Jung Yong-hwa (; ; born June 22, 1989) is a South Korean singer, musician and actor. He is the leader, lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the rock band

CNBLUE CNBLUE ( ko, 씨엔블루) is a South Korean pop rock band formed in 2009. The band consists of Jung Yong-hwa (leader, main vocals, guitar, keyboard, rap), Kang Min-hyuk ( drums), and Lee Jung-shin (bass). First bassist Kwon Kwang-jin left the b ...

. Jung made his television debut in '' You're Beautiful'' (2009), and has since starred in television dramas '' Heartstrings'' (2011), '' Marry Him If You Dare'' (2013), ''

The Three Musketeers ''The Three Musketeers'' (french: Les Trois Mousquetaires, links=no, ) is a French historical adventure novel written in 1844 by French author Alexandre Dumas. It is in the swashbuckler genre, which has heroic, chivalrous swordsmen who fight f ...

'' (2014), and '' The Package'' (2017). On the music front, Jung also made his solo debut with the album '' One Fine Day'' in 2015.

Early life and career beginnings

Jung Yong-hwa was born on June 22, 1989, in

Seoul Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the Capital city, capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the North Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea ...

, South Korea. His family consists of his parents and a brother, who is four years older. He moved to

Busan Busan (), officially known as is South Korea's most populous city after Seoul, with a population of over 3.4 million inhabitants. Formerly romanized as Pusan, it is the economic, cultural and educational center of southeastern South Korea ...

in 1991 and lived there through high school, where he first began composing music. After taking his college entrance exam, he moved back to Seoul, where he joined music label

FNC Music FNC Entertainment (; stands for "fish and cake") is a South Korean entertainment company established in 2006 by South Korean singer and record producer Han Seong-ho. The label operates as a record label, talent agency, music production company, ev ...

. In 2009, Jung left for Japan to study music with his bandmates. During their studies, they did street performances and released independent albums. The group debuted in Japan with the EP '' Now or Never'' on August 19, 2009, with an indie label

AI Entertainment AI Entertainment Inc. was founded in 2007. It is a Japanese indie record label and publishing company which supports the indie artists of the world. Artists * F.T. Island (2009-) * 螢園鄭明子 : ハングル書芸家 (2012-) * canna (2014-) ...

. They debuted in Korea in 2010 with the EP ''

Bluetory ''Bluetory'' is the Korean debut mini-album by South Korean pop-rock idol band CNBLUE. It was released on January 14, 2010, under FNC Music and distributed by Mnet Media. After being signed to the record label, the quartet was sent to Japan, where ...

''.

Music career

On January 14, 2011, Jung released his first solo digital single, " For First Time Lovers". The song was featured on the second season of ''We Got Married'', where Jung was a cast member and one half of an on-screen couple with

Seohyun Seo Ju-hyun (; born June 28, 1991), known professionally as Seohyun, is a South Korean singer, actress and songwriter. She debuted as a member of girl group Girls' Generation (and later its subgroup Girls' Generation-TTS) in August 2007, which ...

Girls' Generation Girls' Generation (), also known as SNSD, is a South Korean girl group formed by SM Entertainment. The group is composed of eight members: Taeyeon, Sunny, Tiffany, Hyoyeon, Yuri, Sooyoung, Yoona, and Seohyun. Originally a nine-piece ens ...

. Upon its release, it topped various South Korean music charts. In 2014, he released " You, My Star", a self-composed single dedicated to his fans. All profits of the single were donated to charity. Jung Yong-hwa - Shenzhen

In January 2015, Jung debuted as a solo artist with the album '' One Fine Day'', which clinched the number one spot on the ''Billboard'' World Albums chart. The album featured artists

JJ Lin Wayne Lin Junjie (; born 27 March 1981), better known by his stage name JJ Lin, is a Singaporean singer, songwriter, record producer and actor. Lin launched his musical career by releasing his debut album '' Music Voyager'' (2003). GIO, Taiwa ...

Yang Dong-geun Yang Dong-geun (; born June 1, 1979) or YDG is a South Korean actor, rapper, singer-songwriter, record producer, and breakdancer. Yang majored in Theatrical Performance at Yong-In University. Biography Yang enlisted for mandatory military se ...

Verbal Jint Kim Jin-tae (Hangul: 김진태; born December 19, 1980), better known by his stage name Verbal Jint (Hangul: 버벌진트), is a South Korean rapper, record producer and musician who is known for his groundbreaking innovations in Korean hip hop ...

, YB's

Yoon Do-hyun Yoon Do-hyun (born February 3, 1972) is a South Korean hard rock/folk rock singer, musician, and songwriter. He is the founder and lead vocalist of the Yoon Do-hyun Band (YB) since 1996. Yoon is also an MC on TV variety programs (notably ''Yoo ...

and

Peter Malick Peter Malick (born November 28, 1951) is an American blues guitarist and record producer. Music career In the late 1960s, Malick was a member of the band Listening.Sunwoo Jung-a on a collaborative album project. The duo released two singles “Hello” and “Empathy”; Jung composed "Hello" and co-wrote the lyrics to "Empathy". Jung reportedly collaborated with foreign artists through a songwriting camp for his first EP, titled '' Do Disturb''. The EP along with the music video for its lead single "

That Girl ''That Girl'' is an American sitcom that ran on ABC from September 8, 1966 to March 19, 1971. It starred Marlo Thomas as the title character Ann Marie, an aspiring (but only sporadically employed) actress, who moves from her hometown of Brewster ...

" were released on July 19, 2017. Jung released his second Japanese album '' Summer Calling'' on August 9, 2017. In May 2022, Jung will hold a solo fan meeting 2022 Jung Yonghwa Fan Meeting ainting Paperon June 11, 2022, which will be held both offline and online.

Songwriting

Jung has composed several notable singles for CNBLUE, including " In My Head" (2011), " Where You Are" (2012) and "I'm Sorry" (2013). In particular, his composition " Can't Stop" for the group's fifth EP was very well received and earned rave reviews from critics and K-pop fans. For his drama '' Heartstrings'' (2011), he composed and sang "Because I Miss You". The single peaked at number 14 on the

Gaon Chart Gaon may refer to * Gaon (Hebrew), a non-formal title given to certain Jewish Rabbis ** Geonim, presidents of the two great Talmudic Academies of Sura and Pumbedita ** Vilna Gaon, known as ''the'' Gaon of Vilnius. * Gaon Music Chart, record ch ...

, and later ranked number one on Japanese ringtone charts. He also produced "Casting Love" for the soundtrack of '' Marry Him If You Dare'' (2013), which was sung by Jeon Gun-hwa. Jung has also composed for other artists. He composed and produced "Fool" (also known as "Babo") as a gift for label-mate

Juniel Choi Seo-ah (Korean: 최서아; born Choi Jun-hee on 3 September 1993), better known by her stage name Juniel, (Hangul: 주니엘, often stylized as JUNIEL) is a South Korean singer-songwriter. She began her career in Japan before eventually ...

, which was featured on her debut album as well as "Love is Only You" for another FNC artist, girl group AOA. Jung released 17 compositions for the first half of 2012. As a gift for the ''CNBLUE School'' in Burkina Faso, Africa, Jung helped produce their "School Song". In 2013, Jung penned the song "Feel Good", the brand song of

Samsung Galaxy Samsung Galaxy (, stylised as SΛMSUNG Galaxy since 2015 (except Japan where it omits the Samsung branding), previously stylised as Samsung GALAXY; abbreviated as SG) is a series of computing and mobile computing devices that are designed, m ...

, which was released on YouTube on August 23, 2013. In January 2019, Jung was among 25 songwriters selected for the forthcoming year to become full members of the

Korea Music Copyright Association The Korea Music Copyright Association (KOMCA) is a South Korean non-profit copyright collective for musical works, administering public performance and broadcasting rights, and mechanical recording and reproduction rights. Founded in 1964, it i ...

(KOMCA).

Acting career

Jung Yong-hwa debuted as an actor before his band's debut in Korea. He was the first member of CNBLUE to appear on screen in 2009 when he landed his first acting role in the SBS drama '' You're Beautiful.'' The drama aired from October 7 to November 26, 2009. As the series revolves around the life of a musical group, he played the role of the lead guitarist in the faux idol band A.N.Jell. The series gained a cult following, and earned high ratings in Japan, which fostered the growth of his popularity. In 2011, Jung was cast in MBC's youth campus drama '' Heartstrings'', along with fellow band member

Kang Min-hyuk Kang Min-hyuk (; born June 28, 1991) is a South Korean musician, singer-songwriter, and actor. He is the drummer of South Korean rock band CNBLUE. Career 2009–present: CNBLUE Kang became a member of CNBLUE in 2009. The group debuted in Jap ...

. The drama also reunited Jung with ''You're Beautiful'' co-star Park Shin-hye. After the drama aired, Jung experienced a rise in popularity in Japan. Originally cast in Kim Eun-sook's teen drama ''

The Heirs ''The Heirs'' (Korean: ), also known as ''The Inheritors'', is a South Korean television series starring Lee Min-ho, Park Shin-hye, and Kim Woo-bin. Written by Kim Eun-sook, the drama is set in a high school populated by the privileged and ub ...

'', Jung revealed that he declined the role to "avoid" actress Park Shin-hye, (who was the lead actress of ''Heirs'') despite being fascinated with the character and knowing that the drama was likely to succeed. Instead, he chose to star in KBS' romantic comedy '' Marry Him If You Dare''. Explaining his decision, Jung said that the audience is likely to be "bored" as he had already worked with Park in two dramas. In 2014, Jung took the leading role in period action drama ''

''. Despite suffering from low ratings, Jung received positive reviews from critics and producers for his improved acting in the series. ''Three Musketeers'' was also well received in China and fostered in Jung's growth in popularity in the country. In 2017, Jung made his big-screen debut in the Chinese gastronomy film ''

Cook Up a Storm ''Cook Up a Storm'' () is a 2017 Hong KongChinese culinary drama film directed by Raymond Yip and starring Nicholas Tse, Jung Yong-hwa, Ge You, Tiffany Tang, Michelle Bai and Anthony Wong. It was released in China on 10 February 2017. Plot Th ...

'' alongside

Nicholas Tse Nicholas Tse Ting-fung (born 29 August 1980) is a Hong Kong actor, martial artist, singer, songwriter, entrepreneur and chef.EEGmusic.EEGmusic." ''Nicolas Tse profile.'' Retrieved on 22 April 2008. As multi talented celebrity, he became a TV c ...

. The same year, Jung starred in

JTBC JTBC (shortened from ''Joongang Tongyang Broadcasting Company'' (; stylized as jtbc) is a South Korean nationwide pay television network. Its primary shareholder is JoongAng Holdings, with a 25% stake. It was launched on 1 December 2011. JTBC ...

's travel romance drama '' The Package'' with

Lee Yeon-hee Lee Yeon-hee (born January 9, 1988) is a South Korean actress. She is most known for her work in the television series '' East of Eden'' (2008), ''Phantom'' (2012), '' Miss Korea'' (2013), '' The Package'' (2017); and in the films '' A Milliona ...

. In 2020, Jung made a special appearance in the sci-fi film, P1H: The Beginning of a New World, following his military discharge in late 2019. In 2021, Jung starred in the comedy and fantasy drama, '' Sell Your Haunted House'' alongside ''

Jang Na-ra Jang Na-ra (; born March 18, 1981) is a South Korean singer and actress active in both the South Korean and Chinese entertainment industries since 2001. She rose to prominence with her hit studio album ''Sweet Dream'' in 2002, and starred in wel ...

''. He sang the first OST of the series, I Got Ya.

Variety show

After his successful acting debut, Jung joined his first variety show, MBC's ''

Sunday Sunday Night ''Sunday Night'' () is the longest-running South Korean television entertainment programme airing on MBC. It runs for 175 minutes, including roughly fifteen minutes of advertising. Previously named ''Big March of Sunday Night'' () when it debu ...

'' program ''Korea Ecosystem Rescue Centre: Hunters'', which featured seven celebrity MCs going out to capture wild boars. The show premiered on December 6, 2009, but was forced to prematurely cease its run in mid-January 2010 due to protests by animal-rights groups. He subsequently continued as one of the MCs on the replacement program ''Eco House'', which deals with global climate change. In 2010, Jung became the one of the hosts of SBS' live music show ''

Inkigayo ''Inkigayo'' ( ko, 인기가요; English title: ''The Music Trend'', previously ''Popular Song'') is a South Korean music program broadcast by SBS. It airs live every Sunday. The show features some of the latest and most popular artists who p ...

'' and variety-talk show ''Night After Night''. He left both programs in 2011. In February 2010, he was paired with

as part of a virtually wedded couple for MBC's ''

We Got Married ''We Got Married'' () was a South Korean reality variety show that aired on MBC from 2008 to 2017. The show paired up celebrities who pretended to be married couples and completed various challenges together. The show ran for four seasons and ...

''. Collectively known as "YongSeo" couple, they filmed their final episode of the show on March 15, 2011. At the end of the year, Jung won the "Popularity Award" at the MBC Entertainment Awards for his stint in ''We Got Married''. In 2018, Jung joined the talk show ''Talk Mon'' alongside Kang Ho-dong as a host. However, he shortly left the program soon after he was involved in a controversy. In 2020, Jung hosted the first season of the reality program,

K-Trot in Town ''K-Trot in Town'' () is a South Korea reality show program on SBS starring Nam Jin, , , , Joo Hyun-mi and Jang Yoon-jeong as the main cast, along with Boom and Jung Yong-hwa as the show's MCs. The show airs on SBS every Wednesday at 22:00 ...

with

Boom Boom may refer to: Objects * Boom (containment), a temporary floating barrier used to contain an oil spill * Boom (navigational barrier), an obstacle used to control or block marine navigation * Boom (sailing), a sailboat part * Boom (windsurfin ...

. The show aimed to introduce the genre of Korean Trot to people from other countries. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the latter episodes focused on online busking events.

Personal life

Philanthropy

Jung has actively participated in charity events in the previous years including in the event held by BC Card in Seoul last May 2015. He has released a song called You, My Star on December 23, 2013, dedicated to his fans. All the proceeds from this song have been donated to the FNC charity, Love FNC. In December 2017, it has been reported that Jung has taken part in a public campaign for children with hearing disabilities run by Audiology Development Foundation in China. This campaign will help pay for the costs of education and other needs of children with hearing disabilities. Jung held a two-day concert in March 2018 before he enlisted. All the profits in the said event will be donated. He donated 50 million won to the Miral Welfare Foundation to celebrate this year's International Day of Disabled Persons on December 3. He requested that the donation will be used for the medical and living expenses of disabled children from low-income families. He established a scholarship program at his alma mater, Namsan High School in Busan. He attended the graduation ceremony held on February 12, 2019, awarding six scholarships to selected graduates. He also donated to the school's development and will continuously do so. Jung donated 20 million won for the victims of forest fires Gangwon Province through Hope Bridge National Disaster Relief Association. According to the organization, the donation will be used for the recovery of the damaged areas in Gangwon Province and support for the victims.

Controversy

On June 28, 2016, it was reported that Jung is being under investigation for

insider trading Insider trading is the trading of a public company's stock or other securities (such as bonds or stock options) based on material, nonpublic information about the company. In various countries, some kinds of trading based on insider informati ...

. He was reportedly being investigated for allegedly earning approximately $347,000 through buying stocks in

FNC Entertainment FNC Entertainment (; stands for "fish and cake") is a South Korean entertainment company established in 2006 by South Korean singer and record producer Han Seong-ho. The label operates as a record label, talent agency, music production company, ev ...

after learning about their plans to sign a major celebrity. On June 30, Jung was cleared of suspicion and was found not guilty. On October 31, FNC Entertainment announced that they would take legal action against malicious rumors about the singer after being framed of insider trading. On January 17, 2018, Jung was reported to have entered a

Kyung Hee University Kyung Hee University (abbreviated to KHU) ( Hangul: 경희대학교; Hanja: 慶熙大學校) is a private research university in South Korea with campuses in Seoul and Suwon. Founded in 1949, it is widely regarded as one of the best universit ...

graduate school program, despite failing to appear at two official interviews for graduate school entrance. It was later revealed that he attended the interview separately at his agency FNC Entertainment at the request of the professor in charge of student admission. Due to the controversy, Jung's admission was set to be revoked by Kyung Hee University despite having not broken any rules as the university itself has no clear rules regarding graduate student admission process, and that it's often up to the professor's discretion. Citizens’ Coalition for Democratic Media (CCDM) issued a press release criticizing SBS for targeting Jung in their report, calling it "exploitative" and "extremely inappropriate reporting by the media that runs the serious risk of human rights violations." On October 9, 2018, FNC Entertainment announced that Jung had been cleared of all charges earlier that year. It was reported that Jung was not guilty of obstruction of business in regards to his school admissions. The prosecutor decided to not indict him in July. The law also acknowledged that Jung did not have any intention of receiving preferential admission.

Mandatory military service

Jung began his compulsory military service on March 5, 2018. He volunteered to be assigned in the 702nd Special Assault Regiment in II Corps on April 13, 2018. Jung was discharged from his military service on November 3, 2019.

Filmography

Film

Television series

Web series

Television show

Hosting

Radio shows

Discography

Studio albums * '' One Fine Day'' (2015) * '' Summer Calling'' (2017) * ''Feel the Y's City'' (2020)

Concert tours

*''Jung Yonghwa 1st Concert - One Fine Day'' (2015) *''Jung Yonghwa Live ummer Calling' (2017) *''Jung Yonghwa Live oom 622' (2018)

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Jung, Yong-hwa 21st-century South Korean male actors English-language singers from South Korea K-pop singers FNC Entertainment artists Japanese-language singers of South Korea Musicians from Busan Singers from Seoul South Korean male idols South Korean male singers South Korean male film actors South Korean male television actors South Korean pop guitarists South Korean pop rock singers South Korean radio presenters South Korean rhythm and blues singers South Korean rock guitarists South Korean television presenters CNBLUE members South Korean singer-songwriters Living people 1989 births Warner Music Japan artists Male actors from Seoul South Korean male singer-songwriters