Chun studied chemistry at Inha University but dropped out to pursue acting.[1] His father Chun Gyu-deok was among the first generation of professional wrestlers in the country.[2]
Chun's acting career began in 1983 when he auditioned at Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) and was selected. His first roles were mostly in miniseries and one-off telemovies (similar to KBS's Drama City). He came to prominence with viewers in the long-running KBS drama Love on a Jujube Tree (ko),[3] which garnered him the Baeksang Arts Awards for Best New Actor in the television category in 1992.[4] In later years, he earned the sobriquet "the national father" (국민 아버지) after portraying the father of the main characters in the family dramas My Golden Life (2017) and Once Again (2020), both of which had viewership ratings of over 30%.[5][6] His portrayal of a bankrupt and down-on-his-luck man who has a complex relationship with his wife and their four adult children in My Golden Life won critical acclaim from both critics and viewers and earned him the Daesang (Grand Prize) at the 2017 KBS Drama Awards and a string of award nominations.[7]
^Shim Eom-kyung (July 20, 2021). "[단독]천호진, '나의 해방 일지' 합류…이민기·김지원과 호흡" [[Exclusive] Hojin Cheon joins 'My Liberation Journal'... Breathing with Lee Min-ki and Kim Ji-won]. Spotify News (in Korean). Naver. Archived from the original on November 11, 2020. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
^Jang Su-jeong (August 10, 2021). "천호진, '나의 해방일지' 출연…해방 외치는 세 남매 아버지 역" [Cheon Ho-jin to appear in 'My Liberation Journal'... Father of three siblings crying for liberation]. Dailyan (in Korean). Naver. Archived from the original on September 17, 2021. Retrieved August 10, 2021.
^Kim Na-yul (September 22, 2022). "천호진, '조선변호사' 출연 확정..절대권력 유제세 役[공식]" [Cheon Ho-jin confirmed to appear in 'Chosun Lawyer' .. Absolute Power Yoo Je-se [Official]] (in Korean). Herald Pop. Archived from the original on September 22, 2022. Retrieved September 22, 2022 – via Naver.
^인물 소개 – 은결의 인연들 [Character introduction – Eun-gyeol's relationships]. tvN (in Korean). Archived from the original on October 22, 2023. Retrieved November 22, 2023.
^Baek Seung-hun (June 27, 2023). "천호진, MBC '열녀박씨 계약결혼뎐' 출연…배인혁 조부役" [Cheon Ho-jin appeared in MBC's 'The Tale of a Married Woman with a Virtuous Woman'... Bae In-hyeok's grandfather] (in Korean). MBC Entertainment. Archived from the original on June 27, 2023. Retrieved June 27, 2023.
^Baek Ah-young (September 2, 2021). "'놀면 뭐하니?', 제48회 한국방송대상 작품상 수상" [What do you do when you play?', won Best Picture at the 48th Korea Broadcasting Awards]. iMBC (in Korean). Archived from the original on September 2, 2021. Retrieved September 2, 2021 – via Naver.
^Lee Dong-hoon (September 10, 2021). "천호진, 48회 한국방송대상 최우수연기자상 수상[★포토]" [Ho-jin Cheon, Best Actor Award at the 48th Korea Broadcasting Awards [Photo]]. Star News (in Korean). Archived from the original on September 10, 2021. Retrieved September 10, 2021 – via Naver.
^Choi Ji-eun (April 27, 2021). "[톱포토] 김세정, 올킬 미모" (in Korean). topdaily. Archived from the original on May 15, 2021. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
