Biography of Hoyeon Jung
Hoyeon Jung, a South Korean model and actor, gained international recognition and critical acclaim for her role as ‘Kan Sae-byeok’, also known as ‘Player 067’, in the Netflix series ‘Squid Game’. Her performance on the show earned her a ‘Screen Actors Guild award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series’ and a ‘Primetime Emmy Award’ nomination for ‘Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series’.
Hoyeon Jung began her career as a freelance model in 2011, at Seoul Fashion Week. She went on to compete on the fourth season of ‘Korea’s Next Top Model’, where she placed as a runner-up. Her big international break came in 2016 when she was signed to an exclusive global contract with ‘Louis Vuitton’. Since then, she has starred in campaigns and walked the runway for designers such as ‘Chanel’, ‘Fendi’, ‘Miu Miu’, ‘Marc Jacobs’, and ‘Moschino’, among others. She has also been featured in international editions of ‘Vogue’, ‘ELLE’, ‘Harper’s Bazaar’, ‘W’, and ‘V’, and many more fashion magazines.
Early Life & Education
Hoyeon Jung was born on 23rd June 1994 in Myeonmok-dong, Seoul, South Korea and her zodiac sign is Cancer. She completed her secondary education at Hyewon Girls’ High School in Seoul, where she excelled academically and was also active in extracurricular activities. During her high school years, she attended MBC Academy in Seoul, where she received training in modelling and began to develop an interest in the entertainment industry.
After graduating from high school, she decided to pursue her passion for modelling and enrolled in Dongduk Women’s University in Seoul, where she studied modelling as her major. Her time at Dongduk Women’s University provided her with the opportunity to gain knowledge and skills in the field of modelling, as well as to network with other aspiring models and industry professionals.
Career & Achievements
Modelling Career
At the age of 15, Hoyeon Jung began taking modelling classes and started working as a freelance model in 2010 at the age of 16. She walked in shows for Seoul Fashion Week for two years without representation from any agency. Despite not having an agency, she auditioned for the second season of the reality competition series ‘Korea’s Next Top Model’ in 2011 but quit after making it to the top 30. In 2012, she signed with ‘ESteem Models’.
She then went on to compete on the fourth season of ‘Korea’s Next Top Model’ in 2013, where she was placed as a runner-up after being eliminated and returning in the fifth episode. She appeared in the music video for ‘Move’ by Kim Yeon-woo in 2014 and was featured in spreads for Korean editions of magazines such as ‘Vogue’, ‘Elle’, and ‘W’.
In 2016, she signed up with The Society Management and left South Korea to pursue a career overseas. She also signed with ‘Elite Model Management and Nomad Management’. Before moving to New York, Jung dyed her hair a fiery red colour, which became her signature look.
Hoyeon Jung made her international runway debut in September 2016 at the Opening Ceremony show at New York Fashion Week. She subsequently walked for several notable brands such as ‘Marc Jacobs’, ‘Alberta Ferretti’, ‘Chanel’, ‘Max Mara’, ‘Burberry’, ‘Miu Miu’, ‘Jason Wu’, ‘Schiaparelli’, ‘Giambattista Valli’, ‘Bottega Veneta’, ‘Emilio Pucci’, ‘Prabal Gurung’, ‘Jacquemus’, ‘Gabriela Hearst’, ‘Moschino’, ‘Oscar de la Renta’, ‘Roberto Cavalli’, ‘Jeremy Scott’, ‘Tory Burch’, ‘Jean-Paul Gaultier’, ‘Acne Studios’, ‘Brandon Maxwell’, ‘Gucci’, ‘Lanvin’, ‘Zuhair Muradand’ and ‘Fendi’.
She was featured in ‘Harper’s Bazaar’, ‘Love’, and ‘W’. Also, in 2016 she made her ‘Paris Fashion Week’ runway debut as an exclusive model for ‘Louis Vuitton’, selected by Nicolas Ghesquière and casting director Ashley Brokaw. In September 2018, the ‘Models’ website named her on the top 50 models list. In 2019, she won the ‘Asian Star Award’ at the ‘Asian Model Awards’.
In March 2019, Hoyeon Jung appeared in a promotional video for Pharrell and Chanel’s collaborative capsule collection. In October 2021, she was named Louis Vuitton’s Global House Ambassador for fashion, watches, and jewellery and also partnered with Adidas Originals for their Adicolor campaign that same month. Her appearance on the cover of the February 2022 issue of Vogue made her the magazine’s first solo Korean cover star. In 2022, she became one of the faces of N°1 de Chanel and the website ‘Models’ listed her as a ‘supermodel’ for the modern era” on the ‘New Supers’ list.
Acting Career
As time passed, Hoyeon Jung noticed a decline in her modelling work and chose to venture into acting as she believed the lifespan of a model’s career to be short. To prepare herself for acting, she took several months of acting lessons while returning to South Korea during her time as a model overseas and also improved her English language skills.
In January 2020, she was signed by Korean talent agency ‘Saram Entertainment’ and made her acting debut in the Netflix K-drama ‘Squid Game’ where she played the character of ‘Kang Sae-byeok’, a North Korean defector and pickpocket who is struggling to support her younger brother and find her mother in North Korea. The director Hwang Dong-hyuk gave her three scenes from the script and asked her to audition via video while she was in New York for ‘Fashion Week’. After her successful video audition, she was called for an in-person audition in South Korea and was immediately cast for the role.
To prepare for her role as ‘Kang Sae-byeok’, Hoyeon Jung practised her character’s ‘Hamgyŏng’ dialect with real North Korean defectors, watched documentaries and learned martial arts. Additionally, she drew upon her own feeling of loneliness from her modelling days overseas to build the character and wrote a daily diary from her character’s perspective.
The character ‘Kang Sae-byeok’ became a fan favourite and she was recognized as the breakout star of ‘Squid Game’ by critics. For her performance on the show, she won the ‘Screen Actors Guild Award’ for ‘Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series’ at the ’28th Screen Actors Guild Awards’. This made her the second actress of Asian and Korean descent to receive an individual SAG Award nomination.
Along with her costar Lee Jung-jae winning the respective male award, the show became the first non-English language television series to win at the ‘SAG Awards’. She was also nominated along with her costars for the ‘Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series’ in ‘SAG Awards’. In November 2021, she signed a contract with ‘Creative Artists Agency’, which is an American talent agency.
In 2022, Jung was featured in The Weeknd’s music video ‘Out of Time’. She is set to make her feature film debut with ‘The Governesses’, directed by Joe Talbot. She will also appear in Alfonso Cuarón’s thriller series ‘Disclaimer opposite Cate Blanchett’.
Personal Life
Hoyeon has two sisters, a younger and an older sibling. According to reports, her father runs a soup shop.
Her connection with South Korean actor Lee Dong-hwi came to light in January 2016. Months had passed since they had started dating. The duo is regarded as a fashionable couple and free spirits who are open about their love for one another.
Net Worth
Interesting Facts about Hoyeon Jung
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Hoyeon Jung is South Korea’s most-followed actress on Instagram with 22 million followers.
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She is close friends with Blackpink’s Jennie.
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She started working as a freelance model in 2010 at the age of 16 without the help of any agency.
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Her debut drama was Netflix’s ‘Squid Game’, which became a worldwide hit.
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She is well known for her fiery red hair, which captivated viewers and became her signature look.
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She is an international model. She has worked for numerous well-known brands and has been featured in international fashion magazines.
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She is dedicated to her work. To prepare for her role as ‘Kang Sae-byeok’ in Squid Game, she practised her character’s ‘Hamgyŏng’ dialect with real North Korean defectors, watched documentaries and even learned martial arts. To help her put herself in the shoes of the character ‘Kang Sae-byeok’, she even wrote a self-journal.
FAQs
- How tall is Hoyeon Jung?
Hoyeon Jung is about 5 feet 9 inches tall. - Is Hoyeon Jung Single?
Hoyeon Jung has been dating the South Korean actor Lee Dong-hwi since January 2016. - How old is Hoyeon Jung?
Hoyeon Jung is 28 years old. - Why is Hoyeon’s hair colour red?
Hoyeon Jung accidentally dyed her hair red, which later became her signature look. - What is Hoyeon Jung’s Instagram ID?
@hoooooyeony is Hoyeon Jung’s Instagram ID.
