Ha Jung-Woo

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Name: Ha Jung-Woo
Hangul: 하정우
Birth Name: Kim Seong-Hun (김성훈)
Birthdate: March 11, 1979
Birthplace: South Korea
University: Chung-Ang University
Height: 184.0cm
Blood Type:

Biography

Ha Jung-Woo (born as Kim Seong-hun on March 11, 1979 in Seoul, South Korea) is a popular and award winning South Korean actor. He came from a family of four, including his mother, father, and one younger brother. Jung-woo's father Kim Yong-Geon is a well known actor, who has appeared in many movies and television series, while his younger brother (Kim Yeong-hoon) is an aspiring actor. Since Jung-woo was 4 or 5 years old he has always dreamed of becoming an actor like his father. As a young adult, Jung-woo did not want to major in acting, but wanted to pursue acting as a career. His mom then suggested to Jung-woo to take up acting in college and even took him to a management company. Before entering college, Jung-woo enrolled at a private acting institute and at one point had actor Lee Beom-Su as his instructor [1]. Ha Jung-Woo then enrolled at Chung-Ang University as a theater major. While at the university Jung-woo acted on the stage.

In 1998, Jung-woo started his military service, working in the Armed Forces Public Relations Department. He put his acting experience to good use during this time, appearing in 10 promotional films for the military. In 2002, Jung-woo made his acting debut in the SBS sitcom "Honest Living" (Ddokbaro Salara) and his feature film debut in the 2002 film "Madeleine." For the next few years, Jung-woo's acting career was relatively low-key, appearing in several supporting roles, but not receiving a lot of attention. Things started to change in 2005. Ha Jung-Woo signed with talent agency Sidus HQ and with their recommendation changed his named to "Ha Jung-woo" from Kim Seong-hun. Jung-woo would also appear in his first starring role in the the indie film "The Unforgiven" - a film centered around the relationships between military personnel. Jung-woo would then appear in Ki-duk Kim's "Time" & "Breath," which would bring more attention to Jung-woo's acting talents in Korea and overseas. During this time, Jung-woo also starred in the popular MBC drama series "H.I.T" - portraying Jae-yoon Hah, a prosecutor who is romantically involved with police officer Hyeong-jeong Ko (played by Hyeon-jeong Ko). Jung-woo's portrayal of Jae-yoon Hah garnered the attention of many female fans. Jung-woo also appeared in the American indie film "Never Forever," which garnered praise from the film festival circuit.

Jung-woo's next major role came in the 2008 serial killer film "The Chaser." The movie became a hit at the Korean box office, raking in over 5 million ticket sales, while also garnering high praise from critics. Jung-woo's performance as the psychopath killer in "The Chaser," brought shivers to many audience members, while also elevating Ha Jung-Woo's status as one of the most sought after actors working in the Korean film industry. Since "The Chaser," Ha Jung-Woo has been working virtually non-stop for the next two years, appearing in films like "My Dear Enemy," "The Moonlight of Seoul," "Boat," & "Take Off." Ha Jung-Woo plans to work once again with director Na Hong-Jin ("The Chaser"), for his upcoming film tentatively titled "The Murderer" (Hwang Hae). "The Murderer" is expected to start shooting in December and will take 5-6 months to complete. After Ha Jung-Woo's performance in "The Murderer" he has stated that he will take a much needed break from acting.

Ha Jung-Woo held his first art exhibition for the 5th annual Seoul Open Art Fair (April 22-26. 2010). His exhibition was part of the "With☆Invitation" section featuring famous Korean celebrities like Eom Tae-Woong & Ko Ah-Sung. Ha Jung-Woo displayed three different paintings all done in a modernistic style.