Gong Ji-cheol (; born July 10, 1979), known professionally as Gong Yoo (), is a South Korean actor. He is known for his starring roles in the television series Coffee Prince (2007), Guardian: The Lonely and Great God (2016–2017), the Netflix series Squid Game (2021–2025), and the films Silenced (2011), The Suspect (2013), Train to Busan (2016), and The Age of Shadows (2016).
Early life and education Gong Ji-cheol was born on July 10, 1979, in Busan, South Korea. He is the second child and only son of Gong Won and Yoo Myung-joo. His father attended Busan Sango, a baseball academy, and was a manager of the Lotte Giants from 1983 to 1985. Gong attended Dongin High School, and pursued undergraduate studies at Kyung Hee University's Department of Theater and Film.
A 1996 edition of Gokbu Gong clan's genealogy book in Korea recorded the ancestry of Gong Yoo, under the name "Gong Ji-cheol", who was listed as a 79th-generation descendant of ancient Chinese philosopher Confucius; his mother's bongwan is Paechon, from a cadet branch of the Gangneung Yoo clan, who claimed to be Goryeo descendants of Emperor Gaozu of the Han dynasty. In 2009, the 5th revision of Confucius' family tree was published in China; however, while thousands of Korean members from the Gokbu Gong clan are included, Gong Yoo and his relatives are not listed in this official genealogy book.
Career
2001–2004: Beginnings Gong Yoo graduated from Kyung Hee University with a B.A. degree in theater. In 2000, he started his show business career as a video jockey on Mnet and debuted as an actor in the TV series School 4 in 2001. Thereafter, Gong did a number of supporting roles in dramas and movies and also hosted the music program Music Camp in 2004.
2005–2007: Coffee Prince and breakthrough In 2005, he landed his first lead role in SBS's Hello My Teacher opposite Gong Hyo-jin. This was followed by the romance melodrama One Fine Day in 2006.
Gong was then cast in MBC's romantic comedy Coffee Prince, which became his breakout role. The popularity of the drama not only solidified his status as a leading man, but also made him a hallyu star.
2008–2015: Military enlistment and comeback On January 14, 2008, Gong enlisted for the mandatory service, and was discharged on December 8, 2009. He did eight months of frontline active service in Cheorwon and was transferred to the Defense Media Agency, where he served in the public relations department and hosted as a DJ for the army radio station.
He made his comeback in the romantic comedy Finding Mr. Destiny, which was a medium box office hit in Korea."Theatrical Releases in 2010: Box-Office Admission Results" . Koreanfilm.org. Retrieved June 4, 2012.
He then initiated and pursued the production of a theatrical adaptation of Gong Ji-young's novel The Crucible, a congratulatory gift from his senior for his promotion during enlistment. This movie was internationally released under the title Silenced. Upon its release on September 22, 2011, the film sparked public outrage. This led to a reopening of the investigations into the incidents on which the novel and film are based. Public demand for legislative reform reached the National Assembly, where a revised bill to target sex crimes against minors and the disabled, dubbed the Dogani Bill after the Korean title of the film, was successfully passed in late October 2011.
Gong then starred opposite Lee Min-jung in the romantic-comedy series Big written by the Hong sisters. The drama was well received, although it was criticized for its ending.
In 2013, he returned to the big screen, after a two-year gap, in the movie The Suspect. He played an elite North Korean spy who defects after being betrayed by his country. In November 2013, Gong was appointed as a special representative of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in Korea, in conjunction with a celebration of the 24th year since the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) was adopted. Following his appointment, he has visited countries around the world to raise awareness of the situation of children in underdeveloped countries.
On July 7, 2014, Gong was named as an ambassador for the National Tax Service (NTS), alongside actress Ha Ji-won. The pair modeled for promotional posters and took part in street campaigns that encourage honest tax payment in support of the NTS.
2016–present: Career resurgence Gong experienced a new high in his career with consecutive hit works in 2016. His first film in 2016 was the melodrama A Man and a Woman alongside Jeon Do-yeon. He then starred in the hugely successful zombie blockbuster Train to Busan, which surpassed 11 million admissions in South Korea. Also that year, he starred in another box office hit The Age of Shadows, which surpassed 6 million admissions in two weeks.
In December 2016, Gong returned to television in Kim Eun-sook's fantasy-romance drama Guardian: The Lonely and Great God, playing the titular goblin. The drama was a massive hit and Gong won Best Actor at the Baeksang Awards for his performance.
In 2018, Gong was cast in the feminist film Kim Ji-young, Born 1982, which is his third collaboration with actress Jung Yu-mi (after Silenced and Train to Busan), Gong plays the role of Kim Ji-young's husband.
In March 2020, Gong confirmed to make a special appearance in Kim Tae-yong's film Wonderland. In 2021, Gong starred in Lee Yong-ju's action thriller film Seo Bok alongside Park Bo-gum. Gong plays a former intelligence agent who is caught up in the chase of catching the first human clone to uncover the secret to eternal life. Later that year, he appeared as the Recruiter ( the Salesman) in the first season of Squid Game, a role he reprised in the first episode of the second season in 2024. His brief appearance in the second season received positive reviews from fans on social media.
In December 2021, Gong appeared as team leader Han Yoon-jae alongside Bae Doona, Lee Joon, Kim Sun-young, and others in the Netflix original sci-fi thriller series The Silent Sea. Set in a distant dystopian future where Earth faces acute water shortage, the series follows an expedition team to an abandoned station on the moon. The fan response to the series was mixed, but it topped Netflix's global charts to become the most-watched non-English series in its second week. The Forbes review called it one of Netflix's "best sci-fi series to date."
In 2024, Gong starred in the mystery melodrama television series The Trunk opposite Seo Hyun-jin. Written by Park Eun-young and directed by Kim Kyu-tae, it is based on the novel of the same name by Kim Ryeo-ryeong about two people under a one-year marriage contract and a mysterious trunk. Gong played Han Jeong-won, a music producer.
Filmography
Film Year Title Role Notes 2003 My Tutor Friend Lee Jong-soo 2004 Spy Girl Choi Ko-bong Superstar Mr. Gam Park Chul-so Cameo S Diary Yoo-in 2005 She's on Duty Kang No-young 2007 Like a Dragon Park Chul Japanese film 2010 Finding Mr. Destiny Han Gi-joon 2011 Silenced Kang In-ho 2013 The Suspect Ji Dong-chul 2016 A Man and a Woman Ki-hong Train to Busan Seok-woo The Age of Shadows Kim Woo-jin 2019 Kim Ji-young: Born 1982Jung Dae-hyun 2021 Seo Bok Min Gi-Heon 2024 Wonderland Sung-joon Cameo 2025Love UntangledCafe OwnerCameo
Television series Year Title Role Notes 2001 School 4 Hwang Tae-youngEpisode 29–48 2002 Whenever the Heart Beats Park Chan-ho Hard Love Seo Kyung-chul 2003 20 Years Seo JoonBest Theater: Flying SaucerKi JinEpisode 533 Screen Kim Joon-pyo My Room, Your RoomKim Sung-joonSayClub Internet Drama 2005 Hello My Teacher Park Tae-in 2006 One Fine Day Seo Gun 2007 Coffee Prince Choi Han-kyul 2012 Big Seo Yoon-jae / Kang Kyung-joon 2013 Dating Agency: Cyrano MagicianCameo (Episode 9)2016–2017 Guardian: The Lonely and Great GodGoblin / Kim Shin 2021–2024 Squid Game The Recruiter Guest cast (season 1–2); 3 episodes 2021 The Silent Sea Han Yoon-jae 2024 The Trunk Han Jeong-won Dong-gu Post-production
Music video appearances Year Title Artist 2014"How I Am"Kim Dong-ryul
Hosting Year Title Notes 2004 Music Camp with Han Ji-hyeJanuary 10–July 3, 2004 2008–2009 Best Soldiers' Songs with Jo Eun-bitEpisodes 155–186
Radio shows Year Title Role Notes 2008–2009 20 O'Clock, When Gong Yoo Is Waiting DJ 371 episodes
Discography
Soundtrack appearances + List of singles, with year, and album Title Year Album "Because It's You" 2012 Big OST
Accolades Awards and nominations + Name of the award ceremony, year presented, category, nominee of the award, and the result of the nomination Award ceremony Year Category Nominee / Work Result Asian Film Awards2017 Best ActorTrain to Busan Baeksang Arts Awards 2012 Best Actor – Film Silenced 2017 Best Actor – TelevisionGuardian: The Lonely and Great God BloodGuts UK Horror Awards 2017 Best ActorTrain to Busan Blue Dragon Film Awards2011 Best Leading ActorSilenced Popular Star Award Brand Customer Loyalty Award 2020 Advertising Model Gong Yoo Brand of the Year Awards 2017Actor of the YearGuardian: The Lonely and Great God Chunsa Film Art Awards2014 Best ActorThe Suspect 2017Train to Busan DramaFever Awards 2017 Best ActorGuardian: The Lonely and Great God Best Couple Gong Yoo (with Kim Go-eun)Guardian: The Lonely and Great God Fangoria Chainsaw Awards2017 Best ActorTrain to Busan Fashionista Awards 2017 Best Fashionista – TV & Film DivisionGuardian: The Lonely and Great God iHorror Awards2017 Best ActorTrain to Busan KBS Drama Awards 2002 Best New Actor Hard Love 2012 Excellence Award, Actor in a Miniseries Big Korea Advertisers Association Awards 2017 Best Model Award Gong Yoo Korea Culture and Entertainment Awards2014 Best ActorThe Suspect Korea Film Actors Association Awards2016 Grand Prize (Daesang)A Man and a Woman MBC Drama Awards 2006 Special Award, Actor in a Miniseries One Fine Day 2007 Excellence Award, Actor Coffee Prince Mnet 20's Choice Awards2007 Best Style Gong Yoo SBS Drama Awards 2003 New Star Award Screen 2005 Excellence Award, Actor in a Miniseries Hello My Teacher Seoul Creative Festival of Film Advertising 2017Model of the Year Gong Yoo
State honors + Name of country, year given, and name of honor Country or Organization Year Honor or Award National Tax Service 2014 Presidential Commendation
Listicles + Name of publisher, year listed, name of listicle, and placement Publisher Year Listicle Placement Forbes 2017 Korea Power Celebrity 40 2018 2025 Gallup Korea 2024 Best Television Couple of the Past Decade The Screen 2019 2009–2019 Top Box Office Powerhouse Actors in Korean Movies
Notes
References
External links
Gong Yoo at Management Soop