Born in Gongju, South Chungcheong, Korea in 1921. In 1943, he joined the theatre company Hyundae Theatre and appeared in 'The Story of Chun Hyang'.

In 1948, he made his debut as a movie star with films such as 'The Night Before Independence', 'Sou', 'Dawn', and 'The Town of Hope'. He also appeared in director Shin Sang Ok's 'The Evil Night' (1952) and 'Dream' (1955). He founded Seoul Film History with Shin Sang Ok and Choi Eun Hee in 1955.