Jo Han-chul (; born June 13, 1973) is a South Korean actor. After two decades in the industry, his breakthrough came in 2018 with a role as an afterlife prosecutor in Kim Yong-hwa's ten-million-viewer film Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days, and in the historical drama 100 Days My Prince.
Jo Han-chul debuted in the play One Room in 1998 and was active in theater for a long time. Subsequently, he moved between television dramas and films, primarily playing supporting roles. He is also known for his supporting roles in numerous high-rated television dramas, including Vincenzo (2021), Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha (2021), Jirisan (2021), Reborn Rich (2022), Gyeongseong Creature (2024) and Love Next Door (2024).
Early life and education Jo Han-cheol first aspired to become an actor during his third year of middle school after attending a theatrical production in Daehangno. He later attended Cheongju University, where he earned an undergraduate degree in Film Directing from the Department of Theatre and Film. He continued his academic studies at the Korea National University of Arts, receiving a master's degree in acting. His graduation thesis, titled "Research on Film Acting in relation to the unique characteristics of media in films, with a critical examination of American method acting," focused on the intersection of media-specific performance and traditional acting techniques.
Career Jo debuted as a theater actor in 1998 in the play One Room. A year later, he made his first appearance in a movie with a small role in Peppermint Candy. He has appeared in various other films, including Theatrical Exhibition, Ask the One Who Can, The Most Beautiful Breakup in the World, Moby Dick, Yeonga City, Scary Story, Feng Shui, 48 Meters, Wonderful Woman, Scandal: A Very Shocking and Immoral Incident, Hide and Seek, and The Five.
In 2008, Jo joined the encore performance of Park Su-jin's play Applause for Juliet, directed by Min Bok-ki. The play, which originally premiered in 2004, received acclaim for its vibrant dialogue and imaginative storytelling. Jo portrayed Seok-dong (Hamlet), alongside Lee Jin-hee as Seon-jeong (Ophelia), Min-ho as Romeo, and Bok-soon as Juliet. The play explores a complex web of conflicting love in a contemporary setting that combines elements of Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet.
After two decades in the industry, Jo's breakthrough came with his portrayal of an afterlife prosecutor in the box office hit Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days. He was not the first choice for this role, having replaced Oh Dal-su, who withdrew from the film. That same year, Jo also achieved a significant breakthrough in television dramas by playing the role of a king in 100 Days My Prince. He was cast as a replacement for Yoon Tae-young. The 2018 tvN historical drama is ranked among the highest-rated Korean dramas on cable television.
Jo had a role in the romance film Even If This Love Disappears From the World Tonight directed by Kim Hye-young, based on the novel of the same name. It was released theatrically on Christmas Eve 2025, and is also available to stream on Netflix since February 2026.
Other activities He served as an instructor in applied acting classes at the Department of Theatre and Film at Dankook University. He was also an acting teacher and previously worked as an instructor at SM Entertainment.
Personal life In 2015, Jo announced that he and his wife were celebrating their 15th wedding anniversary. At the time of the announcement, the couple has two children: a son, who was in his first year of middle school and a daughter, then in the fifth grade of elementary school. Jo's wife, Kang Ki-jeong, is one year his junior and was a childhood acquaintance from the same neighborhood. The two reunited at age 28 and married after a three month courtship. Jo has stated that their frequent interactions provided a sense of comfort that influenced his decision to marry. While Jo focused on his acting career, Kang transitioned from fashion design to the creation of stage costumes for theatrical and musical productions. She remains an active figure in the Daehangno theater district.
Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 1999 Peppermint Candy 2005 Tale of Cinema Sang Won's older brother 2006 Sundays in August Tae Jin 2007 Milky Way Liberation Front Off Road Sang-Hoon 2010 Read My Lips Pastor Jo Finding Mr. Destiny Yun-Chool 2011 The Last Blossom Chief Director of Jungchul Hospital Moby Dick Park Jeong Gil 2012 Deranged Researcher Horror Stories Army doctor Romance Joe Director Lee All About My Wife Public officer at divorce court 2013 48m Jo Han-Cheol Hide and Seek Jung-Nam Red Family Loan shark The Five Kim Sung Il Steel Cold Winter Doctor 2014 Remarkable Woman Cafe employee Sookhee Professor Yun Super Virgin 2015 The Treacherous Park Won-jong 2016 The Wailing Detective 1 Horror Stories III Survival Earth Armed Forces Luck Key Il-Sung Pandora President of Shimwon E&C Papa Zombie Gong Han-cheol 2017 The Mayor Yang Jin-joo's campaign manager Heart Blackened Jung Seung-Gil 2018 The Pension Choo-Ho Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days Prosecutor Default Lee Dae-Hwan 2019 Romang Jo Jin-soo Juror 8 Choi Yeong-jae Cheer Up, Mr. Lee Duk Goo Black Money Kim Nam-gyu Ashfall Colonel 2020 Honest Candidate Nam Yong-Sung The Day I Died: Unclosed Case Lawyer Oh 2021 Three Sisters Dong-Wook New Year Blues CEO Yoon Sweet & Sour Patient Netflix film The Cursed: Dead Man's Prey Park Yong-Ho Heaven: To the Land of Happiness 2023 The Moon Minister of Science and Technology 2024 My Name Is Loh Kiwan Yoon-seong Netflix film 2026 The Ultimate Duo Min-ho
Television series Year Title Role Notes 2007 New Heart Cleveland clinic surgeon 2009 Iris Captain Jung 2012–2013 The Great Seer Moo-Young 2013 She is Wow! Hyeon Sang-Beom The Scandal Shin Kang-Ho 2014 High School King of Savvy Kim Chang-Soo 2014–2015 Healer Yoon Dong-Won 2015 Flower of Queen Kim Do-Shin The Producers Secretary Kim My Beautiful Bride Park Tae-Gyu Oh My Ghost Doctor Hong Cameo (Episode 5) The Village: Achiara's Secret Detective Choi 2016 My Lawyer, Mr. Jo Kim Tae-Jung 2017 Tomorrow, with You Doo-Sik Criminal Minds Jang Ki-Tae 2018 Mother Chang-Geun 100 Days My Prince King Feel Good to Die Yoon Dong-Chan 2019 Romance Is a Bonus Book''' | Bong Ji-hong | | style="text-align:center" | |- | Kill It| Ko Hyun-Woo | | style="text-align:center" | |- | Perfume| Kim Tae-Joon | | style="text-align:center" | |- ! scope="row" rowspan="4" | 2020 | Nobody Knows| Yoon Hee-seob | | style="text-align:center" | |- | Memorist| Jin Jae-Gyu | | style="text-align:center" | |- | Kkondae Intern| Ramen shop man | Cameo (Episode 7, 11, 18) | style="text-align:center" | |- | Once Again| Jo Won-Chul | Cameo | style="text-align:center" | |- ! scope="row" rowspan="4" | 2021 | Hello, Me!| Store manager | Cameo (Episode 1–2) | style="text-align:center" | |- | Vincenzo| Han Seung-Hyeok | | style="text-align:center" | |- | Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha| Oh Chun-jae | | style="text-align:center" | |- | Jirisan| Park Il-hae | | style="text-align:center" | |- ! scope="row" rowspan="3" | 2022 | Love All Play| Lee Tae-sang | | style="text-align:center" | |- | The Law Cafe| Lee Pyun-woong | | style="text-align:center" | |- | Reborn Rich| Jin Dong-ki | | style="text-align:center" | |- ! scope="row" rowspan="2" | 2023 | Stealer: The Treasure Keeper| Jang Tae-in | | style="text-align:center" | |- | The Matchmakers| The King | | style="text-align:center" | |- ! scope="row" rowspan="2" |2024 |The Auditors|Pyeon In-Ho (ep.5-6) | |style="text-align:center" | |- | Love Next Door| Bae Geun-sik | | style="text-align:center" | |- ! rowspan="3" scope="row" | 2025 | Spring of Youth| Jo Sang-heon | | style="text-align:center" | |- | S Line| Kim Byeong-cheol | Special appearance (Episode 3)
| Heroes Next Door'' Kim Seok-jun
Web series Year Title Role Notes 2014 Prominent Woman Cafe employee Flirty Boy and Girl Workaholic / Man #1 Main Role 2018 Top Management President Baek Cameo 2020 Kingdom Won Yu Season 2 2022 The Sound of Magic Yoon Ah-yi's father Weak Hero Class 1 Beom-seok's father Special Appearance Big Bet Kim Gye-jang 2023 Race Song Seon-tae 2023–2024 Gyeongseong Creature Yoon Joong-won Season 1–2 2024 Queen Woo Woo Do 2025 Mercy for None Seong-cheol
Television show Year Title Role English Korean 2007 Actors' Association 배우반상회 Cast member
Music video appearances + Year Title Artist(s) 2004 "Misty Moon" Lim Hyung-joo
Stage Theater + Theater performances Year Title Role Theater Date English Korean 1998 One Room 원룸 colspan="3" 1999 Mount Obong is on Fire 오봉산 불지르다 Hwang Geochang's son, male Egg and Nucleus Small Theater April 20 – May 9 2001 Barbarian Woman Ongnyeo 오랑캐 여자 옹녀 Gangsoe Korea National University of Arts Arts Theater May 17–19 2002 Korean Wooturi 우리나라 우투리 Seoul Arts Center free small theater August 23 – September 1 2004 Between Coolness and Passion 냉정과 열정사이 Jun-sei Daehakro Installation Theater Jeongmiso Mar 11 – May 9 2005 (2005) Asian Theater Directors Workshop; person who comes to mind (2005) 아시아연극연출가워크샵; 생각나는 사람 Jo Han-chul Polymedia Theater April 13–15 2005 Assassin Fever 밀크우드 Arko Arts Theater Small Theater Oct 4–7 2006 Joseon Coalition Scandal Hoya 조선 연정 스캔들 호야 King Miryang Theater Village July 21 – Aug 1 Milkwood 자객열전 Cultural Arts Promotion Agency Arts Theater February 11–27 2007 The Cockscomb Flower 맨드라미꽃 Joo-hye Daehangno Black Box Theater Jan 12–28 The Crucible 시련 Pastor John Hale Seoul Arts Center CJ Towol Theater April 11–29 Melodrama 멜로드라마 Kim Chan-il Daehak-ro T.O.M. Hall 2 Sep 6 – Dec 31 2008 Applause for Julie 줄리에게 박수를 Hamlet (Seokdong) Doosan Art Center Space111 March 8 – May 5 Melodrama 멜로드라마 Kim Chan-il Daehak-ro T.O.M. Hall 2 Sep 5 – Nov 2 Joseon Coalition Scandal Hoya 조선 연정 스캔들 호야 Man Daehakro Theater Nov 14–30 2010 Hoya 호야(好夜) King Namsan Arts Center Jan 23–31 Tournament 토너먼트 Im Jin-taek (second son) LG Art Center April 20–25 2017 His and Her Thursday 그와 그녀의 목요일 Jung-min Daehak-ro Dream Art Center Building 2 July 22 – Aug 20
Musical + List of musical work(s) Year Title Role Theater Date English Korean 2006 March! Waikiki Brothers 행진! 와이키키 브라더스 Byeon Gang-su National Theater Haeoreum Theater March 3 – April 9 2007 Hard Rock Cafe - Lost In Paradise 하드락 카페 - Lost In Paradise Hwang Sajang the National Museum of Korea Jan 6 – Feb 16 2008 New March, Waikiki! 新행진, 와이키키! Byeon Gang-su National Theater Haeoreum Theater June 7–15 Daejeon Arts Center Art Hall June 27–29 Seongnam Art Center Opera House July 4–6 2009 National Theater Haeoreum Theater Feb 8 – March 11 Hero 영웅 Man LG Art Center Oct 26 – Dec 31
Discography Soundtrack appearances Title Year Album Notes "Exercise at the Moonlit Night"() 2021 Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha OST Disc 1 As Oh Yoon, a singer, his role in the drama. "The Beginning of the End" ()
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 APAN Star Awards 2023 Excellence Award, Actor in a Miniseries Reborn Rich, Stealer: The Treasure Keeper KBS Drama Awards 2022 Best Supporting Actor Love All Play, The Law Cafe 2023 The Matchmakers
References
External links
Jo Han-chul at Daum Encyclopedia Jo Han-chul at Movie Daum Jo Han-chul at Naver Jo Han-chul at Play DB Jo Han-chul at Noon Company