Ever since Jung Jin Young got discharged from military duty in April, we’ve been anticipating his return to K-dramaland. Now, our wish has been granted, and he’ll be gracing the small screen in Police University this August! You might know Jin Young from his time in boy group B1A4, where he was the leader and frequent song producer. He’s so good at what he does that he has produced songs for other groups like Oh My Girl and I.O.I as well as drama OSTs. When he’s not immersed in music, Jin Young blesses us with his presence in dramas and films. Check out some of them below!
Early Projects
1. She Is Wow (2013)
This satirical drama tells the story of a married couple in the spotlight. Actress Jo Ah Ra (Oh Hyun Kyung) and announcer Gong Jung Han (Park Sung Woong) pretend to be the perfect couple in public, but their private life is a mess. Jin Young plays their troublemaker son, Min Kyu, who gets kicked out of school abroad and sent home. A lot of the show’s lighthearted and cute scenes feature Jin Young, and he charmed viewers with his mischievous yet innocent take on a rebellious son just looking for love from his parents.
2. Persevere, Goo Hae Ra (2013)
If you love musicals, this drama is for you. Featuring a cast filled with musicians like Ulala Session’s Park Kwang Sun and Super Junior’s Henry (and Jin Young, of course!), Persevere, Goo Hae Ra doesn’t scrimp on both colorful and emotional song numbers. The story revolves around struggling singer Hae Ra (Min Hyo Rin), who decides to audition for the survival music show Superstar K2. She is accompanied by her best friends, fraternal twins Se Chan (Jin Young) and Se Jong (Kwak Si Yang), who are both in love with her. We won’t spoil the plot, but we can guarantee that Jin Young will steal your heart!
3. Miss Granny (2014)
This award-winning film is so popular it has been remade several times (including in the Philippines, where Sarah Geronimo played the protagonist). It follows 74-year-old Oh Mal Soon (Na Moon Hee) who turns into her 20-year-old self (Shim Eun Kyung) after getting her picture taken at a mysterious photo studio. She renames herself Oh Doo Ri, and when she sings for some pensioners, she catches the attention of her grandson, Ji Ha (Jin Young), and his band, and a music producer named Seung Woo (Lee Jin Hee). Things get a little complicated when Ji Ha crushes on Doo Ri, not knowing who she really is.
4. Warm And Cozy (2015)
Lee Jung Joo (Kang So Ra) has worked hard all her life, but some things just don’t seem to go her way. When everything falls apart, she ends up on Jeju Island, where she meets easygoing restaurant owner Baek Gun Woo (Yoo Yoon Seok). Jin Young plays Jung Poong San, Gun Woo’s best friend and inevitable wingman when he starts falling for Jung Joo. Jin Young lends Poong San a charming, trustworthy air, and he becomes Gun Woo’s voice of reason as the drama goes along.
5. Love In The Moonlight (2016)
This historical drama is the coming-of-age tale of Crown Prince Lee Yeong (Park Bo Gum) who learns from his eunuch, Hong Sam Nom (Kim Yoo Jung), not knowing that he’s actually a woman named Ra On. Jin Young plays elegant scholar Kim Yoon Sung, who immediately figures out Sam Nom’s real identity and starts to fall for her. This is Jin Young’s breakout drama, catapulting him to fame in Korea as audiences quickly fell in love with his character and got second lead syndrome. He even won Best New Actor for his nuanced, often heartbreaking, portrayal of his role.
Recent Projects
6. The Dude In Me (2019)
Jin Young reunites with veteran actor Park Sung Woong (they worked together in She is Wow) in this fantasy comedy film. Sung Woong plays gangster Jang Pan Su, whose life changes when someone falls from a building and lands on him. He wakes up to find himself in the body of Kim Dong Hyun (Jin Young), a high school student who gets bullied in school. Everyone’s in for a surprise when “Dong Hyun” shows up in school with a brand-new attitude. You can tell Jin Young really had fun with this role, and it’s refreshing to see him showcase a different side of him.
7. My First First Love (2019)
This coming-of-age drama revolves around five friends and their experiences with first love. It starts with wealthy Tae-o (Ji Soo) who lives alone in his grandfather’s house. He has an on-and-off crush on his best friend since childhood, Song Yi (Jung Chae Yeon), that he never pursued. Things change when Tae Oh’s house becomes a share house for all his friends—including Song Yi. Jin Young plays cool and reliable Do Hyeon (we squeal every time he’s onscreen), Tae Oh's college friend and Song Yi's crush. His friendship with Tae Oh gets challenged when he pursues a relationship with Song Yi.
8. Police University (2021)
After two years of Jin Young drought, we’re ready to dive into his comeback drama airing this August. Police University is touted as a youth drama about the bond between a professor and his students. Actor Cha Tae Hyun plays Yoo Dong Man, a professor at National Police University. With 20 years of experience in the police under his belt, he’s ready to whip his students into shape. Jin Young plays criminal hacker Kang Seon Ho who doesn’t really have career plans but ends up in police uni. He has an ~interesting~ relationship with fellow freshman Oh Kang Hee (Krystal Jung), a student with a strong drive to succeed. Unlike Seon Ho, she has always dreamt of becoming a police officer.
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