Gong Ji-cheol was born on July 10, 1979, inBusan, South Korea. He is the second child and only son of Gong Won and Yoo Myung-joo. His father attended Busan Sango, a baseball academy, and was a manager of theLotte Giants from 1983 to 1985.[4] Gong attended Dongin High School, and pursued undergraduate studies atKyung Hee University's Department of Theater and Film.[5][6]
A 1996 edition ofGokbu Gong clan'sgenealogy book in Korea recorded the ancestry of Gong Yoo, under the name "Gong Ji-cheol", who was listed as a 79th-generation descendant of ancient Chinese philosopherConfucius; his mother'sbongwan isPaechon, from a cadet branch of theGangneung Yoo clan, who claimed to beGoryeo descendants ofEmperor Gaozu of theHan dynasty.[7][8] In 2009, the 5th revision ofConfucius' family tree was published in China; however, while thousands of Korean members from the Gokbu Gong clan are included, Gong Yoo and his relatives are not listed in this official genealogy book.[9]
Gong Yoo graduated fromKyung Hee University with a B.A. degree in theater.[10] In 2000, he started his show business career as a video jockey onMnet and debuted as an actor in the TV seriesSchool 4 in 2001.[11][unreliable source?] Thereafter, Gong did a number of supporting roles in dramas and movies and also hosted the music programMusic Camp in 2004.[12]
Gong was then cast inMBC's romantic comedyCoffee Prince, which became his breakout role. The popularity of the drama not only solidified his status as a leading man, but also made him ahallyu star.[15][16]
On January 14, 2008, Gong enlisted for the mandatory service, and was discharged on December 8, 2009.[17][18] He did eight months of frontline active service inCheorwon and was transferred to the Defense Media Agency, where he served in the public relations department and hosted as a DJ for the army radio station.[19]
He made his comeback in the romantic comedyFinding Mr. Destiny, which was a medium box office hit in Korea.[20][21]
He then initiated and pursued the production of a theatrical adaptation ofGong Ji-young's novelThe Crucible, a congratulatory gift from his senior for his promotion during enlistment.[22][23] This movie was internationally released under the titleSilenced. Upon its release on September 22, 2011, the film sparked public outrage.[24] This led to a reopening of the investigations into the incidents on which the novel and film are based. Public demand for legislative reform reached theNational Assembly, where a revised bill to target sex crimes against minors and the disabled, dubbed the Dogani Bill[25] after the Korean title of the film, was successfully passed in late October 2011.[26]
Gong then starred oppositeLee Min-jung in the romantic-comedy seriesBig written by theHong sisters.[27] The drama was well received, although it was criticized for its ending.[28]
Gong in December 2013
In 2013, he returned to the big screen after a two-year gap in the movieThe Suspect. He played an elite North Korean spy who defects after being betrayed by his country.[29][30]
In November 2013, Gong was appointed as a special representative of theUnited Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in Korea, in conjunction with a celebration of the 24th year since theConvention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) was adopted. Following his appointment, he has visited countries around the world to raise awareness of the situation of children in underdeveloped countries.[31]
On July 7, 2014, Gong was named as an ambassador for the National Tax Service (NTS), alongside actressHa Ji-won. The pair modeled for promotional posters and took part in street campaigns that encourage honest tax payment in support of the NTS.[32]
Gong experienced a new high in his career with consecutive hit works in 2016.[33] His first film in 2016 was the melodramaA Man and a Woman alongsideJeon Do-yeon.[34][35] He then starred in the hugely successful zombie blockbusterTrain to Busan,[36] which surpassed 11 million admissions in South Korea.[37] Also that year, he starred in another box office hitThe Age of Shadows,[38] which surpassed 6 million admissions in two weeks.[39]
In 2021, Gong starred inLee Yong-ju's action thriller filmSeo Bok alongsidePark Bo-gum. Gong plays a former intelligence agent who is caught up in the chase of catching the first human clone to uncover the secret to eternal life.[44][45] Later that year, he appeared asthe Recruiter (a.k.a. the Salesman) inthe first season ofSquid Game, a role he reprised in the first episode ofthe second season in 2024. His brief appearance in the second season received positive reviews from fans on social media.[46]
In December 2021, Gong appeared as team leader Han Yoon-jae alongsideBae Doona,Lee Joon,Kim Sun-young, and others in theNetflix original sci-fi thriller seriesThe Silent Sea. Set in a distant dystopian future where Earth faces acute water shortage, the series follows an expedition team to an abandoned station on the moon. The fan response to the series was mixed, but it topped Netflix's global charts to become the most-watched non-English series in its second week.[47] TheForbes review called it one of Netflix's "best sci-fi series to date."[48]
In 2024, Gong starred in the South Korean television seriesThe Trunk, a mystery melodrama based on the novel of the same name by Kim Ryeo-ryeong.[49]
^abKim, Mi-hwa (July 17, 2023).공유X서현진, 부부 됐다..넷플릭스 '트렁크' 캐스팅 [공식] [Gong Yoo X Seo Hyun-jin became a couple..Netflix 'Trunk' Casting [Official]] (in Korean).Star News.Archived from the original on July 17, 2023. RetrievedJuly 17, 2023 – viaNaver.
^Choi, Dong-gyu (March 17, 2005).자신의 위치에서 최선을 다하는 멋진 남자. 공유.Movist (in Korean).Archived from the original on February 23, 2015. RetrievedAugust 30, 2013.
^Lee Ye-eun (July 21, 2020).[공식입장] 공유 측 "넷플릭스 '오징어 게임' 특별 출연…'도가니' 감독과의 인연" [[Official Position] Gong Yoo's side "Special appearance on Netflix's 'Squid Game'… A relationship with the director of 'The Crucible'"].MyDaily (in Korean).Naver.Archived from the original on November 1, 2020. RetrievedAugust 12, 2021.
^Kim Joon-seok (June 18, 2023).'오징어 게임2' 이정재·이병헌·공유→임시완·강하늘·양동근 캐스팅 확정[공식] ['Squid Game 2' Lee Jung-jae, Lee Byung-hun, Gong Yoo → Im Si-wan, Kang Ha-neul, Yang Dong-geun cast confirmed [Official]] (in Korean).Sports Chosun.Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. RetrievedJune 18, 2023 – viaNaver.
^Cho, Deuk-jin; Yang, Mi-sun (February 23, 2017).박보검·송중기 한국 최고 파워 셀러브리티 [Park Bo-gum·Song Joong-ki Korea's best power celebrity].JoongAng Ilbo (in Korean).Archived from the original on February 27, 2017. RetrievedMay 22, 2021 – via Joins.
^Yang, Mi-sun (March 23, 2018).한국 연예계의 세대교체 [Generational change in Korean entertainment industry].JoongAng Ilbo (in Korean).Archived from the original on March 27, 2018. RetrievedMay 21, 2021 – via Joins.
^Lee, Hye-in (April 28, 2025).떠오르는 K셀럽 신흥 강자.Forbes Korea (in Korean).Archived from the original on May 1, 2025. RetrievedMay 3, 2025.
^"2009~2019 한국영화 배우 흥행 파워 11위~20위" [2009~2019 Korean movie actor box office power 11th to 20th].thescreen.co.kr.Archived from the original on October 30, 2023. RetrievedOctober 30, 2023.
