Jeon Jong-seo, who also goes by Rachel Jun, is a South Korean actress. She got all famous thanks to her role as Hae-mi in the South Korean thriller “Burning” back in 2018. She even won the Best Actress at the 57th Baeksang Arts Awards for her part in the thriller “The Call” in 2020. On a global scale, most folks know her as Tokyo from “Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Area” in 2022.
Early Life
Jeon Jong-seo was born on July 5, 1994, in Seoul, and she’s an only child. Her family up and moved to Canada when she was a kid. She went to a private Christian middle school there. Then, she moved back to Korea and graduated from Anyang Arts High School. After that, she started college at Sejong University, where she majored in film. But, surprise surprise, she dropped out later to give acting a full go.
Career
Jeon Jong-seo kicked off her acting career when she joined a talent agency and tried out for a role in the mystery movie “Burning” in August 2017. She wasn’t exactly a seasoned actor at that point, but guess what? She won the role, even though she was up against well-known actors like Yoo Ah-in and Steven Yeun.
Here’s the kicker: she didn’t really want the part of free-spirited Hae-mi in “Burning” in the first place. She thought she didn’t stand a chance. The audition came just three days after she joined the agency, talk about a whirlwind. The director, Lee Chang-dong, thought she was perfect for the role. He said something like she had this innocent vibe but also this deeper, mysterious side that the character needed.
For her very first film role, Jeon got heaps of praise. She even nabbed the Best New Performer award at the 2019 Asian Film Critics Association Awards. Plus, The Hollywood Reporter named her one of the “15 International Breakout Talents of 2018.”
| Year | Title (English) | Title (Korean) | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Burning | 버닝 | Shin Hae-mi | |
| 2020 | The Call | 콜 | Oh Young-sook | Netflix film |
| 2021 | Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon | — | Mona | English-language debut |
| 2021 | Nothing Serious | 연애 빠진 로맨스 | Ja-young | |
| 2023 | Ballerina | 발레리나 | Ok-ju | Netflix film |
| 2023 | Wedding Impossible | 웨딩 임파서블 | ||
| 2022 | Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Area | 종이의 집: 공동경제구역 | Tokyo | |
| 2022 | Bargain | 몸값 | Park Joo-young | |
| 2024 | Queen Woo | 우씨왕후 | Woo Hee |
Fast forward to 2020, and Jeon was in her second film, “The Call.” She played Young-sook, a gal who believed a phone that could connect with the future was her only way out of making bad choices. Netflix premiered this flick in November 2020, and Jeon’s performance as the bad guy got rave reviews. Some critic called it “an outstanding performance.”
In case you missed it, she’s set to star as Tokyo in “Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Area,” the Korean version of the Spanish hit. It’s hitting Netflix in 2022. Also, she’s teaming up with “The Call” director Lee Chung-hyun for his short film “Ransom” alongside Jin Seon-kyu. And there’s another Netflix movie called “Ballerina” where she’s a former bodyguard.
Oh, by the way, on August 22, 2022, she signed an exclusive deal with Andmarq.
