1. Jung Woo-sung went on to establish himself as a versatile actor, playing leading roles in a wide spectrum of genres, from dramas City of the Rising Sun and Mutt Boy to historical epic Musa and the romantic classic A Moment to Remember.
40 Facts About Jung Woo-sung
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Jung Woo-sung's filmography includes major blockbusters such as The Good, the Bad, the Weird, Cold Eyes, The Divine Move, The King, Steel Rain, Hunt, and 12.12: The Day, as well as crime thrillers Asura: The City of Madness and Beasts Clawing at Straws.
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Jung Woo-sung has served as the first Korean UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador from 2014 until his resignation in 2024, citing backlash over his advocacy for refugees.
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Jung Woo-sung was raised in Sadang-dong, then one of the most economically disadvantaged neighborhoods in Seoul.
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Jung Woo-sung left high school after completing his first year to work and support his family.
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Jung Woo-sung was selected as an actor through street casting by former Sidus CEO Cha Seung-jae, who was the head of the production department at the film company Shin Cine at the time.
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Jung Woo-sung made his film debut in a leading role in 1994's The Fox with Nine Tails, one of the first Korean fantasy movies and the first to use computer-generated imagery.
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Jung Woo-sung debuted with actress Ko So-young, who later co-starred with him twice including in his breakthrough 1997 film Beat.
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Jung Woo-sung later played a naval lieutenant in Phantom: The Submarine and a marathoner in Love.
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Jung Woo-sung portrayed a happily committed fireman in Sad Movie, and a demon hunter seeking his lost love in The Restless.
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Jung Woo-sung used his physicality to great effect as the Clint Eastwood counterpart in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.
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Jung Woo-sung won Best Supporting Actor at the 3rd Asian Film Awards and Outstanding Achievement in Acting at the 2008 Hawaii International Film Festival for his performance.
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Shortly afterwards, Jung Woo-sung worked again with Kim Jee-woon on a short film for W Korea.
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Jung Woo-sung then starred alongside Chinese actress Gao Yuanyuan in Hur Jin-ho's romance film A Season of Good Rain, and Su Chao-pin's martial arts film Reign of Assassins with Michelle Yeoh.
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In 2011, Jung Woo-sung was cast in the English-language 3D remake of John Woo's The Killer.
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Jung Woo-sung drew praise in his first villain role in Cold Eyes, an action thriller and box office hit in 2013.
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Jung Woo-sung portrayed the ruthless head of a criminal organization specializing in bank robbery, eluding detectives chasing him with uncanny dexterity.
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Jung Woo-sung next played a baduk player seeking revenge in The Divine Move, followed by an adulterous university professor gradually losing his eyesight in Scarlet Innocence.
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Jung Woo-sung then took a leading role in the melodrama indie feature Don't Forget Me, known as Remember You, a remake of the 2010 short film Remember O Goddess, both directed by Lee Yoon-jung.
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Jung Woo-sung co-produced this movie, explaining that he wanted to protect the director's original ideas that other producers wanted to modify.
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In 2017, Jung Woo-sung starred in Steel Rain as a former agent from North Korea's intelligence bureau.
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Jung Woo-sung's performance earned him the Grand Prize in film at the Baeksang Arts Awards.
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In 2020, Jung Woo-sung starred in the sequel to Steel Rain, titled Steel Rain 2: Summit.
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Jung Woo-sung starred alongside Lee Jung Woo-sung-jae in the latter's directorial debut, the spy action film Hunt, which premiered at 2022 Cannes Film Festival.
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In 1995 Jung Woo-sung appeared in his first major television role in SBS drama series Asphalt Man, playing an aspiring race driver who leaves to United States to realize his dream.
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In 2010 Jung Woo-sung returned to the small screen after 15 years' absence in the big-budget spy series Athena: Goddess of War, playing an NTS agent.
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Jung Woo-sung made his Japanese drama debut with a guest appearance in episodes 6 and 7 of Good Life ~Arigatou, Papa.
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Jung Woo-sung followed that with another TV series Padam Padam which marked the establishment of new cable broadcasting station JTBC.
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Jung Woo-sung served as an executive producer for Netflix series The Silent Sea in 2021.
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In 2000 Jung Woo-sung had started to try his hand at directing.
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Jung Woo-sung was invited to present The Killer Behind the Old Man at the 9th London Korean Film Festival in November 2014.
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In October 2012 Jung Woo-sung left Taurus Films, his agent since 2009, and established new talent agency Red Brick House appointing his manager of 10 years as CEO.
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Jung Woo-sung was officially nominated UNHCR National Goodwill Ambassador on June 17,2015.
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Jung Woo-sung went on his first UNHCR mission to Nepal in 2014.
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On July 15,2024, Jung Woo-sung stated in an interview that he had concerns about being overly identified with the UNHCR Korea and the backlash against their humanitarian cause.
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Jung Woo-sung has attended various international film festivals, not only as an actor or director, but has served on the following festivals' juries:.
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Jung Woo-sung is best friends with fellow actor Lee Jung Woo-sung-jae, whom he met while filming City of the Rising Sun.
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Jung Woo-sung is outspoken about his political views, including his longtime advocacy for refugees, which has often drawn backlash in South Korea.
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Jung Woo-sung made headlines in November 2016 during a screening of his film Asura: The City of Madness when he declared, "Park Geun-hye, step down," amid protests calling for the then-president's impeachment.
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On November 24,2024, Jung Woo-sung revealed that he has a son with model Moon Ga-bi.