Jung Il-woo

In 2019, Jung starred in the historical action drama Haechi. This marks his first project after enlistment.

In November 2016, he was diagnosed with a cerebral aneurysm. Although this would have exempted him from his mandatory military service, Jung enlisted in December. Jung was discharged on November 30, 2018.

In 2017, Jung starred in Gon Rak Game Ma Ya (also known as Love and Lies), making him the first Korean actor to land a leading role in a Thailand drama. The drama emerged as a local sensation, and led to a rise of popularity for Jung in the country.

In January 2016, Jung signed with a new management agency, HB Entertainment. Jung made his return to Korean television in tvN's romantic comedy Cinderella with Four Knights, playing a lonely and wild-child rebel who is not yet used to being a member of a rich family, having lived most of his life as an orphan.

In 2015, Jung starred in the Korean-Chinese web drama High-End Crush opposite Jin Se-yeon. In less than a month, the drama series recorded over 200 million views. Jung then starred in the Chinese romantic comedy film Rise of a Tomboy, where he plays the CEO of an IT firm who helps a girl develop a love formula for a mobile app.

From 2013 to 2014, he played a prosecutor who falls in love with a girl from a family of orphans in Golden Rainbow. This was followed by a leading role as a prince turned ghost-seeing night watchman who patrols the palace after curfew and keeps the king and his citizens safe, in the supernatural period drama Diary of a Night Watchman.

Jung's breakout role was in 2011 tearjerker 49 Days, in which he portrayed the Scheduler, a witty modern-day Grim Reaper. His popularity increased with his leading man turn in 2011 cable romantic comedy Cool Guys, Hot Ramen, in which he played an arrogant, immature yet lovable chaebol heir. A supporting role in hit 2012 historical drama Moon Embracing the Sun followed; Jung played a prince who becomes his half-brother's rival in love and for the throne.

In 2009, Jung starred in his first leading role as a young warrior battling injustice in historical drama The Return of Iljimae. This was followed by a supporting role in romantic comedy My Fair Lady, as an idealistic, upper-class lawyer. He further challenged himself when he made his stage debut in 2010 as an HIV-positive gay man in the sold-out play Beautiful Sunday, written by Japanese playwright Mayumi Nakatani.

In August 2006, Jung sustained injuries in a serious car accident while riding with childhood friend and fellow actor Lee Min-ho, who was badly injured in the accident.

Jung made his acting debut in 2006 with a minor role in the thriller The World of Silence, but he first rose to fame playing a rebellious teen and motorcycle fanatic with a crush on his teacher in daytime family sitcom Unstoppable High Kick. He then joined the ensemble cast of 2007 romantic comedy film My Love.

Following the success of Cool Guys, Hot Ramen and Moon Embracing the Sun, Jung was launched to stardom as a Hallyu star. He won the Asia Male Actor award at Beijing's Huading Awards, the first non-Chinese entertainer to be nominated at the awards show since it began in 2005.

Jung Il-woo (Korean: 정일우 ; born 9 September 1987) is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his roles in the sitcom Unstoppable High Kick (2006), and the television dramas The Return of Iljimae (2009), 49 Days (2011), Cool Guys, Hot Ramen (2011), Moon Embracing the Sun (2012) and Cinderella with Four Knights (2016).