Cheon Ho-jin

Cheon Ho-jin is a South Korean actor loved as one of the great drama fathers of Korean television. He won the Grand Prize at the 2020 KBS Drama Awards for the family hit Once Again. Younger fans know him as Grandpa Viva, the kind music shop owner in Twinkling Watermelon (2023), who changes a young man's life.

Cheon Ho-jin is 173 cm (5 ft 8 in) tall and weighs 66 kg, according to his published profile.

Early life

Cheon Ho-jin was born on September 5, 1960, in Busan, South Korea. He first studied chemistry at Inha University before following his love of acting. His father was a famous professional wrestler in Korea, and discipline at home helped shape his strong work ethic.

Career and breakthrough

He began acting in the 1980s and worked for years in films and dramas, often playing strong officials and fathers. He played President Choi Eung-chan in City Hunter (2011). In Six Flying Dragons (2015), he plays Lee Seong-gye, the general who founded the Joseon kingdom, with great power and sorrow.

Popular roles

In Chicago Typewriter (2017), he plays Baek Do-ha in a story that moves between past and present. In My Liberation Notes (2022), he plays Yeom Je-ho, a quiet father carrying his family's burdens. Each father he plays feels different, and each one feels true.

Recent work

His Grandpa Viva in Twinkling Watermelon brought him love from a whole new generation, who praise his warm scenes with the young cast. Cheon Ho-jin continues to take meaningful roles in his sixties. Fans love his gentle humour, his honest tears and the safety his characters bring to every family story.