Jin-mo Ju's fascination with acting began at the tender age of ten, when he watched Richard Gere in the iconic film "Officer and a Gentleman". After graduating from Koyang High School, Ju enrolled in Incheon National University as a physical education major, only to later enter South Korea's mandatory military service.
Following his military stint, Ju pursued a career in civil service, spending most of his time at the library studying for the civil service exam. However, it was during this period that a relative connected to the modeling business suggested Ju take photos for a modeling job to supplement his income. This led to a series of modeling gigs, which ultimately resulted in Ju being cast as an extra in a Bacchus Energy Drink commercial in 1997.
The original lead actor's difficulties on set led to Ju being selected by the director to star in the commercial, and it was during this filming that the director praised Ju's voice, encouraging him to pursue acting professionally. Ju then began working backstage at a theater, handing out pamphlets and closing curtains, before eventually becoming a member of the theater company and commencing his formal training as an actor.
It was during this time that Ju had the opportunity to witness and be inspired by the legendary South Korean actor Min-sik Choi, who performed on stage at the theater company.
In 1999, Ju made his film debut as the lead in "Dance Dance", followed by a role in the erotic thriller "Happy End" alongside Min-sik Choi and Do-yeon Jeon, which earned him the best supporting actor award at the Grand Bell awards in 2000.
Ju's subsequent roles included a TV mini-series, "Sad Temptation", about a young homosexual man, for which he received a nomination for the 36th Baeksang Arts Awards as the best new actor, and an experimental film, "Real Fiction", directed by Kim Ki Duk.
In 2001, Ju was cast as Choi Jung in the big-budget historical action film "Musa", alongside Korean superstar Woo-sung Jung and Chinese actress Ziyi Zhang. He then starred in the film "Wanee & Junah" in 2001, before facing difficult times professionally due to a lack of funding for his next two lead roles.
Ju subsequently took on a series of roles in television series, including "Punch", "Bichunmoo", "Fashion 70's", and "The Queen of the Game". His next two film roles were in the comedy "Liar" and "200 Pounds Beauty", which became a box office hit.
Ju's next film role was in the 2007 melodrama "Sarang", for which he achieved great critical success and earned two awards at the 28th Blue Dragon Film Awards as Best Actor and for Popular Star.
In 2008, Ju starred in Ha Yoo's "A Frozen Flower", a historical drama that earned him critical acclaim and a box office hit. His performance as the love-torn King also garnered him the best actor award at the 45th Baeksang Arts Awards, beating out veteran Korean film actor Kang-ho Song.
In 2010, Ju starred in "A Better Tomorrow", a remake of John Woo's 1986 smash hit of the same name. He then appeared in the historical film "Russian Coffee" in 2012 and in the historical TV series "Empress Ki" and the gangster film "Chingu 2" in 2013, alongside popular Korean actress Ji-Won Ha.
