Cho Yeo-jeong

In this Korean name, the family name is Cho.

Cho Yeo-jeong (Korean: 조여정; born February 10, 1981) is a South Korean actress. She is best known internationally for her role in the film Parasite (2019), which won four Academy Awards and became the first non-English language film to win the award for Best Picture.^[1]

Cho Yeo-jeong
Cho in 2019
Born	(1981-02-10) February 10, 1981 (age 44) Seoul, South Korea
Other names	Jo Yeo-jeong Cho Yeo-jung
Education	Dongguk University
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1997–present
Agent	High Entertainment
Korean name
Hangul	조여정
Revised Romanization	Jo Yeo-jeong
McCune–Reischauer	Cho Yŏjŏng

Cho is also known for her roles in the films The Servant (2010), The Concubine (2012), and Obsessed (2014), as well as the television series I Need Romance (2011), Lovers of Haeundae (2012), Divorce Lawyer in Love (2015), Woman of 9.9 Billion (2019–2020), and Cheat on Me If You Can (2020–2021).

Life and career

Cho Yeo-jeong was born in Seoul, South Korea. She debuted as a CeCi Magazine cover girl at the age of 16 in 1997, and began actively acting in 1999. Despite appearing in drama series, music videos, and TV commercials afterwards, she remained obscure. During this period, she was also unhappy with the limited roles being offered to her.^[2][3]

Then Cho rose to the spotlight in 2010 by starring as the ambitious Joseon woman of lower class in the erotic period drama The Servant.^[4] The R-rated movie, which was a newly adapted and tragic version of Korea's famous folktale The Story of Chunhyang, had been turned down by a number of actresses because it contained too many sex scenes. Cho, however, took advantage of the opportunity and it turned out to be a huge stepping stone in her career.^[5][6] Upon the release of the film, Cho successfully escaped being "another pretty face" in Korea's entertainment scene.^[2][3]

In 2011, Cho starred in hit cable series I Need Romance, a sexually frank and funny comedy about a group of single thirty-something girlfriends navigating the dating scene in Seoul, which boasted stylish and slick production values.

Few would have expected her to star in another period drama that required full nudity, as doing so may have stigmatized her in Korea's film industry. Despite the collective concerns expressed by local media that she was "going nude too often," in 2012 the actress chose another period thriller with explicit sex scenes.^[7] She had admired the work of director Kim Dae-seung and wanted to work with him, so after reading his latest script, she pursued being cast as the complex titular character of The Concubine.^[8] Despite the hype, the film was critically praised. In an interview for the film, Cho said that most of all, she wants to be seen as an adventurous and intriguing actress.^[2][3][9]

In the 2012 romantic comedy series Lovers of Haeundae, Cho played the bright and cheerful daughter of a Busan gangster, who falls in love with the amnesiac undercover prosecutor living with them.^[10] A year later, Cho's book Healing Beauty was published, containing tips and advice on health and beauty, based on the know-how she's amassed as an actress over her 16-year career.^[11]

In 2013, Cho became involved in a publicized contract dispute when she signed a new contract with Bom Entertainment while her contract with Didim531 was still in effect.^[12] The Korea Entertainment Management Association suggested that Cho avoid working with both agencies, and she joined Neos Entertainment in 2014.^[13]

Cho starred in two movies in 2014. She reunited with director Kim Dae-woo (The Servant) in another erotic period film, this time set during the Vietnam War, titled Obsessed.^[14] She also played an abducted wife in The Target, a remake of French action-thriller Point Blank.^[15][16]

In 2015, Cho starred in the sex comedy Casa Amor: Exclusive for Ladies, which she said made her realize "how gratifying it is to see people laughing because of me." She said further, "Casa Amor: Exclusive for Ladies is the first film I've done in a long time whose story focuses on women. I hope that, building on the success of this film, more films featuring women's voices and experiences are made."^[17]

Cho started in her first television series of 2020, Cheat on Me If You Can since Woman of 9.9 Billion in 2019.

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes	Ref.
2002	A Perfect Match	Min-ah
2006	Vampire Cop Ricky	Yeon-hee
2010	The Servant	Chun-hyang
2012	The Concubine	Shin Hwa-yeon
2014	The Target	Jung Hee-joo
	Obsessed	Lee Sook-jin
2015	Casa Amor: Exclusive for Ladies	Baek Bo-hee
2019	Parasite	Choi Yeon-gyo / Mrs. Park
2024	Tarot	Ji-Woo
	Hidden Face	Su-yeon		[18]
TBA	The Interview	Seon-ju		[19]

Television series

Year	Title	Role	Notes	Ref.
1999	How Am I?
	Last War
	You Don't Know My Mind	Yang Mi-ri
2000	Roll of Thunder
2002	Rustic Period	Ae-ran
	Royal Story: Jang Hui-bin	Royal Consort 'Gwiin' Kim
2003	South of the Sun	Noh Hye-in
	A Problem at My Younger Brother's House	Oh Dan-bi
2004	Terms of Endearment	Na Ae-ri
	I'm From Chosun	Lee Han-sol
2006	So In Love	Lee Sun-joo
2008	War of Money: The Original	Choi Ji-in
2009	The Road Home	Jang Mi-ryung
	Hometown Legends: "Myo-jeong's Pearl"	So-won
2011	I Need Romance	Sunwoo In-young		[20]
2012	Lovers of Haeundae	Go So-ra		[10]
2015	Divorce Lawyer in Love	Go Cheok-hee
2016	Babysitter	Lee Sang-won's wife
	Love in the Moonlight		Cameo (episode 1)
2017	Ms. Perfect	Lee Eun-hee		[21]
2019	Beautiful World	Seo Eun-joo		[22]
	Woman of 9.9 Billion	Jeong Seo-yeon		[23]
2020–2021	Cheat on Me If You Can	Kang Yeo-ju novel writer		[24]
2021	High Class	Song Yeo-uol		[25]
2022	Behind Every Star	Herself	Cameo	[26]
2024	Tarot	Ji-woo		[27]

Variety show

Year	Title	Role	Notes	Ref.
1997	Ppo Ppo Ppo (Kiss Kiss Kiss)	Host		[28]
2001	21st Century Committee	Cast member
	Fairyland Ggumdongsan	Host
2003	Soulmates	Cast member
2008	We Got Married - Season 1		Paired with Lee Hwi-jae
2010	Girls on Top - Season 2	Host
	Fox's Butler	Cast member
2011	O'live Beauty On-Air	Host
2012	Saturday Night Live Korea
2013	Law of the Jungle in Caribbean/Maya Jungle	Cast member
2019	Surfing House			[29]
2021	Saturday Night Live Korea	Host	Episode 5	[30]

Music video appearances

Year	Title	Artist(s)	Ref.
2011	"Even Now"	Sung Si-kyung
2019	"Fever"	J. Y. Park ft. Superbee & Bibi

Ambassadorship

Year	Title	Ref.
2021	Korean seafood export ambassador	[31]

Musical theatre

Year	Title	Role
2005	Grease	Sandy

Discography

Year	Song title	Artist	Notes
2011	"Aegyo (Charm)"	Jo Yeo-jeong and Kim Jeong-hoon	Track from I Need Romance OST
	"Winter Story"	Jo Yeo-jeong, Park Si-hoo, Park Si-yeon, Nam Gyu-ri, Jo Dal-hwan, Ryohei Otani, Choi Sung-joon and Jung Woo-jin	Eyagi Entertainment Christmas 2011 single

Book

Year	Title	Publisher	ISBN
2013	Healing Beauty[32]	Paper Book	ISBN 9788997148295

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	Ref.
APAN Star Awards	2021	Top Excellence Award, Actress in a Miniseries	Woman of 9.9 Billion	Nominated
Baeksang Arts Awards	2011	Best Actress – Film	The Servant	Nominated
	2015	Best Supporting Actress – Film	Obsessed	Nominated
	2020	Best Actress – Film	Parasite	Nominated	[33]
Blue Dragon Film Awards	2010	Popular Star Award	The Servant	Won
		Best New Actress		Nominated
	2014	Best Supporting Actress	Obsessed	Nominated
	2019	Best Actress	Parasite	Won	[34][35]
Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival	2010	Fantasia Award	Cho Yeo-jeong	Won
Buil Film Awards	2012	Best Actress	The Concubine	Nominated
	2014	Best Supporting Actress	Obsessed	Nominated
	2019	Best Actress	Parasite	Nominated	[36]
Chicago Film Critics Association Awards	2019	Best Supporting Actress	Parasite	Nominated	[37][38]
Chunsa Film Art Awards	2019	Best Actress	Parasite	Won	[39]
Critics' Choice Awards	2020	Parasite	Best Acting Ensemble	Nominated	[40]
Grand Bell Awards	2010	Best Actress	The Servant	Nominated
	2014	Best Supporting Actress	Obsessed	Nominated
IndieWire Critics Poll	2019	Best Supporting Actress	Parasite	15th place	[41]
KBS Drama Awards	2012	Best Couple Award	Cho Yeo-jeong (with Kim Kang-woo) Lovers of Haeundae	Nominated
		Excellence Award, Actress in a Miniseries	Lovers of Haeundae	Nominated
		Netizen Award, Actress		Nominated
	2016	Best Actress in a One-Act/Special/Short Drama	Babysitter	Won
	2017	Excellence Award, Actress in a Mid-length Drama	Perfect Wife	Won
		Netizen Award, Actress		Nominated
	2019	Top Excellence Award, Actress	Woman of 9.9 Billion	Won	[42]
		Excellence Award, Actress in a Miniseries		Nominated
		Netizen Award, Actress		Nominated
	2020	Best Couple Award	Cho Yeo-jeong (with Go Jun) Cheat on Me If You Can	Won
		Excellence Award, Actress in a Miniseries	Cheat on Me If You Can	Won
		Netizen Award, Actress		Nominated
		Top Excellence Award, Actress		Nominated
KOFRA Film Awards	2015	Best Supporting Actress	Obsessed	Won
Korea Best Dresser Swan Awards	2010	Best Dressed, Movie Actress category	Cho Yeo-jeong	Won
Korea Drama Awards	2011	Special Award for Cable TV	I Need Romance	Nominated
Korean Association of Film Critics Awards	2014	Best Supporting Actress	Obsessed	Won
New Mexico Film Critics	2019	Best Supporting Actress	Parasite	Won	[43]
SBS Drama Awards	2015	Excellence Award, Actress in a Miniseries	Divorce Lawyer in Love	Nominated
SBS Entertainment Awards	2013	Popularity Award	Law of the Jungle in Caribbean/Maya Jungle	Won
Screen Actors Guild Awards	2020	Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture	Parasite	Won	[44]
Style Icon Awards	2011	SIA's Discovery	Cho Yeo-jeong	Won

Listicles

Name of publisher, year listed, name of listicle, and placement

Publisher	Year	Listicle	Placement	Ref.
Forbes	2020	Korea Power Celebrity 40	30th	[45]
The Screen	2019	2009–2019 Top Box Office Powerhouse Actors in Korean Movies	43rd	[46]

References

1. Jurgensen, John (February 10, 2020). "'Parasite' Makes History at the Oscars". Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on April 25, 2021. Retrieved June 22, 2021.
2. Lee, Claire (May 23, 2012). "Actress returns in another racy period thriller". The Korea Herald. Archived from the original on November 1, 2012. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
3. Lim, Ju-ri (May 29, 2012). "Cho Yeo-jeong keeps it steamy in The Concubine". Korea JoongAng Daily. Archived from the original on December 20, 2013. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
4. "Jo Yeo-jeong Hits Box-Office Gold with Daring Part". The Chosun Ilbo. June 12, 2010. Archived from the original on November 25, 2012. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
5. Ki, Sun-min (June 24, 2010). "Director twists classic tale". Korea JoongAng Daily. Archived from the original on January 19, 2021. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
6. Elley, Derek (July 1, 2010). "The Servant". Film Business Asia. Archived from the original on November 1, 2013. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
7. Lee, Jin-ho (November 3, 2011). "Jo Yeo Jeong to Bare it All Again in New Film". enewsWorld. Archived from the original on July 11, 2012. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
8. Jung, Hyun-mok (June 21, 2012). "Director says Concubine sex scenes are complicated". Korea JoongAng Daily. Archived from the original on June 22, 2021. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
9. Paquet, Darcy (June 13, 2012). "In Focus: The Concubine (Hu-gung: Je-wang-ui cheop)". Korean Film Biz Zone. Archived from the original on February 2, 2014. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
10. "Jo Yeo-jeong Says Acting Lets Her Explore Her Hidden Self". The Chosun Ilbo. October 6, 2012. Archived from the original on November 24, 2012. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
11. "Jo Yeo-jeong Discloses Beauty Secrets in New Book". The Chosun Ilbo. April 24, 2013. Archived from the original on April 27, 2013. Retrieved April 24, 2013.
12. Yoon, Hyo-jung (October 24, 2013). "Jo Yeo Jung caught in the middle of double contract dispute". Korea Star Daily via Yahoo!. Archived from the original on February 21, 2014. Retrieved January 30, 2014.
13. Park, Si-soo (January 27, 2014). "Jo Yeo-jeong works with new agency". The Korea Times. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
14. Tae, Sang-joon (September 24, 2013). "KIM Dae-woo Prep Story of Forbidden Love during Vietnam War". Korean Film Biz Zone. Archived from the original on February 1, 2014. Retrieved January 30, 2014.
15. Kang, Jung-yeon (September 25, 2013). "Cho Yeo-jeong Takes Part in Ryu Seung-ryong's Action Pic". TenAsia. Archived from the original on April 26, 2014. Retrieved January 30, 2014.
16. Lee, Sun-min (September 26, 2013). "Jo Yeo-jung picked for two movies". Korea JoongAng Daily. Archived from the original on February 2, 2014. Retrieved January 30, 2014.
17. "Jo Yeo-jeong Keeps on Evolving with First Comedy". The Chosun Ilbo. January 17, 2015. Archived from the original on January 17, 2015. Retrieved January 17, 2015.
18. Jo Ji-young (May 23, 2022). "[공식] 송승헌X조여정X박지현, '인간중독' '방자전' 감독 신작 '히든 페이스'로 뭉쳤다" [[Official] Song Seung-heon X Jo Yeo-jeong X Park Ji-hyeon, 'Human Addiction' and 'Bangjajeon' director's new film 'Hidden Face'] (in Korean). Sports Chosun. Archived from the original on May 23, 2022. Retrieved May 23, 2022 – via Naver.
19. Ahn Yoon-ji (July 14, 2023). "'더 글로리' 정성일, 조여정 만났다..'인터뷰' 17일 크랭크인 확정" ['The Glory' Jeong Seong-il met Jo Yeo-jeong...' The Interview' confirmed crank-in on the 17th] (in Korean). Star News. Archived from the original on July 14, 2023. Retrieved July 14, 2023 – via Naver.
20. "조여정 100초 키스, '로맨스가 필요해' 첫회부터 강렬". TV Report (in Korean). June 14, 2011. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 22, 2021.
21. Doo, Rumy (May 3, 2017). "'Ms. Perfect' comes to end". The Korea Herald. Archived from the original on May 3, 2017. Retrieved June 22, 2021.
22. Lee, Ha-na (December 17, 2018). "[공식] 박희순·추자현·오만석·조여정, '아름다운 세상' 캐스팅 확정". Seoul Economic Daily (in Korean). Archived from the original on January 7, 2019. Retrieved June 22, 2021.
23. Lee, A-young (August 26, 2019). "조여정, '99억의 여자'로 안방극장 복귀". Is Plus (in Korean). Archived from the original on December 15, 2019. Retrieved December 2, 2019.
24. "If You Cheat, You Die (Korean Drama - 2020) - 바람피면 죽는다". HanCinema. Archived from the original on July 31, 2020. Retrieved October 3, 2020.
25. Kim, Soo-jin (March 11, 2021). "조여정 김지수 하준, '하이클래스' 출연 [공식]". Star News (in Korean). Archived from the original on June 22, 2021. Retrieved June 22, 2021.
26. Hwang Yeon-do (November 7, 2022). "조여정, '나이 많다' 이유로 쿠엔틴 감독 영화 캐스팅 취소 날벼락 (연매살)" [Jo Yeo-jeong cancels Quentin's film casting due to 'old age']. AtStyle (in Korean). Archived from the original on November 7, 2022. Retrieved November 7, 2022.
27. Choi, Yoon-na (June 27, 2024). 조여정X덱스X고규필 ‘타로: 일곱 장의 이야기’, 대본리딩 현장 공개 [Cho Yeo-jeong X Dex X Ko Kyu-pil, 'Tarot: Stories of Seven Cards', script reading site revealed] (in Korean). Sports Dong-a. Retrieved July 12, 2024 – via Naver.
28. Yoon, Min-Sik (August 5, 2013). "Popopo canceled after 32-year run". The Korea Herald. Archived from the original on August 6, 2013. Retrieved August 7, 2013.
29. Hong, Se-young (June 10, 2019). "조여정·송재림·김슬기·전성우 '서핑하우스' 출연, 7월21일 첫방 [공식입장]". Sports Donga (in Korean). Archived from the original on December 17, 2019. Retrieved June 11, 2019.
30. Kang Da-yoon (September 29, 2021). "조여정, 'SNL 코리아' 5회 호스트…9년 만에 재회 [공식]" [Jo Yeo-jeong hosts the 5th episode of 'SNL Korea'... Reunited after 9 years [Official]]. My Daily (in Korean). Archived from the original on September 29, 2021. Retrieved September 29, 2021 – via Naver.
31. Oh Ye-jin (July 29, 2021). "[게시판] 해수부, 수산물 수출 홍보대사에 배우 조여정 위촉" [[Bulletin Board] Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries appoints actress Jo Yeo-jeong as ambassador for seafood export]. Yonhap News Agency (in Korean). Naver. Archived from the original on July 29, 2021. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
32. "Jo Yeo-jeong gets published". Korea JoongAng Daily. April 24, 2013. Archived from the original on April 30, 2013. Retrieved April 24, 2013.
33. MacDonald, Joan (May 8, 2020). "Baeksang Arts Awards Announces Nominees And Plans To Proceed Without An Audience". Forbes. Archived from the original on May 10, 2020. Retrieved May 10, 2020.
34. Kang, Min-kyung (November 21, 2019). "봉준호 '기생충', 청룡영화상 5관왕 "韓영화의 자부심·자긍심" [종합]" [Bong Joon-ho 'The Parasite', 5th King of the Blue Dragon Film Awards "Pride and pride in the film" [Comprehensive]]. Star News (in Korean). Archived from the original on June 26, 2020. Retrieved May 11, 2020 – via Naver.
35. MacDonald, Joan (November 21, 2019). "2019 Blue Dragon Awards Honor Veteran Actors And Newcomers". Forbes. Archived from the original on November 22, 2019. Retrieved May 18, 2020.
36. "28th Buil Film Awards Nominees 2019". HanCinema. August 28, 2019. Archived from the original on August 28, 2019. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
37. "Once Upon A Time...In Hollywood Leads Chicago Film Critics Association 2019 Nominations". Chicago Film Critics Association. December 12, 2019. Archived from the original on December 15, 2019. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
38. Anita Bennett (December 14, 2019). "Chicago Film Critics Give Best Picture To 'Parasite' And Best Director To Bong Joon Ho". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 17, 2019. Retrieved December 14, 2019.
39. "BONG Joon-ho Wins Best Director at Chunsa Film Art Awards". Korean Film Biz Zone. July 25, 2019. Archived from the original on April 21, 2021. Retrieved July 29, 2019.
40. "Critics' Choice Awards: 'The Irishman' Leads With 14 Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter. December 8, 2019. Archived from the original on October 17, 2020. Retrieved January 20, 2020.
41. "2019 Critics Poll: The Best Films and Performances According to Over 300 Critics From Around the World". IndieWire. December 16, 2019.^{[permanent dead link‍]}
42. Jang, Woo-young (January 1, 2020). "공효진, 생애 첫 연기 대상…'동백꽃' 트로피 싹쓸이 (종합) [2019 KBS 연기대상]". Osen (in Korean). Archived from the original on December 31, 2019. Retrieved January 1, 2020 – via Naver.
43. "2019 New Mexico Film Critics: Best Supporting Actress: WINNER: "Jo Yeo-Jeong (Parasite)"". December 9, 2019.
44. "SAG Awards: 'Parasite' Wins Top Film Prize; 'Crown' and 'Mrs. Maisel' Named Best Drama, Comedy Series". The Hollywood Reporter. January 19, 2020. Archived from the original on October 17, 2020. Retrieved January 20, 2020.
45. Kim, Min-soo; Shin, Yoon-ae (April 23, 2020). 2020 포브스코리아 선정 파워 셀럽 40 [40 Power Celebrities selected by Forbes Korea 2020]. JoongAng Ilbo (in Korean). Archived from the original on May 4, 2020. Retrieved May 21, 2021 – via Joins.
46. "한국영화 배우 흥행 파워 TOP 배우 하정우 그러나 TOP 10위 안에 여성 배우는 실종...여성 주연 영화 부재가 원인" [Korean movie actor box office power TOP actor Ha Jung-woo but the female actor in the top 10 is missing... Due to the absence of female-starred films]. RNX (in Korean). January 2, 2020. Archived from the original on October 30, 2023. Retrieved October 30, 2023.

External links

• Cho Yeo-jeong at IMDb (as Yeo-jeong Jo)
• Cho Yeo-jeong at HanCinema
• Cho Yeo-jeong on Instagram