Jinwoo (진우)

Seven years after his 2019 idol debut, Lee Jinwoo stepped into a new chapter — landing his first lead role in a public broadcast drama. The KBS 2TV mini-series *Shim Woo-myeon Yeonri-ri* marks a turning point for the GHOST9 member, who had been building a parallel acting career alongside his group work before earning this more prominent platform.

Idol Beginnings with GHOST9

Jinwoo is the maknae — the youngest member — of GHOST9 (고스트나인), a South Korean group under Maroo Entertainment. Born on September 13, 2004, he holds roles as lead dancer and sub-vocalist within the group, and was also a member of the pre-debut unit Teen Teen. His position as the group's youngest did not prevent him from taking on substantial performance responsibilities, contributing to both the choreographic and vocal dimensions of the act's output.

A Turn Toward Acting

While maintaining his commitments with GHOST9, Jinwoo pursued acting with enough consistency to draw attention before his lead casting. He notably appeared in the ENA drama *Namib*, where he played the son of established actress Go Hyun-jung — a role that brought him wider visibility and is frequently cited in coverage of his subsequent career moves.

That groundwork paid off in early 2026, when he was confirmed as the lead in *Shim Woo-myeon Yeonri-ri*, a KBS 2TV mini-series. His character, Sung Ji-cheon, is described as an elite figure who achieved a perfect score on the college entrance exam but finds himself struggling with questions of purpose and ambition — a role with more interior complexity than his previous supporting work. At the production presentation, Jinwoo spoke about his attachment to the character and his awareness of the weight the opportunity carries. His co-lead is Choi Gyu-ri, with the two developing a romantic storyline across the series.

The casting drew additional media attention in part because of Jinwoo's family background — he is the son of actress Go Hyun-jung, a fact that has followed his public profile since he first became known. His phrasing at the press event, that he feels he needs to do well, suggested a deliberate awareness of the scrutiny attached to that context.

Standing

Jinwoo's trajectory reflects a path increasingly common among fourth-generation idols: a group career running concurrently with individual activities in adjacent entertainment fields. His move into a public broadcast lead role seven years after debut represents a meaningful escalation in his acting profile, arriving at an age — 21 at the time of the drama's announcement — when many performers are still establishing themselves in either field.