Wang Ji-hyun (; born 30 October 1981), known professionally as Jun Ji-hyun (), is a South Korean actress and model. She rose to fame with her role in the romantic comedy film ''

My Sassy Girl ''My Sassy Girl'' () is a 2001 South Korean romantic comedy film directed by Kwak Jae-yong, starring Jun Ji-hyun and Cha Tae-hyun. The film is based on a true story told in a series of blog posts written by Kim Ho-sik, who later adapted them into ...

'' (2001), which became a tremendous sensation across

Asia Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...

and sparked an international breakthrough for Korean cinema. Other notable films include '' Il Mare'' (2000), '' Windstruck'' (2004), '' The Thieves'' (2012), ''

The Berlin File ''The Berlin File'' (; lit. "Berlin") is a 2013 South Korean action spy film written and directed by Ryoo Seung-wan. Ha Jung-woo stars as a North Korean agent in Berlin who is betrayed and cut loose when a weapons deal is exposed. Together with ...

'' (2013) and ''

Assassination Assassination is the willful killing, by a sudden, secret, or planned attack, of a personespecially if prominent or important. It may be prompted by political, ideological, religious, financial, or military motives. Assassinations are orde ...

'' (2015). She also starred in the popular television series ''

My Love from the Star ''My Love from the Star'' () is a South Korean fantasy romantic comedy television series written by Park Ji-eun and directed by Jang Tae-yoo. Produced by Choi Moon-suk and Moon Bo-mi, it stars Jun Ji-hyun, Kim Soo-hyun, Park Hae-jin, Yoo ...

'' (2013–2014) and '' The Legend of the Blue Sea'' (2016–2017), as well as the

Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...

series '' Kingdom'' (2021). Jun has received multiple awards, including two Best Actress trophies at the

Grand Bell Awards The Grand Bell Awards (), also known as the Daejong Film Awards, is an awards ceremony presented annually by The Motion Pictures Association of Korea for excellence in film in South Korea. The Grand Bell Awards retains prestige as the oldest co ...

and a Grand Prize for Television at the

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'', ...

. Her success in film and television has established her as a top

hallyu The Korean Wave, or ''hallyu'' (; ), is a cultural phenomenon in which the global popularity of South Korean popular culture has dramatically risen since the 1990s. Worldwide interest in Korean culture has been led primarily by the spread of K- ...

star. She is referred to as one of "The Troika," along with Kim Tae-hee and

Song Hye-kyo Song Hye-kyo (; born November 22, 1981) is a South Korean actress. She gained international popularity through her leading roles in the television dramas '' Autumn in My Heart'' (2000), '' All In'' (2003), ''Full House'' (2004), '' That Winter, ...

, collectively known by the

acronym An acronym is a type of abbreviation consisting of a phrase whose only pronounced elements are the initial letters or initial sounds of words inside that phrase. Acronyms are often spelled with the initial Letter (alphabet), letter of each wor ...

"Tae-Hye-Ji".

Early life and education

Jun was born in

Gangnam District Gangnam District (; ) is one of the 25 districts of Seoul, South Korea. The term ''Gangnam'' translates to "South of the Han River". Gangnam District is the third largest district in Seoul, with an area of . As of the 2024 census, Gangna ...

Seoul Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital city, capital and largest city of South Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's List of cities b ...

, South Korea. She has a brother who is five years older. Her mother and her mother's friends all encouraged her to be a model or actress due to her height and slim figure. Her childhood dream was to become a

flight attendant A flight attendant is a member of the aircrew whose primary responsibility is ensure the safety of passengers in the cabin of an aircraft across all stages of flight. Their secondary duty is to see to the comfort of passengers. Flight attenda ...

, but she changed her mind after a flight. In 1997, at the age of 16, she followed her high school female senior and began her career as a model for ''Ecole Magazine''. In 1998, she debuted as an actress and adopted the

stage name A stage name or professional name is a pseudonym used by performers, authors, and entertainers—such as actors, comedians, singers, and musicians. The equivalent concept among writers is called a ''nom de plume'' (pen name). Some performers ...

Jun Ji-hyun, at the suggestion of a producer. Jun attended college at Dongguk University and graduated in 2004 with a

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Medieval Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six years ...

in Theater and Film. She later enrolled in Dongguk University's

graduate school Postgraduate education, graduate education, or graduate school consists of academic or professional degrees, certificates, diplomas, or other qualifications usually pursued by post-secondary students who have earned an undergraduate (bachel ...

of Digital Media and Contents in 2011 and obtained a

master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional prac ...

Career

1997–2005: Career beginnings and breakthrough

Jun first became well known as a commercial model and as a TV actress. Although she made her film debut in the little-watched '' White Valentine'' in 1999, it was not until later in the year when she was featured in a commercial for

Samsung Samsung Group (; stylised as SΛMSUNG) is a South Korean Multinational corporation, multinational manufacturing Conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered in the Samsung Town office complex in Seoul. The group consists of numerous a ...

My Jet

Printer Printer may refer to: Technology * Printer (publishing), a person * Printer (computing), a hardware device * Optical printer for motion picture films People * Nariman Printer (fl. c. 1940), Indian journalist and activist * James Printer (1640 ...

that she became a popular sensation. The dancing and attitude expressed in the ad made her into an icon for Koreans in their late teens and early twenties. The following year, Jun made her first well-publicized film appearance in late 2000 with '' Il Mare'', a handsomely shot melodrama set on

Ganghwa Island Ganghwa Island (), also Ganghwado, is an island in Ganghwa County, Incheon, South Korea. It is in the Yellow Sea and in an estuary of the Han River. The island is separated from Gimpo (on the South Korean mainland) by a narrow channel spanned ...

. The film did respectably well at the box office (despite opening on the same day as blockbuster ''

Joint Security Area The Joint Security Area (JSA, often referred to as the Truce Village or Panmunjom) is the only portion of the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) where North Korea, North and South Korean forces stand face-to-face. The JSA is used by the two Koreas ...

'') and solidified her status as a star. It was later remade in Hollywood under the title ' Lake House' for the first time in a Korean film starring

Sandra Bullock Sandra Annette Bullock (; born July 26, 1964) is an American actress and film producer. The List of highest-paid film actors, highest-paid actress of 2010 and 2014, Sandra Bullock filmography, Bullock's filmography spans both comedy and drama, ...

and

Keanu Reeves Keanu Charles Reeves ( ; born September 2, 1964) is a Canadian actor and musician. The recipient of numerous accolades in a career on screen spanning four decades, he is known for his leading roles in action films, his amiable public imag ...

. Jun's breakout film was comedy ''

'', a tale of a gullible college student and his slightly unhinged girlfriend. Jun's "sassy, loud, and domineering character while also embodying traits of a pure-hearted girl" ran contrary to gender norms in Asia. The film became the highest grossing Korean comedy of all time in Korea and also spent two weeks at No. 1 in Hong Kong, launching Jun into pan-Asia stardom as one of the biggest

Hallyu The Korean Wave, or ''hallyu'' (; ), is a cultural phenomenon in which the global popularity of South Korean popular culture has dramatically risen since the 1990s. Worldwide interest in Korean culture has been led primarily by the spread of K- ...

stars in the Chinese-language market. The huge success of ''My Sassy Girl'' also solidified Jun's domestic popularity, and she was given the title of the "Nation's First Love". Jun's growing popularity resulted in many companies requesting her endorsement. She also won the Best Actress award at the 2002

. In 2003, Jun starred in the psychological thriller film '' The Uninvited'', which was rather well received by critics but failed to catch on with viewers. Throughout this time she was a constant presence in TV ads and on billboards in Korea and also in other Asian countries. She reunited with

Kwak Jae-yong Kwak Jae-yong (born 22 May 1959) is a South Korean film director and screenwriter. He studied physics at Kyung Hee University. He achieved success with his debut film ''Watercolor Painting in a Rainy Day'' in 1989, but the failure of his next t ...

, the director of ''My Sassy Girl'', in 2004, appearing as a policewoman in romantic comedy '' Windstruck''. However, viewers felt her role was too similar to ''My Sassy Girl''. There were also signs that her popularity had started to suffer because of overexposure in advertisements. Nonetheless, ''Windstruck'' became the best-performing Korean film in Japan at the time, where ''My Sassy Girl'' was not as well known. In a 2005 survey of influential movie producers, she was ranked among the top ten most bankable stars in Korea. Jun's next project '' Daisy'' teamed her with Jung Woo-sung (who frequently appeared together with her in Giordano and 2% Lotte Chilsung Water advertisements), and drew attention for its 100% location shooting in the Netherlands, and for using the Hong Kong director

Andrew Lau Andrew Lau Wai-keung ( zh, t=劉偉強, born 4 April 1960) is a Hong Kong film director, producer, and cinematographer. Lau began his career in the 1980s and 1990s, serving as a cinematographer to filmmakers such as Ringo Lam, Wong Jing and ...

(''

Infernal Affairs ''Infernal Affairs'' () is a 2002 Hong Kong crime drama film directed by Andrew Lau and Alan Mak (director), Alan Mak from a screenplay written by Mak and Felix Chong. The film stars Andy Lau, Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Tony Leung, Anthony Wong ( ...

'').

2006–2010: Hollywood debut

In late 2006, it was announced that Jun would be making her long-predicted jump to Hollywood as the lead role in '' Blood: The Last Vampire''. She went through three months of hard training to play the sword-wielding martial arts heroine. During the filming and promotions for the movie prior to its 2009 release, she adopted the Westernized name Gianna Jun. Jun then launched her own luxury jeans brand in 2008, named "Gianna by True Religion", her first celebrity line. She was reportedly involved in every stage of their production, from design to deciding on fit and wash and their decoration with accessories. For the film '' A Man Who Was Superman'', Jun cut off her signature long silky hair to play a cynical documentary producer who meets an odd, Hawaiian-shirt-clad modern-day hero who battles urban apathy and preaches the virtues of lending a hand. Of initially feeling pressured at the opportunity to work with acclaimed actor

Hwang Jung-min Hwang Jung-min (; born September 1, 1970) is a South Korean actor. He established himself as a leading man in the romantic drama ''You Are My Sunshine'' (2005). One of the highest-grossing actors in South Korea, Hwang has starred in several box ...

, she said, "Although luck was probably involved, I think it's destiny for an actor to 'meet' new work. On the first day I met him, I realized that I have much to learn from him, not only from his acting, but also as an individual." In 2010, she acted opposite Chinese actress Li Bingbing in the English-language film '' Snow Flower and the Secret Fan'', based on

Lisa See Lisa See (born 18 February 1955) is an American writer and novelist. Her books include '' On Gold Mountain: The One-Hundred-Year Odyssey of My Chinese-American Family'' (1995), a detailed account of See's family history, and the novels '' Flower ...

's bestselling novel of the same name, which was directed by

Wayne Wang Wayne Wang (; born January 12, 1949) is a Hong Kong-American film director, producer, and screenwriter. Considered a pioneer of Asian-American cinema, he was one of the first Chinese-American filmmakers to gain a major foothold in Hollyw ...

('' The Joy Luck Club''). The film, set in remote 19th-century China, features the lifelong friendship between two women, Lily and Snow Flower, and their imprisonment imposed by the strict cultural codes of conduct for women at that time. She was photographed by

Annie Leibovitz Anna-Lou Leibovitz ( ; born October 2, 1949) is an American Portrait photography, portrait photographer best known for her portraits, particularly of celebrities, which often feature subjects in intimate settings and poses. Leibovitz's Polaroid ...

for the July issue of the American edition of '' Vogue'', the first Korean actress to be included in the iconic fashion magazine.

2012–present: Career resurgence and return to television

As part of the star-studded cast of '' The Thieves'', Jun was a scene stealer in

Choi Dong-hoon Choi Dong-hoon (; born February 24, 1971) is a South Korean film director and screenwriter. He ranks as one of the most consistently successful directors working in contemporary Korean cinema, with all first five of his films becoming commercial ...

's 2012

heist film The heist film or caper film is a subgenre of crime films and the caper story, focused on the planning, execution, and aftermath of a significant robbery. One of the early defining heist films was '' The Asphalt Jungle'' (1950), which ''Film G ...

about thieves from Korea and China who team up together to steal a diamond worth , which is locked in a special room at a casino in

Macau Macau or Macao is a special administrative regions of China, special administrative region of the People's Republic of China (PRC). With a population of about people and a land area of , it is the most List of countries and dependencies by p ...

. ''The Thieves'' became the second top-selling Korean film of all time. She next played a translator married to a North Korean intelligence agent in the 2013 spy thriller ''

'', and director

Ryoo Seung-wan Ryoo Seung-wan (; born December 15, 1973) is a South Korean filmmaker. He made his debut in 1996 with the short film ''Dangerous Head'', then worked as a director under director Park Chan-wook, took film lessons, and made his feature film debut ...

praised Jun's action scenes and her North Korean dialect. Jun's success on the big screen reaffirmed her status as one of the top actresses in Korea, as well as being one of the biggest box office draw in

chungmuro Chungmuro () is an avenue in length and in width and the area nearby, located in Jung District, Seoul, South Korea. Since the 1960s, Chungmuro has been known as the street of Culture of South Korea, culture, artists, and the Cinema of South Kor ...

. 14 years after '' Happy Together'' in 1999, Jun made her highly anticipated return to television in fantasy romance ''

'', opposite her ''The Thieves'' co-star

Kim Soo-hyun Kim Soo-hyun (; born February 16, 1988) is a South Korean actor. He is the recipient of five Baeksang Arts Awards, two Grand Bell Awards and one Blue Dragon Film Award. Kim made his television debut in 2007 with the family sitcom ''Kimchi Che ...

. Jun plays a present-day top actress who falls in love with an alien who landed on earth 400 years ago during the

Joseon Joseon ( ; ; also romanized as ''Chosun''), officially Great Joseon (), was a dynastic kingdom of Korea that existed for 505 years. It was founded by Taejo of Joseon in July 1392 and replaced by the Korean Empire in October 1897. The kingdom w ...

period, played by Kim. The series was a ratings success, sparking trends in fashion, make-up and restaurants. Jun won the ''Daesang'' (or "Grand Prize"), the highest award for television, at the

2014 The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...

and the 2014 SBS Drama Awards. The drama reestablished Jun as a leader of the

, and she was given the President's Award at the Korean Popular Culture and Arts Awards. In 2015, she reunited with director Choi Dong-hoon for ''

'', an espionage action film set during the 1930s colonial era in which she played a

sniper A sniper is a military or paramilitary marksman who engages targets from positions of concealment or at distances exceeding the target's detection capabilities. Snipers generally have specialized training and are equipped with telescopic si ...

who assembles a squad of independence fighters to kill a Japanese army commander and a pro-Japanese Korean business tycoon. The film was another box-office success for Choi and Jun; ''Assassination'' was the highest-grossing Korean film of the year as well as the seventh all-time highest-grossing film in Korean cinema history. Jun was awarded Best Actress at the

and Max Movie Awards. In January 2016, Korean entertainment and media company

CJ E&M CJ ENM Entertainment Division (), formerly known as CJ E&M, is a South Korean entertainment and mass media division (formerly company) of CJ ENM. In July 2018, the company merged with the parent company's subsidiary CJ O Shopping, with the latte ...

acquired her agency Culture Depot. The same year, Jun was ranked 8th on ''

Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine founded by B. C. Forbes in 1917. It has been owned by the Hong Kong–based investment group Integrated Whale Media Investments since 2014. Its chairman and editor-in-chief is Steve Forbes. The co ...

'' Korea Power Celebrity 40. It was her second consecutive year in the top 10, having been ranked 4th in 2015. In November 2016, Jun made her small-screen comeback in the SBS fantasy romance drama '' The Legend of the Blue Sea'' with Lee Min-ho, reuniting with ''

'' scriptwriter Park Ji-eun. Jun ranked 9th on

Gallup Korea Gallup Korea () or Gallup Korea Research Institute () is a South Korean research company. Founded by Park Moo-ik in 1974, the company became a member of Gallup International Association in 1997. It is best known for conducting public surveys o ...

's list of the 10 best actors of 2016, becoming the only woman to be included. In March 2020, Jun made a short appearance in the second season of the

period

zombie A zombie (Haitian French: ; ; Kikongo: ''zumbi'') is a mythological undead corporeal revenant created through the reanimation of a corpse. In modern popular culture, zombies appear in horror genre works. The term comes from Haitian folkl ...

thriller '' Kingdom''. She was later confirmed to reprise her role and lead the series' sidequel '' Kingdom: Ashin of the North'', alongside her ''Assassination'' co-star Park Byung-eun. The Netflix special episode was released worldwide on 23 July 2021. In April 2020, Jun was confirmed to lead tvN mystery thriller drama '' Jirisan'', written by '' Kingdom'' screenwriter Kim Eun-hee, opposite Ju Ji-hoon. The series premiered on 23 October 2021. Jun's 2021 projects marked her small-screen comeback after nearly 5 years of hiatus. In May 2022, an official from Culture Depot said that her agency's contract expires in June 2022. Later, in August Jun has signed with new agency, Ieum Hashtag.

Other activities

Philanthropy

In 2014, Jun donated million to the Korean Red Cross Society for the victims of the Sewol ferry disaster. She continued making donations of million to the Hope Bridge Disaster Relief Association, to aid efforts for the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

in 2020, and to help victims of the wildfire that had started in Uljin, Gyeongbuk in 2022.

Endorsements

Jun is one of the most in-demand celebrity endorsers in South Korea. In 2014, she earned an estimated from advertising and endorsement fees. Market research in that same year showed that based on the value of real estate holdings, she ranked first among South Korean female celebrities, and fourth out of both male and female. In 2016, Jun earned ₩14 billion for the 14 commercials she has filmed, regaining her position at the top of advertisement rankings. A lipstick she wore on ''

'', YSL "Rouge Pur Couture No. 52" sold out worldwide, while the same coat she wore on the show caused a surge in sales of over 2,500 in ShesMiss stores in ten days. In 2015, Jun has been selected by Italian luxury fashion house

Gucci Guccio Gucci S.p.A., doing business as Gucci ( , ), is an Italian Luxury goods, luxury fashion house based in Florence. Its product lines include handbags, ready-to-wear, footwear, accessories, and home decoration; and it licenses its name and ...

as the new face for the brand's Asia exclusive Spring/Summer 2015 Accessories Campaign. The campaign shot in minimalistic aesthetic style, features Gucci accessories bearing its icons - the Horsebit, the Interlocking Gs and Gucci Flora and photographs taken by

Sølve Sundsbø Sølve Sundsbø (born 14 October 1970) is a Norwegian fashion photographer based in London. Career Sundsbø was born in Norway in 1970 and came to London in 1995 to study photography at the London College of Printing. He left college to work ...

in London. In February 2020,

LG Household & Health Care LG H&H Co., Ltd., formerly LG Household & Health Care, is a major South Korean consumer goods company that manages cosmetics, household goods, and beverages business. It is also the South Korean bottler of the Coca-Cola system. Summary Hist ...

had selected her as the new global ambassador of luxury beauty brand SU:M37. In 2020, Jun became first Korean ambassador of

Alexander McQueen Lee Alexander McQueen (17 March 1969 – 11 February 2010) was a British fashion designer and couturier. He founded his own Alexander McQueen (brand), Alexander McQueen label in 1992 and was chief designer at Givenchy from 1996 to 2001. His ac ...

. In September 2022, Jun became the first South Korean female artist to become global ambassador for British luxury fashion house

Burberry Burberry Group plc is a British luxury fashion house established in 1856 by Thomas Burberry and headquartered in London, England. It designs and distributes ready to wear, including trench coats, leather accessories, and footwear. It is l ...

. In December 2022, Jun starred as the global face of the

's Holiday Season 2022 campaign. In February 2023, Jun was named as the global face of the

's first campaign under its new chief creative officer Daniel Lee along with

Shygirl Blane Muise (born 4 May 1993), better known by her stage name Shygirl, is an English singer, Disc jockey, DJ, rapper, songwriter and co-head/founder of record label and collective Nuxxe. Shygirl's music incorporates elements of dance music, hip ...

Skepta Joseph Olaitan Adenuga Jr. (born 19 September 1982), known professionally as Skepta, is a British grime MC, rapper, record producer and DJ. Alongside his younger brother Jme, he briefly joined Roll Deep before they became founding members of ...

Vanessa Redgrave Dame Vanessa Redgrave (born 30 January 1937) is an English actress. In her career spanning over six decades, she has garnered List of awards and nominations received by Vanessa Redgrave, numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a Tony A ...

, Liberty Ross, Raheem Sterling and more. In September 2023, Jun became the first brand ambassador for American super-premium skincare brand La Mer and starred in its latest "Youth Everlasting" campaign. On 11 October 2024, French luxury fashion brand

Louis Vuitton Louis Vuitton Malletier SAS, commonly known as Louis Vuitton (, ), is a French Luxury goods, luxury fashion house and company founded in 1854 by Louis Vuitton (designer), Louis Vuitton. The label's LV monogram appears on most of its products, ...

selected Jun as its house ambassador. On 16 April 2025, Swiss luxury watchmaker and jeweller Piaget selected Jun as its global ambassador.

Personal life

Marriage

Jun married Choi Joon-hyuk on 13 April 2012, at

Shilla Hotel Hotel Shilla Co., Ltd. () is a South Korean operator of luxury hotels and duty-free shops. It is a member of The Leading Hotels of the World. The company is an affiliate of Samsung. History Hotel Shilla started operations in March 1979 at the di ...

Jangchung-dong Jangchung-dong () is a '' dong'' (neighborhood) of Jung District, Seoul, South Korea. Etymology The name Jangchung-dong originated from the Jangchungdan that was located in this area. Established in 1900, Jangchungdan was a place where ceremonie ...

, central Seoul, with more than 600 guests, including celebrities, close friends and family attending the wedding. Choi, a banker, is the grandson of famed

hanbok The hanbok () is the traditional clothing of the Koreans, Korean people. The term ''hanbok'' is primarily used by South Koreans; North Koreans refer to the clothes as (). The clothes are also worn in the Korean diaspora. Koryo-saram—ethnic Ko ...

designer Lee Young-hee and the son of fashion designer Lee Jung-woo. Congratulatory money from the wedding was donated to charity. She and Choi have two sons together, born in 2016 and 2018.

Legal

Jun along with six other Korean stars ( Jung Woo-sung, Kim Sun-a, Jo In-sung, Ji Jin-hee,

Cha Tae-hyun Cha Tae-hyun (; born March 25, 1976) is a South Korean actor, singer, television personality, radio DJ and Television director, director. He is best known for his lead roles in the box-office hit comedies ''My Sassy Girl'' (2001), ''Scandal Make ...

and Yang Jin-woo) sued the monthly movie magazine ''Screen'' in 2006 for commercially using their pictures without permission. The Seoul Central District Court ruled in 2007 that the publisher must pay from to to each star for infringing on their publicity rights. In 2009, police discovered that Jun's cell phone had been illegally cloned. Seoul Metropolitan Police arrested a private detective, identified as Kim, who testified that it was ordered by

SidusHQ iHQ Inc., doing business as SidusHQ () is one of the leading talent management agencies in South Korea. It was founded in January 2001 by Teddy Hoon-tak Jung. The company is involved in talent management (artist content), and TV drama/music prod ...

(Jun's then agency of 13 years), for which he was paid in cash by the brother of the agency's founder and then

CEO A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a chief executive or managing director, is the top-ranking corporate officer charged with the management of an organization, usually a company or a nonprofit organization. CEOs find roles in variou ...

Jung Hoon-tak. Police said Jun's management company used the cloned phone to keep tabs on her in an attempt to exert control over all aspects of her life. SidusHQ denied the allegations. Jung Hoon-tak was later cleared after police could not find any concrete evidence of his direct involvement. Kim was sentenced to one year in prison for

invasion of privacy The right to privacy is an element of various legal traditions that intends to restrain governmental and private actions that threaten the privacy of individuals. Over 185 national constitutions mention the right to privacy. Since the global ...

, Jung's brother received suspended jail terms. Because of the scandal, many expected her to leave once her contract expired, but she surprisingly extended her contract with SidusHQ for one more year. Then in 2011 she set up her own management agency, J&Co. Entertainment, before moving to Culture Depot, an agency owned by a close friend, in 2012. In 2011, SidusHQ

Jung Hoon-tak was accused of illegally using Jun's bank account to pocket profits from a

merger and acquisition Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) are business transactions in which the ownership of a company, business organization, or one of their operating units is transferred to or consolidated with another entity. They may happen through direct absorpt ...

. Jung allegedly made after purchasing a stake in the junior

KOSDAQ The Korean Securities Dealers Automated Quotations (KOSDAQ; ) is a trading board of Korea Exchange (KRX) in South Korea established in 1996. Initially set up by Korea Financial Investment Association as an independent stock market from the Korean ...

-listed Stom E&F in 2009 with an account under Jun's name and announcing through a public filing several months later that he would buy Stom E&F. Jung and Stom E&F's former

Kwon Seung-shik were reported for gaining unfair profits by leaking information on the M&A beforehand. In an investigation by the Financial Supervisory Service, Jun testified that she was unaware of such an account existing under her name. Jung issued a denial.

Filmography

Film

Television series

Television show

Music video appearances

Awards and nominations

Listicles

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Jun, Ji-hyun Living people 1981 births People from Gangnam District South Korean film actresses South Korean television actresses South Korean female models IHQ (company) artists Actresses from Seoul Dongguk University alumni 20th-century South Korean actresses 21st-century South Korean actresses Best New Actress Paeksang Arts Award (film) winners Best Actress for Grand Bell Awards winners Kaesong Wang clan