Lee Jung-hyun is a representative actor and famous singer in Korea. She started her career as an actress in the 1996 movie <A Petal>. Lee Jung-hyun astonished the world with her acting which was unbelievable for a teenage girl. Then, she debuted as a singer with her debut song ”Wa” in 1999, sparking a techno craze in Korea. Lee Jung-hyun also was considered a representative female singer in the early 2000s. Afterward, she won the Best Actress Award at the Blue Dragon Awards for her part in the movie <Alice in Earnestland>. She expanded her activities in China and Japan in the first generation of K-pop. Let's meet Lee Jung-hyun, who is leading the Korean film and music industry, with CAH.
# As a Student at CAU
1. Please introduce yourself to students at CAU and readers who will read this article.
Hello, I am Lee Jung-hyun, an actor and a singer. I majored in film studies at Chung-Ang University (CAU).
2. Are there any memorable activities, clubs, or classes while majoring in film studies at CAU you’d like to share?
Again, I majored in film studies at CAU. Back then, I had a busy schedule since my early days as a singer when I was a student. It took me 9 years to finally graduate because I could get an F for being absent only 3 times during the whole semester. At that time, I stopped my activities as a singer for a while, and I went to school diligently, mainly using the seasonal semester. When I was a freshman, I took classes with director Yoon Jong-bin and Kim Woo-il, editorial director. We mainly wrote screenplays and presented scenarios in my major courses. Such experiences were so fun for me. It feels great that some of those friends, who were with me in class, became great figures in the movie industry today.
3. Since you entered Chung-Ang University after your debut, you might have received more attention at school. How was your school life?
My seniors and classmates were curious about me only at the beginning of the school year. When I was a freshman in college, everything was new and interesting. I enjoyed a trip to Europe with Professor Lee Choong-jik, who is now retired, and seniors and classmates from the film department during the early days of my first year in CAU. The film department seniors who were in France also volunteered to be our guides. I remember watching several French films while being shocked by the multiplex cinemas in France, where the film industry was much more developed than in Korea at that time.
# Life As an Actor and Singer
4. You started your career as an actor starring in the movie <A Petal> in 1996. You were selected in an open audition with an acceptance rate of 3000:1. How did you feel when you got that part?
At that time, I was 15. I think I was bewildered. I was a rookie who had never really acted before, so I didn’t know how to act. Every few days before filming, I got on a bus or the car of actor Seol Kyung-gu, who was starring in the movie with me, and went down early to the filming site. I remember when I was wandering the streets of the filming site as if I were a crazy child and then naturally joining the film scene.
It was my first step to society because I went there without a mother or guardian by my side since I did not want to rely on my parents. I thought everything was difficult and unfamiliar because everyone except me was an adult. I was also scared about the director, and I think I tried harder to fit in the role because I felt the burden of being responsible on a film set like this.
5. You drew attention as an actress who won both the Best New Actress with <A Petal> and Best Actress Award with <Alice in Earnestland> at the Blue Dragon Awards. We would like to hear your thoughts and impressions about this!
I was incredibly happy and grateful. At the time of <A Petal>, I was both glad and scared to be in the spotlight all at once. After that, I became an adult and wanted to continue acting, but maybe because my role change from child to adult was so sudden, there weren’t many roles offered. Then, I opened my eyes to becoming a singer.
I realized that I had to start all over again from the bottom… So, I started with the short film <Night Fishing> directed by Park Chan-wook and Park Chan-kyong. I started working hard in independent films such as <Juvenile Offender>. I gained confidence when <Night Fishing> won the Golden Bear Award at the Berlinale. Afterward, the <Juvenile Offender> won awards at many international film festivals, and I was proud of my work with it. Then, I got a script for “Alice in Earnestland” that I met by chance.
I felt that this was the one I was waiting for. I was really happy while playing ‘Soo-nam,’ and I was so delighted that we were making a film together.
6. In 2010, you took on the role of a shaman in <Night Fishing> and received great applause for your outstanding acting skills internationally. We are curious about the reason for taking on this role and the meaning of this film to you.
I got a call from director Park Chan-wook, whom I met by chance a few weeks before filming started. At that time, another actress was going to play the role. However, due to unavoidable circumstances, she could not continue filming. The director requested me urgently, and I immediately ran to the scene, received the script, and immersed myself in the role. I got along very well with the director, and filming went very smoothly. I was so thankful to win the award later. Director Park thanked me and directed a music video for my album later.
7. In the movie <Peninsula>, in 2020, you showed high-level action against zombies. What kind of process do you go through when preparing for action movies? And do you have any tips to endure a long shooting time?
Actually, I did a lot of action practice before filming. But director Yeon Sang-ho was a “genius” in on-site editing, so I think he didn't let the action take longer than 3 seconds. I took the action without much effort. The scenes were pasted on the set right away, and the wonderful action scenes were completed. Sometimes, the director shows the actions first on the set. I think it is most comfortable to analyze only the script in advance and act instinctively by immersing yourself in the shooting at the scene.
8. You made your debut at the age of 16 and have been working as a singer and actor for a long time. If there have been any hard moments, how did you overcome them?
I think there have always been hurdles. Actors are always hoping to be chosen, so I was always tired of waiting for good projects. In particular, the transition from child roles to adulthood roles could be called my dark ages. I was very nervous because there were not many roles offered, as I mentioned previously. During the promotion of <A Petal>, I sang “Classroom Idea” by Seo Tai-ji and Boys on “The Lee Moon-se Show,” which was one of the top talk shows at the time. I received numerous offers from record companies after that. However, the contract with the agency was very complicated, and I wanted to focus more on acting, which I did.
In the meantime, I fell in love with techno music, a genre that did not exist in Korea, so I decided to make my debut as a singer. Unlike being an actor, as a singer I was able to come up with my own concept, stage design, and costume props. I could participate in writing lyrics and give opinions on composition. So I enjoyed the work so much. I always had aspirations as an actor, and I thought, ‘If I work as a singer for a while, I will find my chance to do a good project later.’ And I focused on my singing career. I could overcome it by switching to another genre I liked at the most difficult moment at that time.
9. What is your favorite movie and role that you played?
I think it's the independent film: <Alice In Earnestland>. It was a movie that I had a hard time working on, but I was happy throughout the filming. I think it was all the more enjoyable because I could participate in a commercial film again starting with this work. The only difficult thing was the independent film’s poor environment. I had to pay for the production with my own money and take care of the staff's pay. Above all, it was so heartbreaking that the production team didn't have breakfast expenses, so I carried breakfast every morning for them. However, at that time, if I could act, I was happy with everything. Until now, I can't put that happiness into words when I am acting. In fact, it was such a small movie that it was unclear when it would be released. Even so, I felt joy and pressure when the release date was set and I was nominated for various movie awards. When I won the best actress award at the Blue Dragon Film Awards[1] for this small movie, I was happy and even wanted to hide under the pressure of receiving such a big award. At the time, no one knew I was being given that award, so my managers were in the parking lot to pull out a car to get off work, so there was no one around me. I was incredibly grateful for the award, and I'm just very grateful that I've been able to continue acting so far.
10. When you play a role in a movie or drama, we wonder how you get into to the role and gradually immerse yourself!
First of all, I completely understand the role by thoroughly analyzing the scenario, meeting the director, and talking a lot. I don't immerse myself in the role in advance, but I tend to instinctively immerse myself before shooting on site after checking my physical or makeup condition.
11. In the future, which role do you want to play?
I want to try a complete “villain” role or a martial arts action movie. I don't think I've ever played those two roles yet.
12. Immediately after your debut, you gained the modifier "Techno Queen" and gained explosive popularity. Is there any reason you chose such a bold concept at the time?
I just liked techno music. At that time, the Internet and social media were not as developed as they are now, so techno music was not popular in Korea. Therefore I wanted to introduce it, and since techno was always a cyber concept, I wanted to reverse the image. I made an oriental concept, but I thought the first album would not be very successful since it is unfamiliar. My agency also opposed my concept, saying that it was not popular. After the first broadcast, the content of the agency's CEO's call was "We're doomed!” However, exactly three days later, the album gained tremendous popularity. I was very happy because many people loved it and I am so thankful for everything.
13. If you are going to promote a new song in the future, is there any genre or style of song you want to try?
So far, I haven't planned an album because we are working on some movies. However, if I have a chance, I bet I will come out with a new concept. Please look forward to it
# Appearing on Entertainment Show
14. In January 2015, you appeared on the entertainment show "Infinite Challenge: ToToGa Special" and showed an outstanding performance. We are curious about how you accepted the offer and how you felt about the broadcast.
I was filming a drama at the time, and I didn't have enough free time. However, I was a big fan of “Infinite Challenge” already, and the purpose was so good, so I told the Infinite Challenge team at the time that I really wanted to go out if you could reproduce the stage I planned. Thankfully, the PD, Kim Tae-ho, reproduced the stage perfectly as I had sketched. So I decided to participate in the project. I picked up wood for a long time to cut off the binyeo (Korean traditional ornamental hairpin), reformed the doll mask which I used in the song "Give to you", and had fun working on the stage. I'm just so grateful to Kim Tae-ho and the other “Infinite Challenge” team's staff. Also, I want to say thank you so much to comedian Yu Jae Seok who actively recommended me.
15. Since December 2019, you have become a hot topic for appearing on the entertainment show <Fun_staurant> and showing considerable cooking skills. Do you enjoy cooking? What is your favorite dish?
I do like cooking. The happiness of relieving stress by cooking delicious food and sharing it with people I like is indescribable. Two years ago, I wrote and published my cookbooks to introduce my recipes and that year, I won the best seller in the field of cookbooks. I can't do it often, but I take videos introducing my recipes and upload them on YouTube. I also like dishes so much that I always check the sale period, and when I get a sale alarm, I buy the dishes I wanted to buy. I love putting the food beautifully and inviting people to share it. I think Korean and Italian foods are my favorite and what I’m the best at.
16. What kind of person do you want to be remembered as?
True actor Lee Jung-hyun when acting, and singer Lee Jung-hyun when singing. I want to be a person who is not awkward for the rest of my life, even if both “actor” and “singer" are in front of my name.
17. We wonder what Chung-Ang University is like to you!
I think CAU is "the place where my youth passion began." I debuted as a singer after entering CAU, and I think I can continue to work as an actor afterward.
18. As a professional, please give advice to young people in their 20s who are running toward their dreams.
It may sound cliche, but I want to tell them to not give up on their dream. The truth works. If you do your best to do what you desperately want, it will come true to some extent. All the youth in the world, go for it!
Multi-talented Lee Jung-hyun debuted in the Korean film industry as an actor and led the flow of the Korean Wave as a singer. During the interview, we were able to feel her endless passion and effort for acting and her affection for activities as a singer. CAH gives applause as she always does her best to play the role and show their best to her fans. CAH will continue to pay attention to actor Lee Jung-hyun's acting activities and her music, which has various charms.
