Across her 20-year career, there’s a lot to tell about Gong Hyo Jin, who recently announced her marriage with a 10-year younger man.
Nicknamed “Korea’s rom-com queen”, famous actress Gong Hyo Jin recently announced that she will be getting married to the 10-year-younger singer Kevin Oh. She’s also the one who caught Son Ye Jin’s wedding bouquet, and below is a summary of this actress’ life.
Who is Gong Hyo Jin?
- Real name and stage name: Gong Hyo Jin
- Nicknames: Gongvely, rom-com queen, rating guarantor
- Date of Birth: April 4th, 1980
- Zodiac sign: Aries
- Hometown: Seoul, Korea
- Career: Actress
- Height: 173 cm
- Notable works: “Guns & Talks”, “Family Ties”, “Sisters on the Road”, “Door Lock”, “Master’s Sun”, “It’s Okay, That’s Love”, “Jealousy Incarnate”, “When the Camellia Blooms”, etc.
- Notable awards: Baeksang Arts Awards, Grand Bell Awards, Blue Dragon Film Awards
While not hailed as a “visual goddess” like other actresses from her generation, Gong Hyo Jin makes a deep impression on the Korean public thanks to her sheer talents and determination. The actress is also considered a “rating guarantor”, as all her projects, including “Thank You”, “The Greatest Love”, “Master’s Sun”, “It’s Okay, That’s Love”, “Jealousy Incarnate”, “When The Camellia Blooms”, and more, all achieve remarkable successes.
Gong Hyo Jin was born in 1980 in Seoul, South Korea. When she was a junior in high school, she moved to Australia with her mother and younger brother, while her father remained in Korea to support the family. Kong attended high school at John Paul College in Brisbane. After three years in Australia, the Gong family moved back to Korea in 1997 due to the IMF crisis.
The outstanding acting career of Gong Hyo Jin
Upon her return to Korea, Gong Hyo Jin first debuted in the Korean entertainment industry as a model. After a year and a half in this realm, she made her acting debut with a supporting role in the comedy film “Memento Mori”, which was co-directed by Kim Tae Yong and Min Kyu Dong. At that time, however, she had no plans to pursue acting, only to later become a shining star in this realm.
After playing several supporting characters, Gong Hyo Jin earned her first leading role in the 2001 K-drama “Wonderful Days”. Thanks to this project, she became the Best New Actress at the year’s Baeksang Arts Awards.
In later years, the actress made various appearances on both the big and small screens, with works like “Guns & Talks”, “Surprise Party”, “A Bizarre Love Triangle”, and “Conduct Zero”, though she did not earn much recognition. It was only until the success of “Sang Doo! Let’s Go to School”, did Gong Hyo Jin finally grab the public’s attention, earning multiple achievements at the KBS Drama Awards.
In the next 2 years, however, Gong Hyo Jin struggled to cement her position within the industry, often receiving criticisms for her “repeated roles and images”, without much improvement. In 2006, the actress managed to turn the situation around after reuniting with diretor Kim Taeyong and earning a role in the box office hit “Family Ties”. The movie ended up earning Gong Hyo Jin numerous nominations and awards for Best Actress, and even got her invited to the Thessaloniki International Film Festival, which was held in Greek and attended by other cast members like Kim Hye Ok, Moon So Ri, and Go Doo Shim.
Some notable works of the actress include “Thank You (2007)”, “Pasta (2010)”, “Master’s Sun (2013)”, “It’s Ok, That’s Love (2014)”, “Jealousy Incarnate (2016)”, “When the Camellia Blooms”, and more
Across her 20-year career, Gong Hyo Jin managed to make a deep impression with her acting abilities and versatile expressions. Her K-dramas were all major hits, earning her the title of “rating guarantor” and Korea’s “rom-com queen”
In 2024, Gong Hyo Jin is set to return to the Korean small screen in the tvN series “Ask the Stars”, where she will star alongside Lee Min Ho.
She is also confirmed for the upcoming Netflix K-drama “Queen of the Scene” (tentative title).
Gong Hyo Jin’s dating life
Famous as she is, Gong Hyo Jin’s dating life also attracts a lot of attention. In 2002, she announced her first public relationship with Ryu Seung Bum, who was her co-star in “Wonderful Days”.
In 2003, the couple parted ways and decided to be friends, only to rekindle their romance in 2006. They then reunited in various projects like “Family Ties”, “Dachimawa Lee”, and “Pasta”, and were often voted Korea’s most favorite couple. However, Korean media sites reported that they completely ended their relationship back in 2012.
In 2014, it was revealed that Gong Hyo Jin was in a relationship with Lee Jin Wook. However, in September of the same year, the couple’s agency announced their breakup.
Finally, in April 2022, Gong Hyo Jin and the American-Korean singer Kevin Oh confirmed that they were an item. Despite being 10 years younger, Kevin Oh found a soulmate within the actress, even saying that they need each other. The couple eventually tied the knot in a private ceremony on October 2022, signaling a happy ending for their love story.
