Jun Ji-hyun

Wang Ji-hyun(Korean:왕지현; born 30 October 1981), known professionally asJun Ji-hyun(전지현), is a South Korean actress and model. She rose to fame with her role in the romantic comedy filmMy Sassy Girl(2001), which became a tremendous sensation acrossAsiaand sparked an international breakthrough forKorean cinema.Other notable films includeIl Mare(2000),Windstruck(2004),The Thieves(2012),The Berlin File(2013) andAssassination(2015). She also starred in the popular television seriesMy Love from the Star(2013–2014) andThe Legend of the Blue Sea(2016–2017), as well as theNetflixseriesKingdom(2021).
Jun has received multiple awards, including two Best Actress trophies at theGrand Bell Awardsand aGrand Prize for Televisionat theBaeksang Arts Awards. Her success in film and television has established her as a topHallyustar. She is referred to as one of "The Troika," along withKim Tae-heeandSong Hye-kyo, collectively known by theacronym"Tae-Hye-Ji".
Jun was born inGangnam District,Seoul, 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 aflight attendant, 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 forEcole Magazine.In 1998, she debuted as an actress and adopted thestage nameJun Ji-hyun, at the suggestion of a producer.
Jun attended college atDongguk Universityand graduated in 2004 with abachelor's degreein Theater and Film. She later enrolled in Dongguk University'sgraduate schoolof Digital Media and Contents in 2011 and obtained amaster's degree.
Jun first became well known as a commercial model and as a TV actress. Although she made her film debut in the little-watchedWhite Valentinein 1999, it was not until later in the year when she was featured in a commercial forSamsungMy JetPrinterthat 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 withIl Mare, a handsomely shot melodrama set onGanghwa Island.The film did respectably well at the box office (despite opening on the same day as blockbusterJoint Security Area) 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 starringSandra BullockandKeanu Reeves.
Jun's breakout film was comedyMy Sassy Girl, 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 biggestHallyustars in the Chinese-language market.The huge success ofMy Sassy Girlalso 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 2002Grand Bell Awards.
In 2003, Jun starred in the psychological thriller filmThe 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 withKwak Jae-yong, the director ofMy Sassy Girl, in 2004, appearing as a policewoman in romantic comedyWindstruck.However, viewers felt her role was too similar toMy Sassy Girl.There were also signs that her popularity had started to suffer because of overexposure in advertisements.Nonetheless,Windstruckbecame the best-performing Korean film in Japan at the time, whereMy Sassy Girlwas 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 projectDaisyteamed her withJung Woo-sung(who frequently appeared together with her inGiordanoand 2%LotteChilsung Water advertisements), and drew attention for its 100% location shooting in the Netherlands, and for using the Hong Kong directorAndrew Lau(Infernal Affairs).
In late 2006, it was announced that Jun would be making her long-predicted jump to Hollywood as the lead role inBlood: 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 filmA 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 actorHwang Jung-min, 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 actressLi Bingbingin the English-language filmSnow Flower and the Secret Fan, based onLisa See's bestsellingnovel of the same name, which was directed byWayne Wang(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 byAnnie Leibovitzfor the July issue of the American edition ofVogue, the first Korean actress to be included in the iconic fashion magazine.
As part of the star-studded cast ofThe Thieves, Jun was ascene stealerinChoi Dong-hoon's 2012heist filmabout thieves from Korea and China who team up together to steal a diamond worthUS$30 million, which is locked in a special room at a casino inMacau.The Thievesbecame thesecond top-selling Korean film of all time.
She next played a translator married to a North Korean intelligence agent in the 2013 spy thrillerThe Berlin File, and directorRyoo Seung-wanpraised Jun's action scenes and herNorth 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 inchungmuro.
14 years afterHappy Togetherin 1999, Jun made her highly anticipated return to television in fantasy romanceMy Love from the Star,opposite herThe Thievesco-starKim Soo-hyun.Jun plays a present-day top actress who falls in love with an alien who landed on earth 400 years ago during theJoseonperiod, played by Kim. The series was a ratings success, sparking trends in fashion, make-up and restaurants.Jun won theDaesang(or "Grand Prize"), the highest award for television, at the2014Baeksang Arts Awardsand the2014 SBS Drama Awards.The drama reestablished Jun as a leader of theHallyu, 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 forAssassination, an espionage action film set during the1930s colonial erain which she played asniperwho assembles a squad ofindependence fightersto kill a Japanese army commander and a pro-Japanese Korean business tycoon.The film was another box-office success for Choi and Jun;Assassinationwas the highest-grossing Korean film of the year as well as theseventh all-time highest-grossing film in Korean cinema history.Jun was awarded Best Actress at theGrand Bell Awardsand Max Movie Awards.
In January 2016, Korean entertainment and media companyCJ E&Macquired her agency Culture Depot.The same year, Jun was ranked 8th onForbesKorea 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 theSBSfantasy romance dramaThe Legend of the Blue SeawithLee Min-ho, reuniting withMy Love from the StarscriptwriterPark Ji-eun.Jun ranked 9th onGallup Korea'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 theNetflixperiodzombiethrillerKingdom.She was later confirmed to reprise her role and lead the series' sidequelKingdom: Ashin of the North, alongside herAssassinationco-starPark Byung-eun.The Netflix special episode was released worldwide on 23 July 2021.
In April 2020, Jun was confirmed to leadtvNmystery thriller dramaJirisan, written byKingdomscreenwriterKim Eun-hee, oppositeJu 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 fromCulture Depotsaid that her agency's contract expires in June 2022.Later, in August Jun has signed with new agency, Ieum Hashtag.
In 2014, Jun donated₩100 million to theKorean Red Cross Societyfor the victims of theSewol ferry disaster.She continued making donations of₩100 million to the Hope Bridge Disaster Relief Association, to aid efforts for theCOVID-19 pandemicin 2020, and to help victims of the wildfire that had started in Uljin, Gyeongbuk in 2022.
Jun is one of the most in-demand celebrity endorsers in South Korea.In 2014, she earned an estimated ₩20 billion 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 onMy Love from the Star,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 houseGuccias 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 bySølve Sundsbøin London.
In February 2020,LG Household & Health Carehad selected her as the new global ambassador of luxury beauty brand SU:M37.
In 2020, Jun became first Korean ambassador ofAlexander McQueen.
In September 2022, Jun became the first South Korean female artist to become Global Ambassador for British luxury fashion houseBurberry.In December 2022, Jun starred as the global face of theBurberry's Holiday Season 2022 campaign.In February 2023, Jun was named as the global face of theBurberry's first campaign under its new chief creative officerDaniel Leealong withShygirl,Skepta,Vanessa Redgrave,Liberty Ross,Raheem Sterlingand more.
In September 2023, Jun became the first Brand Ambassador for American super-premium skincare brandLa Merand starred in its latest "Youth Everlasting" campaign.
On 11 October 2024, French luxury fashion brandLouis Vuittonselected Jun as its House Ambassador.
Jun married Choi Joon-hyuk on 13 April 2012, atShilla HotelinJangchung-dong, central Seoul, with more than 600 guests, including celebrities, close friends and family attending the wedding.Choi, a banker, is the grandson of famedhanbokdesignerLee Young-heeand 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.
Jun along with six other Korean stars (Jung Woo-sung,Kim Sun-a,Jo In-sung,Ji Jin-hee,Cha Tae-hyunand Yang Jin-woo) sued the monthly movie magazineScreenin 2006 for commercially using their pictures without permission.The Seoul Central District Court ruled in 2007 that the publisher must pay from ₩5 million to ₩15 million to each star for infringing on theirpublicity rights.
In 2009, police discovered that Jun's cell phone had been illegallycloned. Seoul Metropolitan Police arrested a private detective, identified as Kim, who testified that it was ordered bySidusHQ(Jun's then agency of 13 years), for which he was paid ₩6.4 million in cash by the brother of the agency's founder and thenCEOJung 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 forinvasion of privacy, 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 toCulture Depot, an agency owned by a close friend, in 2012.
In 2011, SidusHQCEOJung Hoon-tak was accused of illegally using Jun's bank account to pocket profits from amerger and acquisition. Jung allegedly made ₩200 million after purchasing a stake in the juniorKOSDAQ-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 formerCEOKwon 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.