Kim Jeong-hoon

Biography

Kim Jeong-hoon (Korean: 김정훈; born January 20, 1980), also known by his stage name John Hoon, is a South Korean singer and actor. He initially rose to fame as a member of South Korean duo UN debuting with the single Voice Mail in 2000. After the duo disbanded in 2005, his fame increased as an actor starring in Princess Hours, a drama based on a manhwa.

Career

He debuted as a member of Korean duo UN in 2000, an acronym for "United N-generation". After six years of success, the duo officially announced that they were disbanding in September 2005, and Kim announced that he was going to pursue an acting career instead. Kim had stated that the conditions of the Korean music industry prevented him from pursuing music he truly wanted to do.
He originally wanted to be a laboratory researcher. Kim did not realize that he would become an actor and singer. By 2005 he had already begun starring in Korean dramas, such as sitcom Orange and A Man and a Woman in 2004. However Kim Jeong-hoon made his major break through when he starred in the hit MBC drama Princess Hours alongside Yoon Eun-hye and Ju Ji-hoon. Kim played the role of Yul, a caring and gentle 19-year-old who is second in line to become the crown prince and has returned to Korea to reclaim the two things that were snatched from him after his father's death: the title of crown prince and the crown princess who was initially supposed to marry him. He had said his final dream is to become a renowned movie director.
On April 28, 2009, he left the public for mandatory military service of two years. 80000 of Kim Jeong-hoon's fans from Japan, Korea, Turkey and China gathered to see him off to serve the country.
After serving two years in military, Kim returned to civilian life on February 28, 2011. He has appeared in a number of dramas and shows upon his return. In 2016, Kim was cast in the Chinese drama God of War, Zhao Yun along with Girls' Generation's YoonA. Kim portrayed Gao Ze, a love interest of YoonA's character in a love triangle. That was his first historical drama.

Education

Kim attended Seoul National University and took up Dentistry but decided to drop out to focus on his acting career. Later on, he enrolled in Chung-Ang University, where he majored in acting.

Ambassadorship

2003 UN (United Nations) Public Relations Ambassador
2005 'Korea Drama Festival 2005' Ambassador
2006 10th Seoul International Manga and Animation Festival (SICAF) Ambassador
2007 International Broadcasting Video Sample (STVF 2007) Korean Drama Ambassador