South Korean actress, singer, model, and television host, Jung Eun-chae, makes her presence felt across genres and builds engaging movies under KeYEast Entertainment. The actress, popularly known as the icon of mystery, changed her real name from Jung Sol-mi to her current stage name to avoid any similarity with veteran actress Park Sol-mi. She gained fame and a huge fan base through the popular web series ‘Pachinko’, and the television series ‘The Table’ and ‘The King: Eternal Monarch’.
Early Life and Education
Jung Eun-chae was born on 24 November 1986, in Busan, South Korea. She spent around eight years in London from the age of 15. The idea of being an actress grew up with her while studying arts at Central Saint Martin’s College of Arts and Design in London. Her brother, Jung Min-chae, who works at a production company in Chorokbaem Media, influenced her to choose a career in acting, after her return to South Korea.
Eun-chae debuted her career as a commercial model. She became the 2011 CF model at the 6th Asian Model Festival Awards with her memorable commercial sequences.
After passing an audition, she made her acting debut with the science-fiction action thriller ‘Haunters’, written and directed by Kim Min-seok in 2010. In the film, she played the role of an aspiring flight attendant, starring alongside Gang Dong-won. Same year, she also appeared in a cameo role in a Korean television series ‘Pasta’.
In 2011, Eun-chae was seen in multiple projects, including films and dramas. She played a role in the film ‘Play’, which narrates the story of three young men who met in an encounter and later formed a music band. She made her debut in Korean dramas in the same year with a single-episode short drama, ‘Drama City’. She has also seen in a lead role in Jeon Chang-geun’s television series, ‘My Bittersweet Life’, starring next to Jay Kim, Yoon A-jung and Choi Min in 2011.
Eun-chae was a part of two films in 2012. She played the role of Ji-yoon in the film ‘Spring, Snow’, directed by Kim Tae-gyun and produced by Park Young-jin. Later the same year, Jung Eun-chae acted in a terror omnibus film, ‘Terror Stories’, which is a combination of four short films by five South Korean directors.
In 2013, Eun-chae made a huge splash with her first heroine role in the South Korean drama film ‘Nobody’s Daughter Haewon’. The film, written and directed by Hong Sang-soo, competed at 63rd Berlin International Film Festival. She won a lot of acclaim for her part in the film, which later culminated in a number of best new actress nominations.
Soon after winning applause and awards, she followed her acting career with another role in Lee Jae-kyoo’s film ‘The Fatal Encounter’, in 2014, based on a real-life assassination attempt on King Jeongjo. Soon after, the ensemble cast of the big-budget film, she joined the film ‘Hill of Freedom’, a 2014 South Korean arthouse film by Hong Sang-soo. The film later won ‘Best Film Award at the 34th Korean Association of Film Critics Awards’ and won the ’36th Three Continents Festival Award’.She was a central player in the 2014 South Korean television crime series ‘Dr. Frost’.
In 2016, Eun-chae joined the indie minimalist drama, ‘The Table’, written and directed by Kim Jong-kwan together with Jung Yu-mi, Han Ye-ri and Im Soo-jung.
She was cast in the 2017 crime thriller ‘The King’, starring Jo In-sung, Jung Woo-sung, Bae Seong-woo, Ryu Jun-yeol, Kim Eui-sung, and Kim Ah-joong.
Outside of her cameo appearance in the 2018 film ‘Ode to the Goose’ as a cafe owner, she also appeared in a supporting role in a historical epic film ‘The Great Battle’ directed by Kim Kwang-sik.
In 2022, Eun-chae was cast in an American drama television series ‘Pachinko’, directed by Kogonada and Justin Chon. The series was based on a 2017 novel by Min Jin-Lee. The drama received critical acclaim for its story, cinematography and cast performances.
South Korean web series ‘Anna’, written and directed by Lee Joo-young is the latest drama of Eun-chae. The film, starring actress Bae Suzy in the title role, along with Eun-chae, Kim Jun-han, and Park Ye-young in other main roles was released on 24 June, 20.
Eun-chae also had her own radio programme on MBC between 2018 and 2019, in which she presented movie soundtracks. Moreover, she renewed her contract with KEYEAST Entertainment in August 2022.
Jung Eun-chae as Musician
South Korean actress Eun-chae is also a musician. In 2013, she composed and released an Extended Play (EP) of indie folk songs titled ‘Jung Eun-chae.
Here are 5 famous songs by Jung Eun-chae:
‘Heartsore Story’ in 2011.
‘Memory of the Wind’ in 2012.
‘Just Smile Like That’ in 2013.
‘Sweet Love Virus’ in 2013.
‘Looking Back on My Life’ in 2018.
Personal Life
The marital status of actress Jung Eun-chae is single. Currently, she is not dating anyone. The 36-year-old actress remains quiet when it comes to sharing her personal life and tries to stay away from the public eye.
There are rumours about Eun-chae’s past relationships, but accurate information about her boyfriends and earlier relationships is unavailable.
Net Worth and Lifestyle
Eun-chae is one of the richest South Korean actresses and her estimated net worth is around 5 million US Dollars. She, who debuted her career as a commercial model, earned a huge amount through her acting career.
Awards
- Wildflower Film Awards 2014
Best Actress- Nobody’s Daughter Haewon (2014) - KOFRA Film Awards 2014
Best New Actress – Nobody’s Daughter Haewon (2014) - Korean Association of Film Critics Awards 2013
Best New Actress – Nobody’s Daughter Haewon - Jeonju International Film Festival 2013
Moët Rising Star Award – Nobody’s Daughter Haewon (2013) - Cine 21 Awards 2013
Female Actress of the Year – Nobody’s Daughter Haewon (2013) - Busan Film Critics Awards 2013
Best New Actress – Nobody’s Daughter Haewon (2013) - Buil Film Awards 2013
Best New Actress – Nobody’s Daughter Haewon (2013) - Asia Model Awards 2011
CF Model Award(2011)