Jo Jae-Hyeon began acting in 1989 after passing the annual audition for actors organized by KBS. So he is now a seasoned actor with a 15-year career to prove it. He appeared in the movie 'Bad Guy', a box office hit directed by KIM Ki-duk, and received rave reviews from the critics. His acting debut was out of the ordinary. In 1991, he garnered the Baeksang Arts Award for Best New Actor and The Blue Dragon Award for Best New Actor for the movie 'Slicing Sadness With A Knife In My Heart'. Having earned so much recognition for both stage and film acting, CHO's career was different from the start. He has since worked his way through many supporting roles until finally he again brought himself to spotlight in the low-budget and very original movie by director KIM Ki-duk. A survey conducted by Dave Company, an ad agency specializing in films, showed that CHO Jae-hyun is recognized for both his box office value and for his acting. Another survey by a daily newspaper which asked 105 TV directors, script writers, reporters and others involved in the TV broadcasting industry to name the best actor, and CHO came out on top.