In 2004, the year she turned 17, she debuted as a delinquent teenager in the film Love, So Divine, starring Kwon Sang-woo and Ha Ji-won. In 2006, she entered a university acting department. In 2009, she played Mi-na, the girlfriend of Jin-tae, in Bong Joon-ho’s Mother. Before that she had only had bit parts.
The breakthrough yearIn 2011, the year she turned 24, she played the delinquent student Sang-mi in the film Sunny. She says she made her name with it.
In 2013, Han Gong-ju won awards at the Busan International Film Festival, and in December the Golden Star at the Marrakech International Film Festival. In April 2014, Han Gong-ju was released, and in December she won Best Actress at the 35th Blue Dragon Film Awards. In 2015, she won Best New Actress in film at the Baeksang Arts Awards, and The Piper and The Beauty Inside were released.
In 2016, Love, Lies and The Wailing were released one after the other. The Wailing was invited to the out-of-competition section of the Cannes Film Festival. In 2017, she took her first TV lead in tvN’s Argon. In 2018, she served as an ambassador of the 19th Disability Film Festival. In 2019, the films Idol and Vertigo and JTBC’s Be Melodramatic followed.
In 2021, the film Waiting for Rain was released. In 2022, Anchor, in which she played the lead, was released. In 2023, Netflix’s Unlocked and tvN’s Delightfully Deceitful were released.
In May 2024, Netflix’s The 8 Show and JTBC’s The Atypical Family aired side by side, and that year marked 20 years since her debut. In 2025, she starred opposite Song Joong-ki in JTBC’s My Youth. In 2026, the year she turned 39, she is due to film Veteran 3 and to host the Buil Film Awards.
Chun Woo-hee (born Apr 20, 1987) debuted in 2004, the year she turned 17, with a bit part in the film Love, So Divine, and became known in 2011, the year she turned 24, as Sang-mi in the film Sunny. On Dec 17, 2014, the year she turned 27, she won Best Actress at the Blue Dragon Film Awards for Han Gong-ju.
Ages are by calendar year (the year minus the birth year), birthdays aside.
Appeared as a delinquent teenager in the film starring Kwon Sang-woo and Ha Ji-won. She was in high school, and afterward had bit parts in Herb and other films.
Source 01 · OhmyNews (Korean) · Chun Woo-hee’s debut and college · opens in a new tabSource 02 · TV Report (Korean) · Mi-na in Mother · opens in a new tab The release date could not be confirmed.OhmyNews wrote that she began her path as an actor in earnest when she entered the acting department. Segye Ilbo wrote that she graduated from the acting department at Kyonggi University.
Source 01 · OhmyNews (Korean) · Chun Woo-hee’s debut and college · opens in a new tabSource 39 · Segye Ilbo (Korean) · After the Blue Dragon win · opens in a new tab The articles do not give the date she entered or the year she graduated.Played Mi-na, the girlfriend of Jin-tae (Jin Goo). The film stars Kim Hye-ja and Won Bin.
Source 02 · TV Report (Korean) · Mi-na in Mother · opens in a new tabSource 01 · OhmyNews (Korean) · Chun Woo-hee’s debut and college · opens in a new tab The release date could not be confirmed.Played Sang-mi, a delinquent student who sniffs glue and threatens a friend with a shard of glass. She says she made her name with this film. It had a final 7,363,139 admissions.
It won the CGV Moviecollage Award and the Citizen Critics’ Award.
Source 06 · Electronic Times (Korean) · Han Gong-ju sweeps three awards at the Deauville Asian Film Festival · opens in a new tab The articles give only October for the screening and awards.It won the Golden Star at the festival in Morocco.
Source 07 · Sports Hankook (Korean) · Han Gong-ju wins the Rotterdam Tiger Award · opens in a new tabSource 06 · Electronic Times (Korean) · Han Gong-ju sweeps three awards at the Deauville Asian Film Festival · opens in a new tab The articles give only December for the award.It won the Tiger Award, the top prize in the competition, at the festival that closed on the 2nd.
Source 07 · Sports Hankook (Korean) · Han Gong-ju wins the Rotterdam Tiger Award · opens in a new tabSource 06 · Electronic Times (Korean) · Han Gong-ju sweeps three awards at the Deauville Asian Film Festival · opens in a new tab Electronic Times dated the same award to January.Played Mi-ran, a friend of the lead, Man-ji (Ko Ah-sung), and the girl who heads her household.
Source 08 · Sports Hankook (Korean) · Mi-ran in Thread of Lies · opens in a new tabThe low-budget independent film, which had won awards at overseas festivals, was released in Korea. News1 wrote that she began to draw serious attention with this work.
Source 09 · TenAsia (Korean) · Han Gong-ju release confirmed · opens in a new tabSource 38 · News1 (Korean) · Chun Woo-hee’s new profile · opens in a new tabPlayed Mi-jin of the 880,000-won generation. The film was invited to the 39th Toronto International Film Festival and the 34th Hawaii International Film Festival.
Source 10 · Edaily (Korean) · Cart promotion · opens in a new tab Edaily wrote only that it was due out in November. The release date could not be confirmed.Received it for Han Gong-ju at the ceremony held at the Sejong Center. The other nominees were Kim Hee-ae, Son Ye-jin, Shim Eun-kyung and Jun Do-yeon.
Source 11 · Sports Dong-A (Korean) · 35th Blue Dragon Film Awards · opens in a new tabReceived it for Han Gong-ju at the ceremony held at the Kyung Hee University Grand Peace Palace. She said she was receiving a newcomer award 10 years after her debut.
Source 12 · Cookie News (Korean) · 51st Baeksang Arts Awards · opens in a new tab The 10 years she mentioned would be the 11th year counting from her 2004 debut.Played Mi-sook, a young widow forced to act as a shaman. The film is based on the Pied Piper.
Source 13 · OSEN (Korean) · The Piper press conference · opens in a new tabOne of 21 actors who played Woo-jin, who wakes up each day with a different face.
Source 14 · OSEN (Korean) · The Beauty Inside released · opens in a new tabAppeared with Han Hyo-joo and Yoo Yeon-seok. The film tells the story of the last gisaeng, who dreamed of becoming the best singer.
Source 15 · TenAsia (Korean) · Love, Lies press preview · opens in a new tabIn Na Hong-jin’s film she played Mu-myeong, who stays ambiguous to the end. The Wailing was officially invited to the out-of-competition section of the Cannes Film Festival.
Source 41 · TenAsia (Korean) · Interview on The Wailing · opens in a new tabSource 16 · Korea Economic Daily (Korean) · Leaves for Cannes for The Wailing · opens in a new tabPlayed Mi-so, who becomes a spirit after an accident and sees the world for the first time. Kim Nam-gil also appeared.
Source 17 · Cookie News (Korean) · One Day release confirmed · opens in a new tab The articles give only April for the release.Played Lee Yeon-hwa, a contract reporter, in an investigative reporting drama with Kim Joo-hyuk.
Source 19 · Sports Kyunghyang (Korean) · Argon first airs · opens in a new tabSource 18 · Sports Hankook (Korean) · Cast in Argon · opens in a new tabServed as an ambassador of the Disability Film Festival.
Source 20 · Sports Dong-A (Korean) · Seoul Tourism Foundation campaign · opens in a new tab The article gives only the year of the activity.Played Choi Ryeon-hwa, the wife of a victim who witnessed the incident. She starred with Han Suk-kyu and Sul Kyung-gu.
Source 21 · TenAsia (Korean) · Idol release confirmed · opens in a new tabSource 22 · Kyunghyang Shinmun (Korean) · Interview on Idol · opens in a new tabPlayed Im Jin-ju, a 30-year-old drama writer. It marked her return to the small screen after two years.
Source 23 · OSEN (Korean) · Be Melodramatic characters revealed · opens in a new tabPlayed Seo-young, who hangs on precariously in a high-rise office.
Source 24 · News1 (Korean) · Interview on Vertigo · opens in a new tabStarred with Kang Ha-neul. It was No. 1 at the box office on its opening day, with 29,853 admissions nationwide.
Source 25 · Sports Chosun (Korean) · Waiting for Rain box office · opens in a new tabPlayed Sera, an announcer who presents the 9 o’clock news.
Source 26 · Sports Chosun (Korean) · Anchor release confirmed · opens in a new tabSource 27 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Interview on Anchor · opens in a new tabAppeared with Yim Si-wan. The story is about a person whose daily life is threatened after losing a smartphone.
Source 28 · Star News (Korean) · Unlocked release date · opens in a new tabPlayed Lee Ro-woom, known as a memorization genius. Kim Dong-wook appeared as the lawyer Han Mu-young.
Source 29 · Newsen (Korean) · Delightfully Deceitful script reading · opens in a new tabSource 30 · News1 (Korean) · Delightfully Deceitful episode 1 · opens in a new tabPlayed Do Da-hae, a suspicious intruder, opposite Jang Ki-yong as Bok Gwi-ju, who has lost his time-slip ability.
Source 42 · Star News (Korean) · The Atypical Family first airs · opens in a new tabPlayed the 8th floor in a story where eight people are locked into spaces on eight floors. It was released while The Atypical Family was on the air.
Source 31 · Sports Chosun (Korean) · Chun Woo-hee in May · opens in a new tabFor the 20th anniversary of her debut she held an event for fans at her own expense.
Source 32 · Newsen (Korean) · Gives back to fans for her 20th anniversary · opens in a new tabAppeared in a talk program at the culture hall of Shinsegae Department Store Centum City. She said she did not expect to be doing this for 20 years.
Source 33 · My Daily (Korean) · 29th Busan International Film Festival · opens in a new tabSigned a new contract with her agency.
Source 34 · News1 (Korean) · Renews with Blitzway · opens in a new tab News1 reported on July 30 only that she had recently renewed. The contract date is not in the article.Took part in the campaign as an ambassador for the second year and also did the narration.
Source 20 · Sports Dong-A (Korean) · Seoul Tourism Foundation campaign · opens in a new tabPlayed Sung Je-yeon, who unexpectedly disturbs the calm of her first love. She starred opposite Song Joong-ki.
Source 35 · Edaily (Korean) · My Youth script reading · opens in a new tabCast with Hwang Jung-min and Lee Jun-ho. Filming had been due to begin in April but was postponed.
Source 36 · Ilgan Sports (Korean) · Veteran 3 filming delayed · opens in a new tabWill host the ceremony with Kim Nam-gil. It is her second time, after the 2025 Buil Film Awards.
Source 37 · Busan Ilbo (Korean) · Host of the 2026 Buil Film Awards · opens in a new tabEND OF SELECTED RECORDSSelected records, 2004–2026 · 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
Apr 20, 1987 —
Ages are counted from the birth year 1987: the year of the event minus 1987, 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.