Jang Jin-yeong (curler)
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Jang Jin-young (; June 14, 1972 – September 1, 2009) was a South Korean actress. Following Jang's time as a model and participation in the 1992
Miss Korea Miss Korea () is a national beauty pageant in South Korea. The reigning Miss Korea is Kim Chae-Won who was crowned on September 24, 2024. History The first Miss Korea competition took place in 1957 and was sponsored by the Korean newspaper Ha ...
beauty contest, she began her acting career on television, in the drama ''Angel in My Heart'' (1997). She made her film debut in '' Ghost in Love'' (1999). Jang's acting career took off following her breakthrough performance, in ''
Sorum ''Sorum'' is a 2001 South Korean horror film and the feature film debut of director Yoon Jong-chan. Starring Kim Myung-min and Jang Jin-young, it tells the story of a young taxi driver who moves into a dilapidated old apartment building, the si ...
'' (2001). She starred in a variety of film genres, among them romantic films such as ''Over the Rainbow'' (2002), ''
Scent of Love ''Scent of Love'' () is a 2003 South Korean film, and the directorial debut of Lee Jeong-wook. The film is based on a novel of the same name by Kim Ha-in, and stars Jang Jin-young and Park Hae-il in the lead roles. Like her character, Jang Jin- ...
'' (2003), ''Singles'' (2003), and '' Between Love and Hate'' (2006), biographical film ''Blue Swallow'' (2005), and drama series ''Lobbyist'' (2007). Jang received critical praise and won a number of awards for her work. She became only the second winner of two
Blue Dragon Film Awards The Blue Dragon Film Awards () is an annual awards ceremony that is presented by ''Sports Chosun'' (a sister brand of the ''Chosun Ilbo'') for excellence in film in South Korea. The Blue Dragon Film Awards considers only blockbusters and popula ...
for Best Actress, having won in 2001 for ''Sorum'', and again in 2003 for ''Singles''. As of 2008, Jang was one of the highest paid stars in the Korean film industry, earning in the region of per film. On September 1, 2009, Jang died at the age of 37 after a year-long battle with
stomach cancer Stomach cancer, also known as gastric cancer, is a malignant tumor of the stomach. It is a cancer that develops in the Gastric mucosa, lining of the stomach. Most cases of stomach cancers are gastric carcinomas, which can be divided into a numb ...
.


Early life

Jang Jin-young was born on June 14, 1972, in
Imsil Imsil County () is a county in North Jeolla Province, South Korea. Imsil County is a county in central South Jeolla Province, South Korea. It is an area upstream of the Seomjingang River in the Noryeongsan Mountains, and there is a basin that run ...
,
North Jeolla Province North Jeolla Province, officially Jeonbuk State (), is a Special Self-governing Province of South Korea in the Honam region in the southwest of the Korean Peninsula. Jeonbuk borders the provinces of South Chungcheong to the north, North Gyeo ...
, South Korea. She attended Jeonju Jungang Girls' High School. As a third-year high school student, she began to be interested in fashion and decided to change her career plans. She had originally intended to go to music school to major in piano. She was enrolled in the Department of Costume Design at
Sangmyung University Sangmyung University () is a private university in South Korea with the main campus in Jongno District, Jongno, Seoul, and an auxiliary campus in Cheonan, Chungcheongnam-do. It was established in 1937, with the Sangmyung Women's College being fo ...
.


Career


Early work

Jang Jin-young began her career as a model, and represented the
South Chungcheong Province South Chungcheong Province (), informally called Chungnam, is a Administrative divisions of South Korea, province of South Korea in the Hoseo region in the southwest of the Korean Peninsula. South Chungcheong borders the provinces of Gyeonggi to ...
at the 1992
Miss Korea Miss Korea () is a national beauty pageant in South Korea. The reigning Miss Korea is Kim Chae-Won who was crowned on September 24, 2024. History The first Miss Korea competition took place in 1957 and was sponsored by the Korean newspaper Ha ...
beauty contest. After making the transition into acting with appearances in a number of
TV dramas In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular sup ...
, she received her film debut with a supporting role in the 1999
fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction that involves supernatural or Magic (supernatural), magical elements, often including Fictional universe, imaginary places and Legendary creature, creatures. The genre's roots lie in oral traditions, ...
'' Ghost in Love''. In 2000, she appeared in
Kim Jee-woon Kim Jee-woon (; born July 6, 1964) is a South Korean film director, screenwriter, and producer. He was a theater actor and director before debuting with his self-written and directed film, '' The Quiet Family'' in 1998. Kim has worked with incr ...
's ''
The Foul King ''The Foul King'' () is a 2000 South Korean sports comedy film, written and directed by Kim Jee-woon. It was Kim's second feature-length film after '' The Quiet Family''. Like the director's debut film, ''The Foul King'' also stars Song Kang-ho, ...
'', one of the biggest domestic hits of that year, and Jang's tough image in the film drew attention from critics, with Derek Elley of ''
Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' saying that she "makes an impression as the lightly romantic, not-so-fragile daughter". Also that year, she had a role in the
fire fighting Firefighting is a profession aimed at controlling and extinguishing fire. A person who engages in firefighting is known as a firefighter or fireman. Firefighters typically undergo a high degree of technical training. This involves structural fir ...
film ''Siren''.


Breakthrough and mainstream success

Jang's first starring role was in the 2001
psychological horror Psychological horror is a genre, subgenre of horror fiction, horror and psychological fiction with a particular focus on mental, emotional, and Mental state, psychological states to frighten, disturb, or unsettle its audience. The subgenre freque ...
film ''
Sorum ''Sorum'' is a 2001 South Korean horror film and the feature film debut of director Yoon Jong-chan. Starring Kim Myung-min and Jang Jin-young, it tells the story of a young taxi driver who moves into a dilapidated old apartment building, the si ...
'', in which she was cast against type as Sun-yeong, a
chain smoking Chain smoking is the practice of smoking several cigarettes in succession, sometimes using the ember of a finishing cigarette to light the next. The term chain smoker often also refers to a person who smokes relatively constantly, though not nec ...
abused wife. The part required her to look badly bruised and disheveled, and she found the regimen of three packets of cigarettes per day to be quite grueling, despite being a smoker herself. Both the film and Jang's performance received praise from critics, with Peter Y. Paik of ''The Film Journal'' commenting, " angJin-young is utterly convincing in her portrayal of a battered wife, conveying both vulnerability and grit." Jang won Best New Actress at the
Busan Film Critics Awards Established in 2000, the Busan Film Critics Awards is run by the Busan Film Critics Association (BCFA), a small but independent-minded group of critics based in Busan, South Korea. Each year they announce their choices shortly before the opening of ...
,Film Awards Ceremonies in Korea
". ''Koreanfilm.org''. Retrieved June 20, 2007.
Best Actress at the
Blue Dragon Film Awards The Blue Dragon Film Awards () is an annual awards ceremony that is presented by ''Sports Chosun'' (a sister brand of the ''Chosun Ilbo'') for excellence in film in South Korea. The Blue Dragon Film Awards considers only blockbusters and popula ...
.Korean Film Newsletter #12
". ''Koreanfilm.org'', December 15, 2001. Retrieved June 20, 2007.
In 2002, Jang co-starred with
Lee Jung-jae Lee Jung-jae (; born December 15, 1972) is a South Korean actor, filmmaker, and businessman. Considered one of South Korea's most successful actors, he has received numerous accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award, a Screen Actors Guild A ...
in ''
Over the Rainbow "Over the Rainbow", also known as "Somewhere Over the Rainbow", is a ballad by Harold Arlen with lyrics by Yip Harburg. It was written for the 1939 film '' The Wizard of Oz'', in which it was sung by actress Judy Garland in her starring role ...
'', a
romantic comedy Romantic comedy (also known as romcom or rom-com) is a sub-genre of comedy and Romance novel, romance fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount all obstacles. Ro ...
film in which her character helps an old college friend to recover his lost memory, and she was praised in a review at ''Korean Film'' for giving a "lively performance". The following year, Jang appeared alongside
Park Hae-il Park Hae-il (; born 26 January 1977) is a South Korean actor. He began his acting career in theater, but soon gained the film industry's attention in 2003 with '' Scent of Love'' and '' Memories of Murder''. Park's film career took off, with lea ...
in the more dramatic ''
Scent of Love ''Scent of Love'' () is a 2003 South Korean film, and the directorial debut of Lee Jeong-wook. The film is based on a novel of the same name by Kim Ha-in, and stars Jang Jin-young and Park Hae-il in the lead roles. Like her character, Jang Jin- ...
''. Her next film, also released in 2003, was the light-hearted comedy ''
Singles Singles are people not in a committed relationship. Singles may also refer to: Film and television * ''Singles'' (miniseries), a 1984 Australian television series * ''Singles'' (1992 film), written and directed by Cameron Crowe * ''Singles'' ...
'', based on a novel by Japanese writer Kamata Toshio. Jang headed an
ensemble cast In a dramatic production, an ensemble cast is one that comprises many principal actors and performers who are typically assigned roughly equal amounts of screen time.Random House: ensemble acting Linked 2013-07-17 Structure In contrast to the po ...
as Na-nan, a down on her luck woman on the verge of turning thirty, who she described as being "very close to my actual real-life self" in terms of her personality."Reference Notes", booklet with YA Entertainment R1 DVD release of ''Singles''
ASIN B000B7MDMU
.
''Singles'' proved to be one of the big hits of that year, and also found favor with critics, with Jang in particular being lauded for her performance. Derek Elley of ''
Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' wrote, "With her effervescent, ingenuous goofiness, Jang dominates the movie, and twins well with /nowiki>Uhm Jung-hwa">Uhm_Jung-hwa.html" ;"title="/nowiki>Uhm Jung-hwa">/nowiki>Uhm Jung-hwa/nowiki>". Jang again won Best Actress at the Blue Dragon Film Awards, becoming only the second actress to win the award twice, and also received the Popularity Award. For her next project, Jang was cast as the lead in '' Blue Swallow'', a ₩9.7 billion biopic">Blue Swallow (film)">Blue Swallow'', a ₩9.7 billion biopic of aviation">biopic.html" ;"title="Blue Swallow (film)">Blue Swallow'', a ₩9.7 billion biopic">Blue Swallow (film)">Blue Swallow'', a ₩9.7 billion biopic of aviation pioneer Park Kyung-won,Mi-Seok Koh.
Flying in Pursuit of Her Dreams
". '' The Dong-A Ilbo'', December 29, 2005. Retrieved July 10, 2007.
which reunited her with ''Sorum'' director
Yoon Jong-chan Yoon Jong-chan (; born 1963) is a South Korean film director. He directed ''Sorum'' (2001), ''Blue Swallow (film), Blue Swallow'' (2005), ''I Am Happy'' (2009) and ''My Paparotti'' (2013). Career Yoon Jong-chan majored in Film at Hanyang Univer ...
, and ''Singles'' co-star
Kim Joo-hyuk Kim Joo-hyuk (3 October 1972 – 30 October 2017) was a South Korean actor. He was known for his leading roles in the films ''My Wife Got Married'' (2008), '' The Servant'' (2010), and '' Yourself and Yours'' (2016), his supporting roles in '' C ...
. She worked on the film for some 15 months, during which time she was required to learn
Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...
and overcome her
fear of heights Acrophobia, also known as hypsophobia, is an extreme or irrational fear or phobia of heights, especially when one is not particularly high up. It belongs to a category of specific phobias, called space and motion discomfort, that share similar ...
, and later said, "At every moment, I was pushing my limits. My experiences as ark Kyung-wontaught me a lot and made me work even harder to live my life to the fullest." Released towards the end of 2005, the film found itself the subject of strong criticism, with Park seen by many as having been a pro-Japanese figure during the Japanese colonial rule of Korea, and it subsequently sold a disappointing 600,000 tickets at the Korean
box office A box office or ticket office is a place where ticket (admission), tickets are sold to the public for admission to an event. Patrons may perform the transaction at a countertop, through a hole in a wall or window, or at a Wicket gate, wicket. ...
. Nevertheless, Jang received several award nominations for her role in the film, and won Best Actress at the 2006 Critic's Choice Awards.Darcy Paquet.
Pair win top prizes at Korean awards
". ''
Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'', December 26, 2006. Retrieved June 21, 2007.
In 2006, Jang appeared in the film '' Between Love and Hate'', the directorial debut of actor and screenwriter Kim Hae-gon. She played the role of Yeon-ah, a carefree
bargirl A bargirl is a woman who is paid to entertain patrons in a Bar (establishment), bar or nightclub. Variants on the term include "B-girl" and "juicy girl". Many bargirls work as a bar hostess, engaging individual customers in conversation. They m ...
who embarks on a tumultuous love-hate relationship with slacker Young-woon (played by
Kim Seung-woo Kim Seung-woo (, c. February 24, 1969) is a South Korean actor and talk show host. Filmography Film *'' Chasing'' (2016) *''Horny Family'' (2013) *'' I Am a Dad'' (2011) *'' 71: Into the Fire'' (2010) *'' Iris: The Movie'' (2010) *''Curling ...
), despite him being engaged to another woman. In order to give a realistic portrayal of a bargirl, Jang spent time touring underground bars and room salons, but had difficulty identifying with her character, saying, "I couldn't easily understand why she had to act that way... I was embarrassed at times to stand in front of the camera and act like that." Her performance won Best Leading Actress at the
Korean Film Awards The Korean Film Awards was a South Korean film awards ceremony hosted by the broadcasting network MBC from 2002 to 2010. History Originally named the MBC Film Awards, the ceremony was first established in 2002. It was renamed the Korean Film Awa ...
, and she also received nominations at the Blue Dragon Film Awards and
Baeksang Arts Awards The Baeksang Arts Awards (), also known as the Paeksang Arts Awards, are awards for excellence in film, television and theatre in South Korea. The awards were introduced in 1965 by Chang Key-young, the founder of the newspaper ''Hankook Ilbo'', ...
.The 27th Blue Dragon Awards
". ''The Korea Society''. Retrieved June 21, 2007.
Paeksang Arts Awards 2007
". ''Cinemasie''. Retrieved June 21, 2007.
Jang made a return to television in 2007, when she was cast as one of the leads in the SBS drama series ''
Lobbyist Lobbying is a form of advocacy, which lawfully attempts to directly influence legislators or government officials, such as regulatory agencies or judiciary. Lobbying involves direct, face-to-face contact and is carried out by various entities, in ...
'', a ₩12 billion production about
lobbyists Lobbying is a form of advocacy, which lawfully attempts to directly influence legislators or government officials, such as regulatory agencies or judiciary. Lobbying involves direct, face-to-face contact and is carried out by various entities, in ...
and political conspiracies. Filming began in
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
on April 24, and in the wake of the
Virginia Tech massacre The Virginia Tech shooting was a spree shooting that occurred on Monday, April 16, 2007, comprising two attacks on the campus of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) in Blacksburg, Virginia, United States ...
it was reported that the production company had taken out insurance policies on Jang and her co-stars over fears of related incidents.


In the media

In 2006, ''Movie Week'' magazine compiled a list of Korea's 25 most beautiful faces, which named Jang as the sixth most beautiful woman. The results were gathered by polling 86 of the top domestic photographers. Jang was one of the guests at the "Curtain Call" section of Star Summit Asia, a side event of the inaugural Asian Film Market to showcase established Asian stars for the international marketplace. Speaking at the press conference, she professed a love for
action film The action film is a film genre that predominantly features chase sequences, fights, shootouts, explosions, and stunt work. The specifics of what constitutes an action film has been in scholarly debate since the 1980s. While some scholars such as D ...
s, and expressed a desire to one day star in a Chinese action film.


Later life and death

During a regular health check on September 22, 2008, Jang was diagnosed with
stomach cancer Stomach cancer, also known as gastric cancer, is a malignant tumor of the stomach. It is a cancer that develops in the Gastric mucosa, lining of the stomach. Most cases of stomach cancers are gastric carcinomas, which can be divided into a numb ...
. This was considered a strange and tragic coincidence as she was well known for her role in ''Scent of Love'' as a woman dying of stomach cancer. She had been suffering from pains while eating, but had believed the cause to be a
stomach ulcer The stomach is a muscular, hollow organ in the upper gastrointestinal tract of humans and many other animals, including several invertebrates. The Ancient Greek name for the stomach is ''gaster'' which is used as ''gastric'' in medical terms re ...
. In a telephone interview aired on MBC's ''After News'' program on November 29, 2008, Jang told the public that she had been undergoing Western medical treatments coupled with traditional herbal remedies, and that her health was improving. Eventually, her condition continued to deteriorate and Jang was hospitalized in Seoul, where she died at approximately 4:04 p.m. on September 1, 2009.


Secret marriage

After Jang's death, it was belatedly revealed that she had been secretly married. She had wed her husband, Kim Young-kyun, while in the U.S. for cancer treatment, and registered the marriage to make it official in Korea just days before her death. Kim later published a book commemorating the 608 days of their relationship, titled ''My Last Gift To Her''. The book features previously unreleased photos (including that of their Las Vegas wedding), as well as some letters and text messages they exchanged. When asked in an interview why he wrote the book, Kim answered: "Right now, my memories of Jin-young are distinct, but I'm human and someday my memories will grow dimmer. I don't want to lose my memories of being with her. Writing this was my way to deal with that. Someone who writes for a living told me that it helps and is a good method for organizing their emotions, and those words motivated me to write the book. Also, as I've already said in the prologue, Jin-young was an actress who had a great future ahead of her, and I thought it would help in having her remembered beautifully. Even when her time was limited, she didn't give up hope and lived diligently, and I wanted to let people know of Jin-young's passionate life."


Filmography


Film


Television series


Awards and nominations


References


External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Jang, Jin-young South Korean film actresses South Korean television actresses Miss Korea delegates Actresses from Jeonju 1972 births 2009 deaths Deaths from stomach cancer in South Korea