Hwang Jung-eum

Hwang Jung-eum is a South Korean actress and singer. She rose to stardom through the sitcom High Kick Through the Roof and received her first leading role with television series Listen to My Heart. Career Hwang Jung-eum debuted with K-pop girl group Sugar in 2002 as a lead vocalist, but left the group in 2004 to pursue a solo career. Hwang appeared as one of the recurring guests of the variety show Love Letter from 2004 to 2006, in which her onscreen pairing with Kim Jong-min became popular. She officially made her acting debut in the television drama The Person I Love in 2007. In 2009, she and real-life boyfriend Kim Yong-jun (of boy band SG Wannabe) joined the second season of reality dating show We Got Married as the first real-life couple to be featured on the show. Later that year, Hwang rose to mainstream stardom when she appeared in the daily sitcom High Kick Through the Roof. Her character in the sitcom as a college student who was full of energetic vibes but sometimes clumsy, confident despite lacking money and opportunities, representing today's college students well, therefore stirred sentiments among many young adults. Regarding this breakout in her acting career, Hwang said: After her turn on High Kick, Hwang signed numerous advertising contracts, and in interviews she often tells the story of how she had just in her bank account when she started the show but walked away with when it ended. She was later ranked 18th on Forbes Korea'''s Top 40 Celebrities in 2011, and among the Top 7 Female Commercial Stars in Korea as compiled by Ilgan Sports.