Jung Ryeo-won

Jung Ryeo-won (; born January 21, 1981) is an Australian actress and former singer based in South Korea.

Career 2000–2004: Debut with Chakra While an exchange student at Korea University from Griffith University in the 2000s, Jung was discovered on the streets of Apgujeong by Lee Sang-min, 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. Jung said her morale was at a low in 2002, saying she sometimes felt alienated from her fellow Koreans and felt uncomfortable with the sexy clothes she had to wear as a singer.

2005–2012: Transitioning to acting Chakra disbanded in 2004, and Jung pursued acting full-time. After unsuccessfully auditioning 11 times that year, she said she began doubting her decision to become an actress. In 2005, she gained recognition in the cult vampire sitcom Hello Franceska, and 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,

Her follow-up series Autumn Shower received low ratings, but she rebounded with Which Star Are You From?, in which she played a country bumpkin living in the mountains of Gangwon Province. She was cast in her first movie leading role as a girl with multiple personality disorder in 2007's Two Faces of My Girlfriend, and though it was not a box office hit, she won Best New Actress at the Blue Dragon Film Awards.

In 2009, Jung played the title role in Princess Jamyung, her first period drama. She later appeared in Castaway on the Moon, portraying a hikikomori.

Both her 2011 big screen projects had elements of romance. She played a teacher in a small South Korean village who meets a North Korean officer in the Korean War comedy/drama In Love and War, and in Kwak Kyung-taek's melodrama Pained, she played a hemophiliac who falls for her opposite, a man with analgesia, the inability to sense physical pain.

Jung began 2012 by starring as the heroine in the quirky series History of a Salaryman. Playing one of the most unusual female characters in Korean drama history, she delivered a fun, no-holds-barred performance as a red-haired, constantly swearing, selfish, reckless, rich snob, but injected heart and raw emotion into a character that could've otherwise been very unlikable. Critics and audiences were impressed with her performance, and her series nabbed the top spot on the Monday and Tuesday primetime ratings lineup while she later won a Top Excellence Award at the SBS Drama Awards.

She then starred in Never Ending Story, a romantic comedy about two people diagnosed with terminal illnesses who decide to spend their remaining time together preparing for death. In June 2012, Jung's contract with Won Entertainment expired and she signed with Bae Yong-joon's agency, KeyEast. Later that year, she played an idealistic screenwriter in The King of Dramas.

2013–2017: Acting setback In January 2013, Jung unveiled her official website, through which she hoped to connect with her fans. Messages from the actress are uploaded in the "From rw" section. She then reunited with Pained costar Kwon Sang-woo in the medical drama Medical Top Team, playing a charismatic and ambitious thoracic surgeon.

Jung next played an impatient and irresponsible radio producer in the cable series Bubble Gum in 2015; she and co-star Lee Dong-wook had previously appeared together in the 2003 sitcom Do the Right Thing. In 2017, she starred in the legal procedural drama, Witch at Court, playing a highly ambitious prosecutor who speaks her mind and is known for her aggressive investigation tactics. For her portrayal, she received the Top Excellence Award at the 2017 KBS Drama Awards.

2018–present: Return to television and continued work

In 2018, Jung starred in the black comedy Gate. She then starred in the SBS' gastronomy drama Wok of Love.

In 2019, Jung starred in the legal television series Prosecutor Civil War.

In September 2020, Jung's contract with KeyEast expired. She subsequently signed with H & Entertainment. In July 2022, Jung renewed her contract with H & Entertainment.

Other activities Art Jung published Ryeo-won's Sketchbook in 2007, which contained her drawings and writings about her Christian faith. Though she hadn't received formal instruction in the fine arts, Jung enjoyed expressing herself through drawing in her spare time. Two of her pieces of art were sold at a charity auction in 2012.

Hosting In March 2014, Jung began hosting Art Star Korea on cable channel StoryOn, an audition program/reality show featuring contemporary artists. She also participated in the program Living Together .

Philanthropy On February 10, 2023, Jung donated 50 million won to help the 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquake, by donating money through World Vision.

Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 2002 Emergency Act 19 Chakra as themselves Cameo appearance 2005 My Boyfriend Is Type B Bu-young 2007 Two Faces of My Girlfriend A-ni / Ha-ni / Yu-ri 2009 Castaway on the Moon Kim Jung-yeon 2011 In Love and War Seol-hee Pained Dong-hyun 2012 Never Ending Story Oh Song-kyung 2018 Gate So-eun 2022 Woman in a White Car Do Gyoung Premiered at 26th BIFAN

Television series Year Title Role 2002 Saxophone and Chapssaltteok Park Ja-nam 2003 Drama City:"I Met Her at the Swimming Pool" Hee-jin Do the Right Thing Ryeo-won Argon Kwon Soo-hyun 2004 Father of the Sea Joo-hong Banjun Drama:"Exclusive Love" 2005 Hello Franceska Elizabeth Banjun Drama:"Get That Girl" Banjun Drama:"To Go Bungee Jump" MBC Best Theater:"Magic Power of Alcohol" My Name Is Kim Sam-soon Yoo Hee-jin Autumn Shower Park Yeon-seo 2006 Which Star Are You From Kim Bok-shil / Lee Hye-soo / Lee Hae-rim 2009 Ja Myung Go Princess Jamyung 2012 History of a Salaryman Baek Yeo-chi The King of Dramas Lee Go-eun 2013 Medical Top Team Seo Joo-young 2015 Bubble Gum Kim Haeng-ah 2017 Witch at Court Ma Yi-deum 2018 Wok of Love Dan Se-woo 2019 Diary of a Prosecutor Cha Myeong-joo 2024 The Midnight Romance in Hagwon Seo Hye-jin The Couple Are Playing Yoon Hye-ja

Web series Year Title Role 2022 May It Please the Court Noh Chak-hee

Music video appearances Year Title Artist 2008 "One" Epik High 2010 "As a Man" Gummy 2011 "Can't Be Crazy" Alex Chu 2015 "Lost in Perspective" Nell

Discography

Soundtrack appearances + List of soundtrack appearances, showing year released, selected chart positions, and name of the album Title Year Peak chart positions Album KOR "Wedding Song" 2012 — Never Ending Story OST "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that region.

Book Year Title Publisher ISBN 2007 Ryeowon's Sketchbook Duranno Publishing

Awards and nominations + Name of the award ceremony, year presented, category, nominee of the award, and the result of the nomination Award ceremony Year Category Nominee / Work Result APAN Star Awards 2018 Top Excellence Award, Actress in a Miniseries Witch at Court Baeksang Arts Awards 2008 Best New Actress – Film Two Faces of My Girlfriend 2012 Best Actress – Film Pained Blue Dragon Film Awards 2007 Best New Actress Two Faces of My Girlfriend Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival 2022 Korean Fantastic Actress The Woman in a White Car Buil Film Awards 2009 Best New Actress Castaway on the Moon KBS Drama Awards 2017 Best Couple Award Jung Ryeo-won Witch at Court Top Excellence Award, Actress Witch at Court Excellence Award, Actress in a Miniseries Korea Drama Awards 2012 Top Excellence Award, Actress History of a Salaryman MBC Drama Awards 2005 Excellence Award, Actress My Name Is Kim Sam-soon 2006 PD Award Which Star Are You From 2013 Top Excellence Award, Actress in a Miniseries Medical Top Team MBC Entertainment Awards 2005 Excellence Award, Actress in a Variety Show Premiere Rising Star Asian Awards 2008 Best New Actress Two Faces of My Girlfriend SBS Drama Awards 2009 Excellence Award, Actress in a Serial Drama Princess Jamyung 2012 Top 10 Stars History of a Salaryman / The King of Dramas Top Excellence Award, Actress in a Miniseries 2018 Top Excellence Award, Actress in a Monday-Tuesday Drama Wok of Love Style Icon Awards 2008 Fashionista Award Jung Ryeo-won