Korean Actor Jung Shin Woo Dies Following 12-Year Battle with Illness
Jung Shin Woo has passed away at 58.
The actor-turned-chef died early morning on January 18.
He debuted in 1988 with the musical Gospel and officially in 1994 with SBS drama one-act Lawyer Park Bong Sook.
In 1998, Jung joined MBC as a public talent in their 27th class and acted in various dramas afterward.
In 2000, he shifted careers, completing full styling and table setting courses, also studying culinary arts in Italy and France. He graduated from Sejong University’s Department of Culinary and Food Service.
Jung was active on cooking shows like EBS’s The Best Cooking Secrets, Food Channel’s Jung Shin Woo’s Cooking Workshop, and KBS’s live Jung Shin Woo’s Kkok Kkok Recipes.
He was diagnosed with thymic cancer in 2014 and shared his battle on his blog until recently.
“Everything is different from ordinary people. Even the slightest misalignment makes the body collapse and hurt in sequence. Because of that, life has lost all its joy.” — Jung Shin Woo, October 29, 2025 blog post
No separate funeral parlor has been arranged. His funeral mass will be held on January 19 at 11am at Gangnam St. Mary’s Hospital Funeral Chapel.