# Cho Jae-hyun

Cho Jae-hyun (born June 30, 1965) is a South Korean film, stage, and TV actor. He is commonly dubbed "director Kim Ki-duk's persona" since Cho has starred as leading and supporting characters in a number of films directed by Kim.

## Early years and education

Cho Jae-hyun was born in Gyeongju on June 30, 1965. He and his family lived in a poor neighborhood on the slopes of a hill until his father became successful with his restaurant business in the Jongno area, Seoul. In a 2002 interview with the film magazine Cine21, Cho said he was a rebellious boy wandering outside the home. He aspired to be a painter, so tried to enter an art high school but failed. When he entered another high school, Cho ran away from home to Busan. Cho worked as a waiter there, and studied on his own to pass a qualification exam equivalent to obtaining a high school diploma. However, Cho failed it, so returned to Seoul to finish his high school year.
Cho was admitted to study theater and film at Kyungsung University. Cho recollected he indulged himself in Busan's culture as a freshman and sophomore, then focused on theater for the rest of his university years. Cho said a question from his junior in school during his third summer break shook him to rethink about his future; "What would you do after the graduation from the school?" Cho said he felt shame at the time because he could not clearly answer the question. Therefore, Cho started dedicating himself to acting.

## Acting career

After graduation, Cho was selected as a TV actor by a public recruit of Korea Broadcasting System (KBS), and officially debuted as a professional actor by starring as the youngest brother of Yu In-chon in The Age of Ambition (야먕의 세월). But theater remained his main priority, as Cho and his friends established a theatrical company named "Jongak" (종각, literally "Bell Pavilion"), which produced several works on the stage such as Tricycles (세발자전거, 1989), Look Back in Anger (성난 얼굴로 돌아보라, 1990) and The Lovers of Woomook-baemi (우묵배미의 사랑, 1990). In 1991, Cho won Best New Actor in Theater at the Baeksang Arts Awards for his acting in Equus; he reinterpreted the leading role Alan Strang as an innocent person, though he is largely depicted as a cruel and rebellious character.
In 2009, Cho revisited Equus by directing the play and playing the other lead character Martin Dysart. This was part of the highly successful Yeongeuk Yeoljeon ("A Series of the Best Plays"), of which Cho was the programmer in 2008-2009. Cho was praised for reinvigorating the faltering local theater scene in Daehangno by coming up with the series and its star-studded casting, promotion and marketing.
In 2018, Cho starred as a doctor and head of an organ transplant centre in the medical TV series Cross opposite Go Kyung-pyo. However, on February 24, 2018, while the TV series was still being shot and aired, he was removed from the cast list following his admission of committing sexual harassment.

## Other activities

Cho is also the chairman of the Gyeonggi Film Council since 2009, executive festival director of the DMZ International Documentary Film Festival (DMZ Docs) since 2009, chairman of the Gyeonggi Arts Center since 2010, an associate professor at Sungshin Women's University's College of Convergence Culture and Arts since 2012, and an associate professor at Kyungsung University's Department of Theater and Film since 2014.

## Personal life

When Cho Jae-hyun was 24 years old in 1989, he married his college sweetheart who was an anchor for the campus channel. His son Cho Soo-hoon is a short track speed skater who won a gold medal in the 500 meter competition for male university students at the 2008 Korean National Winter Sports Festival, while his daughter Cho Hye-jung, who attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City, is also an actress.

### Sexual assault

On February 23, 2018, Cho Jae-hyun was accused of sexual misconduct by actress Choi Yul, who claimed that Cho had sexually assaulted her in the past. On February 24, Cho acknowledged the allegations.
In July 2018, a woman only known as "miss A" filed a lawsuit against Cho for 300 million ₩ as damages from an alleged sexual assault. The Seoul Central District Court ruled against her in January 2021.

## Filmography
### Film
#### As actor

| Year | Title | Role |
| 1988 | I Love You (short film) | |
| 1989 | Prostitute 2 | |
| 1990 | Man Market | |
| 1991 | Portrait of the Days of Youth | |
| 1992 | Sorrow Like a Withdrawn Dagger, Left My Heart | |
| 1995 | The Eternal Empire | |
| 1996 | Karuna | |
| 1996 | Crocodile | Crocodile |
| 1997 | Wind Echoing in My Being | Young man |
| 1997 | Wild Animals | Cheong-hae |
| 1998 | Girls' Night Out | Yong-jak |
| 1998 | Spring in My Hometown | |
| 1999 | The Face | Kim Jae-mok |
| 2000 | Interview | Byung-kwon |
| 2000 | The Isle | Mang-chi |
| 2001 | Prison World Cup | Question |
| 2001 | Address Unknown | Dog Eyes |
| 2001 | Bad Guy | Han-ki |
| 2003 | Sword in the Moon | Yoon Gyu-yup |
| 2004 | Mokpo the Harbor | Lee Su-cheol |
| 2004 | Father and Son: The Story of Mencius | Maeng Man-su |
| 2004 | Love, So Divine | Cathedral construction worker (cameo) |
| 2006 | The Romance | Hyeong-jun |
| 2006 | Hanbando | Choi Min-jae |
| 2007 | Puff the Rice (short film) | Jae-won |
| 2007 | Beyond the Years | Dong-ho |
| 2009 | Marine Boy | Kang |
| 2009 | The Executioner | Bae Jong-ho |
| 2010 | The Influence | King Gojong |
| 2011 | The Kick | Master Mun |
| 2012 | The Weight | Mr. Jung/Han Hae-woon |
| 2013 | El Condor Pasa | Father Park |
| 2013 | Moebius | Father |
| 2014 | The Fatal Encounter | Gwang-baek |
| 2015 | A Korean in Paris | Sang-ho |
| 2016 | Seondal: The Man Who Sells the River | Seong Dae-ryeon |

#### As director

| Year | Title | Notes |
| 2006 | "Standing in the Shade of a Tree-lined Road" by Yim Jae-beom | Music video |
| 2013 | 5th DMZ International Documentary Film Festival | Film festival trailer |
| 2013 | His Special Day | Documentary short |
| 2014 | 6th DMZ International Documentary Film Festival | Film festival trailer |
| 2015 | A Break Alone | Feature film; also credited as screenwriter |

### Television series

| Year | Title | Role |
| 1989 | The Tree of Love | |
| 1990 | Love on a Jujube Tree | |
| 1990 | The Age of Ambition | |
| 1993 | Drifting Myth | |
| 1993 | Woman's Man | |
| 1993 | Joy Amidst Sadness | |
| 1993 | Love and Friendship | |
| 1994 | MBC Best Theater – "A Meeting with the Perfect Man" | |
| 1994 | The Way to You | |
| 1994 | MBC Best Theater – "Human Decency" | |
| 1995 | One Fence | |
| 1995 | You Said You Love Me | |
| 1996 | Thief | |
| 1996 | Glorious Dawn | |
| 1997 | The Mountain | |
| 1997 | Passionate Love | |
| 1997 | Railing on Fire | |
| 1998 | Legendary Ambition | Ma Dal-soo |
| 1998 | Like the Wind, Like the Waves | |
| 1998 | MBC Best Theater – "Jeondeungsa" | |
| 1999 | You're One-of-a-Kind | |
| 1999 | School 2 | Cho Jae-hyun |
| 1999 | Happy Together | Jo Pil-doo |
| 1999 | Queen | Park Jang-soon |
| 1999 | Did We Really Love? | |
| 2000 | Juliet's Man | |
| 2000 | Rookie | Heo Jang-seok |
| 2000 | School 3 | |
| 2001 | Piano | Han Eok-kwan |
| 2003 | Snowman | Han Pil-seung |
| 2003 | Damo | (cameo) |
| 2005 | Hong Kong Express | Kang Min-soo |
| 2005 | Smile of Spring Day | Im Dae-beom |
| 2007 | New Heart | Choi Kang-gook |
| 2011 | Gyebaek | King Uija |
| 2012 | Syndrome | Cha Tae-jin |
| 2012 | Sent from Heaven | Geum Bo-hwa's ex-boyfriend (cameo) |
| 2013 | The Scandal | Ha Myung-geun |
| 2014 | Jeong Do-jeon | Jeong Do-jeon |
| 2014 | Punch | Lee Tae-joon |
| 2015 | Take Care of My Dad | Himself |
| 2015 | Assembly | (cameo, episode 1) |
| 2016 | The Master of Revenge | Kim Gil-do |
| 2016 | Solomon's Perjury | Han Kyung-moon |
| 2017 | Whisper | Lee Tae-joon |
| 2018 | Cross | Go Jung-hoon |

## Theater

| Year | Title | Role |
| 1991 | Equus | Alan Strang |
| 2004 | Equus | Alan Strang |
| 2007 | Kyung-sook, Kyung-sook's Father | Jo Jae-soo |
| 2008 | Educating Rita | Frank |
| 2008-2009 | Dandelions in the Wind | Ahn Jung-ki |
| 2009-2010 | Equus | Martin Dysart |
| 2011 | Dandelions in the Wind | Ahn Jung-ki |
| 2012 | Thursday Romance | Jeong-min |
| 2014-2015 | Educating Rita | Frank |
| 2016 | Blackbird | Ray |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result |
| 1991 | Baeksang Arts Awards | Best New Actor (Theater) | Equus | Won |
| 1992 | Blue Dragon Film Awards | Best New Actor | Sorrow Like a Withdrawn Dagger, Left My Heart | Won |
| 1993 | Baeksang Arts Awards | Best New Actor | Sorrow Like a Withdrawn Dagger, Left My Heart | Won |
| 1998 | Blue Dragon Film Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Girls' Night Out | Nominated |
| 1999 | SBS Drama Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Happy Together | Won |
| 1999 | KBS Drama Awards | Best Supporting Actor | | Won |
| 2001 | Busan Film Critics Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Address Unknown | Won |
| 2001 | SBS Drama Awards | Top Excellence Award, Actor | Piano | Won |
| 2001 | SBS Drama Awards | Top 10 Stars | Piano | Won |
| 2002 | Baeksang Arts Awards | Best Actor | Bad Guy | Won |
| 2003 | MBC Drama Awards | Special Acting Award | Snowman | Won |
| 2008 | Baeksang Arts Awards | Best Actor (TV) | New Heart | Nominated |
| 2008 | Korea Drama Awards | Top Excellence Award, Actor | New Heart | Nominated |
| 2008 | MBC Drama Awards | Top Excellence Award, Actor | New Heart | Won |
| 2008 | PCG Awards | Communicator of the Year | — | Won |
| 2011 | A Series of the Best Plays 3 Awards | Award for Excellence | Equus (as director) | Won |
| 2013 | Fantasia International Film Festival | Best Actor | The Weight | Won |
| 2013 | Sydney Intercultural Film Festival | Best Actor | The Weight | Won |
| 2013 | Grimae Awards | Best Actor | The Scandal | Won |
| 2013 | MBC Drama Awards | Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Special Project Drama | The Scandal | Nominated |
| 2013 | MBC Drama Awards | Golden Acting Award, Actor | The Scandal | Won |
| 2014 | Baeksang Arts Awards | Best Actor (TV) | Jeong Do-jeon | Won |
| 2014 | Korea Drama Awards | Grand Prize (Daesang) | Jeong Do-jeon | Nominated |
| 2014 | APAN Star Awards | Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Serial Drama | Jeong Do-jeon | Won |
| 2014 | KBS Drama Awards | Top Excellence Award, Actor | Jeong Do-jeon | Won |
| 2014 | KBS Drama Awards | Excellence Award, Actor in a Serial Drama | Jeong Do-jeon | Nominated |
| 2014 | KBS Drama Awards | PD Award | Jeong Do-jeon | Won |
| 2015 | Baeksang Arts Awards | Best Actor (TV) | Punch | Nominated |
| 2015 | Gwangju International Film Festival | Grand Prize (Daesang) | Punch | Won |
| 2015 | SBS Drama Awards | Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Drama Special | Punch | Won |
| 2015 | SBS Drama Awards | Top 10 Stars | Punch | Won |
| 2016 | KBS Drama Awards | Excellence Award, Actor in a Mid-length Drama | The Master of Revenge | Nominated |