2000–2004: Debut with Chakra While an
exchange student at
Korea University from
Griffith University in the 2000s, Jung was discovered on the streets of
Apgujeong by
Lee Sang-min, changing her life and career path. She was placed in the
K-pop girl group Chakra, along with Eeni, Eun and
Hwangbo; their first album was released in 2000. Jung said her morale was at a low in 2002, saying she sometimes felt alienated from her fellow Koreans and felt uncomfortable with the sexy clothes she had to wear as a singer.
2005–2012: Transitioning to acting Chakra disbanded in 2004, and Jung pursued acting full-time. After undergoing 11 unsuccessful auditions that year, she said she began doubting her decision to become an actress. In 2005, she gained recognition in the
cult vampire
sitcom Hello Franceska, and then made her breakthrough in the romantic comedy
My Name Is Kim Sam-soon. The series was a massive success with average ratings of over 37% and 50.5% for the finale. Jung was praised for her portrayal of a fragile but good-natured character who fights for the hero's love, Her follow-up series
Autumn Shower received low ratings, but she rebounded with
Which Star Are You From?, in which she played a country bumpkin living in the mountains of
Gangwon Province. She was cast in her first movie leading role as a girl with
multiple personality disorder in 2007's
Two Faces of My Girlfriend, and though it was not a box office hit, she won Best New Actress at the
Blue Dragon Film Awards. As the titular character in 2009's
Princess Jamyung, Jung starred in her first
period drama. She then played a
hikikomori in
Castaway on the Moon, arguably her most notable film yet. Both her 2011 big screen projects had elements of romance. She played a teacher in a small South Korean village who meets a North Korean officer in the
Korean War comedy/drama
In Love and War, and in
Kwak Kyung-taek's melodrama
Pained, she played a
hemophiliac who falls for her opposite, a man with
analgesia, the inability to sense physical pain. Jung began 2012 by starring as the heroine in the quirky series
History of a Salaryman. Playing one of the most unusual female characters in
Korean drama history, she delivered a fun, no-holds-barred performance as a red-haired, constantly swearing, selfish, reckless, rich snob, but injected heart and raw emotion into a character that could've otherwise been very unlikable. Critics and audiences were impressed with her performance, and her series nabbed the top spot on the Monday and Tuesday primetime ratings lineup while she later won a Top Excellence Award at the
SBS Drama Awards. She then starred in
Never Ending Story, a romantic comedy about two people diagnosed with terminal illness who decide to spend their remaining time together preparing for death. In June 2012, Jung's contract with Won Entertainment expired and she signed with
Bae Yong-joon's agency,
KeyEast. Later that year, she played an idealistic screenwriter in
The King of Dramas.
2013–2017: Acting setback In January 2013, Jung unveiled her official website, through which she hopes to connect with her fans. Messages from the actress are uploaded in the "From rw" section. She then reunited with
Pained costar
Kwon Sang-woo in the
medical drama Medical Top Team, playing a charismatic and ambitious
thoracic surgeon. Jung next played an impatient and careless radio producer in the cable series
Bubble Gum in 2015; she and co-star
Lee Dong-wook previously appeared together in the 2003 sitcom
Do the Right Thing. In 2017, she starred in the legal procedural drama,
Witch at Court, playing a highly ambitious prosecutor who speaks her mind and is known for her aggressive investigation tactics. For her portrayal, she received the Top Excellence Award at the 2017 KBS Drama Awards.
2018–present: Return to television and continued work '' in 2018 In 2018, Jung starred in the black comedy film
Gate. She then starred in the SBS' gastronomy drama
Wok of Love. In 2019, Jung starred in the legal television series
Prosecutor Civil War. In September 2020, Jung's contract with
KeyEast expired. She subsequently signed with H & Entertainment. In July 2022, Jung renewed her contract with H & Entertainment. ==Other activities==