Go Youn-jung

Go Youn-jung (; born on April 22, 1996) is a South Korean actress and model. She had her breakthrough with her debut film The Hunt and streaming series Moving (2023), both of which earned her several accolades.

Go made her acting debut in the television series He Is Psychometric (2019) and gained recognition for her supporting roles in Netflix production Sweet Home (2020) and Law School (2021). She then transitioned into leading roles with the second season of Alchemy of Souls (2022–2023), Resident Playbook (2025), and Can This Love Be Translated? (2026).

Early life and education Go was born on April 22, 1996, in Seoul, South Korea, and attended Seoul Women's University, where she studied contemporary art. During her college years, Go accepted a request to model for a photoshoot from a senior in the Department of Photography. This eventually led her to apply to lifestyle magazine , where she was chosen as the cover model for issue 771. Following her cover feature, she received numerous casting offers from entertainment agencies, all of which she initially declined.

Career 2019–2021: Beginnings After graduating from Seoul Women's University, she joined MAA Entertainment as a model and actress. She began her career by modeling for various commercials, including those for Nike, Armani, Ritz Crackers, and SK Telecom. Go earned income through modeling and used the funds to finance acting lessons. After approximately six months of training, she participated in the final audition for the film Parasite in what was her first attempt at a professional role, but she was not selected. This experience reportedly motivated her to commit seriously to acting.

In 2020, Go made a cameo in the Netflix original series The School Nurse Files, as Choi Yoo-jin, one of the students. That same year, she appeared in the Netflix original series Sweet Home as Park Yu-ri, the caregiver of a terminally-ill senior, An Gil-seob (played by Kim Kap-soo). Sweet Home significant global achievement, peaking at number one on Netflix charts in eight Asian countries and number three globally, expanding Go's industry visibility. Go and her fellow actresses were praised for breaking stereotypes of female characters.

In 2021, Go starred as Jeon Ye-seul in Law School, earning acknowledgment for her portrayal of a law student who suffered dating violence. In March 2021, she was cast in her first feature film, a South Korean espionage action thriller film titled Hunt. She was reported to be making a special appearance in the tvN period fantasy series Alchemy of Souls,

2022–present: Breakthrough and transition to lead roles When the film Hunt had its world premiere at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival in the Midnight Screenings section on May 19, 2022, Go officially made her cinema debut. The film was the feature directorial debut of Lee Jung-jae, who also starred in the film alongside Jung Woo-sung. Her performance as Joo Yoo-jeong garnered critical acclaim, leading to nominations for Best New Actress at the 31st Buil Film Awards,

In 2023, Go starred in two streaming series. Moving was broadcast on Disney+ from August 9 to September 20, 2023, where she played Jang Hui-soo, a character who inherits superpowers and possesses healing abilities and superhuman strength. For her role, Go received the Best New Actress Award at the 2023 Asia Contents Awards & Global OTT Awards That same year, she made a special appearance in Death's Game which aired on TVING in December.

In 2024, Go worked on two series. She completed filming for the tvN drama Resident Playbook, a spin-off of Hospital Playlist, where she was cast as Oh Yi-young, a first-year obstetrics and gynaecology resident at Jongno Yulje Hospital. While its release was initially set for April 2024, the drama faced a one-year broadcast postponement due to a nationwide medical strike. Following its eventual premiere on, April 12, 2025, Go received praise for her performance and character development. Her performance also led her to rank first on the Good Data Corporation's top 10 list of the most buzzworthy actors in TV-OTT drama for four consecutive weeks, from the third week of April to the second week of May 2025, which later earned her the Best Actress (Television) title at the institution's 2025 FUNdex Awards.

From June 2024 to February 2025, she filmed the Netflix series Can This Love Be Translated?, directed by Yoo Young-eun. The series marked her first lead role in the genre and reunited her with screenwriters the Hong sisters. She portrayed a dual role: Cha Mu-hee, a top actress, and Do Ra-mi, an alter ego who intermittently takes over Mu-hee's consciousness. The series, which centers on her romance with multilingual interpreter Joo Ho-jin (played by Kim Seon-ho), premiered on January 16, 2026.

In April 2025, it was announced that Go would star in the drama We Are All Trying Here, written by Park Hae-young. Directed by Cha Yeong-hoon, principal photography began in October 2025. It aired on JTBC from April 18, to May 24, 2026. In 2026, Go expanded her work into variety programming by joining the regular cast of The Secret Friends Club. She appeared in five episodes during the show's second part, beginning in February.

Endorsements In 2021, Go was named the ambassador for the French luxury jewelry house Boucheron. In November 2022, she became the brand muse for Marithé et François Girbaud.

Her commercial work in 2023 included advertisements for Dior in February, followed by roles as an advertising model for the Philippine clothing brand Penshoppe, Carrot Insurance, outdoor clothing brand Discovery Expedition, and Ryo Hair. In 2024, Go signed endorsement contracts with the hair brand Vodana, chicken franchise Puradak Chicken and NH Nonghyup Bank. In April, she appeared in a commercial for the hangover relief drink Sangkwaehwan Booster Zero. In May, she attended Chanel's 2024/25 Cruise Collection show held in Marseille, France, marking her first Chanel show after being selected as a brand ambassador. In January 2025, she was chosen as the new muse for the jewelry brand Didier Dubot.

Public image Since 2021, Go has been described by South Korean media using the sobriquets "face genius" and "MZ Troika".

Filmography Film

Television series + Year Title Role Notes 2019 He Is Psychometric Kim So-hyun 2020 The School Nurse Files Choi Yoo-jin Cameo 2020–2023 Sweet Home Park Yu-ri Supporting role (season 1)Cameo (season 2) 2021 Law School Jeon Ye-seul 2022 Rookie Cops Blind date's profile photo Cameo (episode 4) 2022–2023 Alchemy of Souls Nak-su / Cho Yeong / Jin Bu-yeon Cameo (part 1)Main role (part 2) 2023 Moving Jang Hui-soo 2023–2024 Death's Game Lee Ji-su Special appearance 2024 Light Shop Jang Hui-soo Cameo (episode 8) 2025 Resident Playbook Oh Yi-young 2026 Can This Love Be Translated? Cha Mu-hee / Do Ra-mi We Are All Trying Here Byeon Eun-ah

Television shows + Year Title Role Notes 2026 The Secret Friends Club Cast member Member of 2nd Team (Episodes 4 to 9)

Music video appearances + Year Song title Artist Notes 2018 "Confession" Yook Sung-jae "No.5" Penomeco and Crush 2019 "However" 10cm 2020 "I Will Give You All" Lee Seung-chul With Park Bo-gum

Discography Soundtrack appearances + List of soundtrack singles, showing year released and selected chart positions Title Year Peak chart positions Notes KOR "A Race" 2025 96 Resident Playbook OST

Accolades Awards and nominations + Name of the award ceremony, year presented, category, nominee of the award, and the result of the nomination Award ceremony Year Category Nominee / Work Result APAN Star Awards 2023 Best New Actress Alchemy of Souls & Moving 2025 Excellence Award, Actress in a Miniseries Resident Playbook Asia Contents Awards & Global OTT Awards 2023 Best Newcomer Actress Moving Asia Star Entertainer Awards 2026 Best Character (Actress) Can This Love Be Translated? Best OTT Artist Fan Choice Couple Can This Love Be Translated? Baeksang Arts Awards 2023 Best New Actress – Film Hunt 2024 Best New Actress – Television Moving Blue Dragon Film Awards 2022 Best New Actress Hunt Blue Dragon Series Awards 2024 Best New Actress Moving 2026 Popular Star Award Can This Love Be Translated? Best Actress Global Icon Brand Customer Loyalty Awards 2023 Rising Star Actress Go Youn-jung 2024 Actress – Hot Trend 2026 Brand of the Year Awards 2024 Advertising Model (Female) 2025 Best Actress (Indonesia) Buil Film Awards 2022 Best New Actress Hunt Cine21 Film Awards 2023 Best New Actress (Series) Moving Dong-A.com's PickEfn-ua|Award winners are selected by Dong-a Ilbo entertainment reporters. Fundex Awards 2025 Best Actress of TV Drama Resident Playbook Popular Star Prize – K-Drama Actress Go Youn-jung Grand Bell Awards 2022 Best New Actress Hunt Korea Drama Awards 2025 Excellence Award, Actress Resident Playbook Korea First Brand Awards 2024 Rising Star Actress Moving Marie Claire Asia Star Awards 2025 Beyond Cinema Award Go Youn-jung Seoul International Drama Awards 2026 International category – Best Actress Can This Love Be Translated? & We Are All Trying Here Outstanding Asian Star – South Korea Can This Love Be Translated?

State and cultural honors + Name of country, year given, and name of honor Country Award ceremony Year Honor or award South Korea Korean Popular Culture and Arts Awards 2025 Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Commendation

Listicles + Name of publisher, year listed, name of listicle, and placement Publisher Year Listicle Placement Cine21 2023 Top 5 New Actress to Watch in 2023 2024 Entertainment Trend-Actress to Watch Entertainment Trend-New Actress to Watch Korean Film Next 50 – Actors 2026 Actress to Watch Forbes Korea 2024 Power Celebrity 40 2026 Gallup Korea 2023 Gallup Korea's Film Actor of the Year Sisa Journal 2023 Next Generation Leaders Star News 2024 Most Anticipated Next Generation Actor Vogue Korea 2021 Notable Actress of 2021