What Is Gong Yoo's Net Worth?
Gong Yoo is a South Korean actor who has a net worth of $5 million. Gong Yoo is best known for his roles in the television dramas "Coffee Prince," "Guardian: The Lonely and Great God," "The Silent Sea," and "Squid Game." He has also appeared in the films "Silenced," "Train to Busan," and "The Age of Shadows."
Early Life
Gong Yoo was born Gong Ji-cheol on July 10, 1979. He eventually adopted the stage name Gong Yoo, as it is a combination of his father's family name, Gong, and his mother's family name, Yoo. He was born in Busan, South Korea. His father had been a baseball player and was a manager of the Lotte Giants from 1983 to 1985. Gong attended Dongin High School and then enrolled at Kyung Hee University to study theater and film. He graduated with his bachelor's degree in theater.
Career
In 2000, Gong started his show business career as a video jockey on Mnet and debuted as an actor in the television series "School 4" in 2001. He then had some small supporting roles in dramas and movies and also hosted the music program "Music Camp" in 2004.
In 2005, Gong landed his first lead role when he was cast in SBS's "Hello My Teacher" opposite Gong Hyo-jin. He followed this by appearing in the romance melodrama "One Fine Day" in 2006. He was then cast in MBC's romantic comedy "Coffee Prince." This became his breakout role. The show was very popular and solidified his status as a leading man.
Gong took a break from acting in January 2008 when he enlisted for the mandatory service in the South Korean armed forces. He was discharged in December 2009. He did 8 months of frontline active service in Cheorwon and was transferred to the Defense Media Agency, where he served in public relations and hosted as a DJ for the army radio station.
(Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)
Gong made his comeback to the acting world in the romantic comedy "Finding Mr. Destiny." The film was a medium box office success in Korea. He then initiated and pursued the production of a theatrical adaptation of Gong Ji-young's novel "The Crucibles." It tells the story of real-life events that took place at a school for the deaf where students were the victims of repeated sexual assaults by faculty members over five years beginning in the early 2000s. The movie was internationally released under the title "Silenced." Upon its release in September 2011, the film sparked public outrage. This led to a reopening of the investigations into the incidents on which the novel and film are based. Public demand for legislative reform was high, and a bill dubbed the Dogani Bill was passed to target sex crimes against minors.
Gong then starred opposite Lee Min-jung in the romantic comedy series "Big" written by the Hong sisters. The drama was well-received. In 2013, he appeared in the film "The Suspect" in which he played an elite North Korean spy. He then experienced a new high in his career when he appeared in the film "A Man and a Woman." He then starred in the hugely successful zombie blockbuster "Train to Busan." The same year, he starred in another box office hit, "The Age of Shadows." In December 2016, he returned to television in "Guardian: The Lonely and Great God." The drama show was a massive hit and Gong won Best Actor at the Baeksang Awards for his performance.
In 2018, Gong appeared in "Kim Ji-young: Born 1982." In 2021, he appeared in the action thriller film "Seo Bok" in which he played a former intelligence agent who is seeking eternal life. The same year, he appeared in the massively popular Netflix series "Squid Game," which further elevated his international fame. Additionally, he appeared in the Netflix sci-fi thriller series "The Silent Sea." The show was very highly reviewed, with publications like "Forbes" calling it one of Netflix's best sci-fi series.
Personal Life
Like many other South Korean stars, Gong keeps his personal life quite private. However, he has been rumored to be connected to some other famous Korean stars. In 2022, it was rumored that he was dating the actress Kim Go Eun. He had also allegedly been involved with Jung Yu-Mi in the past. In 2018, rumors swirled that he had married Yu-Mi, though this was not confirmed. Fans of Gong and Yu-Mi had thought the two may have been together since 2008 when they were spotted on vacation together. He has also been connected to Im Soo Jung, though that relationship was also not confirmed.
In November 2013, Gong was appointed as a special representative of the United Nations Children's Fund in Korea in conjunction with a celebration of the 24th year since the Convention on the Rights of Children. Following his appointment, he has visited countries around the world to raise awareness of the situation of children in underdeveloped countries. In 2014, he was named an ambassador for the National Tax Service in order to encourage honest tax payments.
