time gangster who seeks a happier life;^[3][4] and 2008's A Frozen Flower, a Goryeo-period film where his royal bodyguard character is caught in a love triangle between the king and the queen.^[5][6]

In 2008, he appeared in two episodes of the MBC comedy variety show Infinite Challenge on March 15 and 22. These episodes were about wrestling training in order to encourage South Korean national team before the 2008 Beijing Olympics.^[7][8]

On April 7, 2009, Jo enlisted for his two-year mandatory military service; he reportedly wanted to join the Air Force to follow in the footsteps of his father, who served as a non-commissioned officer.^[9][10][11] He served 25 months in the Air Force and the Air Force military band, and was discharged on May 4, 2011.^[12][13]

Upon the expiry of his contract with talent agency SidusHQ, Jo joined IOK Company in March 2012.^[14]

In 2013, he paired up with Song Hye-kyo to star in his first television series in seven years, That Winter, the Wind Blows, a remake of the Japanese drama Ai Nante Irane Yo, Natsu ("I Don't Need Love, Summer").^{[15][16][17][18][19]} A year later, Jo reunited with Winter's writer and director in 2014's It's Okay, That's Love opposite Gong Hyo-jin.^[20]

In October 2015, Jo is cast in the film The King, directed by The Face Reader director Han Jae-rim.^[21] In it, Jo would play a man who’s overcome an unhappy childhood to become a prosecutor.

Endorsements

Jo is also famous for the high number of commercials (referred to as "CF" in Korea) he has filmed and starred in. He revealed in a Korean television show in 2012 that he made over US$4 million in just that year alone. Some of the companies he's filmed CFs for include Outback Steakhouse, Missha Makeup, Parkland Clothing, Black Yak Clothing, and LG Whisen.

Personal life

Jo first studied Modeling and Events Management at Chunnam Techno University. He later enrolled as a Theater and Film major at Dongguk University, but was expelled in 2007 due to inadequate class attendance.^[22]

Jo was in a relationship with actress Kim Min-hee from 2013 to 2014.^[23][24][25]

Filmography

Film

Television drama

Music video

Awards and nominations

References

External links

• Zo In-sung at IOK Company (Korean)
• Zo In-sung at the Korean Movie Database
• Jo In-seong at the Internet Movie Database
• Jo In-seong at HanCinema