Zo In-sung (Korean: 조인성; RR: Jo In-seong; MR: Cho In-sŏng, born July 28, 1981) is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his leading roles in the Korean television dramas Something Happened in Bali (2004), Spring Day (2005), That Winter, the Wind Blows (2013), and It's Okay, That's Love (2014).
Zo In-sung | |
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Born | (1981-07-28) July 28, 1981 (age 41) Seoul, South Korea |
Other names | Cho In-sung,[1] Jo In-sung[2] |
Alma mater | Dongguk University |
Occupation | Actor |
Years active | 1998–present[3] |
Agent | IOK Company[4] |
Korean name | |
Hangul | |
Revised Romanization | Jo In-seong |
McCune–Reischauer | Cho In-sŏng |
In film, he is known for his roles in The Classic (2003), A Dirty Carnival (2006), A Frozen Flower (2008), The King (2017), The Great Battle (2018), and Escape from Mogadishu (2021). He also hosted the reality show Unexpected Business.
His name is currently officially romanized as Zo In-sung,[4][5][3] previously as Cho In-sung,[1] and sometimes as Jo In-sung.[2]
Zo In-sung was born and raised in Gangdong District, Seoul.[6][7]
Zo studied modeling and events management at Chunnam Techno University. He later enrolled as a Theater and Film major at Dongguk University, but was expelled in 2007 due to inadequate class attendance.[8]
Zo made his entertainment debut in 1998 as a model for clothing brand Ziozia.[7] He began his acting career in 1999 through the MBC sitcom Jump and, in 2000, starred in the teen drama School 3 and in the second season of the sitcom Nonstop.[9]
Zo first drew notice with a supporting role in the 2001 television drama Piano, co-starring Go Soo and Kim Ha-neul.[10] He was then cast in his first drama leading role in 2002, as an illiterate actor in Shoot for the Stars opposite Jeon Do-yeon.[11] The same year, he made his film debut in the movie Public Toilet.[12] He also starred in several music videos of popular boy band g.o.d, a fellow SidusHQ artiste at that time, and was directed by actor Jung Woo-sung.[13]
In 2003, Zo starred in three romantic films, most notably Kwak Jae-yong's The Classic, with Son Ye-jin and Cho Seung-woo.[14]
In 2004, he returned to television in the melodrama Something Happened in Bali, alongside Ha Ji-won and So Ji-sub.[15] Something Happened was a huge success, with its final episode reaching a peak rating of 39.7%. Zo won Best Actor awards at both the Baeksang Arts Awards and SBS Drama Awards.[16]
In 2005, he starred opposite Go Hyun-jung in her comeback drama Spring Day, a remake of the Japanese drama Heaven's Coin.[17][18]
Zo collaborated with renowned director Yoo Ha in his next two films: 2006's A Dirty Carnival, in which he played a charismatic small-time gangster who seeks a happier life,[19][20] and 2008's A Frozen Flower, a Goryeo-period film where his royal bodyguard character is caught in a love triangle between the king and the queen.[21][22]
On April 7, 2009, Zo enlisted for his two-year mandatory military service; he reportedly wanted to join the Air Force to follow in the footsteps of his father, who served as a non-commissioned officer.[23][24][25] He served 25 months in the Air Force and the Air Force military band, and was discharged on May 4, 2011.[26][27]
Upon the expiry of his contract with talent agency SidusHQ, Zo joined IOK Company in March 2012.[28]
In 2013, he co-starred in the melodrama That Winter, the Wind Blows alongside Song Hye-kyo,[29][30] a remake of the Japanese drama Forget Love (愛なんていらねえよ、夏, Ai nante Irane yo, Natsu).[31] The drama placed number one in its time slot during most of its run, and Zo and Song were praised for their performances.[32][33] A year later, Zo reunited with That Winter's teleplay writer and director in SBS's medical melodrama It's Okay, That's Love opposite Gong Hyo-jin.[34][35] Zo won the Daesang (Grand Prize), the highest honor for television at the APAN Star Awards.[36]
In 2016, Zo was chosen as the ambassador of the National Tax Service alongside Choi Ji-woo.[37]
In 2017, Zo starred in the crime thriller The King alongside Jung Woo-sung, directed by The Face Reader director Han Jae-rim.[38] In 2018, he stars in the historical film The Great Battle[39][40]
Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2002 | Public Toilet | Cho | [12] | |
2003 | Madeleine | Kang Ji-suk | [41] | |
The Classic | Oh Sang-min | [42] | ||
Love Impossible | Kim Chul-soo | [43] | ||
2006 | A Dirty Carnival | Kim Byung-doo | [20] | |
2008 | A Frozen Flower | Hong-rim | [22] | |
2017 | The King | Park Tae-soo | [38] | |
Love Jo. Right Now | Himself | (Voice) | [44] | |
2018 | The Great Battle | Yang Manchun | [39] | |
2021 | Escape from Mogadishu | Kang Dae-jin | [45][46] | |
TBA | Smuggler | [47] |
Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
1999 | Jump | |||
2000 | School 3 | Kim Seok-joo | [48] | |
New Nonstop | Zo In-sung | Ep. 169, 177–468 | [49] | |
2001 | Drama City – "Love Me Tender" | Joon-ho | ||
Drama City – "Like a Pure Comic" | Kim Jung-hyun | [50] | ||
Piano | Lee Kyung-ho | [10] | ||
2002 | Daemang ("Great Ambition") | young Lee Soo | Cameo (episode 1) | [51] |
Shoot for the Stars | Gu Sung-tae | [11] | ||
2003 | Hey Hey Hey | Zo In-sung | episode 39 | [52] |
2004 | Something Happened in Bali | Jung Jae-min | [15] | |
2005 | Spring Day | Go Eun-sup | [17] | |
2013 | That Winter, the Wind Blows | Oh Soo | [30] | |
2014 | It's Okay, That's Love | Jang Jae-yeol | [35] | |
2016 | Dear My Friends | Seo Yeon-ha | Special appearance | [53] |
2022 | Moving | Kim Doo-shik | [54] | |
Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2021–2022 | Unexpected Business | MC | with Cha Tae-hyun – Season 1–2 | [55][56] |
Year | Song Title | Artist | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
2000 | "She's Leaving Me" | Shin Seung-hun | [57] |
"Now" | Fin.K.L | [58] | |
2002 | "Sad Love" | g.o.d | [59] |
"You Don't Know" | |||
"Fool" | |||
2012 | "Love" | Kim C | [60] |
Award ceremony | Year | Category | Nominee / Work | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
APAN Star Awards | 2013 | Top Excellence Award, Actor | That Winter, the Wind Blows | Nominated | |
2014 | Grand Prize (Daesang) | It's Okay, That's Love | Won | [36] | |
Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Miniseries | Nominated | ||||
Baeksang Arts Awards | 2002 | Best New Actor – Television | Piano | Nominated | |
2004 | Best Actor – Television | Something Happened in Bali | Won | [61] | |
2005 | Most Popular Actor (TV) | Spring Day | Won | [62] | |
2007 | Best Actor – Film | A Dirty Carnival | Nominated | ||
2015 | Best Actor – Television | It's Okay, That's Love | Nominated | ||
Blue Dragon Film Awards | 2006 | Best Leading Actor | A Dirty Carnival | Nominated | |
2017 | The King | Nominated | [63] | ||
Popular Star Award | Won | [64] | |||
2021 | Best Leading Actor | Escape from Mogadishu | Nominated | [65] | |
Buil Film Awards | 2021 | Star of the Year | Won | [66] | |
Busan International Film Festival | 2007 | Star Summit Asia – Curtain Call | Zo In-sung | Won | |
Esquire Man at His Best Awards | 2014 | Most Popular Overseas Artist | Won | [67] | |
Grand Bell Awards | 2007 | Best Actor | A Dirty Carnival | Nominated | |
2017 | The King | Nominated | |||
KBS Drama Awards | 2000 | Best Young Actor | School 3 | Won | [68] |
KCA Consumer Day Awards | 2018 | Best Actor | The Great Battle | Won | [69] |
Korea Advertising Festival | 2007 | Netizen's Choice for Best Male Model | Zo In-sung | Won | [70] |
Korea Advertisers' Association | 2011 | Good Model Award | Won | [71] | |
Korean Film Awards | 2006 | Best Actor | A Dirty Carnival | Won | [72] |
Max Movie Awards | 2007 | Won | [73] | ||
Malaysia Golden Global Awards | 2017 | The King | Nominated | ||
MBC Entertainment Awards | 2001 | Excellence Award, Actor in a Comedy / Sitcom | New Nonstop | Won | [74] |
Mnet 20's Choice Awards | 2007 | Best Actor | A Dirty Carnival | Won | [75] |
Most Photogenic Star | Zo In-sung | Won | |||
Best CF Star | Won | ||||
Motion Pictures Day | Most Promising Actor | A Dirty Carnival | Won | [76] | |
Premiere Rising Star Awards | 2006 | Best Actor | Nominated | ||
Pyeongtaek Film Festival | Won | ||||
SBS Drama Awards | 2001 | New Star Award | Piano | Won | [77] |
2002 | Excellence Award, Actor in a Special Planning Drama | Shoot for the Stars | Nominated | ||
Netizen Popularity Award | Won | [78] | |||
Top 10 Stars | Won | ||||
2004 | Top Excellence Award, Actor | Something Happened in Bali | Won | ||
Excellence Award, Actor in a Special Planning Drama | Nominated | ||||
Top 10 Stars | Won | [79] | |||
2005 | Top Excellence Award, Actor | Spring Day | Nominated | ||
Excellence Award, Actor in a Special Planning Drama | Nominated | ||||
Netizen Popularity Award | Won | [80] | |||
Top 10 Stars | Won | ||||
2013 | SBS Special Award | That Winter, the Wind Blows | Won | [81] | |
Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Miniseries | Nominated | ||||
Top 10 Stars | Won | ||||
Best Couple Award (with Song Hye-kyo) | Nominated | ||||
2014 | Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Miniseries | It's Okay, That's Love | Nominated | ||
Top 10 Stars | Won | [82] | |||
Best Couple Award (with Gong Hyo-jin) | Won | [83] | |||
Sohu Fashion Awards | 2014 | Fashion Idol of the Year | Zo In-sung | Won | [84][85] |
Style Icon Awards | Style Icon of the Year | Won | [86] | ||
Top 10 Style Icons | Won | ||||
tvN10 Awards | 2016 | Best Kiss Award (with Go Hyun-jung) | Dear My Friends | 4th place | |
Organization | Year | Award | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
Republic of Korea Air Force | 2011 | Honorary Citation from the Chief of Staff | [87] |
Savings Day | 2012 | Presidential Commendation | [88] |
Taxpayers' Day | 2016 | Presidential Commendation | [89] |
Publisher | Year | Listicle | Placement | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
Forbes | 2015 | Korea Power Celebrity | 32nd | [90] |
In-sung Jo
General | |
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National libraries | |
Other |
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