Jung Ryeo-won
| Jung Ryeo-won | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
January 21, 1981 Seoul, South Korea |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Other names | Yoana Jung |
| Education | Korea University - Journalism |
| Occupation | Actress, singer |
| Years active | 1999–present |
| Agent | KeyEast |
| Website | http://aboutyoana.com/ |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul | 정려원 |
| Hanja | |
| Revised Romanization | Jeong Ryeo-won |
| McCune–Reischauer | Chŏng Ryŏwŏn |
Jung Ryeo-won (born January 21, 1981) is a Korean-Australian actress. She began her entertainment career as a singer in the now-defunct girl group Chakra, and first rose to fame in the hit television series My Name Is Kim Sam-soon. She is also known for her roles in Two Faces of My Girlfriend, Castaway on the Moon, and History of a Salaryman.
The second of three children, Jung Ryeo-won was born in Seoul, but emigrated to Brisbane, Australia in 1991 with her family. She encountered discrimination in grade school, which made her determined to become fluent in English. By junior high school, she had adapted to the Australian way of life. After graduating from MacGregor State High School, she entered Griffith University as an international business major.
While vacationing in Korea in the summer of 1999, Jung was discovered on the streets of Apgujeong by an agent, thereby changing her life and career path. She was placed in the K-pop girl group Chakra, along with Eeni, Eun and Hwangbo; their first album was released in 2000. But Jung's morale was at a low in 2002, saying she sometimes felt alienated from her fellow Koreans, and was uncomfortable with the sexy clothes she was made to wear as a singer.
Chakra disbanded in 2004, and Jung pursued acting full-time. After undergoing 11 unsuccessful auditions that year, she said she began doubting her decision to become an actress. But in 2005 she gained recognition in the cult vampire sitcom Hello Franceska, then made her breakthrough in the romantic comedy My Name Is Kim Sam-soon. The series was a massive success with average ratings of over 37%, and 50.5% for the finale. Jung was praised for her portrayal of a fragile but good-natured character who fights for the hero's love, and she eventually became one of the few successful singer-turned-actresses in the country.
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