Born in 1981, ZO Insung debuted in the show business at an early age, with a first job as a fashion model in 1998. It only took him a year to make his on-screen debut, in the TV series <Jump> (1999), which he followed it up with <School 3> and <Nonstop>. After he was noticed in <Piano> (2001), he scored his first leading role when he was cast in <Shoot for the Stars> (2002). It was however outside of Korea that he moved to film, when he joined <Public Toilet> from Hong Kong director Fruit Chan. Back in Korea, he appeared in Kwak Jaeyoung’s <The Classic> (2003) and the 2004 smash hit drama series <What Happened in Bali>, in which he co-starred Ha Jiwon and So Jisub, with the latter giving him his first accolades. ZO got a major breakout in his acting career playing a fragile, but fearless gangster in the cult classic thriller <A Dirty Carnival> (2006). He later reunited with <A Dirty Carnival> director Yoo Ha for the Goryeo Dynasty-set historical film <Frozen Flower> (2008), about a bitter romance between the king and his bodyguard. After his two years of mandatory military service, Zo decided to serve an additional two year period in the Air Force. His comeback eventually came in 2013, when he starred alongside Song Hyekyo in the drama series <That Winter, the Wind Blows>, but fans had to wait until 2017 to finally be able to see him again on the big screen, in the political thriller <The King> (2017). After starring in the war epic <The Great Battle> (2018), set during the war between the Korean Kingdom of Goguryeo and the Chinese Tang, Zo was cast as a secret agent in Ryoo Seungwan’s blockbuster action <Escape from Mogadishu> (2021).

Awards
‘00 KBS Drama Awards: Youth Actor Award (School 3)
‘01 MBC Drama Awards: Excellence Award, Daily Drama - Actor (Nonstop 2)
‘01 SBS Drama Awards: New Star
‘02 SBS Drama Awards: Popularity Award
‘02 SBS Drama Awards: Top Ten Stars
‘02 SBS Drama Awards: Best New Actor
‘04 Baeksang Arts Awards: Best Actor, TV category
‘04 SBS Drama Awards: Top Ten Stars
‘04 SBS Drama Awards: Best Actor
‘05 Baeksang Arts Awards: Popularity Award
‘05 SBS Drama Awards: Most Popular Star
‘05 SBS Drama Awards: Top Ten Stars
‘06 Korean Film Awards: Best Actor
‘07 Max Movie Awards: Best Actor
‘07 Pyeongtaek Film Festival: New Currents Best Actor
‘08 Korea Advertise Festival: Top Excellence Model nominated by Netizen
‘11 MMA appreciation plaque & the Air Force Chief of Staff award certificate
‘11 Good Model Prize

Debut
‘98 Giogia model

Drama
‘05 SBS <Spring Days> - Go Eun-Sub
‘04 SBS <What Happened in Bali> - Jung Jae-Min
‘03 SBS <Shoot for the Stars> - Sung-Tae
‘02 MBC <Nonstop 2> - Zo In-Sung
‘02 SBS <Piano> - Kyoung-Ho
‘00 KBS2 <School 3> - Kim Suck-Joo
‘01 KBS2 <Drama city: Like an Innocent Comic> - Kim Jung-Hyun
‘01 KBS2 <Drama city: Love Me Tender> - Joon-Ho

Movie
‘12 <The Art of First Duel> - Kwon Bup
‘08 <The Frozen Flower> - Hong-Rim
‘06 <A Dirty Carnival> - Byong-Do
‘03 <Classic> - Sang-Min
‘03 <Love of South and North> - Chul-Soo
‘02 <Madeleine> - Kang Ji-Suck
‘02 <Public Toilet>