Shin Goo

In this Korean name, the family name is Shin.

Shin Goo
File:Shin Goo in October 2024.png Shin in October 2024
Born	Shin Soon-ki (1936-08-13) August 13, 1936 Keijō, Keiki-dō (Gyeonggi Province), Korea, Empire of Japan
Alma mater	Sungkyunkwan University – Korean Language and Literature (dropped out)
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1962–present
Spouse	Ha Jung-sook ​ (m. 1974)​
Honours	File:ROK Order of Cultural Merit Eun-gwan (2nd Class) ribbon.PNG Eungwan Order of Cultural Merit (2024) File:ROK Order of Cultural Merit Bo-gwan (3rd Class) ribbon.PNG Bogwan Order of Cultural Merit (2010)
Korean name
Hangul	신순기
Hanja	申淳基
RR	Sin Sungi
MR	Sin Sun'gi
Stage name
Hangul	신구
Hanja	申久
RR	Sin Gu
MR	Sin Ku

Shin Soon-ki (Korean: 신순기; born August 13, 1936), known professionally as Shin Goo (Korean: 신구), is a South Korean film, theater, and television actor. Shin began his career on stage in 1962, in the play "Cow", and has appeared in numerous works of Korean theatre, film and television.

According to Shin, winning the Dong-A Theatre Award became a driving force for him to keep pursuing his acting career. He won the Best Actor award at the 3rd Dong-A Theatre Award for his roles in "I Want to Become Human" as the chairman of the People's Committee and in "Porgy and Bess" as Crown. He also won the Best Actor award at the 6th Dong-A Theatre Award for his portrayal of Stanley in "A Streetcar Named Desire," and later, at the 8th Dong-A Theatre Award, he won the Best Actor award for his performance as Harry in Luv.

In 2010 Shin, was awarded the 2011 Bogwan Order of Cultural Merit (South Korea) by the government. In 2022, Shin received Special Award from Lee Hae-rang Theater Award, one of the major theater awards in Korea.

Early life and education

Shin Goo was born as Shin Soon-ki on August 13, 1936. Shin's parents were both illiterate, with his father selling vegetables in Wangshimi Central Market and his mother working as a housekeeper. Due to their financial struggles, Shin's sister was unable to attend school. Shin himself attended Dongmyeong Elementary School, located on the outskirts of Seoul, and later went on to graduate from Gyonggi Middle School and Gyeonggi High School.

Shin was admitted to the Department of Korean Literature at Sungkyunkwan University, but his initial goal was to attend the Department of Commerce at Seoul National University. However, after failing the entrance exam twice, he became discouraged and decided to enlist to the army.

After completing his military service, Shin decided that He want to be an announcer. He attended an audio-visual education center next to Taegeukdang in Myeong-dong. One day, he happened to come across a small advertisement in the corner of a newspaper seeking first-term students for the Namsan Drama Center Actor Academy. In a 2013 interview with Kyunghyang Shinmun, Shin Gu explained, "I saw the advertisement and thought, 'This is it,' which is why I decided to pursue acting."

In the autumn of 1962, Shin enrolled in the newly established Namsan Drama Center Actor Academy, which was founded by Dongrang Yoo Chi-jin (1905-1974) and is now known as the Department of Theater and Film of Seoul Institute of the Arts. Shin's class of 1962 was the first to graduate from the academy, and his Shin's classmate included Jeon Moo-song, Lee Ho-jae, Ban Hyo-jeong (who did not graduate), and playwright Yoon Dae-seong.

Career

Early career

He debut onstage in 1962 in Yoo Chi-jin's play "So," with the role of a grumpy father. Instead of his real name, Shin Soon-ki, Shin acted under the stage name Shin-gu. His stage name was given to him by playwright Yoo Chi-jin when he was a first-year student at the Namsan Drama Center's Theater Academy. Shin said,

"It seems that he gave me a long term gu (久) to tell me not to think about anything else and to be an actor for a long time. I feel joy when I stand on stage as a 'completely different me'."

After his time at the Drama Center, Shin worked in various theater companies such as Dongrang Repertory, Experiment, Freedom, Square, and affiliated theater companies. However, his decision to pursue acting was not supported by his family. It was only after winning three awards for male acting at the prestigious Dong-A Theater Awards that Shin began to gain recognition as an actor. In 1966, he won the 3rd Dong-A Theater Award for Best Male Actor for his roles as the chairman of the People's Committee in "I Will Become a Human" and as crown in Porgy and Bess.

Actor Park In-hwan recommended Shin to apply for the 6th Seoul Central Broadcasting System (currently KBS) Talent Recruitment in 1969. Shin passed the audition, but was only given minor roles in historical dramas, such as holding a knife or guarding a door. Following this, playwright Yoo Chi-jin suggested that Shin study dance in the East-West Cultural Center in Hawaii for a year. During his stay, he learned the Hwanghae-do mask dance from Kim Jin-ok and Professor Lee Doo-hyun of Seoul National University, and performed it. One of Shin's fellow students from his time in Hawaii later became a human cultural asset. This was Shin's first time traveling abroad, and the experience of encountering different cultures had a profound impact on him.

Upon returning from Hawaii, Shin continued to work in theater and won the 6th Dong-A Theater Award for Best Male Actor in 1969 for his portrayal of Stanley in Tennessee Williams's play A Streetcar Named Desire. In an interview with Kyunghyang Shin-mun, Shin expressed that this performance was his most memorable work.

Afterward, Shin began to prepare to become a member of National Theater Company of Korea (NTCK). In 1971, while he was getting ready to join the company, he happened to meet Lim Hak-song, a KBS drama producer, at a bar the day before. Shin decided to branch out to television to make ends meet, to provide for his old Mother. Subsequently, Shin made his screen debut in 1972 with the drama "Heosaengjeon" and went on to appear in numerous works, including dramas such as "Water Pattern," "Hope," "Country," "Land," "A Day About Us," and "King and Rain."

It would be great if I could only do theater for the rest of my life, but I acted on TV, radio, and movies as a way to make ends meet. Even when I go there, there is always regret at the bottom of my heart.

Shin devoted himself to acting, juggling his work between the theater stage and television. Even after winning two acting awards, Shin never stopped and went on to receive his third best male actor award at the 8th Dong-A Theater Awards in 1971 for his role as Harry in the play "Luv." Among his most memorable and notable works as member of National Theater Company of Korea (NTCK) were Lee Hae-rang's play "Active Volcano" in 1974, and "Jingbirok" in 1975.

Initially, Shin's family did not approve of his decision to pursue acting. However, after winning multiple Dong-A Theater Awards, they began to acknowledge his talent and success. As a result, Shin was offered many work opportunities, which provided him with the strength and motivation to continue pursuing his career, particularly during times when awards and recognition were scarce.

World Tour

In 1977, Shin joined The Dongnang Repertory World Tour. The Dongnang Repertory troupe performed as part of the World Theater Month commemorative event, sponsored by the USA headquarters of the International Association of Dramatic Arts, in New York, USA from March 15. Following this event, the troupe toured various cities in the US, including Dallas, Minneapolis, Los Angeles, and Hawaii, as well as Lane in France, Paris, and the Netherlands, to showcase their level of theater to audiences worldwide. Before their departure, the troupe presented one of their tour works, Tae, written by Tae-seok Oh and directed by Min-soo Ahn, from February 22 to 24 at the annex of the Seoul Civic Center, sponsored by JoongAng Ilbo and Dongyang Broadcasting.

The repertoire of the world tour includes Tae and Prince Ha Myeol. Prince Ha Myeol was adapted by Ahn Min-soo from Shakespeare's Hamlet. Tae, announced in the spring and fall of 1974 and the fall of 1975, portrays the history of the early Yi Dynasty surrounding the usurpation of the throne and the tragedy of Saksin.

Career breakthrough

Although Shin had been acting in films since the 1970s, it wasn't until the 1990s that he began to gain recognition for his work. In 1992, he played the role of Teacher Choi, a fifth-grade homeroom teacher dominated by Eom Seok-dae, in "Our Twisted Hero". The film, originally written by Lee Moon-yeol and directed by Park Jong-won, was a turning point for Shin's career. He also appeared in director Hur Jin-ho's debut film, "Christmas in August", which is considered a monumental work of Korean melodrama. In this film, Shin played a father with hearing loss whose son, Jung Won (acted by Han Seok-kyu), was dying of an incurable disease. In 2005, Shin starred in "The Big Family Who Went Away" as a displaced father who had left his family in North Korea.

Shin won the best acting award in the play category for the play "Feel Like Heaven" at the 35th Baeksang Arts Awards in 1999.

In addition, Shin Gu was nicknamed the "national father" due to his acting as father in dramas School 1, Tomato, and Why Can't We Stop Them.

Famous tagline

From 1999 to 2009, Shin played Chief Judge in KBS show The Clinic for Married Couples: Love and War. This was a milestone project for him, his closing remark, "See you in four weeks," became extremely popular. In 2005, Shin won Achievement Award from KBS Entertainment Awards. In 2002, Shin appeared in a hamburger commercial lying on a boat with snow crabs. The advertisement's concept was a parody of Hemingway's novel The Old Man and the Sea. Shin's tagline "You know the taste of crabs," became extremely popular. Everytime South Korean see see snow crabs on the table, It reminds them of Shin's tagline.

It's a coincidence. It's a coincidence... . I just did the lines as they were in the continuity. It's a parody of Hemingway's 'The Old Man and the Sea'. When I thought about why that would go up and down in my mouth, maybe it was because it made sense no matter what I substituted for 'crab'. 'Do you know the taste of coffee?' 'Do you know women?' I guess that was fun.

Shin acted in the movie A Bold Family and Murder, Take One directed by Jang Jin.

In 2008, Shin has his first titular role in film. Cherry Tomato (2008). It is a human drama set in a shantytown just before the demolition. Shin-gu played a grandfather who lives a difficult life with his six-year-old granddaughter (Kim Hyang-gi) while gathering waste paper. The granddaughter lives with her grandfather because of her mother who left home and her missing father, but her young age is incredibly precocious and clever.

In 2010 Shin won Best Actor in 3rd Korea Theater Awards for Driving Miss Daisy.

Variety show

In 2013, cable channel tvN launched the travel-reality show Grandpas Over Flowers (the title parodies the manga Boys Over Flowers). It marked producer Na Young-seok's first variety show since leaving KBS, where he was best known for creating the first season of hit variety show 2 Days & 1 Night. Defying a youth-centered entertainment industry, the hit show stars four veteran actors in their 70s, Shin alongside Lee Soon-jae, Park Geun-hyung and Baek Il-seob, with their porter Lee Seo-jin as they go on a backpacking tour of France, Taiwan and Spain.

The first season aired from July 5 to August 16, 2013, with seven episodes. It was filmed in Paris, Strasbourg, Bern, and Lucerne. It was immediately followed by the airing of the second season from August 23 to September 20, 2013. The five episodes were filmed in Taiwan, with an additional two-episode special featuring unaired footage on September 27 and October 4, 2013. The third season aired from March 7 to May 2, 2014, with eight episodes. It was filmed in Spain, specifically the cities of Barcelona, Granada, Seville, Ronda, and Madrid. Shin Goo also went on a solo trip to Lisbon. The fourth season aired from March 27 to May 8, 2015, with seven episodes. It was filmed in Dubai and Greece, with Choi Ji-woo joining as a second travel guide and assistant.

In 2017, Na Young-seok decided to introduce a new program which focuses on a group of South Korean celebrities operating a small Korean cuisine restaurant on a small island overseas. Shin starred in Season 1 alongside Youn Yuh-jung, Lee Seo-jin, Park Seo-joon and Jung Yu-mi. Season 1 was filmed in Lombok, Indonesia.

After a few years' break, a fifth season titled Grandpa Over Flowers Returns aired from June 29 to August 24, 2018, with nine episodes. Actor Kim Yong-gun joined the cast for the trip filmed in Germany, Czech Republic and Austria.

Personal life

In 1974, Shin married Ha Jung-sook, who was four years younger than him. They had dated for about six years, and their wedding was officiated by playwright Lee Hae-rang. Two months after their wedding, their son, Shin Gyeong-hyeon, was born.

In March 2021, Shin temporarily dropped out of the play Last Session due to deteriorating health. Despite his declining health, he tried to go on stage without going to the hospital to keep his promise to the audience. However, after persuasion from those around him, he was hospitalized for a week and received treatment.

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes	Ref.
1970	Goboi gangui dari
1973	Homecoming
	Night Flight
	The General in Red Robes
	A Match
1974	Ecstasy
	Transgression
1975	The North Korean Communists' Party in Japan
	You Become a Star, Too
	Love in the Rain
1976	Kan-nan
	Miss Yeom's Pure Heart Days
	Don't Walk But Run!
	Never Forget Me	Young-soo's older brother
	An Unfortunate Woman
	Rocking Horse and a Girl
	Blue Days
	Seong Chun-hyang
	Wild Forest
1981	Sarajin Geotdeureul Wihayeo
1982	Applause
	Jongro Blues
1983	The Whereabouts of Eve
1984	The Companion
1988	Narrow Road
1989	My Friend, Je-je	Mu Do-ah
1991	Blood and Fire	Director of Intelligence
1992	Our Twisted Hero	Teacher Choi
1997	1818 (Profanity)	Wang-ja
1998	Christmas in August	Jung-won's father
1999	A Great Chinese Restaurant	Company president Han
2000	Love Bakery	Gentleman Noh	Cameo
	The Foul King	Im Dae-ho's father
2002	2009 Lost Memories	Takahashi	Cameo
	No Blood No Tears	Kim Geum-bok
	YMCA Baseball Team	Lee Ho-chang's father
2003	Natural City	Deputy assistant commissioner
2004	A Winter Story	Elder Kim	Director's posthumous release in 2023
2005	A Bold Family	Kim Joong-yeob
	Murder, Take One	Chief Yoon
2006	Righteous Ties	Dong Chi-sung's father	Cameo
2007	Going by the Book	Jung Do-man's father	Cameo
2008	Cherry Tomato	Park Gu
	Love and War: The Twelfth Man	Chief judge
	Modern Boy	Lee Hae-myeong's father
2009	Heaven's Postman	Choi Geun-bae
2012	Unlawful Love	Elder Kim	Short film
2013	Justin and the Knights of Valour	Braulio	Voice role; Korean dub
2014	The Con Artists	Director Oh
2015	Shoot Me in the Heart	Ascetic Sibwoonsan
2017	Bluebeard	Sung-geun's father
	Daddy You, Daughter Me	Grandpa
2019	Forbidden Dream
2025	Hi-Five	older Young-chun

Television series

Year	Title	Role	Notes	Ref.
1972	The Tale of Heo-saeng
1975	Taedong River
1976	Another Home
1979	Water Pattern
	A River That Doesn't Flow
1980	People on the Cliff
	Spring Blessing
1981	Milky Way
	Horror of Fantasy
	Back in the Day
1982	The Land of Promises
	Soon-ae
1983	Foundation of the Kingdom	Choe Yeong
	Detective Squad
1984	Family
	I Like My Daughter Better
1986	Woman's Heart
	You're Right
1987	Eldest Sister-in-law
	Lee Hwa
	Mother
1988	Land of Grace
1989	The Region of Calm	Chang Myon
	Blooming Nest
1990	The Rose of Betrayal	Seo Young-chul
	Dawn of the Day	Syngman Rhee
1991	The Royal Path
	Women's Time
	Asphalt Is My Hometown
1993	Wild Chrysanthemum
	Youth Theater
1994	Trip in May
1995	Confession
	Do You Remember Love?	Detective Woo
	West Palace	Lee Won-ik
1997	Instinct	Yoo-rim's father
1998	The King and the Queen	Prince Yangnyeong
	MBC Best Theater: "Mr. Gong Choon-taek's Contract Marriage"	Gong Choon-taek
	Advocate	Jin Hyung-man
1999	School	Shin Moon-soo
	Queen	Seung-ri's father
2000	It's Half
	Taejo Wang Geon	Wang Ryung
	Juliet's Man	Jang Sam's father
	Why Can't We Stop Them	Noh Goo
2002	The Woman	Baek Seon-dal
	Ruler of Your Own World	Go Joong-sup
	Sunrise House	Han Dae-ho
	Honest Living	Shin Goo
	You Are My World
2003	Wife	Mr. Seo
	Sang Doo! Let's Go to School	Song Jong-doo
	Long Live Love	Lee Deok-bo
2004	Ms. Kim's Million Dollar Quest	Kim Hwi-taek
	Beijing My Love	Chairman Hwang
	Drama City: "Déjà vu"	Doctor
	I'm Sorry, I Love You	Min Hyun-seok
	Toji, the Land	Doctor Moon
2005	Cute or Crazy
	Eighteen, Twenty-Nine	Kang Chi-soo
	Sonaki	Yoon Cho-si
	Our Attitude to Prepare Parting	Ahn Pil-bong
2006	Seoul 1945	Lyuh Woon-hyung
	Hearts of Nineteen	Hong Young-gam
	Someday	Oh Bong-soo
2007	Thank You	Lee Byung-gook
	War of Money	Dokgo Chul
	Kimchi Cheese Smile	Shin Goo
	The King and I	Noh Nae-shi
2008	War of Money: The Original	Dokgo Chul
	Family's Honor	Ha Man-ki
	Amnok River Flows	Lee Mi-reuk's father
2009	Queen Seondeok	Eulje
2011	New Tales of Gisaeng	Master Joong-bong
	Heartstrings	Lee Dong-jin
	Can't Lose	Go Jung-dae	Cameo
2012	Feast of the Gods	Country Lee	Cameo
2013	A Hundred Year Legacy	Uhm Pyung-dal
2014	God's Gift: 14 Days	Choo Byeong-woo
2016	Dear My Friends	Kim Seok-gyun
2016–2017	The Gentlemen of Wolgyesu Tailor Shop	Lee Man-sool
2018	My Mister	Chairman Jang
	After the Rain	Dal-jae	One-act drama
2020	Kairos	Yoo Seo-il
2022	The Empire	Ham Min-heon

Television shows

Year	Title	Role	Notes	Ref.
1999–2009	The Clinic for Married Couples: Love and War	Chief judge
2013–2018	Grandpas Over Flowers	Cast Member
2017	Youn's Kitchen	Cast Member

Radio shows

Year	Title	Role	Notes	Ref.
2011–2013	True Record of Korean Economy	DJ

Stage

List of Stage Play(s)

Year	Title	Role	Notes	Ref.
1962; 1989	The Cow ()	Hwang Gu-man	Debut
1964	Prince Maui ()
1965	Charity Hospital Next to the Airfield ()
	Pungwoon Anagyu ()
	Daechunhyangjeon ()
1965–1966	Shame ()
1966	Cave Story ()
	I Want to Be Human ()	People's chairman
	Porgy and Bess ()	Crown
1967	Sanha-dashi Purojiri ()
	Departure ()
1969	A Streetcar Named Desire ()	Stanley Kowalski
	The Moonlight Hansan Island ()	Yoshira
1970	The Birthday Party ()	Stanley Webber
	Lion's Medal ()	Cho Chan-seok
1971	Luv	Harry
	People in Shilla ()
	Daljip ()	Old man of the chief
1972	Fantasy Travel ()	Gwon-odeog
	POWs ()	Captain Park
	Colorful Funeral Bier ()	Deok-Bo
	Hakjeong Song ()	Hak-soo
1973–1974	Admiral Yi Sun-sin ()	Jeon-in
1974	The Active Volcano ()	Lee Sang-man
1974; 1990	Namhansanseong Fortress – The National Tragedy of the Manchu War ()	Mabudae
1975	Jingbirok ()	Jeong Tak
1976	Prince Ha-myeol ()	King Mi-hyeol
1977	Dongnang Repertory Theater Company's World Tour Return Commemorative Performance – Lifecord ()	Park Joong-rim, Wang Bang-yeon
	Prince Immortal (Hamlet) ()	King Mi-hyeol	Tour of 16 cities in 3 countries in the United States, France and the Netherlands
1988	(1988) Culture and Arts Festival Seoul International Theatre Festival: Indisable ()	—	Director
1988–1989	Double Liquor For One ()	Dr. Feltman
1990	Equus ()	Martin Dysart
1991	Possessed Soul ()	Jang Seung-eop
	A Day in the Life of a Chinaman in New York ()
1992	Death And Girl ()
	Hidden Water ()
1995	Volpone ()	Octopus foot, Chairman of Daeyang Group
	Snow Flower ()	Speaker
1997	Faust ()	Mephistopheles	Director
	Are These Lenin? ()	Voice C
1998	An Enemy of the People ()		Cameo
1998	The Queen of Tears ()	Partisan leader Lee Hyun-sang	Musical
	A Feeling, Like Nirvana ()	Ham Myo-jin
2001	The Tempest ()	Prospero
	We Are Here ()
2003	Problematic Human Yeoun-San ()	Sung-jong
2005	Death of a Salesman ()	—	Artistic director
	The Robbers ()
2009	Happy Jinsa Maeng's House ()	Jinsa Maeng
2010	Driving Miss Daisy ()	Hoke Colburn
	Pericles ()	Helicanus
2013	Antigone ()	Creon
2013–2014; 2016; 2020	With Father, I and Hong-mae ()	Father
2014–2015	On Golden Pond ()	Norman Thayer
2015	Snow in March ()	Jang Oh
2017	Mask ()		Artistic Director
	Defective ()		Artistic Director
	Daughter ()	—
	Gift ()	—	Artistic Director
	Puppet ()	—
2017–2020; 2023	Jangsu Sanghoe ()	Sung-chil
2017–2021	The Student and Monsieur Henri ()	Monsieur Henri
2020; 2022–2023	Last Session ()	Sigmund Freud
2022	The Two Popes ()	Pope Benedict XVI
2022–2023	My Heart Dances When I See a Rainbow in the Wide Sky ()	Cho Byeong-shik

Accolades

Awards and nominations

Name of the award ceremony, year presented, category, nominee of the award, and the result of the nomination

Award ceremony	Year	Category	Nominee / Work	Result	Ref.
Baeksang Arts Awards	1976	Best Actor – Television	Another Home	Won
	1980	Best Actor – Television	Spring Blessing	Won
	1981	Best Actor – Television	Back in the Day	Won
	1994	Best Actor – Television	Wild Chrysanthemum	Won
	1999	Best Actor – Theatre	Shin Goo	Won
Beautiful Artist Awards	2022	Theater Artist Award	Shin Goo	Won
Chunsa Film Art Awards	2020	Best Supporting Actor	Forbidden Dream	Nominated
Dong-A Theatre Awards	1966	Best Actor	I Want to Be Human / Porgy and Bess	Won
	1969	Best Actor	A Streetcar Named Desire	Won
	1971	Best Actor	Luv	Won
E-Daily Culture Awards	2022	Contribution Award	The Two Popes	Won
Golden Tickets Awards	2014	Best Theater Actor	Shin Goo	Won
Grand Bell Awards	1999	Best Supporting Actor	Christmas in August	Nominated
	2006	Best Supporting Actor	A Bold Family	Nominated
	2020	Best Supporting Actor	Forbidden Dream	Nominated
KBS Drama Awards	1999	Top Excellence Award, Actor	School	Won
	2006	Top Excellence Award, Actor	Hearts of Nineteen / Seoul 1945	Won
	2018	Best Actor in a One-Act/Special/Short Drama	After the Rain	Nominated
KBS Entertainment Awards	2005	Achievement Award	The Clinic for Married Couples: Love and War	Won
Korea Theater Awards	2010	Best Actor	Driving Miss Daisy	Won
Kyoto Awards	1939	Best Child Actor	Man	Won
Lee Hae-rang Theatre Award	2022	Special Award	The Two Popes	Won
MBC Drama Awards	2009	PD Award	Queen Seondeok	Won
MBC Entertainment Awards	2007	Achievement Award	Kimchi Cheese Smile	Won
SBS Drama Awards	2001	Achievement Award	Why Can't We Stop Them	Won
	2002	Excellence Award, Actor in a Drama Short	You Are My World	Won
	2007	Achievement Award	The King and I / War of Money	Won
	2014	Special Award, Actor in a Miniseries	God's Gift: 14 Days	Nominated
Seoul Institute of the Arts Alumni Association	1995	Light of Life Award	Shin Goo	Won

State honors

List of State Honour(s)

State	Award Ceremony	Year	Honor	Ref.
South Korea	Korean Popular Culture and Arts Awards	2010	Bogwan Order of Cultural Merit (3rd class)
		2024	Eungwan Order of Cultural Merit (2nd Class)

Listicle

Name of publisher, year listed, name of listicle, and placement

Publisher	Year	List	Placement	Ref.
KBS	2023	The 50 people who made KBS shine	31st

External links

• Shin Goo Fan Cafe at Daum
• Shin Goo at the Korean Movie Database
• Shin Goo at IMDb
• at HanCinema