In 1999, the year he turned 20, he moved from Daegu to Seoul and took part in a theater company’s workshop for six months, and that year he debuted in the play Majimak Poong. In 2000, he entered the theater department at the Seoul Institute of the Arts but did not finish. He acted in plays in Daehangno and worked at gas stations and a logistics warehouse when money ran out.
In 2009, he turned toward film and went around casting agencies with a profile he had made himself. He says he was turned down in auditions more than 100 times. In 2010, he got his first role, a bit part in SBS’s OB & GY. In 2011, he appeared in a film for the first time, in Mama, and also had a bit part in War of the Arrows.
In 2012, he had a bit part in MBC’s Dr. Jin. In 2013, he appeared in the same network’s Gu Family Book. In 2014, he had bit parts in the film Venus Talk and SBS’s Secret Door.
The breakthrough yearIn 2015, the year he turned 36, he played Director Jo in the film Inside Men. Sixteen years had passed from his debut to this point.
In 2016, he was nominated for Best New Actor at the Blue Dragon Film Awards, and at the end of the year he appeared as Secretary Kim in tvN’s Guardian. In 2017, nine of his films were released in a single year. In 2018, he appeared in tvN’s Mr. Sunshine, married, and saw Default released.
In 2019, he won Best Supporting Actor at the Blue Dragon Film Awards for Default. In 2020, he played Dr. Jones in Collectors. In 2021, he took his first solo lead role in Hard Hit and also appeared in tvN’s Happiness.
In 2022, he won the Baeksang Arts Award for Best Supporting Actor in film for Kingmaker, and Netflix’s Narco-Saints was released. In 2023, he also won the Baeksang Arts Award for Best Supporting Actor in TV for Narco-Saints. In 2024, Alienoid: Return to the Future and Harbin were released.
In 2025, Netflix’s Mantis and the film Boss came out within a week of each other. In 2026, the year he turned 47, he served as the storyteller on KBS 1TV’s Science War: Geoinui Jeonjaeng.
Jo Woo-jin (born Jan 16, 1979) debuted in the play Majimak Poong in 1999, the year he turned 20, and became known as Director Jo in the film Inside Men, released on Nov 19, 2015, the year he turned 36. On Nov 21, 2019, the year he turned 40, he won Best Supporting Actor at the Blue Dragon Film Awards for Default.
Ages are by calendar year (the year minus the birth year), birthdays aside.
He gave up on college after the 1997 financial crisis, worked, and then chose acting. He moved to Seoul with the money he had saved and took part in a theater company’s workshop for six months.
Source 01 · Hankook Ilbo (Korean) · Jo Woo-jin, lifted by Goblin · opens in a new tabDebuted in the play Majimak Poong.
Source 02 · Xports News (Korean) · Radio interview for Hard Hit · opens in a new tabSource 03 · MHN Sports (Korean) · Special appearance in Tazza: The Song of Beelzebub · opens in a new tab Several articles give 1999 as the year of his debut. The month and day could not be confirmed.He entered the theater department but did not finish. He says he could not afford the tuition and had to keep earning money. He then acted in plays in Daehangno and worked at gas stations, convenience stores and a logistics warehouse.
Source 01 · Hankook Ilbo (Korean) · Jo Woo-jin, lifted by Goblin · opens in a new tabHe made his own profile and went around casting agencies, handing out vitamin drinks with stickers promoting himself. He says he was turned down in film auditions more than 100 times.
Source 01 · Hankook Ilbo (Korean) · Jo Woo-jin, lifted by Goblin · opens in a new tabThe first role he landed that way was a bit part in this drama. Wikipedia lists it as a doctor.
Source 01 · Hankook Ilbo (Korean) · Jo Woo-jin, lifted by Goblin · opens in a new tabSource 04 · Wikipedia (Korean) · Jo Woo-jin (actor) · opens in a new tab The year the drama aired is in the article; the date of his appearance could not be confirmed.His first film, in which he played a gangster underling to Yoo Hae-jin. The same year he also had bit parts in War of the Arrows and SBS’s Warrior Baek Dong-soo.
Source 01 · Hankook Ilbo (Korean) · Jo Woo-jin, lifted by Goblin · opens in a new tabSource 04 · Wikipedia (Korean) · Jo Woo-jin (actor) · opens in a new tab The release and air years are in the article; the dates could not be confirmed.Kept taking bit parts in dramas.
Source 01 · Hankook Ilbo (Korean) · Jo Woo-jin, lifted by Goblin · opens in a new tabAgain a bit part. He says most of the roles were forgettable, but he was happy to earn money doing what he wanted to do.
Source 01 · Hankook Ilbo (Korean) · Jo Woo-jin, lifted by Goblin · opens in a new tabThe same year he also appeared in a bit part in SBS’s Secret Door.
Source 01 · Hankook Ilbo (Korean) · Jo Woo-jin, lifted by Goblin · opens in a new tabAn agency to which he had once sent his profile contacted him, and after auditioning and meeting the assistant director and then the director in turn, the role was confirmed. The film drew 1.6 million admissions in four days after its official release, and 16 years had passed from his debut to this point.
Nominated for Inside Men. The winner was Park Jung-min for Dongju: The Portrait of a Poet.
Source 06 · Sports Dong-A (Korean) · 37th Blue Dragon Film Awards Best New Actor · opens in a new tabPlayed Secretary Kim, who serves the Goblin’s family and looks after the heir of its retainer family, Yoo Deok-hwa. He says the part came about because director Lee Eung-bok, who had seen him in OCN’s Squad 38, contacted him first.
Source 07 · Sports Chosun (Korean) · tvN’s 2016 dramas · opens in a new tabSource 01 · Hankook Ilbo (Korean) · Jo Woo-jin, lifted by Goblin · opens in a new tabNine films released that year: The King, The Sheriff in Town, One Line, Real, V.I.P., The Fortress and The Bros, then Steel Rain and 1987 at the end of the year. An official from his side says offers have come without auditions since Inside Men.
Source 08 · Ilgan Sports (Korean) · Nine films in 2017 alone · opens in a new tabPlayed an elite North Korean agent opposite Jung Woo-sung. Ilgan Sports wrote that it was his first action role. Thirteen days later came 1987, in which he played the uncle of Park Jong-chul.
Source 08 · Ilgan Sports (Korean) · Nine films in 2017 alone · opens in a new tabPlayed Im Gwan-soo, an interpreter at the U.S. legation.
Source 09 · Seoul Economic Daily (Korean) · Jo Woo-jin in Mr. Sunshine · opens in a new tabHeld a private wedding with a non-celebrity he had dated for 11 years. A month earlier he had registered the marriage and announced that they had a daughter over a year old.
Source 10 · Newsen (Korean) · Jo Woo-jin marries · opens in a new tabPlayed a vice-minister of finance who sets up a new game in the middle of an economic crisis.
Source 11 · Seoul Economic Daily (Korean) · Default release confirmed · opens in a new tabSource 12 · Sports Dong-A (Korean) · Default’s vice-minister of finance · opens in a new tabPlayed Ma Byeong-gu, a sharpshooter in the independence army who had been a mounted bandit.
Source 13 · Sports Dong-A (Korean) · The Battle: Roar to Victory release confirmed · opens in a new tabReceived it for Default. The ceremony was held at Paradise City on Yeongjong Island, Incheon.
Source 14 · Ilgan Sports (Korean) · 40th Blue Dragon Film Awards · opens in a new tabPlayed a comic part as Dr. Jones, an expert in looting tomb murals.
Source 15 · Sports Dong-A (Korean) · Collectors release confirmed · opens in a new tabSource 16 · Star News (Korean) · Dr. Jones in Collectors · opens in a new tabHis first solo lead role since his debut. He says it would be a lie to say he felt no tension or pressure.
Source 02 · Xports News (Korean) · Radio interview for Hard Hit · opens in a new tabPlayed Han Tae-seok, a lieutenant colonel in the Medical Command who holds the key to an infectious disease outbreak. It was released on both tvN and TVING.
Source 17 · Newsen (Korean) · Happiness first airs · opens in a new tabSource 18 · OSEN (Korean) · Han Tae-seok still from Happiness · opens in a new tabReceived it for Kingmaker, in which he played Director Lee, an election strategist for the ruling party. The ceremony was held at KINTEX in Ilsan.
Source 19 · My Daily (Korean) · 58th Baeksang Arts Awards · opens in a new tabSource 20 · Sports Chosun (Korean) · Director Lee in Kingmaker · opens in a new tabPlayed Byeon Ki-tae.
Source 21 · Sports Chosun (Korean) · Narco-Saints release confirmed · opens in a new tabSource 22 · News1 (Korean) · 59th Baeksang Arts Awards · opens in a new tabPlayed Ma Du-sik, an independence fighter.
Source 29 · Sports Kyunghyang (Korean) · Interview with Park Jin-joo on Hero · opens in a new tabReceived it for Narco-Saints. After the film category, he won a supporting award in the TV category the next year.
Source 22 · News1 (Korean) · 59th Baeksang Arts Awards · opens in a new tabAppeared again, after part 1, as Cheong-woon, a mage from Samgaksan.
Source 23 · Nocut News (Korean) · Alienoid: Return to the Future review · opens in a new tabPlayed Kim Sang-hyun, an independence fighter who interprets Japanese in the Korean Righteous Army. He worked with Inside Men director Woo Min-ho again after nine years. The film drew 381,536 admissions on its first day.
Source 24 · Electronic Times (Korean) · Kim Sang-hyun in Harbin · opens in a new tabSource 25 · Sports Chosun (Korean) · Harbin opening day · opens in a new tabTalked about his long years as an unknown and about acting. He says he came to Seoul and started in theater but had to hold down part-time jobs to make a living.
Source 26 · Sports Hankook (Korean) · Mantis and Boss · opens in a new tabPlayed Dok-go, a retired assassin. Three days after release it recorded 7 million views and ranked third on Netflix’s global non-English films list.
Source 26 · Sports Hankook (Korean) · Mantis and Boss · opens in a new tabPlayed Na Soon-tae, the number two of a gang who doubles as the chef of a Chinese restaurant. He lost weight down to 59 kg for the role, and was at 82 kg when he filmed Mantis.
Source 26 · Sports Hankook (Korean) · Mantis and Boss · opens in a new tabPlayed 25 roles in this show about the history of science. In episode 4, aired that day, he played a 19th-century London Times reporter covering Pasteur’s vaccine experiment.
Source 27 · Sports Dong-A (Korean) · Science War: Geoinui Jeonjaeng · opens in a new tab The first air date could not be confirmed. The date is that of episode 4.Makes a special appearance as Kwak Dong-wook, a poker master living in seclusion in Vietnam. The film’s release date was announced as Sept. 23.
Source 03 · MHN Sports (Korean) · Special appearance in Tazza: The Song of Beelzebub · opens in a new tabSource 28 · Ilgan Sports (Korean) · Still from Tazza: The Song of Beelzebub · opens in a new tabEND OF SELECTED RECORDSSelected records, 1999–2026 · not a complete list of work. “Key moment” is an editorial label, not a measure of success.
What did they do, and at what age?
AgeTrail lines up the key moments of a life by age.
Debut and breakthrough are marked separately, and every record has a source.
Film & TV · South Korea
Jan 16, 1979 —
Ages are counted from the birth year 1979: the year of the event minus 1979, birthdays aside. “Key moment” labels and the connecting story are AgeTrail's editorial reading.
Fact-checked: 2026.09.22 · An independent archive, not affiliated with the person or their agency.