Despite various scandals ranging from homewrecking to drugs, a K-drama actress successfully returns, shocking the audience.
Beauty is a necessary but insufficient factor for a star to gain attention in acting projects. An actor’s success on screen depends on crucial elements like acting ability, charisma, and even gestures and style.
Jung Eun-chae is an actress that suffers from this. The beauty, born in 1986, has been in the industry for over 10 years, yet she has only landed supporting roles.
Nevertheless, in works such as “The King: Eternal Monarch,” “Anna,” and “The Fatal Encounter,” this actress has managed to almost “steal” the spotlight from the leading ladies due to her stunning looks. Playing the female prime minister in “The King: Eternal Monarch” in 2020, Jung Eun-chae became a sensation in South Korea, setting beauty standards that many women aspired to emulate.
But as her fame soared, scandals followed, blocking her path to stardom. Two homewrecking scandals and one scandal involving the infamous Burning Sun prostitution ring, which shook Asia, left Jung Eun-chae in turmoil.
However, this actress is an exception in that she manages to successfully return everytime.
An Exceptional Beauty in K-dramas
Given the high beauty standards in the Korean entertainment industry, seeing handsome men and beautiful women on TV screens is no longer uncommon. However, finding a beauty who combines cinematic allure, photogenic appeal typical of idols, and the sharpness of a model like Jung Eun-chae is rare. Many viewers are captivated by her timeless and mysteriously charming beauty, reminiscent of Hong Kong beauties from the 1970s. Among a “garden” of beautiful women who look somewhat alike, Jung Eun-chae’s looks are considered unmatched by today’s Kbiz goddesses.
Moreover, Jung Eun-chae’s visual appeal creates a special effect on the small screen. Despite mostly taking on supporting roles and often portraying characters opposed to the female leads, her captivating beauty and charisma have repeatedly overshadowed renowned female leads like Kim Go Eun in “The King: Eternal Monarch” and Suzy in “Anna.” In both of these hit series, the actress appeared in numerous major headlines and sparked lively discussions on social media and major forums in Korea, thanks to her beauty and fashion sense that far surpassed the leads.
Despite being in the industry for a long time and remaining stuck in supporting roles, she still garners hope from the audience because no one wants to waste such rare beauty. But beauty alone isn’t enough! Jung Eun-chae is also praised by film industry experts for her sharp acting skills, natural chemistry with the main cast, and a “rebellious” streak full of potential.
In “The King: Eternal Monarch,” she was noted for creating explosive “chemistry” with Lee Min-ho, despite sharing fewer scenes with him than the female lead. Every frown, eyebrow raise, and sarcastic smile from the actress captivated Korean audiences. In the work Anna, even though she was considered to outshine Suzy in terms of looks, Jung Eun-chae also managed to create a special sense of harmony with her junior in the same frame.
2 Homewrecking Scandals
In 2012, Jung Eun-chae was involved in a scandal for having an extramarital affair with the famous singer Jung Joon-il. According to sources, it was the wife of the male artist who publicly exposed the wrongdoing of her husband and the actress Jung. In particular, Jung Joon-il’s wife stated that she started dating her husband in 2006, and their relationship was initially very good.
Between 2009-2010, Jung Joon-il’s wife discovered her husband’s affair with Jung Eun-chae, so she tried to talk him out of it. Jung Joon-il promised not to repeat his infidelity but continued to secretly maintain his relationship with the actress after getting married. When caught a second time, Jung Joon-il showed no remorse and even threatened to divorce his wife. Out of rage, Jung Joon-il’s wife exposed all the wrongdoings of her husband and the actress from “The King: Eternal Monarch” on his fan cafe. Eventually, Jung Joon-il and his wife ended their marriage following the shocking infidelity scandal.
However, it was many years later, in 2020, that the old scandal was “dug up” again during the peak popularity of “The King: Eternal Monarch.” This time, Jung Eun-chae’s side spoke out to deny the past affair. What caused even more outrage was that the actress’s side blamed everything on her ex, Jung Joon-il, saying “Yes, they did date back then, but Jung Eun-chae was just a victim. The actress didn’t know he was already married.”
Because of the outrage over the “blame-shifting” attitude, Jung Joon-il’s side responded harshly. In particular, the actor’s side stated, “Jung Eun-chae knew very well that Jung Joon-il was married at that time. Now, Jung Joon-il is suddenly portrayed as someone who deceives women.”
This reaction from the famous singer caused public opinion to turn 180 degrees, and overnight, Jung Eun-chae became known as a shameless “mistress” who lies to the audience. The heat and fame she gained after her role as the beautiful prime minister vanished overnight.
Her affair with singer Jung Joon-il was not Jung Eun-chae’s only infidelity scandal. In 2013, the actress was involved in a scandal as the third party interfering in the relationship between Japanese actor Ryo Kase and actress Mikako Ichikawa.
The Ryo-Mikako couple was supported by Japanese fans for their long-standing and strong relationship after collaborating on the film “Hill of Freedom.” Therefore, Jung Eun-chae faced even harsher criticism from both Korean and Japanese fans for being the third party who ruined someone else’s long-term happiness.
Japanese media at the time had clear evidence in the form of photos from a date between Jung Eun-chae and the Japanese actor. Notably, Ryo Kase was still living with Mikako Ichikawa like a married couple at the time.
After being exposed for infidelity, the actress hurriedly explained that initially, she and the cast of “Hill of Freedom” went to Japan for a vacation but separated due to everyone’s busy schedules. As close friends, Ryo Kase took Jung Eun-chae to explore various tourist spots in Japan. “Jung Eun-chae went to Japan to visit a friend who had just given birth. She and Ryo Kase have a close friendship, so he showed her around some places”, Jung Eun-chae’s side claimed.
The incident seemed to end there, but Ryo Kase and Mikako Ichikawa unexpectedly announced their breakup shortly after, leading to criticism towards Jung Eun-chae becoming more intense than ever. Many viewers pointed out that this actress has a tendency to portray herself as the victim and always claims ignorance, yet she “accidentally” causes two couples to break up.
Drug use allegations and Brand Linked to Burning Sun
Five years ago, SBS’s famous investigative program “Unanswered Questions” shocked South Korea by reporting that a Korean actress used drugs at a Burning Sun party.
Additionally, cosmetics brand sponsoring Burning Sun was suspected of being involved in a prostitution ring, and the brand hosted a dinner at the club, booking 20 VIP tables. An actress in her 30s (referred to as A) allegedly hit people in their 40s and 50s with a light stick when they greeted her. According to accounts, A’s eyes were bloodshot, and she seemed to be under the influence of stimulants, marijuana, and other drugs. After this news leaked, Jung Eun-chae suddenly came under suspicion, and the situation was blown out of proportion.
It was only later that her agency denied the allegations, stating “Jung Eun-chae is not connected to the news about Burning Sun or that cosmetics company. The false rumors spread online and the negative comments are not true. Jung Eun-chae’s contract with that cosmetics company ended last April, and she started a new contract with another cosmetics brand in May.”
However, the public remained skeptical about the identity of the actress in this story.
A Surprising Outcome After a Series of Shocking Scandals
Jung Eun-chae is considered an exception in the Korean entertainment industry (Kbiz) due to her remarkable ability to return strongly despite being entangled in numerous shocking scandals.
In 2012-2013, she was involved in 2 consecutive homewrecking scandals, drawing severe criticism from the public. The label of “mistress” clung to her career for many years, even when she gained rare attention through impressive roles and works. However, she still managed to amass a significant fan base from these films, as there were viewers who only cared about her acting and not her personal life.
After the minor success of her role in “The King: Eternal Monarch,” Jung Eun-chae’s past scandals resurfaced. She chose to stay low-profile for 1-2 years, only making a cameo appearance in the TV series “L.U.C.A.: The Beginning.” This period was enough for the general public to forget about her private life controversies.
By 2022-2023, Jung Eun-chae made a strong comeback, continuing to deliver impressive performances leveraging her appearance, charisma, and acting skills. The web series “Pachinko” and “Anna” both helped her return to the spotlight. Once again, people were in awe of her dreamlike looks that overshadowed the lead actress Suzy.
Having been involved in major love scandals in the past, Jung Eun-chae finally found new happiness after many years. In particular, it was announced in May that Jung Eun-chae is dating designer and broadcaster Kim Chung-jae. Both were born in 1986, and met and developed a romantic relationship starting in 2023.
After officially dating, Jung Eun-chae and her boyfriend Kim Chung-jae did not intend to hide their relationship. The couple comfortably interacted on social media and introduced each other to their close friends. After the news was released, the audience was divided into two opposing views. One side mocked Jung Eun-chae’s past, while the other was happy for the actress, glad that she found a non-controversial and peaceful relationship with her beloved. Jung publicly supported her boyfriend’s studio on social media, showcasing a peaceful image while dating her partner.
