Jung Ryeo-won

She is also known for her roles in Two Faces of My Girlfriend (2007), Castaway on the Moon (2009), History of a Salaryman (2012), Wok of Love (2018) and May it please the court (2022).

• Name — Jung Ryeo-won • Other Names — Yoana Jung • Born — 21 January 1981 • Birthplace — Seoul, South Korea • Citizenship — * Australia • Education — Griffith University (International Business) • Occupation — * Actress • Years Active — 2000–present • Agent — Blitzway Entertainment Jung Ryeo-won (born January 21, 1981) is an Australian actress and former singer based in South Korea. She began her career as a singer in the girl group Chakra. Following their disbandment of the group, she transitioned to an actress where she rose to fame in the hit television series My Name Is Kim Sam-soon (2005). She is also known for her roles in Two Faces of My Girlfriend (2007), Castaway on the Moon (2009), History of a Salaryman (2012), Wok of Love (2018) and May it please the court (2022).

The second of three children, Jung Ryeo-won was born in 1981, and emigrated to Brisbane, Australia in 1991 with her family. By junior high school, she had adapted to the Australian way of life. She graduated from Griffith University with a major in international business.

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.

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, in the process becoming one of the few successful singer-turned-actresses in the country. 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.

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.

• Illustration — Jung for Marie Claire Korea in 2018 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.

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.

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.

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

• Year — Title — Role — Ref. Reference(s) • 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

• Year — Title — Role — Ref. Reference(s) • 2022 — May It Please the Court — Noh Chak-hee

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

List of soundtrack appearances, showing year released, selected chart positions, and name of the album • Title — Year — Peak chart positions — Album • KOR • "Wedding Song" (with Uhm Tae-woong) — 2012 — — — Never Ending Story OST • "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that region.

• Year — Title — Publisher — ISBN — Ref. Reference(s) • 2007 — Ryeowon's Sketchbook — Duranno Publishing

The authorities additionally record the headings Jung Yoana, Yoana Jeong, Jeong Yoana, Jung Ryeo Won and Jung Ryeowon. Her recorded language was Korean.