Yeo Jin-goo (, born August 13, 1997) is a South Korean actor. Yeo began his career as a child actor, debuting in the film ''

Sad Movie ''Sad Movie'' is a 2005 South Korean romantic melodrama film with an ensemble cast. The film was released in South Korean theaters on October 20, 2005, and had a total of 1,066,765 admissions nationwide.Nation's Little Brother", he went on to play the younger characters of the lead roles in movies and television dramas such as in ''

A Frozen Flower ''A Frozen Flower'' () is a 2008 South Korean erotic historical film. It is directed by Yoo Ha and stars Zo In-sung, Joo Jin-mo and Song Ji-hyo. The historical film is set during Goryeo Dynasty and is loosely based on the reign of Gongmin of Gorye ...

'' (2008), ''

Giant In folklore, giants (from Ancient Greek: '' gigas'', cognate giga-) are beings of human-like appearance, but are at times prodigious in size and strength or bear an otherwise notable appearance. The word ''giant'' is first attested in 1297 fr ...

'' (2010), ''

Moon Embracing the Sun ''Moon Embracing the Sun'' (, also known as ''The Moon that Embraces the Sun'' or ''The Sun and the Moon'') is a 2012 South Korean television drama series, starring Kim Soo-hyun, Han Ga-in, Jung Il-woo, and Kim Min-seo. It aired on MBC from Jan ...

'' (2012), and '' Missing You'' (2012). He is known for playing the title character in the action thriller '' Hwayi: A Monster Boy'' (2013), for which he won Best New Actor at the

Blue Dragon Film Awards The Blue Dragon Film Awards () is an annual awards ceremony that is presented by ''Sports Chosun'' (a sister brand of the ''Chosun Ilbo'') for excellence in film in South Korea. The Blue Dragon Film Awards considers only blockbusters and popula ...

. Since then, he has taken on lead roles in the films ''

Shoot Me in the Heart ''Shoot Me in the Heart'' () is a 2015 South Korean drama film directed by Mun Che-yong, and starring Lee Min-ki and Yeo Jin-goo. It is based on the bestselling novel of the same name by Jeong Yu-jeong, which won the Segye Literature Award in 200 ...

'' (2015), '' The Long Way Home'' (2015), and ''

Warriors of the Dawn Warriors of the Dawn (; RR: ''Daeripgun''; ) is a 2017 South Korean historical film by Jeong Yoon-cheol set during the 1592 Imjin War, starring Lee Jung-jae and Yeo Jin-goo. The story follows a group of mercenaries tasked with protecting the new ...

'' (2017). He has also starred in the dramas ''

Orange Marmalade ''Orange Marmalade'' () is a South Korean manhwa series written and illustrated by Seok-woo. It was adapted into a Korean drama, TV series Orange Marmalade (TV series), of the same name in 2015. Plot Vampires were once hunted to extinction, b ...

'' (2015), ''

The Royal Gambler ''The Royal Gambler'' () is a South Korean historical drama starring Jang Keun-suk, Yeo Jin-goo, Jun Kwang-ryul, Choi Min-soo, Yoon Jin-seo, and Lim Ji-yeon. It replaced ''Six Flying Dragons'' and aired on SBS on Mondays and Tuesdays at 22:00 ( ...

'' (2016), ''

Circle A circle is a shape consisting of all points in a plane that are at a given distance from a given point, the centre. Equivalently, it is the curve traced out by a point that moves in a plane so that its distance from a given point is const ...

'' (2017), '' Reunited Worlds'' (2017), ''

The Crowned Clown ''The Crowned Clown'' () is a 2019 South Korean television series starring Yeo Jin-goo, Kim Sang-kyung, and Lee Se-young. A remake of the 2012 film ''Masquerade'', the series centers on the tale of a Joseon King and his doppelganger, a clown wh ...

'' (2019), ''

My Absolute Boyfriend ''My Absolute Boyfriend'' () is a 2019 Korean drama, South Korean television drama series based on Absolute Boyfriend, the manga ''Absolute Boyfriend'' by Yuu Watase and starring Yeo Jin-goo, Bang Min-ah, Hong Jong-hyun, Hong Seo-young and Choi ...

(2019),'' ''

Hotel del Luna ''Hotel del Luna'' () is a 2019 South Korean television series, starring Lee Ji-eun and Yeo Jin-goo as the owner and manager, respectively, of the eponymous hotel that caters only to ghosts. Produced by GT:st, written by the Hong sisters and d ...

'' (2019), ''

Beyond Evil ''Beyond Evil'' is a 1980 American supernatural horror film directed by Herb Freed and starring John Saxon and Lynda Day George. Its plot follows an architect who suspects his wife is possessed by a former resident of the historic colonial man ...

'' (2021), and '' Link: Eat, Love, Kill'' (2022).

Early life and education

Yeo was born on August 13, 1997. He is the eldest of two siblings and has a younger brother. As a child, Yeo wanted to appear on television and therefore asked his parents to let him try acting. With the support of his parents, he took acting lessons and eventually made his debut on the big-screen with ''

Sad Movie ''Sad Movie'' is a 2005 South Korean romantic melodrama film with an ensemble cast. The film was released in South Korean theaters on October 20, 2005, and had a total of 1,066,765 admissions nationwide.Chung-Ang University Chung-Ang University (CAU; ) is a private research university in Seoul, South Korea. It is widely regarded as one of the best universities in South Korea. The university operates two campuses: main campus located in Dongjak District, Seoul, and a ...

, majoring in the Department of Theater.

Career

2005–2011: Beginnings as a child actor

In 2005, Yeo made his debut at the age of eight in the film ''

Sad Movie ''Sad Movie'' is a 2005 South Korean romantic melodrama film with an ensemble cast. The film was released in South Korean theaters on October 20, 2005, and had a total of 1,066,765 admissions nationwide.sageuk (Hangul: 사극, Hanja: 史劇; ) in Korean language, Korean denotes historical dramas, including traditional drama plays, Cinema of Korea, films or Korean drama, television series. In English language literature usually refers to historical f ...

drama ''

Yeon Gaesomun Yeon GaesomunSome Chinese and Korean sources stated that his surname was Yeongae () and personal name was Somun (), but the majority of sources suggest a one-syllable surname and a three-syllable personal name. (594–666) was a powerful militar ...

'' as young Kim Heum-soon. In 2008, he played the younger version of the lead roles in the series ''

Iljimae ''Iljimae'' (; literally "One blossom branch") is a 2008 South Korean period-action television series, starring Lee Joon-gi in the title role of Iljimae. It is loosely based on the comic strip ''Iljimae'', published between 1975 and 1977, writ ...

'' and ''Tazza''. He won his first acting award as Best Child Actor at the

SBS Drama Awards The SBS Drama Awards (), also known as SBS Awards Festival, is an awards ceremony presented annually by Seoul Broadcasting System (SBS) for outstanding achievements in Korean dramas aired on its network. It is held annually on December 31. The hi ...

for both dramas. In 2010, he starred in the drama ''

'' as the younger counterpart to

Lee Beom-soo Lee Beom-soo (born January 3, 1970) is a South Korean actor. He is well known for his role in ''Singles'', ''Giant'', '' On Air'', '' Surgeon Bong Dal-hee, ''as well as in'' History of a Salaryman.'' Lee enrolled in the Department of Theater ...

's character. According to Yeo, this was the first time he fully immersed himself in a role and began taking acting seriously. In 2011, he played the younger part of the title character in the historical drama ''

Warrior Baek Dong-soo ''Warrior Baek Dong-soo'' () is a 2011 South Korean fusion historical/action television series starring Ji Chang-wook in the title role, with Yoo Seung-ho, Yoon So-yi, Shin Hyun-bin, Choi Min-soo and Jun Kwang-ryul. It aired on SBS from July 4 ...

''. He also made a brief appearance as teenage Ddol-bok in the drama ''

Deep Rooted Tree ''Deep Rooted Tree'' () is a 2011 South Korean television series starring Han Suk-kyu, Jang Hyuk and Shin Se-kyung. Based on the novel of the same name by Lee Jung-myung, it aired on SBS from 5 October to 22 December 2011 on Wednesdays and Thu ...

''. The appearance was upon the request of its lead actor

Jang Hyuk Jeong Yong-jun (born December 20, 1976), better known as Jang Hyuk, is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his leading roles in the films ''Volcano High'' (2001) and ''Windstruck'' (2004), and the television dramas '' Successful Story of ...

, who took a liking to Yeo when the latter portrayed his younger version in the drama '' Tazza''.

2012: Rising popularity

In 2012, Yeo rose to prominence when he starred in the fantasy-period drama ''

'', playing the role of a young crown prince. The drama surpassed 40% in ratings and gained "national drama" status. This was followed by a well-received turn in melodrama '' Missing You''. He won Best Young Actor at the

2012 MBC Drama Awards The 2012 MBC Drama Awards () is a ceremony honoring the outstanding achievement in television on the Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) network for the year of 2012. It was held on December 30, 2012 and hosted by actor Kim Jaewon and actress S ...

for his portrayal in both dramas.

2013–present: Transition to lead roles

In 2013, Yeo starred as the titular character in action thriller '' Hwayi: A Monster Boy'', for which he garnered praises and won several Best New Actor honors from annual award ceremonies such as

and

Korean Association of Film Critics Awards The Korean Association of Film Critics Awards (), also known as the Critics Choice Awards (), is an annual awards ceremony for excellence in film in South Korea. It was established in 1980 by the Korean Association of Film Critics (KAFC). The c ...

. He is the youngest male actor to receive the Best New Actor award in the history of

, at the age of sixteen. In the same year, he was also cast in the sitcom, ''

Potato Star 2013QR3 ''Potato Star 2013QR3'' () is a South Korean television sitcom. It aired on tvN from September 23, 2013 to May 15, 2014 on Mondays to Thursdays at 20:50 for 120 episodes. Plot A mysterious asteroid nearly crash-lands on Earth in 2013 and causes s ...

'' as an aspiring mobile application developer. In 2015, he starred in the film ''

'', based on the bestselling novel of the same name by Jeong Yu-jeong. He had his first leading role on television with teen vampire series, ''

'', based on the webtoon of the same name. He won Best New Actor Award at 2015 KBS Drama Awards for his role. In the same year, he appeared in the

Korean War , date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...

film, '' The Long Way Home''. Veteran actor

Sol Kyung-gu Sol Kyung-gu (born May 14, 1967) is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his roles in ''Public Enemy (2002 film), Public Enemy'' film series, ''Peppermint Candy'', ''Oasis (2002 film), Oasis'', ''Silmido (film), Silmido'', ''Hope (2013 film ...

, his co-star in the film, strongly recommended Yeo for the role of Yeong-gwang, and only signed the movie contract once Yeo's casting had been finalized. In 2016, Yeo played the role of

King Yeongjo Yeongjo of Joseon (31 October 1694 – 22 April 1776), personal name Yi Geum (Korean: 이금, Hanja: 李昑), was the 21st monarch of the Joseon dynasty of Korea. He was the second son of King Sukjong, by his concubine Royal Noble Consort Suk ...

in the SBS drama ''

'', and won an Excellence Award at the year end

. In 2017, Yeo starred in tvN's science fiction drama ''

'', and historical movie ''

'', both of which premiered in May. He was also cast for a special appearance in the star-studded film, '' 1987: When the Day Comes'', based on the

June Democratic Uprising The June Democratic Struggle (), also known as the June Democracy Movement and June Democratic Uprising, was a nationwide pro-democracy movement in South Korea that generated mass protests from June 10 to June 29, 1987. The demonstrations force ...

. The movie reunited him with Director

Jang Joon-hwan Jang Joon-hwan (born January 18, 1970) is a South Korean film director. Life and career A graduate of Sungkyunkwan University, Jang's first directing job was on the 1994 short film ''2001 Imagine''. His feature-length debut was the science fict ...

and actor

Kim Yoon-seok Kim Yoon-seok (born January 21, 1967) is a South Korean actor, film director and screenwriter. Kim began his career in theater and it subsequently led him to be cast in minor roles in films and television dramas. His breakout role came as the vi ...

of '' Hwayi: A Monster Boy''. In July, he starred in SBS's romance drama '' Reunited Worlds''. In 2018, Yeo was cast in the romantic comedy ''

'', based on the

Japanese manga series Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

of the same name. It aired on SBS the following year. IU and Yeo Jin Goo for Marie Claire

In 2019, he starred in tvN's remake of the 2012 Korean film '' Masquerade,'' titled ''

'', playing dual roles as clown Ha-seon and King Yi Heon for which he received the nomination for the Best Actor - Television at

55th Baeksang Arts Awards The 55th Baeksang Arts Awards () ceremony, organised by ''Ilgan Sports'' and JTBC Plus, took place on May 1, 2019, at Hall D, COEX, Seoul, beginning at 9:00 p.m. KST. It was hosted by Shin Dong-yup, Bae Suzy and Park Bo-gum for the second cons ...

. The same year, he was cast in

Hong sisters Hong Jung-eun (born 1974) and Hong Mi-ran (born 1977), collectively known as the Hong sisters (), are South Korean television screenwriters currently managed by Studio Dragon. Together, they have written popular romantic-comedies, notably '' M ...

' fantasy mystery drama ''

'' alongside IU. The drama was a commercial success, recording the highest ratings in its timeslot throughout its run. In 2020, Yeo made a special voice appearance in the drama '' Start Up'' as Jang Young Shil, the AI speaker. He also made a live action cameo in the final episode as a start-up owner named Hong Ji Seok. In 2021, Yeo starred in the

psychological thriller Psychological thriller is a genre combining the thriller and psychological fiction genres. It is commonly used to describe literature or films that deal with psychological narratives in a thriller or thrilling setting. In terms of context and co ...

drama ''

'' alongside Shin Ha-kyun as the main leads which premiered in February and aired on

JTBC JTBC (shortened from ''Joongang Tongyang Broadcasting Company'' (; stylized as jtbc) is a South Korean nationwide pay television network. Its primary shareholder is JoongAng Holdings, with a 25% stake. It was launched on 1 December 2011. JTBC ...

. Shin Ha-kyun and Yeo previously appeared in the film ''

No Mercy for the Rude ''No Mercy for the Rude'' () is a 2006 South Korean neo-noir action comedy film directed by Park Chul-hee. It stars Shin Ha-kyun in the lead role. The film revolves around a mute hitman who vows to kill only rude people, and use the money for his ...

'' (2006) where Yeo played the younger version of Shin's character. And in June 2021, Yeo was confirmed as an MC for ''

Girls Planet 999 ''Girls Planet 999: The Girls Saga''; zh, s=少女星球999：少女們的盛典, p=Shàonǚ Xīngqiú 999: Shàonǚmen de Shèngdiǎn; ja, ガールズプラネット999：少女祭典, translit=Gāruzu Puranetto 999: Shōjo Saiten (simply ...

'' which aired on

Mnet M-Net (an abbreviation of Electronic Media Network) is a South African pay television channel established by Naspers in 1986. The channel broadcasts both local and international programming, including general entertainment, children's series, ...

in August. In 2022, Yeo starred in the

tvN TVN may refer to: * TVN (Australian TV channel), a former horse racing channel * Televisión Nacional de Chile, a public broadcaster * TVN (Indonesia), a former television station; predecessor of Rajawali Televisi * TVN (Norway), or TVNorge, a comm ...

fantasy-melodrama '' Link: Eat, Love, Kill'' as a sous chef at a high-end restaurant. Later that year, Yeo made his return to the big screen after five years with ''

Ditto DITTO is a company that sells software that aids eyewear companies sell their products online using virtual fitting. Originally DITTO was a retailer that sold designer prescription eyeglasses and sunglasses. The company is based in San Francisco, ...

'', a remake of the '' 2000 film of the same name''.

Filmography

Ambassadorship

Awards and nominations

References

External links

Yeo Jin-goo
at Janus Entertainment * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Yeo, Jin-goo South Korean male musical theatre actors South Korean male film actors South Korean male television actors South Korean male child actors South Korean television personalities 1997 births Place of birth missing (living people) Living people 21st-century South Korean male actors South Korean Buddhists Male actors from Seoul Hamyang Yeo clan