Jin-woo

Jin-woo is a Korean masculine given name, an alternate transcription of the Hangul 진우 (see Jin-u). Like many Korean names, Jin-woo is composed of two syllables, each corresponding to a hanja (Sino-Korean character) chosen for its meaning. The underlying root name Jin-u can be formed with various hanja combinations. For instance, the first syllable jin can use 鎭 meaning "town, marketplace" or 珍 meaning "precious, rare". The second syllable u may employ 宇 meaning "house, universe" or 友 meaning "friend, companion".

Notable Bearers

Several prominent Korean figures bear the name Jin-woo, spanning politics, sports, and the arts. Among political figures, Song Jin-woo (1889–1945) was a journalist and independence activist during the Japanese colonial period. Notably, his birth name was actually Jin-u, but the revised transcription Jin-woo has been widely used. Another notable figure with the same hanja is O Jin-u (1917–1995), a North Korean soldier and politician who served as Minister of the People's Armed Forces. Stephen Jin-Woo Kim (born 1967) is a South Korean-born American who was convicted for leaking classified information to a journalist.

In the realm of sports, Jin-woo has been a common name for South Korean baseball and football players. Song Jin-woo (born 1966) played professional baseball. Kim Jin-woo (born 1975) was a football midfielder who represented South Korea internationally. Lee Jin-woo (born 1982) and Lim Jin-woo (born 1993) are also notable footballers. In swimming, Kim Jin-Woo (born 1983) competed for Kenya. Park Jin-woo (born 1990) played volleyball for the national team, and Hwang Jin-woo (born 1983) is a race car driver.

Entertainers named Jin-woo include Jung Jin-woo (born 1938), a respected film actor, and Win (born Jin-woo Kim, 1987), a member of the K-pop band Evr. Finally, Jin-woo is a common name in everyday Korean life, carrying no inherent class or regional bias.

• Meaning: Varies by hanja, e.g., "town/universe" or "precious/friend"
• Origin: Korean, from Sino-Korean characters
• Type: Given name
• Usage regions: Korea (South)