Jung Ho-yeon (
Korean: 정호연; born June 23, 1994),
anglicized as Hoyeon Jung, is a South Korean model and actress. She began her career as a freelance model in 2010, walking in
Seoul Fashion Week shows for two years. In 2013, she competed on the
fourth season of Korea's Next Top Model and placed as a runner-up. She became known for her "fiery" red hair after making her international runway debut during
New York Fashion Week. She was a
Louis Vuitton exclusive in 2016, and became a global ambassador for the brand in 2021.
Jung Ho-yeon was born on June 23, 1994,[1] in
Myeonmok-dong,
Seoul, South Korea,[2] and has two sisters.[3][4] Her parents are restaurateurs.[5] She graduated from
Dongduk Women's University College of Performing Arts, where she majored in modeling.[6]
Career
2010–present: Modeling career
Jung started taking modeling classes at age 15, and began working as a freelance model in 2010 at age 16,[a] walking in shows for
Seoul Fashion Week without an agency for two years.[7][10][11] While freelancing, she auditioned for the
second season of the
OnStyle reality competition series Korea's Next Top Model Season 2 in 2011, but quit after making it into the top 30.[12] She signed with ESteem Models in 2012[2] and went on to compete on the
fourth season of Korea's Next Top Model in 2013, where she placed as a runner-up.[13] She appeared in the music video for
Kim Yeon-woo's song "Move" in 2014.[14] She was also featured in spreads for the Korean editions of magazines such as Vogue, Elle, and W before signing with
The Society Management and leaving South Korea in 2016 to pursue a career overseas.[15][16] She also signed to
Elite Model Management and Nomad Management.[17][18] Before moving to New York, Jung inadvertently dyed her hair a "fiery" red color, which became her signature look.[13][19]
Jung appeared in a promotional video for
Pharrell and
Chanel's collaborative capsule collection in March 2019.[37][38] In October 2021, she was named
Louis Vuitton's Global House Ambassador for fashion, watches, and jewelry.[22] That same month, she partnered with
Adidas Originals for their Adicolor campaign.[23] She was featured on the cover of the February 2022 issue of Vogue, making her the magazine's first solo Korean cover star.[39][40] In 2022, she became one of the faces of N°1 de Chanel.[41] In 2022, Models.com listed Jung on the "New Supers" list, calling her a "supermodel for the modern era."[42]
In 2023, Jung and French singer
Aya Nakamura became global brand ambassadors for French luxury beauty brand
Lancôme.[43]
2020–present: Acting career
Jung decided to start her career in acting because of the short life span of model careers, which she felt as her work in modeling began to decrease.[44] While modeling overseas, Jung periodically returned to South Korea during holidays to take acting lessons, and took three months' worth of acting lessons altogether. She also improved her English in order to help her learn acting.[16] In January 2020, Jung was signed to Korean talent agency
Saram Entertainment. She made her acting debut in the 2021
NetflixK-dramaSquid Game in which she played
Kang Sae-byeok, a
North Korean defector and pickpocket who needs money to support her younger brother and track down her mother in North Korea.[23] One month after signing with Saram, she was given three scenes from the show's script, and auditioned for the role via video while in New York for Fashion Week.[11] She was then asked by director
Hwang Dong-hyuk to audition again in person in South Korea, where she was given the part immediately.[27]
She studied for the role of Sae-byeok by practicing her character's
Hamgyŏng dialect with real North Korean defectors, watching documentaries about North Korean defectors, and learning martial arts. She also drew upon her own feelings of loneliness while modeling overseas to build the character, and wrote a daily diary from her character's perspective.[27][45][46] Sae-byeok became a fan favorite, and Jung was called Squid Game's
breakout star by critics.[15][47][10] For her performance on the show, Jung won the
Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series at the
28th Screen Actors Guild Awards.[48] This nomination made her the second actress of
Asian as well as
Korean descent to receive an individual SAG Award nomination.[49] Her win, along with costar
Lee Jung-jae winning the
respective male award, made history for the show becoming the first non-English language television series to win at the SAG Awards.[50] She was also nominated along with her costars for the
Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series.[51]
In November 2021, she signed a contract with
Creative Artists Agency, an American talent agency.[52]
While working as a model, Jung became known by designers as the "red-haired Asian".[7]Vogue's Monica Kim called her "one of Seoul's top modeling talents" in 2015.[2] In 2021, K-Ci Williams of Vulture called Jung "the world's current
'It' girl."[15] Jung became the most-followed South Korean actress on
Instagram in 2021, surpassing actresses
Lee Sung-kyung and
Song Hye-kyo and, as of November 2023, has over 20 million followers on the platform.[58]
Personal life
Jung has been in a relationship with actor
Lee Dong-hwi since 2015.[35]
^Sources state that Jung began modeling in 2010, when she was 16 years old.[7][8] Jung herself has said that she started modeling when she was 17 years old.[9]
^
abStephan Moskovic (December 12, 2018).
"The Graduates: Hoyeon Jung". Models.com.
Archived from the original on September 28, 2021. Retrieved October 15, 2021.
^
abChoi Ji-ye (May 28, 2014).
"김연우, 감각 파격의 끝을 달리는 '무브' 오늘 공개" [Kim Yeon-woo, 'Move' that runs to the end of sensational shock is released today] (in Korean). My Daily.
Archived from the original on October 3, 2021. Retrieved October 3, 2021 – via
Naver.
^Kim Mi-hwa (April 7, 2022).
"뜨겁다 정호연! 알폰소 쿠아론→위켄드→할리우드 영화 주연까지 [종합]" [It's hot Jung Ho-yeon! Alfonso Cuaron → The Weeknd → Hollywood movie starring [Overall]] (in Korean). MT Star News.
Archived from the original on April 7, 2022. Retrieved April 7, 2022 – via
Naver.
^Kim Hyun-rok (June 2, 2020).
"[단독]톱모델 정호연, '오징어게임' 여주인공...본격 연기 데뷔" [[Exclusive] Top model Jeong Ho-yeon, the female lead in 'Squid Game'...full-fledged acting debut] (in Korean). SpoTV News.
Archived from the original on October 3, 2021. Retrieved September 29, 2021 – via
Naver.
^Kang, Nae-ri (November 8, 2022).
"'오징어게임' 정호연, 넷플릭스 '닭강정' 특별출연 (공식)" ['Squid Game' Jeong Ho-yeon, Netflix 'Chicken Gangjeong' Special Appearance (Official)] (in Korean).
YTN.
Archived from the original on November 8, 2022. Retrieved November 8, 2022 – via
Naver.
^Lee, Seul-bi (August 31, 2022).
"김혜수→이준호 '2022 APAN STAR AWARDS' 수상 후보 공개" [Kim Hye-soo → Lee Jun-ho's '2022 APAN STAR AWARDS' nominees revealed] (in Korean). Sports Donga.
Archived from the original on August 31, 2022. Retrieved August 31, 2022 – via
Naver.
^Hwang, Hyo-yi (September 6, 2022).
"강태오-박은빈'·'손석구-김지원'·'이준호-이세영' 베스트커플상은?" [Best Couple Award for 'Kang Tae-oh - Park Eun-bin', 'Son Seok-gu-Kim Ji-won', 'Lee Jun-ho-Lee Se-young'?] (in Korean).
Sports Kyunghyang.
Archived from the original on September 6, 2022. Retrieved September 6, 2022 – via
Naver.
^Ahn Byung-gil (April 11, 2022).
"58회 백상예술대상 후보 공개...영광의 주인공은?" [58th Baeksang Arts Awards nominations revealed... Who is the hero of glory?] (in Korean).
Sports Kyunghyang.
Archived from the original on May 10, 2022. Retrieved April 11, 2022 – via
Naver.
^Kim Ga-Young (July 19, 2022).
"구교환·정호연, 남녀신인상 "첫데이트 하듯 연기할 것" [청룡시리즈어워즈]" [Koo Kyo-hwan and Jung Ho-yeon, New Male and Female Rookie of the Year Award "I will act as if on a first date" [Blue Dragon Series Awards]] (in Korean). Edaily.
Archived from the original on March 2, 2023. Retrieved July 19, 2022 – via
Naver.
^Lee Mi-ji (February 24, 2022).
"[제20회디렉터스컷]'오징어 게임' 감독상 포함 3관왕..구교환 영화·시리즈 모두 수상(종합)" [[The 20th Director's Cut] 'Squid Game', including the Director's Award, won 3 awards.. All the movies and series in Kugwan (comprehensive)] (in Korean).
Herald POP.
Archived from the original on February 24, 2022. Retrieved February 24, 2022 – via Naver.
^Noh Kyu-min (February 9, 2022).
"[공식] 제20회 디렉터스컷 어워즈, 24일 개최...'오겜' 'D.P.' '지옥' 노미네이트" [[Official] The 20th Director's Cut Awards, held on the 24th... 'Ogem' 'D.P.' 'Hell' nomination] (in Korean). Ten Asia.
Archived from the original on February 9, 2022. Retrieved February 9, 2022 – via Naver.
^Kim, Han-bin (December 27, 2021).
"한국소비자포럼, 대한민국 소비자가 선정한 대한민국 퍼스트브랜드 발표" [Korea Consumer Forum Announces Korea's First Brand Selected by Korean Consumers] (in Korean). Open News.
Archived from the original on December 27, 2021. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
^Im Soo-yeon, Kim So-mi and Bae Dong-mi (December 24, 2021).
"<씨네21>이 선정한 올해의 시리즈를 빛낸 감독, 배우, 스탭은?" [Who are the directors, actors, and staff who shined in this year's series selected by <Cine21>?] (in Korean).
Cine21.
Archived from the original on November 20, 2023. Retrieved December 24, 2021 – via
Naver.
^"[특집] '한국영화 NEXT 50' - 배우" ["Korean Film NEXT 50" - Actors]. 씨네21 (in Korean). April 5, 2024.
Archived from the original on April 9, 2024. Retrieved April 11, 2024.
^Lee, Jae-hoon (April 23, 2022).
"[2022 코리아 파워 셀러브리티 40] 라이징 스타" [[2022 Korea Power Celebrity 40] Rising Star] (in Korean). Forbes Korea.
Archived from the original on May 30, 2022. Retrieved May 21, 2022 – via The JoongAng Daily.
^Park, Jung-sun (April 7, 2023).
"정호연, GQ 글로벌 크리에이티비티 어워즈 수상...팀쿡과 어깨 나란히" [Jeong Ho-yeon, GQ Global Creativity Awards... Shoulder to shoulder with Tim Cook] (in Korean).
JTBC.
Archived from the original on April 10, 2023. Retrieved April 10, 2023 – via
Naver.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to HoYeon Jung.