Jo Yoon-hee

Jo Yoon-hee (; born October 13, 1982) is a South Korean actress. She is best known for starring in the television dramas ''My Husband Got a Family'' (2012), ''Nine'' (2013), ''The Gentlemen of Wolgyesu Tailor Shop'' (2016), and ''Beautiful Love, Wonderful Life'' (2019).

Early life and education

Jo Yoon-hee was born on October 13, 1982 in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, but moved to Seoul when she was 5 years old, where she continues to reside. She has one sister who is a year older than her. She attended Sunae High School and it was as a second year student that she was scouted by an agency manager. She graduated from Dongduk Women's University with a bachelor's degree from the Department of Broadcasting and Entertainment.

Career

1999–2007: Beginnings

Jo was cast by an agency manager when she was in high school while at a department store. She initially worked as a fashion magazine model before making her official debut in the entertainment industry in 1999, appearing in the music video for ballad singer Lee Soo-young's debut song "I Believe". She played the role of a pitiful high school student with a hearing impairment. Her mother also appeared alongside her in the music video after coming along and being cast on set. Jo received positive reception for her appearance in the music video and would go on to be cast in about 10 CFs. Being under the same agency, she would continue to make numerous appearances in Lee Soo-young's music videos. They would end up working together in a total of nine music videos.

In 2002, she made her television debut in the SBS sitcom ''Orange''. She would continue to play supporting roles in numerous television series, such as ''Love Letter'' in 2003 and ''Snow White'' in 2004. She made her film debut in 2003 as Lee Jae-rim in ''The Last Supper''. In 2004, she starred in the film ''Taegukgi''.

In early May 2005, Jo signed a 3-year exclusive contract with SidusHQ.

2008–2019: Main roles and success in weekend dramas

In 2008, Jo starred in her first lead role in the low-budget film ''Living Together, Happy Together''.
That same year, she secured her first main television role in the MBC drama ''Spotlight'' as political reporter Yang Myung-eun, rival to the female protagonist played by Son Ye-jin.

In 2009, she starred in the KBS2 drama ''Hot Blood'' as Min Da-hae alongside Park Hae-jin. Her performance was well-received and helped her gain recognition amongst the public.

In 2010, she starred in the MBC daily drama ''Golden Fish'' as Han Ji-min. The show performed well, maintaining its position as the top daily drama with viewership ratings exceeding 20%. Jo won Best New Actress for her performance at the 2010 MBC Drama Awards. The year after, in 2011, she starred in the SBS romantic-comedy series ''Lie to Me''.

In 2012, she starred in the KBS2 weekend drama ''My Husband Got a Family''. The drama was successful, maintaining the top spot in viewership ratings throughout its run with ratings that exceeded 40%. Her performance won her Best Supporting Actress and Best Couple with Lee Hee-joon at the 2012 KBS Drama Awards. That same year, she made her return to the big screen after five years in the crime thriller film '' The Traffickers''.

In 2013, Jo starred in the time-travelling romance drama ''Nine'' as Joo Min-young alongside Lee Jin-wook. She won the Female Top Excellence Award at the 6th Korea Drama Awards for her performance. In May 2013, it was announced that Jo was cast as the female lead in MBC's upcoming weekend drama '' The Scandal''. She was nominated for the Female Excellence Award in a Special Project Drama, Female Popularity Award, and Best Couple Award with Kim Jae-won at the year-end MBC Drama Awards for her performance.

In February 2014, Jo's exclusive contract with Fantagio expired and she decided not to renew. In March 2014, it was announced that Jo signed an exclusive contract with King Kong Entertainment. That same year, Jo starred in her first historical drama as Kim Ga-hee in ''The King's Face'' alongside Seo In-guk and Lee Sung-jae. She was also cast as the female lead in the action crime film '' The Con Artists''. The film was released on December 24, 2014. It was a box office hit and surpassed 1 million moviegoers within four days of its release.

In 2015, she made a special appearance in four episodes of '' The Producers'' playing the role of Kim Soo-hyun's first love. She also starred in the period romance film '' The Magician'' as the blind kisaeng Bo-eum. The film was released on December 30, 2015. In December 2015, it was announced that Jo would star in tvN's upcoming crime drama ''Pied Piper'' as Inspector Yeo Myung-ha alongside Shin Ha-kyun and Yoo Jun-sang. The show premiered on March 7, 2016. She also ventured into variety show appearances as an MC for the first time through OnStyle's ''The Bodyguard'', co-hosting with actor Lee Dong-wook. The show's first broadcast aired on April 28, 2016. Further venturing into different avenues, Jo took on the role of radio DJ for KBS Cool FM's Volume Up. She served as DJ host from May 9, 2016 to June 2, 2017.

Later that year, she starred in KBS2's weekend drama ''The Gentlemen of Wolgyesu Tailor Shop'' as the female lead alongside Lee Dong-gun. The first episode aired on August 27, 2016. The show remained first in weekend drama viewership rankings throughout the entirety of its broadcast, with ratings surpassing 30%. She won the Female Excellence in a Serial Drama Award at the 2016 KBS Drama Awards for her role. She also appeared on the big screen in the action comedy film ''Luck Key'' as paramedic Kang Ri-na alongside Yoo Hae-jin. The film ranked first at the box office for two weeks in a row and surpassed 4 million cumulative viewers.

In November 2018, it was announced that Jo would be joining the fourth season of '' Happy Together'' as the new main host alongside Yoo Jae-suk, Jun Hyun-moo and Jo Se-ho. She recorded her first episode on December 8, 2018. Her first episode aired on December 13, 2018 with a 'Please Take Care of Yoon-hee' special. On July 16, 2019, Jo made her comeback to the small screen after two years in the KBS2 weekend drama ''Beautiful Love, Wonderful Life''. The show premiered on September 28, 2019. On September 25, 2019, Jo's agency confirmed that she would be stepping down from ''Happy Together'' to focus on filming for her drama. Her last recording for the show was on September 28 and aired on October 17, 2019.

2020−present: Regular variety show appearances and return to acting

In 2020, Jo participated in the SBS program ''The Dog I Encountered'' as a regular cast member. The premise of the show involved rescuing animals and the first episode was broadcast on December 17, 2020.

In 2021, Jo appeared in the program ''Brave Solo Parenting: I Raise'' as a regular cast member. Through the show, she revealed her daughter to the public for the first time. The program followed Jo's daily life raising her daughter as a single mother following her divorce from actor Lee Dong-gun. The show's first episode aired on July 9, 2021.

After taking a brief hiatus from acting, in September 2022, it was confirmed that Jo would return to acting in the upcoming SBS drama ''The Escape of the Seven'' as Go Myeong-ji. On February 24, 2023, SBS confirmed that ''The Escape of the Seven'' was preparing for a second season ahead of its premiere and that Jo would be participating in the second season. The first episode of season 1 premiered on September 15, 2023 and season 2 premiered the following year on March 29, 2024. Later that year, Jo made her return to the big screen after 8 years in the film ''Spring Garden'', which also marked as her first role in a horror film. The film was released on August 21, 2024. It performed moderately well for a horror film at the box office, surpassing 200,000 moviegoers in just five days within its release. She is also participating in TV Chosun's new program ''I Am Alone Now'' as a regular cast member. The show explores her single life as a divorcee and the process of adapting to this new stage of life. It was first broadcast on July 9, 2024.

Personal life

Marriage

On February 28, 2017, it was confirmed that Jo and her ''The Gentlemen of Wolgyesu Tailor Shop'' co-star Lee Dong-gun were dating. Their agencies stated that the two had developed romantic feelings and began dating towards the end of their drama.

On May 2, 2017, Jo announced that she and Lee had registered their marriage and that they were expecting their first child.
The couple held a private wedding ceremony on September 29, 2017. They welcomed a baby girl, Lee Ro-a, on December 14, 2017.

On May 28, 2020, it was reported that the two actors had filed for divorce due to irreconcilable differences. Jo received custody of their daughter.

Filmography

Film

Television series

Television shows

Music video appearances

Radio shows

Awards and nominations

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Jo, Yoon-hee
21st-century South Korean actresses
South Korean television actresses
South Korean film actresses
South Korean female models
Dongduk Women's University alumni
1982 births
Living people
Actresses from Cheongju
King Kong by Starship artists
Yoon-hee