2003–2008: Acting debut and recognition In 2003, Ju debuted as a model, in advertisements for clothing brands such as
Calvin Klein,
Levi's and
Reebok. He had various bit parts in television dramas, but it was in 2006's romantic comedy
Princess Hours, based on the
manhwa Goong, that he achieved breakthrough. The drama was a hit domestically with a peak rating of 28.3%, and internationally across Asia, catapulting Ju into
Korean Wave stardom. He won the Best New Actor award at the
MBC Drama Awards along with his co-star
Yoon Eun-hye. In March 2007, Ju starred in KBS2's revenge drama
Lucifer, opposite
Uhm Tae-woong and
Shin Min-a. The same month, he received the New Asian Star award at the 1st Astar TV Drama Awards for his performance in
Princess Hours and
Lucifer. Ju's film debut was in
Antique (2008), based on the
manga Antique Bakery. The film was invited to the
59th Berlin International Film Festival. He then reunited with
Lucifer co-star
Shin Min-a in the romantic comedy
The Naked Kitchen.
2009–2017: Military enlistment and comeback In January 2011, ahead of Ju's military discharge in November, he signed with entertainment agency
KeyEast, owned by actor
Bae Yong-joon. In August 2012, Ju made his comeback in the period comedy film
I Am the King. Inspired by the popular novel
The Prince and the Pauper, Ju played the
dual role of Grand Prince Choong-nyung and the slave Deok-chil, in a fictional period before the prince becomes
King Sejong the Great. This was followed by his starring role as a pianist in the melodrama
Five Fingers, broadcast from August to November 2012. Ju also starred in medical drama
Medical Top Team, and romantic comedy film
Marriage Blue. Ju made his film debut in China with
Love Suspicion, a romantic thriller. In 2014, Ju was paired up with
Ji Sung and
Lee Kwang-soo in
Confession, a
neo-noir film that brutally explores the aftermath of three men's friendship after the death of one's mother. In 2015, Ju starred in the period film
The Treacherous, reuniting him with the director of
Antique and
Naked Kitchen. He then made his small screen comeback with SBS' melodrama
Mask alongside
Soo Ae. In 2016, Ju starred in the noir crime thriller
Asura: The City of Madness, which premiered globally at the 41st
Toronto Film Festival. He received the Popular Film Star award at the Korea Top Star Awards.
2018–present: Career resurgence From 2017 to 2018, Ju starred in the two-part fantasy epic
Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds. The film was the
second highest grossing film in South Korea, and Ju became known for his role as Haewonmaek. In 2018, Ju starred in the thriller films
The Spy Gone North, and
Dark Figure of Crime. Ju's performance in both films earned acclaim, and he won several Best Supporting Actor awards at film ceremonies for his performance in
The Spy Gone North, and was nominated for Best Actor at the
Blue Dragon Awards for
Dark Figure of Crime. In 2019, Ju made a comeback to the small screen with two television series; Netflix's zombie period drama
Kingdom, and MBC's fantasy legal drama
Item. In 2020, Ju reprised his role in the second season of
Kingdom, and starred in the legal drama
Hyena. In January 2021, Ju signed with new agency H& Entertainment. In 2021, news outlets announced that Ju will participate in film
Hunt as cameo appearance. Film was released theatrically in South Korea on August 10, 2022. In 2022, Ju was cast as Woo Chae-woon, main protagonist of
sci-fi thriller drama Blood Free. It was released worldwide on
Disney+ from April 10 to May 8, 2024, every Wednesday. ==Personal life==