Jin Goo

Born July 20, 1980 (age 43)

Hwigyeong-dong, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul,

South Korea[1]

Education Sahmyook University - Advertising

Occupation Actor

Years active 2003–present

Agent Varo Entertainment

Kim Ji-Hye
Spouse

(m. 2014)

Children 2

Korean name
 Hangul 진구

Hanja 晋久

Revised Jin Gu

Romanization

McCune–Reischauer Chin Ku

Jin Goo (born July 20, 1980) is a South Korean actor. He won Best Supporting Actor at
the Grand Bell Awards and Blue Dragon Film Awards for his role in Bong Joon-ho's
2009 noir thriller Mother. He is also known for his role in the critically and commercially
successful series Descendants of the Sun.
Career[edit]
2003–2008: Beginnings[edit]
Jin Goo made his television debut in the 2003 gambling drama All In, as the younger
version of the protagonist character played by Lee Byung-hun.[2] They reunited onscreen
in Kim Jee-woon's film noir A Bittersweet Life,[3] and Jin would later join Lee when he
established his own management agency, BH Entertainment.
In 2005, Jin starred in the one-episode drama Saya, Saya ("Bird, Bird"), adapted from
the novel written by Shin Kyung-sook about a mother and son who are both deaf.[4] It
won the top award in the TV movie/miniseries category of Prix Italia, and the jury
praised it as "a magical, moving and poetic story about the power of love with high
quality performances."[5]
After a guest appearance as a Korean language teacher on the webisodes of Japanese
drama Joshi Deka!,[6] Jin returned to Korean television in 2008's Spotlight, a glimpse into
the lives of broadcast news reporters covering the city beat. To prepare for his role, Jin
followed a cub reporter for a day, and realized they didn't have time to bathe or even
wash their faces.[7][8]
Though he appeared in little-seen mystery romance The ESP Couple,[9] Jin would
become known for playing strong moody characters, such as a low-ranking thug in Yoo
Ha's A Dirty Carnival,[10][11] and a serial killer in Truck.[12] For his portrayal of a secretive
doctor in arthouse horror film Epitaph,[13] Jin received a Best New Actor trophy from the
Golden Cinematography Awards.[14][15]
2009–2015: Breakthrough and continued acting[edit]
Jin's breakthrough would be his critically acclaimed supporting turn in 2009's Mother.[16][17]
[18]
His performance in the Bong Joon-ho thriller earned him recognition from the Grand
Bell Awards,[19] the University Film Festival of Korea,[20] and the Blue Dragon Film Awards.
[21][22][23]
In 2010, Jin shed his hardboiled image to play a down-to-earth, aspiring chef in Le
Grand Chef 2: Kimchi Battle. He said the film was a great pleasure to make since
cooking is a hobby of his, though emulating a professional chef meant undergoing "200
hours of chopping radishes" in order to perfect the motion. He added that after the
filming, he was able to make kimchi with his mother, which proved to be a memorable
experience.[24][25]
2011 was a busy year for Jin. Besides appearing in conspiracy thriller Moby Dick,[26] he
had a starring role as one of three desperate Joseon soldiers in The Showdown.[27] He
also made his stage debut as Nathan in a Korean production of the musical Guys and
Dolls.[28][29][30][31]
He next starred in 26 Years, based on Kang Full's manhwa about a plot to assassinate
the man responsible for the Gwangju Massacre.[32] Jin had been attached to the project
since pre-production began in 2008,[33] but investors backed out due to the politically
controversial content. Online donations from thousands of private individuals enabled
filming to resume in 2012.[34] Jin was the only holdover from the original cast; initially cast
as the young policeman, he now played the more central role of the gangster.[35]
In 2013, he played the titular character in TV series Ad Genius Lee Tae-baek, a
success story about a man who comes up to Seoul from the countryside armed with
nothing but a high school diploma and a gift for drawing, and through sheer hard work,
fights his way to become the best ad man and art director in the business.[36]
Supporting roles followed in thriller The Target,[37] period blockbuster The Admiral:
Roaring Currents,[38] and nostalgic musical drama C'est Si Bon.[39] In 2015, Jin starred
in Northern Limit Line, a naval thriller about the Second Battle of Yeonpyeong.[40]
2016–present: Rising popularity[edit]
2016 was a remarkable year for Jin Goo. He was cast as an elite special forces soldier
in Descendants of the Sun, a romantic melodrama written by Kim Eun-sook.[41] The
drama was a critical and commercial success in Asia, and led to a surge in popularity
for Jin.[42][43][44] Later in the year, Jin starred in MBC's melodrama Night Light.[45][46]
In 2017, Jin starred in the action film One Line, where he played a legendary swindler
who joins with a student (Im Si-wan) to rob a bank.[47] He then starred in JTBC's action
melodrama Untouchable.[48]
In 2019, Jin starred in the legal drama Legal High, a remake of the Japanese television
series of the same name.[49]
In December 2020, Jin signed with new agency Varo Entertainment.[50]
Personal life[edit]
Jin married his girlfriend on September 21, 2014.[51][52][53][54][55] The couple welcomed a baby
boy in June 2015.[56] They welcomed their second child, a baby girl, in November 2016.[57]
Jin completed his mandatory military service in the Republic of Korea Navy military
police.[58][59]
Filmography[edit]
Film[edit]

Year Title Role Notes

Romantic Assassins Assassin [60]

2003
1+1=6 Short film

2005 A Bittersweet Life Min-gi

A Dirty Carnival Jong-soo [61]

2006 Ice Bar In-baek [62]

Love Me Not Mickey / Tae-ho [63]

2007 Epitaph Park Jung-nam [64]

Truck Kim Young-ho [65]

2008
The ESP Couple Su-min [66]

2009 Mother Jin-tae

2010 Le Grand Chef 2: Kimchi Battle Seong-chan

2011 The Showdown Do-young

Moby Dick Yoon Hyuk

Always Pottery store Cameo[67]

Year Title Role Notes

owner

2012 26 Years Kwak Jin-bae

The Target Baek Sung-hoon

2014 The Admiral: Roaring Currents Lim Jun-young

Late Spring cameo[68]

C'est Si Bon Lee Jang-hee (20s)

2015
Northern Limit Line Han Sang-gook

2017 One Line Suk-goo

2018 Heung-boo: The Revolutionist Nolbu Special appearance[69]

2021 You're Precious to Me (My Lovely Angel) Park Jae-shik

2022 The Witch: Part 2. The Other One Yong-du [70]

Television series[edit]

Year Title Role Notes

2003 All In young Kim In-ha

2004 MBC Best Theater Jin-ho Episode "Where Are Arrows We

Year Title Role Notes

Shoot?"[71]

Nonstop 5 Jin Goo [72]

MBC Best Theater[72] Bae Sang-woo Episode "Oshio Ddeokbokki"

2005 HDTV Literature Little Brother Episode "Saya, Saya (Bird, Bird)"

2007 Joshi Deka! Korean language teacher guest, episode 10 and webisode

Spotlight Lee Seon-chul

2008
Tokyo Sun Shower Park Sang-gil [73]

2009 Swallow the Sun young Kim Il-hwan Cameo[74]

Athena: Goddess of Black agent Jang Hyuk-

2010 Cameo, episode 7[75]
War joon

Ad Genius Lee Tae-

2013 Lee Tae-baek
baek

2015 Beating Again Ma Dong-wook Guest[76]

2016 Descendants of the Sun Seo Dae-young

Entourage Himself Cameo, episode 4[77]

Year Title Role Notes

Night Light Park Gun-woo

2017 Untouchable Jang Joon-seo

2018 Mr. Sunshine Go Sang-wan Cameo[78]

2019 Legal High Go Tae-rim

2022 A Superior Day Lee Ho-cheol [79]

2024 Thank You Hwang Dae-woong [80]

Web series[edit]

Year Title Role Notes Ref.

2022–2023 Shadow Detective Guk Jin-han Season 1–2 [81]

The King of the

2022 Chairman [82]

Desert

Music video[edit]

Year Song title Artist

2007 "Sonata of Temptation"[83] Ivy

2009 "Shout to the Heart" Monday Kiz ft. Rhymer

"Scar"[84] Monday Kiz

Year Song title Artist

"Stupid"[85] Yoon Seo-jin

2013 "V"[86] Lee Jung-hyun

Musical theatre[edit]
Year Title Role

Guys and
2011 Nathan Detroit
Dolls

Awards and nominations[edit]

Nominated
Year Award Category Result Ref.
work

19th KBS Drama Best Actor in a One-Act / Saya, Saya (Bird,

2005 Nominated
Awards Special / Short Drama Bird)

5th Korean Film Awards Best Supporting Actor Nominated

2006
27th Blue Dragon Film
Best New Actor Nominated
Awards A Dirty Carnival

43rd Baeksang Arts

2007 Best New Actor Nominated
Awards

[15]
2008 31st Golden Best New Actor Epitaph Won
Cinematography
Awards
 Nominated
Year Award Category Result Ref.
work

16th SBS Drama Best Supporting Actor in

Tokyo Sun Shower Nominated
Awards a Special Planning Drama

2nd Korea Junior Star

Special Award Truck Won [87]

Awards

46th Grand Bell Awards Best Supporting Actor Won [88]

17th Korean Culture & Excellence Award, Movie

Won [89]

2009 Entertainment Awards Actor Category

5th University Film

Best Supporting Actor Mother Won [90]

Festival of Korea

30th Blue Dragon Film

Best Supporting Actor Won [91]

Awards

2010 7th Max Movie Awards Best Supporting Actor Nominated

2011 KBS 감동대상 Hope Award — Won [92]

2013 22nd Buil Film Awards Best Actor Nominated

26 Years
34th Golden Cinema
2014 Special Jury Prize Won [94]

Festival[93]

52nd Grand Bell

2015 Best Supporting Actor C'est Si Bon Nominated
Awards
 Nominated
Year Award Category Result Ref.
work

11th Asia Model

Popular Star Award Won [95]

Festival

1st Indonesian
Special Award Won [96]

Television Awards

Best Couple
Nominated
Award (with Kim Ji-won)
5th APAN Star Awards
Descendants of the
2016 Best Supporting Actor Won [97]
Sun

Best Celebrity Award,

1st Asia Artist Awards Won [98]

Actor

Excellence Award, Actor

Nominated
in a Miniseries
30th KBS Drama
Awards
Best Couple (with Kim Ji- Won [99]
won)

30th Korea Culture The Witch: Part 2.

2022 Best Actor Award Won [100]

Entertainment Awards The Other One