Jung Il-woo is back from military duty, and he’s the subject of our latest spotlight article. Jung Il-woo wasted no time finding a project to mark his return to acting, and is currently starring in the SBS sageuk drama Haechi, where he plays Prince Yeoning, who would later go on to be crowned the 21st king of the Joseon Dynasty.
Born in 1987 in Seoul, South Korea, Jung Il-woo made his TV debut in the popular Unstoppable High Kick sitcom, which originally aired in 2006. It didn’t take long for audiences to appreciate Jung Il-woo on the small screen. After winning the lead role in 2009’s The Return of Iljimae, Jung Il-woo was quickly cast in career-making dramas like 49 Days and The Moon That Embraces the Sun.
While Jung Il-woo does a lot of historical dramas, I find him strongest (and most enjoyable) in comedic roles. It’s not that he can’t do serious, but his comedy is just so good. There’s nothing like watching an actor pour himself into a role, and having a blast while doing it.
Here are some dramaland moments from Jung Il-woo, followed by his full filmography.
Flower Boy Ramyun Shop (2011)
Flower Boy Ramyun Shop was my introduction to Jung Il-woo, and I think it was a rather fitting one. While Jung Il-woo has seen a lot of his professional success in serious historical dramas throughout his career, he’s a fantastic comedic actor as well. In this wacky 2011 drama, Jung Il-woo plays the spoiled chaebol high schooler who falls hard for the character and ramyun shop owner played by Lee Chung-ah. With love triangles, nickname puns, noodle making, kimchi tasting, and a great restaurant setting, this drama was a lot of fun — with or without the second lead syndrome (thanks, Lee Ki-woo).
High-End Crush (2015)
I guess I really do enjoy zany Jung Il-woo. In this web drama of twenty 15-minute episodes, he starred as the completely self-centered and ridiculous CEO of an entertainment company. A little madcap and a lot slapstick, High-End Crush was heavy on hyperbolic comedy. Everything was turned up to eleven with sped-up scenes, humorous sound effects, and on-screen text. Lee Shi-un also starred as Jung Il-woo’s secretary, and their strange love/hate relationship stole the show, even though the drama was about Jung Il-woo’s character wildly pursuing the country girl (played by Jin Se-yeon) who’s his polar opposite.
Cinderella and the Four Knights (2016)
Every now and then there are dramas that start off with a strong concept and a great cast, but they wind up lacking the spark that’s needed to give them life. With Cinderella and the Four Knights, no one was expecting a deep, social satire, or a statement on the human condition. We were expecting a nice juicy drama so bad it was good — kind of like the addictive craziness that was Boys Over Flowers. After all, these stories had a few things in common like the wealthy, pompous leading male characters, the spunky Candy heroine, and the clash of personalities and worlds that ensued. However, Cinderella and the Four Knights never quite got there. The drama took tropes and cliches that it could and should have made into a hilarious mess — and instead made it boring and predictable. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy Jung Il-woo and Park So-dam here, but it hurts to see good, vibrant actors in a lifeless production. Everyone’s allowed a flop, I guess.
Jung Il-woo’s full filmography: