http://www.facebook.com/imleejiwoo

She started her career as part of the Korean pop girl group Fin.K.L. As the oldest member, she would become the leader of the group. Lee was discovered while taking sticker pictures with her friends and was actually the last to join Fin.K.L., just before their debut in January 1998. Fin.K.L. debuted officially on May 22, 1998 with their first single "Blue Rain." It was received quite well. The second release from their first album, To My Boyfriend, became the first of their multiple number one hits. Fin K.L. became one of the most popular and successful Korean groups of all-time, rivaling fellow popular girl group S.E.S..

[edit] Establishing a solo entertainment career

A year after Fin K.L.'s fourth album Forever, her solo album was released at the end of 2003, entitled Stylish...E. The singer nearly swept the 2003 Daesangs, the most prestigious South Korean music award, winning more than seven of them, including three of the four most prestigious Daesangs. STYLISH...E hyOlee sold over 144,182 copies in South Korea alone, according to the Music Industry Association of Korea in 2003.^[1] Her popularity in her various activities eventually was dubbed as the "Hyori Syndrome" in South Korea, and the Korean Media nicknamed 2003 "The Year of Hyori" as she was rarely out of the news all year.^[2] Lee Hyori has also appeared as the lead female actress in the SBS drama Three Leaf Clover co-starring opposite Ryu Jin, Kim Jung Hwa, Kim Kang Woo and Lee Hoon. However, the ratings were continually low, and it ended after 16 episodes. On August 8, 2005 she co-hosted the annual Korean Music Festival for the second year running.

[edit] Accusation of plagiarism

In February 2006, Lee released her follow up album, Dark Angel. The first single, "Get Ya", featured heavy choreography and sexually suggestive attire, which has become Lee's trademark. However, there was controversy over the single as the songwriters of Britney Spears' single "Do Somethin'" accused the "Get Ya" songwriters of plagiarism.^[3] (Lee did not contribute to the song.) After media attention increased, Lee and her record company quickly stopped all promotion for the single, taking a short break to prepare for "Shall We Dance", her followup single. Due to the negative attention, both the single and album were not successful, and promotions were stopped. "Straight Up" was released as a final single, but it was not promoted by Lee.

[edit] Move to M-Net

In November 2006, it was revealed that Lee had signed a three-year contract with M-Net Entertainment for ₩2.2 billion,^[4] becoming the highest paid female singer in South Korea.^[5] Meanwhile, Lee prepared to appear in a new "mini-drama" during February 2007^[6], despite the failure of her previous drama. She starred alongside Lee Dong Gun in If In Love... Like Them which, although originally announced as being only one episode long, ran for four episodes on MNet. An edited two-episode version of the drama also ran on SBS. During filming for the drama, part of a roof Lee was standing on collapsed. Only her foot fell through the roof and she was able to be saved, and as it was reported the fall would have been fatal if co-star Lee Dong Gun had not rescued her.^{[citation needed]} In February 2007, Lee announced her new digital single which would essentially be the soundtrack to If In Love... Like Them. She had her comeback on SBS Inkigayo on February 25, 2007, performing all three main tracks from the single. The lead song was "Toc Toc Toc", which was a sexy R&B number like her previous efforts. However, the single also gave Lee an opportunity to sing ballads and to slowly move her image away from the "sexy superstar" that she is known to be. The single, although initially given a digital-only release, was given a limited retail release of only 30,000 copies,^[7] and was appropriately titled If In Love Like Them. Released on March 6, 2007, it included three of the tracks found in the digital single, along with a reworked version of "Toc Toc Toc". It was the best-selling album for that month, selling 27,845 copies.^[8] Although her single succeeded, her drama was heavily penalized for violating advertising guidelines, as If In Love had several scenes advertising the products of its sponsors, in addition to using Lee's songs in the soundtrack. The Korean Broadcasting Committee has ruled that the drama can never be aired in South Korea again, and that the network must apologize to its viewers^[9]. According to The Chosun Ilbo, Lee has also been promoting her work in Japan. Japanese network Fuji TV decided to air If In Love... Like Them and has even invited the singer/actress to visit Japan to promote the drama, where she will be treated to the same VIP treatment offered to other international stars.^[10] However, the drama was broadcast on satellite station CS Fuji, a smaller network that Fuji TV owned. The Japanese considered the leading part of this drama to be Lee Dong-gun.^[11]

[edit] 2008: Return to spotlight

During breaks in her solo music career, Lee also hosted various television programs, including Time Machine and Happy Together, which she co-hosted with Yu Jae-seok in 2006. It was reported on March 26, 2008 that Lee would join KBS's Sang Sang Plus as a co-host alongside Country Kko Kko members Shin Jung-hwan and Tak Jae-hoon, replacing various outgoing hosts; she debuted on April 8, 2008.^[12] She was one of the original co-hosts of Change, a show on SBS's Good Sunday line-up, before leaving in early July^{[citation needed]}. She also starred in Off the Record, a behind-the-scenes look at her life. Currently, she is a permanent cast member of the variety show Family Outing.

Her third album, It's HYORISH, was released on July 16, 2008. "U-Go-Girl", her first single, hit #1 on various online and offline charts, including the various television music shows.

It is reported that her fourth album will be released during October 2009, and she will be working with ETribe who developed "U-Go-Girl" from her previous album.^[13] But, Lee wrote herself at her fan website that fourth album can't be sured when will be released and just expect her fourth album.^[14] In November 2009, Contracing with M-net will be canceled. Lee has a plan that contracting a Gil Entertainment and working with Gil jong hwa who Fin.K.L's co-manger and worked since as Fin.K.L debuted.^[15]

[edit] Endorsements

Although Lee has done many endorsements for various companies (including Dole), her most prominent commercials were made for Samsung Anycall. In late 2003, Lee signed an advertising contract with Samsung, for which she would make three musical commercials and songs for their Anycall cell phones. The first commercial and song, "Anymotion", were released in early 2005, featuring Eric Mun from K-pop group Shinhwa. In early 2006, the followup commercial "Anyclub" was released in two parts; this also featured Eric Mun in addition to Korean actor Kwon Sang Woo. The song "Anyclub," however, featured neither Eric Mun nor Kwon Sang Woo. Instead, Park Teddy of 1TYM was featured. The songs from the commercials served as singles for Lee in between her albums. The final commercial was released in December 2006, titled "Anystar". The commercial differed from the first two in that it featured mostly dialogue. The commercial starred Korean actor and singer Lee Jun Ki and also YG Family trainee Park Bom(2NE1). Also in the month of March Hyori starred as one of the leading actors in Davichi's music video. Hyori also became a model for Black Bean Therapy, a health drink, and she made several CF (commercials). Hyori also modeled for Ceci magazine; a well known Korean fashion magazine, showing new, fresh personalities. Hyori finished her contract with Biotherm early February 2007 and is no longer a representative for the company. Her contract with Samsung has also ended in December 2007. She has recently signed on with KB card and has starred in commercials along with fellow K-pop sensation Rain. She was recently chosen as the first ever Asian-wide model for Calvin Klein Jeans, modeling for the "Pure Calvin" Collection.

Also in 2007, she starred in a commercial for Korean cosmetics company Isa Knox with Jessica Alba.

Career

Jang made her debut in 2006 in a television commercial.^[1] Her big break came in Boys Over Flowers playing the role of Sunny, one of a trio of girls who antagonise the female lead played by Koo Hye-seon. At the time of her death, Jang was awaiting the release of her first two films, They Are Coming and Penthouse Elephant.^[2]

Jang was known to have had difficulties with her management agency regarding the renewal of her contract, and was apparently unhappy with the diminishing importance of her character in Boys Over Flowers.^[1][3]

[edit] Personal life

Since the death of her parents in a traffic accident in 1999, Jang had been living with her older sister and younger brother.^[3][4] Prior to her own death, Jang had been suffering with depression and had received medical treatment for her illness during the past year.^[1]

[edit] Death

Jang Ja-yeon was found hanged to death at her home in the Bundang district of Seongnam, Gyeonggi province, on 7 March 2009. During a phone call at 3:30 p.m. that afternoon, Jang had complained to her sister about the "overwhelming stress" she was under, saying that she "wants to die".^[1] Having later been unable to reach her on the phone, Jang's sister returned to their shared home at 7:42 p.m. to find her body hanging from the stairway banister.^[5] A police investigation concluded that her death was a suicide,^[5] and found no evidence of foul play.^[4] Jang is believed to have taken her own life at around 4:30 p.m.^[5]. An alleged suicide note left by Jang describes how she was beaten and forced to entertain and have sex with several program directors, CEOs and media executives, causing considerable debate about relations in the entertainment industry, as well as a police probe into her management agency.^[6][7] According to South Korean reports, Jang claimed that her agent Kim Sung-hoon had regularly beaten her and forced her to have sex with a string of VIPs, including directors, media executives and CEOs. Kim Sung-hoon, who was in Japan, denies the accusations.^[8]

The former manager of Jang's management agency, Kim Sung-hoon, was arrested in Tokyo in June 2009 for overstaying his visa. Korean police requested Kim's extradition on a warrant related to Jang's death. Kim at the time of his arrest stated that he "committed a crime in South Korea and overstayed in Japan to avoid being arrested."^[9] Later, prosecutor allowed Kim to bail.

Approximately 250,000 fans visited Jang's website on the day of her death to express their condolences, with a further 700,000 the following day,^[4] while the entire cast of Boys Over Flowers paid their last respects at the mourning hall set up at the Seoul National University Hospital in Bundang.^[5] Jang's funeral was held there on 9 March, and was attended by family, friends and fellow actors, including lead Koo Hye-seon. Her cremated remains are to be buried next to her parents in Jeongeup, North Jeolla province.^[2]

Jang began her career as a model, and participated in the 1993 Miss Korea beauty contest, before making the switch into acting. After making her film debut in 1998, Jang received critical praise and won a number of awards for her work. She became only the second winner of two Blue Dragon Film Awards for Best Actress, having won in 2001 for Sorum, and again in 2003 for Singles. As of 2008, Jang was one of the highest paid stars in the Korean film industry, earning in the region of ₩400 million per film.[1]

Actress Jang Jin-young Dies of Cancer at 35                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

Actress Jang Jin-young

    By Han Sang-hee
Staff Reporter

Korean actress Jang Jin-young passed away Tuesday evening after losing a battle against stomach cancer. She was 35.

Jang had been hospitalized in Seoul after her condition recently worsened and doctors had reportedly been giving her morphine and other drugs to relieve the pain.

The news of the actress' sudden hospitalization Tuesday startled fans, as it was thought that she was recovering after resting for a month in Los Angeles.

Jang was diagnosed with stomach cancer in September last year when she paid a visit to the hospital for a regular checkup. What she thought was a stomach ulcer turned out to be cancer, and Jang has been out of the public eye ever since.

``Actress Jang Jin-young passed away today at the Seoul St. Mary's Hospital at Catholic University of Korea. Even after she was diagnosed with cancer, she was always positive and tried to pay back the love and support her fans sent her. We will remember her passion toward films and we hope she stays in our hearts forever,'' Jang's agency, Yedang Entertainment, said through a press release.

After winning the Miss South Chungcheong Province beauty pageant in 1992, Jang started her career as a model. She made her first appearance as an actress in 1997 in the television miniseries ``The Angel in Me'' (KBS). She continued to appear regularly on television before making her big screen debut in the 1999 horror film ``Jaguimo'' starring Kim Hee-seon. Her first big hit was the movie ``The Foul King'' in 2000, and from then the actress was seen in numerous films such as ``The Siren'' (2000), ``Sorum'' (2001), ``Over the Rainbow'' (2002), ``The Scent of Love'' (2003) and ``Singles'' (2003).

In the horror film ``Sorum,'' Jang played a mysterious wife with a secret and won the Best Actress Award at the Blue Dragon Film Awards. The hit movie ``Singles,'' where she played the quirky character Na-nan, also got her the same recognition at the 2003 awards. Her character in ``Singles'' was a big hit among young women, with many changing their hairstyles to the short and curly hairdo the actress wore in the film.

``The Scent of Love'' was also one of her best known works, where Jang played a patient diagnosed with stomach cancer.

In 2006, Jang joined fellow actor Kim Seung-woo for the movie ``Between Love and Hate'' and won the Best Actress Award at the Korean Film Awards.

The actress returned to the television screen in 2007 in the drama ``Lobbyist'' with fellow actor Song Il-guk. She was diagnosed right after the drama finished.

Along with numerous films, the actress also appeared in various commercials ranging from cosmetics to electronic goods.

A ceremonial funeral hall will be set up at the ASAN Medical Center in southern Seoul.

Korea Actress Jang Jin Young (장진영) Photos
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