Personal details
Born:
- Birthday: 1947-06-19
- Born Place: Gaeseong, Gyeonggi, Korea
Also Known As:
윤여정, Youn Yuhjung, Yoon Yeo-jeong, Yoon Yeo-jung, Yoon Yuh-jung, Yun Yeo-jeong, 尹汝貞, 尹汝贞, یون یو-جونگ
Youn Yuh-jung
Youn Yuh-jung (윤여정) is a celebrated South Korean actress whose career spans over five decades, marked by her candid performances and trailblazing achievements in the entertainment industry. Born on June 19, 1947, in Kaesong, Korea, she began her acting journey in 1966, debuting in television and quickly rising to prominence with her role in the 1971 film Woman of Fire, which earned her the Best Actress award at the Sitges Film Festival . After marrying singer Jo Young-nam in 1974, Youn moved to the United States and took a hiatus from acting to raise her two sons. She returned to South Korea in the mid-1980s and resumed her acting career, becoming known for her roles in acclaimed films such as The Housemaid (2010), The Taste of Money (2012), The Bacchus Lady (2016), and Canola (2016) . Youn gained international acclaim for her portrayal of Soon-ja, a Korean-American grandmother, in the 2020 film Minari. Her performance earned her numerous accolades, including the Academy Award, Screen Actors Guild Award, British Academy Film Award, and Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Actress, making her the first Korean actress to win an Oscar in this category . Beyond her film career, Youn has been a prominent figure in South Korean television, starring in popular dramas such as Men of the Bath House (1995), Be Strong, Geum-soon! (2005), Daughters-in-Law (2007), My Husband Got a Family (2012), and Dear My Friends (2016). In 2022, she appeared in the Apple TV+ series Pachinko, further solidifying her status as a versatile and respected actress . Youn's accolades also include being named one of TIME magazine's 100 Most Influential People in the World in 2021 and receiving the Golden Crown Order of Cultural Merit from the South Korean government in recognition of her contributions to the arts.
