Choi Ji-woo (; born
Choi Mi-hyang on June 11, 1975 in
Paju,
Gyeonggi Province) is a
South Korean actress.
Career
Choi was first discovered when she won a talent audition organized by
MBC in 1994, and made her debut in the 1995
drama series War and Love, after which she adopted the stage name Choi Ji-woo. She also appeared in the popular drama
First Love, where she was first paired with actor
Bae Yong-joon.
In 2001, she gained popularity with her role as an orphaned girl suffering from leukemia in the series Beautiful Days, in which she starred alongside Lee Byung-hun. The following year she co-starred again with Bae Yong-joon in the KBS drama series Winter Sonata, directed by Yoon Seok-Ho. The second installment of Yoon's season dramas (also referred to as "Endless Love"), Winter Sonata was a phenomenal hit throughout Asia and has been credited as one of the initiators of the Korean Wave. As a result, Choi gained a wide Japanese following. She continued her success by appearing in the 2003 drama Stairway to Heaven with Kwon Sang-woo.
Choi then starred in the MBC weekend drama Air City, her first series in three years. In the series, she played Han Do-kyung, Chief Operating Officer of Incheon Airport, a role that required her to be multi-lingual. Afterwards she starred opposite Yoo Ji-tae in the SBS drama A Star's Lover, playing a top actress who falls in love with an ordinary man.
Choi received W48 million per episode of A Star's Lover, the highest salary for a Korean actress at the time (her record has since been broken by Go Hyun-jung's W55 million for the 2010 drama Daemul).
In 2009, she set up her own management company called C,JW Company.
Personal life
Choi majored in aerobic dance at Pusan Women's College. She enrolled in
Hanyang University's Department of Theater/Film and completed her first year; however she had to withdraw from college studies due to her hectic work schedule.
Choi dated her Air City co-star Lee Jin-wook. The couple broke up in 2011.
Filmography
Television drama
{| border="2" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 90%;"
|-style="background:#B0C4DE;"
! Year
! Title
! Role
|-
| 1995
|
War and Love
|
|-
|1996
|
First Love (KBS)
| Jang Seok-hee
|-
| 1997
|
Happiness is in Our Hearts (SBS)
|
|-
|1998
|
Love (MBC)
| Yoo Ji-young
|-
|rowspan=2|1999
|
Love In Three Colors
|
|-
|
Love Story - "Message" (SBS)
|
|-
|rowspan=2|2000
|
Truth (MBC)
| Lee Ja-young
|-
|
Mr. Duke (MBC)
| Jang Soo-jin
|-
| 2001
|
Beautiful Days (SBS)
| Kim Yeon-soo
|-
|rowspan=2|2002
|
We Are Dating Now (KBS)
| Ep. 15 cameo
|-
|
Winter Sonata (KBS)
| Jung Yoo-jin
|-
| rowspan=2| 2003
|
101st Proposal
|Li Shao Rong
|-
|''
Stairway to Heaven (SBS)
|Han Jung-suh
|-
|2004
|
Full House (KBS)
| Herself (ep. 3 cameo)
|-
| 2006
|
RONDO (TBS)
| Choi Yoon-Ah
|-
|2007
|
Air City (MBC)
| Han Do-kyung
|-
| 2008
|
A Star's Lover (SBS)
|Lee Ma-ri
|-
| 2009
|
Winter Sonata Anime
|Jung Yoo-jin (voice)
|-
| 2011
|
Fuyu no Sakura
|(Cameo)
|-
|}
Film
{| border="2" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 90%;"
|-style="background:#B0C4DE;"
! Year
! Title
! Role
|-
| 1996
|
The Adventures of Mrs Park
|
|-
| 1997
|
The Hole
|Su-jin
|-
| 1998
|
First Kiss
| Song Yeon-hwa
|-
| 1999
|
Nowhere to Hide
| Juyon
|-
|2002
|
The Romantic President
| Choi Eun-ju
|-
|2004
|
Everybody Has Secrets
| Han Seon-yeong
|-
|2005
|
Shadowless Sword
| (cameo)
|-
|2006
|
Now and Forever
| Han Hye-won
|-
|2009
|
Actresses
| Choi Ji-woo
|-
|}
Awards
2009: Busan tourism ambassador for the year 2010-2012
2009: South Korean Presidential commendation for promoting Korea's tourism
2009: Inducted into Star Hall of Fame at the Seoul Drama Awards
2006: Timeless Beauty Acting Award (Seoul)
2005: Korean Movies Association - Special Award
2005: 41st Baeksang Arts Awards - Special Hallyu Award
2004: 40th Baeksang Arts Awards - Popularity Award, TV category
2003: Golden Film Awards - Popularity Award
2003: SBS Drama Awards - Best Actress for Special Production Drama Stairway to Heaven
2003: SBS Drama Awards - Top 10 Stars Stairway to Heaven
2002: KBS Drama Awards - Popularity Award
2002: KBS Drama Awards - Best Actress Winter Sonata
2002: Best Dresser Awards - TV Talent category
2002: 38th Baeksang Arts Awards - Popularity Award
2001: SBS Drama Awards - Best Actress for Special Production Drama Beautiful Days
2001: SBS Drama Awards - Top 10 Stars Beautiful Days
2000: MBC Drama Awards - Best Actress Mr Duke
1999: Video Music Awards - Golden Video Best Actress For Your Soul
1998: 34th Baeksang Arts Awards - Best New Actress The Hole
1998: 21st Grand Bell Awards - Best New Actress The Hole
1995: Korean Isabelle Adjani Award
References
External links
Category:South Korean film actors
Category:South Korean television actors
Category:South Korean female models
Category:South Korean Presbyterians
Category:People from Busan
Category:1975 births
Category:Living people
![Choi Ji woo & Yoon sang hyun [Showbiz Korea]](http://web.archive.org./web/20110831003605im_/http://i.ytimg.com/vi/V9aMM1B-EWw/0.jpg "Choi Ji woo & Yoon sang hyun [Showbiz Korea]")
![[Thai Sub] Live Commentary of Yoon Sang Hyun & Choi Ji Woo @ Jamsil Baseball Stadium 20110806](http://web.archive.org./web/20110831003605im_/http://i.ytimg.com/vi/aJRcNXNsh_k/0.jpg "[Thai Sub] Live Commentary of Yoon Sang Hyun & Choi Ji Woo @ Jamsil Baseball Stadium 20110806")
![[news] Choi Ji Woo, lee jin wook broke up ('충격' 최지우-이진욱 3년 만에 결별)](http://web.archive.org./web/20110831003605im_/http://i.ytimg.com/vi/4jrQDgZmXe4/0.jpg "[news] Choi Ji Woo, lee jin wook broke up ('충격' 최지우-이진욱 3년 만에 결별)")
