Ji Hyun-woo

Ji Hyun-woo officially made his debut as an actor in 2003. His popularity increased in 2004 with the youth drama You Will Know,[1] and sitcom-turned movie Old Miss Diary.[2][3][4] He was named the "Nation's Little Brother" due to his popularity.[5]

Besides acting, Ji is also talented musically. He started as a session guitarist for the second album of Korean band Moonchild. Then in 2004, he along with Park Joon-shik (vocals) and Kim Hyun-joong (bass) formed rock band The Nuts.

In 2005 Ji played Danny Zuko in a Korean staging of the musical Grease, which released its cast recording.[6] He has also contributed to the soundtracks of several of his films and television series. The same year, he became a host of the music program Music Bank.[7]

Ji made his big screen debut in the film Fly High (2006).[8]

Ji continued to star on the small and big screen, among them the TV dramas Golden Apple (2005),[9] Over the Rainbow (2006),[10] Merry Mary (2007),[11] My Sweet Seoul (2008),[12] My Precious You (2008),[2] Invincible Lee Pyung Kang (2009),[13][14] Becoming a Billionaire (2010),[15] and A Thousand Kisses (2011).[16] He also appeared in the films Attack the Gas Station 2 (2009),[17] and Mr. Idol (2011).[18]

In 2011 Ji released his first solo single Crescendo, comprising three songs which Ji wrote and composed, and which was produced by his older brother Ji Hyun-soo who is also a member of rock band N.EX.T.[19]

He was one of the season 2 hosts of Invincible Youth, a variety program based on members of popular girl groups experiencing the rural countryside of Korea.[20][21]

In 2012, he starred in the fantasy romance Queen and I on cable channel tvN, in which he played a time-traveling Joseon scholar who falls in love with an actress in the 21st century (played by Yoo In-na).[22][23][24]

Ji enlisted for his mandatory military service on August 7, 2012, with the Chuncheon 102nd Reserve Forces. He was due to enlist in July but it was delayed for one month while he recovered from a back injury suffered during the filming of Queen and I.[25]

In January 2013, Ji starred in the military musical The Promise. It was co-produced by the Ministry of National Defense and Korea Musical Theatre Association, to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the signing of the armistice. Running from January 9 to 20 at the National Theater of Korea, the musical is centered around a group of soldiers who keeps a promise made to each other during the 6.25 war.[26][27]

He was discharged on May 6, 2014.[28]

For his first post-army project, Ji was cast as a genius songwriter/musician who helps the heroine become a trot singer despite his distaste for the musical genre, in the romantic comedy series Trot Lovers.[29] Then in 2015, he played a naive, idealistic homeroom teacher who helps a housewife masquerading as a high school student put an end to school violence in Angry Mom.[30] A major turning point in Ji's career followed as the protagonist of the critically acclaimed cable series Songgot: The Piercer, a webtoon adaptation that tackled social injustice when temps are laid off by a big-box store.[31]

In 2016, Ji signed with Dream Tea Entertainment.[32] He next starred in SBS' thriller Wanted.[33]

In 2017, Ji starred in MBC's weekend drama Bad Thief, Good Thief alongside Seohyun, playing multiple roles in the drama.[34]

In 2018, Ji starred in True Fiction, a black comedy that satirizes politicians.[35] The same year, Ji starred in the medical drama Risky Romance.[36]

In 2019, Ji is set to star in the romance melodrama Love in Sadness.[37]

In October 2019, Ji Hyun-woo changed his agency from Dream T Entertainment to Lion Heart Entertainment.

In January 2020, Ji Hyun-woo releases the first mini album of the band 사거리 그오빠(SGO). Ji Hyun-woo is the band's leader, vocalist and guitarist.[38]

Albums

1. The Nuts (2004)
2. Whispers of Love (2006)
3. Could've Been (2008)
4. Crazy Love (2008)
5. Truth J (2009)

Singles

1. 추억여행 "Travel Memories" (2007)
2. 졸업여행 "Graduation Trip" (2008)
3. 바다에 입맞춤 "Kissing in the Sea" (2009)

Compilation

1. 2008 Ivy Mega Mix Single Collection Vol.1

Cast recording

1. Grease (musical, 2005)

Soundtrack

1. Ji Hyun-woo's Love Letter (2006)
   1. 외눈박이 물고기
   2. 애인을 구합니다
2. 눈물의 크리스마스 "Christmas Tears" (duet with Park Joon-shik, from Old Miss Diary – Movie OST, 2006)
3. "One&One" (from Merry Mary OST, 2007)
4. 달콤한 나의 도시 "My Sweet City" (from My Sweet Seoul OST, 2008)
5. 본능적으로 "Instinctively" (from tvN Show Show Show Part 1, 2011)
6. 하루종일 "All Day" (from Trot Lovers OST, 2014)

Singles

1. Crescendo (2011)
   1. 아기 코끼리 "Baby Elephant"
   2. 좋은 중독 "Good Addiction"
   3. 아이야 "Kid"

Mini Album

1. NEWS (2020) [57]
   1. Make up "화장"
   2. Waiting for you "누가 나 좀" [58]
   3. Lie "거짓말"
   4. Window "창문"