The year she turned 22, she began acting in the Naver TV web drama Gobenjers. In 2019, she appeared in the short film Naega Geuriwonni and the web drama Best Mistake.
The breakthrough yearThe year she turned 25, she joined the reboot season of SNL Korea on Coupang Play as a new cast member and played the intern reporter character. IZE writes that she rose to stardom in a single leap that season.
In 2022, she won Best Female Variety Performer in the television category at the Baeksang Arts Awards and played Dong Geu-ra-mi in ENA’s Extraordinary Attorney Woo. That July, she won Best New Female Entertainer at the first Blue Dragon Series Awards, and in November she appeared in season 3 of SNL Korea.
The year she turned 27, she served as a host of Earth Magic Bull World Travel, and won Best Female Entertainer at the Blue Dragon Series Awards and Best New Actress at the MBC Drama Awards.
The year she turned 28, in January she told the production team she would not join the next season of SNL Korea, and in February she joined Tving’s Crime Scene Returns. From August she served as DJ on SBS Power FM.
The year she turned 29, she appeared in Netflix’s Jugwan Sikdang and Crime Scene Zero, and in the film Ghost Train and ENA’s Ms. Incognito.
The year she turned 30, she took the stage in her first play, The Comeuppance, and she continues as a radio DJ.
Joo Hyun-young (born Jan 14, 1996) debuted in 2018, the year she turned 22, in the web drama Gobenjers, and became known on Sep 4, 2021, the year she turned 25, when she joined the reboot season of SNL Korea on Coupang Play as the intern reporter. She received her first Baeksang Arts Awards variety award in 2022, the year she turned 26.
Ages are by calendar year (the year minus the birth year), birthdays aside.
Began acting in the web drama. MyDaily treats it as her debut work.
Source 01 · MyDaily (Korean) · Joo Hyun-young these days · opens in a new tabSource 02 · Sisun News (Korean) · Joo Hyun-young interview · opens in a new tabSource 26 · Wikipedia (Korean) · Joo Hyun-young · opens in a new tab The air date is from Wikipedia and could not be confirmed in news reports. Some articles treat the 2019 short film Naega Geuriwonni as her debut.Sisun News writes that she officially debuted as an actress with this film.
Source 02 · Sisun News (Korean) · Joo Hyun-young interview · opens in a new tabSource 26 · Wikipedia (Korean) · Joo Hyun-young · opens in a new tab The release date is from Wikipedia and could not be confirmed in news reports.Played Ahn Yu-na. Her name was listed among the main characters in the casting news of June 12, 2019.
Source 03 · Newsen (Korean) · Casting for Best Mistake · opens in a new tabSource 26 · Wikipedia (Korean) · Joo Hyun-young · opens in a new tab The role name and air date are from Wikipedia and could not be confirmed in news reports.Joined as a new cast member through an audition and played the intern reporter character. IZE writes that she rose to stardom in a single leap that season.
Appeared as the intern reporter in season 2 as well.
Source 08 · Slist (Korean) · SNL Korea season 2 · opens in a new tabAppeared as a guest.
Source 26 · Wikipedia (Korean) · Joo Hyun-young · opens in a new tab The date is from Wikipedia and could not be confirmed in news reports.She won for SNL Korea, over fellow nominees Song Eun-i, Lee Mi-joo, Lee Eun-ji and Hong Jin-kyung.
Source 09 · Korea Economic Daily (Korean) · 58th Baeksang Arts Awards · opens in a new tabSource 26 · Wikipedia (Korean) · Joo Hyun-young · opens in a new tab The title of the winning work is from Wikipedia.Played Dong Geu-ra-mi, a friend of the lead character Woo Young-woo. The director, Yu In-sik, explained that he cast her after seeing the “Intern Reporter Joo” videos.
Source 10 · YTN (Korean) · Extraordinary Attorney Woo press conference · opens in a new tabSource 11 · Digital Chosun Ilbo (Korean) · Extraordinary Attorney Woo premieres · opens in a new tab The date is the first air date.Received it for SNL Korea at the ceremony held at Paradise City in Incheon.
Source 12 · Daily Hankook (Korean) · 1st Blue Dragon Series Awards · opens in a new tabKorea Stock News writes that she moved up from intern reporter to full reporter.
Source 13 · Korea Stock News (Korean) · SNL season 3 · opens in a new tabServed as a regular host.
Source 26 · Wikipedia (Korean) · Joo Hyun-young · opens in a new tab The date is from Wikipedia and could not be confirmed in news reports.Appeared as a regular cast member in season 4 as well.
Source 26 · Wikipedia (Korean) · Joo Hyun-young · opens in a new tab The date is from Wikipedia and could not be confirmed in news reports.Received it for SNL Korea season 3. At the same ceremony, she also presented the Best New Female Entertainer award.
Source 14 · Newsen (Korean) · 2nd Blue Dragon Series Awards · opens in a new tabPlayed Sa-wol in the Friday-Saturday drama.
Source 15 · Sports World (Korean) · The Story of Park’s Marriage Contract · opens in a new tabSource 26 · Wikipedia (Korean) · Joo Hyun-young · opens in a new tab The first broadcast was announced for November, and the exact date could not be confirmed. The role name is from Wikipedia.Received it for The Story of Park’s Marriage Contract.
Source 16 · Star News (Korean) · The Story of Park’s Marriage Contract wrap-up interview · opens in a new tab The ceremony date could not be confirmed.According to her agency AIMC, she told the production team it would be hard for her to join the next season. She said she had gained experience somewhere other than SNL and felt another kind of growth.
Source 17 · YTN (Korean) · Not joining the new SNL season · opens in a new tabJoined as a new player.
Source 18 · Sports Seoul (Korean) · Crime Scene Returns · opens in a new tabServed as DJ every day from noon to 2 p.m. On the first broadcast, she said that being a radio DJ had long been her dream.
Source 19 · Sports Chosun (Korean) · First broadcast of 12 Sien Joo Hyun-young · opens in a new tabHer agency AIMC said she would appear as the new kitchen assistant and hall manager. She had earlier appeared as the eleventh guest.
Source 20 · Edaily (Korean) · Jugwan Sikdang · opens in a new tabPlayed Da-kyung, a horror YouTuber.
Source 21 · Xportsnews (Korean) · Ghost Train interview · opens in a new tabAppeared as a guest in the second episode.
Source 22 · bnt News (Korean) · Crime Scene Zero · opens in a new tabAppeared alongside Jeon Yeo-been and Jinyoung. The first broadcast was at 10 p.m. on Sept. 29.
Source 23 · Ilgan Sports (Korean) · Ms. Incognito press conference · opens in a new tabSource 24 · Hankook Ilbo (Korean) · Ms. Incognito interview · opens in a new tabWas selected as host of the closing ceremony.
Source 25 · Mediapen (Korean) · Mise-en-scène Short Film Festival · opens in a new tab Based on a preview report; it could not be confirmed that the event took place.Her first play since debut. With the actors Kim Min-seong and Yeon Sol-i, she co-founded a creative collective and also took part in producing the play. The run lasted until Aug. 30.
Source 27 · TV Report (Korean) · Play The Comeuppance · opens in a new tabSource 28 · Top Star News (Korean) · Joo Hyun-young these days · opens in a new tab The opening date could not be confirmed. A May article announced an opening in July.END OF SELECTED RECORDSSelected records, 2018–2026 · 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 14, 1996 —
Ages are counted from the birth year 1996: the year of the event minus 1996, birthdays aside. “Key moment” labels and the connecting story are AgeTrail's editorial reading.
Fact-checked: 2026.10.03 · An independent archive, not affiliated with the person or their agency.