Biography of Jo Jung-suk

Jo Jung-suk is a prominent South Korean actor, theatre artist, and voice artist whose career started in theatre. He was cast in the theatre projects ‘Grease’, ‘Hedwig and the Angry Inch’, ‘The Island’, and ‘Spring Awakening’ along with many other musicals and plays.

After a decade of his theatre career, he came out with his first role as a music student on the South Korean television series ‘What’s Up’ in 2011. His versatility was further showcased in the 2012 box office hit ‘Architecture 101’, ‘The King 2 Hearts’. The South Korean actor under his one-man agency called JS Company, is well-known for his lead role in ‘Oh My Ghost‘ (2015).

Early Life & Education

Jo Jung-suk was born on 26 December 1980 and raised in the capital city of Seoul, South Korea. He completed his elementary studies at Banghwa Elementary School in South Korea. He always wished to be a stage performer from childhood. So, he enrolled himself in the theatre department of the Seoul Institute of Arts despite all the hardships he faced. His father’s unexpected death in 2000 shook his life and he had to drop out of university to earn his livelihood and repay his student loan.

Thus, he started his musical theatre journey. He made his official acting debut in the musical ‘The Nutcracker’ in 2004 and spent the first nine years of his career working in musical theatre.

Career

2004-2010: Early career, Becoming a Musical Star

He always wished to become a theatre artist and pushed himself to work hard and made his professional acting debut in the Musical ‘The Nutcracker’ in 2004. Later, he became active in musical theatre and appeared in around 25 musicals during the first nine years of his career. These musical projects include ‘Organ in My Heart’, ‘Spring Awakening’, ‘Grease’, ‘The Island’, and ‘Hedwig and the Angry Inch’.

2011-2018: Breakout Roles and Success

In 2011, he made his entry into the industry with his first role as a music student on the television drama, ‘What’s Up’. He had a great breakthrough with his stunning performance in the high-profile project ‘Architecture 101’ in 2012. His funny and eccentric personality in the drama made him win the Best New Actor award at the Blue Dragon Film Awards along with other nominations.

In 2012, he displayed his true versatility and screen presence in the drama series ‘The King 2 Hearts’ and in the comedy film ‘Almost Che’. After filming his first 2013 historical film ‘The Face Reader’, he returned to television in his first onscreen leading role in the 2013 family drama ‘You’re the Best, Lee Soon-shin’.

In 2014 he came up with two films, a thriller film ‘The Fatal Encounter,’ and a romantic comedy film ‘My Love, My Bride’. In 2015, he played the role of an arrogant star chef in the television series ‘Oh My Ghost’ and a TV news reporter role in the crime thriller film ‘The Exclusive: Beat the Devil’s Tattoo’.

After the SBS romantic television series, ‘Don’t Dare to Dream’ of 2016, he became the most in-demand actor in the industry. Later in the same year, he headlined the comedy-drama film ‘My Annoying Brother’ alongside Park Shin-hye and Doh Kyung-soo. In 2017, he was cast in the gangster thriller ‘The Drug King’ and MBC’s fantasy comedy-drama ‘Two Cops’.

2019 to Present

In 2019 he played the role of an antagonist in the action thriller film ‘Hit-and-Run Squad’ and also starred in the historical drama ‘Nokdu Flower’. Jung-suk acted in the disaster comedy film ‘Exit’ which premiered on 31 July 2019. The film was a box office success earning over US$69.5 million worldwide and it was South Korea’s third-highest-grossing domestic film.

In 2020, he starred in the medical drama ‘Hospital Playlist’ and this heart-warming human story received a lot of love and applause from critics. He has made several soundtrack appearances from ‘Blue Sleeves’ in 2012 to ‘I Like You’ in 2021. In 2022, he hosts a 2-day show at Mastercard Hall in Blue Square, Seoul.

Achievements

With a realistic and ambitious dedication to his work, he became the first Korean actor to be nominated in the 2020 Melon Music Awards. He won the top spot in various music charts with the success of the soundtrack ‘Aloha’ from the popular drama ‘Hospital Playist’.

Endorsements

• He is active as an advertising model for 12 brands including masks, credit cards, ramen, mobile communications and reading platforms.
• His first appearance in a TV commercial was as an LG U+ model.
• In 2016, he was honoured as the brand ambassador of an online English learning platform.
• In 2021, he ranked 4th in a CF revenue chart as his online English learning platform CF video had gone viral on social media.

Military Life

Military service is mandatory for Korean male adults as part of their responsibility towards their nation. Jo Jung-suk was exempted from military service because his father passed away and he became the sole provider of the family. He had to quit his studies and engage in acting to make ends meet because his mother was totally dependent on him. Following a financial audit of his condition, the military proceeded to grant him with exemption from military service.

Personal Life

Jo Jung-suk and Park Ji-yeon aka Gummy is nothing less than a fairytale. The former member of the musical group ‘Bubble Sisters’ and Gummy’s friend, Kim Young-ji paved the way for them to meet. They began dating in 2013 and the couple tied the knot on 8 October 2018 in a private ceremony. On 6 August 2020, the couple became the proud parents of a baby girl.

Net Worth & Lifestyle

One of the most charming K-drama stars at the present time, Jo Jung-suk has extensive filmography and a splendid career journey from a stage actor who rose to stardom in a short span of time. He garnered a significant amount of money with the success of the South Korean television series and most popular musicals and several soundtrack appearances.

He earned an impressive asset from his active presence in acting, modelling, and brand endorsements but prefers to lead a modest lifestyle. Being one of the highest-paid actors in South Korea, he has been able to accumulate good fortune with a net worth of more than $40 million dollars.

Philanthropy

South Korean celebrities are kind-hearted and many Korean celebrities have a reputation for donating to charitable causes. In 2019, Jo Jung-suk and his wife donated 30 million won to the National Disaster Relief Association.

Awards 

• Korea Musical Awards – 2008
  Best New Actor, ‘The Harmonium in My Memory’
  Best Supporting Actor, ‘Spring Awakening’
• The Musical Awards – 2010
  Best Supporting Actor, ‘Spring Awakening’
• Blue Dragon Film Awards – 2012
  Best New Actor
  
• Cine 21 Awards – 2012
  Best New Actor
• Korean Culture and Entertainment Awards – 2012
  Best New Actor
  
• Mnet 20’s Choice Awards – 2012
  20’s Booming Actor, ‘The King 2 Hearts’
  
• Style Icon Awards – 2012
  New Icon
• Grand Bell Awards – 2013
  Best Supporting Actor, ‘The Face Reader’
  
• KBS Drama Awards – 2013
  Excellence Award, Actor in a Serial Drama
  Best Couple Award, Jo Jung-suk and IU
  
• KOFRA Film Awards – 2013
  Best New Actor
• Korean Association of Film Critics Awards – 2013
  Best Supporting Actor
• Korea World Youth Film Festival – 2013
  Best New Actor
• Korea World Youth Film Festival – 2014
  Popularity Award, ‘My Love, My Bride’
  
• Korea Film Actors Association – 2016
  Korea’s Top Star, ‘My Annoying Brother’
• SBS Drama Awards – 2016
  Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Romantic Comedy Drama
  Top 10 Stars Award
• tvN10 Awards – 2016
  Two Star Award, ‘Oh My Ghost’
  
• MBC Drama Awards – 2017
  Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Monday-Tuesday Drama
  
• Busan International Film Festival – 2019
  Marie Claire Asia Star Awards: Asia Star Award
  
• SBS Drama Awards – 2019
  Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Mid-Length Drama, ‘Nokdu Flower’
  
• Brand of the Year Awards – 2020
  Best Actor of the Year
  Best OST of the Year
• Genie Music Awards – 2020
  Best OST
  
• Korea First Brand Award – 2020
  Male Commercial Model
• Melon Music Awards – 2020
  Best OST
• Seoul Music Award – 2020
  Best OST
  
• Golden Disc Awards – 2021
  Best OST
• Korea Advertisers Association – 2021
  Advertisers’ Choice-Great Model Award
• Mnet Asian Music Awards – 2021
  Best OST, ‘I Like You’
• Korea First Brand Award – 2022
  Best Actor

Interesting Facts about Jo Jung-suk

1. He made his career debut as a theatre actor as he was cast in a long list of musicals including ‘Spring Awakening’, ‘Hedwig and the Angry Inch’, and ‘The Harmonium in My Memory’.
2. The actor doesn’t have an Instagram account.
3. He loves playing classic guitar as he wanted to become a professional guitarist growing up.
4. He asked him to reduce his payment in the South Korean television series ‘Hospital Playlist’ to 70 million won per episode in order to financially aid the production team.
5. His acting skills are so rare already and he’s also such an amazing singer with his baritone voice.
6. Gained immense screen popularity through his character in the box-office hit movie ‘Architecture 101’.
7. He considers his 30s as a prime period of his life with several box office hits and critically acclaimed K-dramas.

FAQs

1. How old is Jo Jung-suk?
   42 years old.
2. Does Jo Jung-suk sing in real life?
   He is an accomplished singer and his song won the Best OST in numerous awards.
3. How tall is Jo Jung-suk?
   He is 175cm tall.
4. What is the Zodiac sign of Jo Jung-suk?
   Capricorn.
   
5. What is the marital status of Jo Jung-suk?
   He married South Korean singer Park Ji-yeon known by her stage name Gummy.
   
6. What is the ID to Jo Jung-suk’s fanpage in Instagram?
   Fanpage ID is jojungsuk_fanpage with 2Lakh followers.