Yoon Yeo-jung began her now decades-long career in 1967 through the TBC series Mister Gong and has since become a fixture in the acting world. In 1971, she made her film debut in director Kim Ki-young’s Woman of Fire, which won her Best Actress at that year’s Blue Dragon Film Awards and Best New Actress at the Grand Bell Awards. In 2003, she joined the sexy drama film A Good Lawyer’s Wife, which gave her two Best Supporting Actress trophies. In 2010, she appeared in the melodramatic erotic thriller film The Housemaid, which earned her multiple Best Supporting Actress citations. In 2016, she played the titular character in the drama film The Bacchus Lady, which scored her the Best Actress trophies at the 20th Fantasia International Film Festival and the 26th Buil Film Awards. In 2020, she made her Hollywood debut in the critically acclaimed drama film Minari. She was named Best Supporting Actress at the 93rd Academy Awards for her performance in the movie, making her the first Korean to win such an award. She also clinched several more Best Supporting Actress trophies for her role in the film, including a Screen Actors Guild Award, a BAFTA Award, and an Independent Spirit Award.

Yoon Yeo-jung graduated from Ewha Girls’ High School and then attended Hanyang University’s Department of Korean Language and Literature. She married singer Jo Young-nam in 1974 but got divorced in 1987. They have two sons together.