Joo Won first appeared in the 2010 television drama King of Baking, Kim Takgu as the antagonist to the titular character. King of Baking, Kim Takgu recorded high viewership ratings of over 50%, earning a “national drama” status, and Joo Won shot to fame.

He went on to star in the KBS2 weekend family drama Ojakgyo Family in 2011, opposite Uee. Joo Won was praised for his convincing performance despite being a rookie actor. For his portrayal as Hwang Tae-hee, Joo Won took home the Best New Actor award at the 2011 KBS Drama Awards.

However, it was Joo Won’s third small screen project Bridal Mask that truly propelled him to mainstream popularity. His excellent portrayal of the complex Lee Kang-to – a pro-Japanese Korean police officer by day and a masked vigilante who fights for Korean independence by night – earned him much praises from critics and audiences. For his role in Bridal Mask, Joo Won took home the Excellence award and Popularity award at the 2012 KBS Drama Awards. The same year, he also joined the second season of Korea’s popular variety program 2 Days & 1 Night.

In the spring of 2013, Joo Won starred in the MBC drama 7th Grade Civil Servant, based on the action-romance movie My Girlfriend Is an Agent. His performance won him an Excellence award in the Miniseries category at the MBC Drama Awards.