Jin Goo made his television debut in the 2003 gambling dramaAll In, as the younger version of the protagonist character played by Lee Byung-hun.[2] They reunited onscreen in Kim Jee-woon's film noirA Bittersweet Life,[3] and Jin would later join Lee when he established his own management agency, BH Entertainment.
In 2005, Jin starred in the one-episode drama Saya, Saya ("Bird, Bird"), adapted from the novel written by Shin Kyung-sook about a mother and son who are both deaf.[4] It won the top award in the TV movie/miniseries category of Prix Italia, and the jury praised it as "a magical, moving and poetic story about the power of love with high quality performances."[5]
After a guest appearance as a Korean language teacher on the webisodes of Japanese dramaJoshi Deka!,[6] Jin returned to Korean television in 2008's Spotlight, a glimpse into the lives of broadcast news reporters covering the city beat. To prepare for his role, Jin followed a cub reporter for a day, and realized they didn't have time to bathe or even wash their faces.[7][8]
In 2010, Jin shed his hardboiled image to play a down-to-earth, aspiring chef in Le Grand Chef 2: Kimchi Battle. He said the film was a great pleasure to make since cooking is a hobby of his, though emulating a professional chef meant undergoing "200 hours of chopping radishes" in order to perfect the motion. He added that after the filming, he was able to make kimchi with his mother, which proved to be a memorable experience.[24][25]
2011 was a busy year for Jin. Besides appearing in conspiracy thriller Moby Dick,[26] he had a starring role as one of three desperate Joseon soldiers in The Showdown.[27] He also made his stage debut as Nathan in a Korean production of the musicalGuys and Dolls.[28][29][30][31]
He next starred in 26 Years, based on Kang Full's manhwa about a plot to assassinate the man responsible for the Gwangju Massacre.[32] Jin had been attached to the project since pre-production began in 2008,[33] but investors backed out due to the politically controversial content. Online donations from thousands of private individuals enabled filming to resume in 2012.[34] Jin was the only holdover from the original cast; initially cast as the young policeman, he now played the more central role of the gangster.[35]
In 2013, he played the titular character in TV series Ad Genius Lee Tae-baek, a success story about a man who comes up to Seoul from the countryside armed with nothing but a high school diploma and a gift for drawing, and through sheer hard work, fights his way to become the best ad man and art director in the business.[36]
2016 was a remarkable year for Jin Goo. He was cast as an elite special forces soldier in Descendants of the Sun, a romantic melodrama written by Kim Eun-sook.[41] The drama was a critical and commercial success in Asia, and led to a surge in popularity for Jin.[42][43][44] Later in the year, Jin starred in MBC's melodrama Night Light.[45][46]
In 2017, Jin starred in the action film One Line, where he played a legendary swindler who joins with a student (Im Si-wan) to rob a bank.[47] He then starred in JTBC's action melodrama Untouchable.[48]
In December 2020, Jin signed with new agency Varo Entertainment.[50]
Personal life
Jin married his girlfriend on September 21, 2014.[51][52][53][54][55] The couple welcomed a baby boy in June 2015.[56] They welcomed their second child, a baby girl, in November 2016.[57]
^Kim Na-ra (May 12, 2022). "신시아→이종석X김다미"…더 거대하고 강력하게 돌아온 '마녀2" [Cynthia → Lee Jong-suk X Kim Dami"... 'Witch 2' came back bigger and stronger] (in Korean). My Daily. Retrieved May 12, 2022 – via Naver.
^Shin Young-eun (November 12, 2021). "우월한 하루' 진구·하도권·이원근, 캐스팅 확정 [공식]" ['Superior Day' Jin Goo, Ha Do-kwon, and Lee Won-geun Confirm Casting [Official]] (in Korean). Maeil Business News. Retrieved November 16, 2021 – via Naver.
^Kang Min-kyung (January 24, 2024). "[공식] 신하균·이정하·진구·조아람, 오피스극 '감사합니다' 캐스팅" [[Official] Shin Ha-kyun, Lee Jeong-ha, Jin Goo, Jo A-ram cast in office drama 'Thank You'] (in Korean). Ten Asia. Retrieved January 24, 2024.
^Yoo Byung-chul (September 13, 2022). "진구, '형사록' 출연 확정…이성민과 호흡 '케미 기대↑'[공식]" [Jin Goo confirmed to appear in 'Criminal Records'... Breathing with Lee Seong-min 'Kemi Expectation↑' [Official]] (in Korean). Korea Economy TV. Retrieved September 13, 2022 – via Naver.
^Kim Na-yeon (May 27, 2022). "진구·양동근·장동윤, 'D.P.' 김보통 작가 신작 '사막의 왕' 출연[공식]" [Jin-goo, Yang Dong-geun, Jang Dong-yun, 'D.P.' Writer Kim Bo-tong's new work 'King of the Desert' Appears [Official]] (in Korean). MT Star News. Retrieved May 27, 2022 – via Naver.
^"제30회 대한민국문화연예대상 개최...한파도 뚫은 열기" [The 30th Korea Cultural and Entertainment Awards will be held... The heat that pierced even the cold wave]. 내외뉴스통신 (in Korean). 2022-12-01. Retrieved 2023-08-27.