Hong Jin-young is a South Korean trot singer and actress who was a member of the popular girl group SWAN on Mnet. In 2009, she made her solo debut. Hong began her acting career in 2006 with a cameo appearance as herself in the film ‘Yeon Gaesomun.’ That same year, she also appeared in the film ‘Who Slept with her?’ She began her musical career in 2007 as a member of the girl group SWAN and quickly rose to prominence as the group’s most popular member. She originally declined the chance to pursue her musical ambitions independently on the advice of her agent, but finally accepted. In 2009, she released her first solo single, ‘Love Battery,’ and quickly established herself as one of the most recognizable faces in the country. Since then, she has concentrated on variety television shows, appearing in ‘We Got Married,’ ‘Running Man,’ and ‘Happy Together.’ Throughout her career, she has received numerous accolades for her musical ability, including a Mnet Asian Music Award, a Golden Disk Award, and a Seoul Music Award.
Childhood & Adolescence
Hong Jin-young was born in Gwangju, South Korea on 9 August 1985 and has had a variety of interests since she was a kid. Music was her passion in those days, and apart from being an excellent student, she found herself glued to the television for countless hours, entranced by musicals and concerts, and she knew exactly where her life was headed in those days. When she grew up, music remained a constant companion, and she stated in interviews that listening to music kept her focused, which contributed to her academic success.Her parents admired her abilities but were unconcerned about her musical goals.
They drove her to study more in order to pursue a career in science, but Hong had other dreams for herself and did whatever her parents instructed her to do.She was admitted to Chosun University’s Dongil High School of Future Science and later enrolled in the university’s Doctoral program in Business Administration & Bachelor of Commerce and Master of Trade programs, but the mundane life bore her, and she moved to Seoul to pursue her dream of becoming a musician.By 2006, she had already made her acting debut in a short film and a few television episodes.
Her musical ambitions were considerably higher than her acting ambitions, and as a trainee, she joined a variety of different girl ensembles in order to perfect her skills for a career in music. She gradually improved her singing ability, and when she made her musical debut, she became an instant celebrity after joining the musical girl group SWAN, which launched her musical career.
Career of Hong
Prior to music, Hong Jin-young had her acting debut in 2006 with the film ‘Who Slept with her?’ The film remained inconspicuous, although she became more well-known later that year for her appearance in the television series ‘Yeon Gaesomun’. Although she just appeared in a cameo, the series was a huge success, and the historical drama was adored by both South Koreans and people in neighboring nations.She joined the popular all-girl music group SWAN in 2007 and toured the country with the group.
She was gaining popularity with each of their performances, but her career came to a standstill in 2009 when she began having conflicts with the group. Her agency recommended her to go solo, as this would prove to be the best option and would result in the young singer achieving greater renown. However, Hong was opposed to this. She had never considered herself a competent vocalist until then and believed that being in a group would be safer, but she eventually took the jump and parted ties with SWAN in 2009 after two years.
In the same year, she released her first non-album solo single, ‘Love Battery,’ and another digital single, ‘My Love,’ in August 2010. Although her music was criticized, it targeted to a specific demographic of listeners and never quite earned her the acclaim and notoriety she desired. While she continued to perform music, she also maintained a regular television appearance.Hong specialized in the trot form of music, which was her girl group’s specialty.
She won the Mnet Asian Music Prize for Best Trot Song for her song ‘Love Battery,’ and this specific award brought her to the attention of television producers, who bombarded her with offers for numerous fiction and variety shows.
Her early television appearances included guest appearances on variety shows such as ‘Happy Together’, ‘Hello Counsellor’, and ‘Radio Star’. She found greater consolation doing variety shows than writing literature, and she maintained her musical passions by releasing back-to-back songs, gradually gaining a following among the Korean youth.
Her television appearances aided significantly in this endeavor as well.In June 2011, Hong appeared on stage alongside other established and struggling South Korean musicians for an event titled ‘Changwon’s First Anniversary Hope Concert, We Are’ at the Changwon sports complex. This also proved to be a significant step forward for Hong, as she connected with several other struggling performers and experienced a surge of confidence in her musical abilities for the first time.Her song downloads continued to grow, and she continued to produce singles in the trot genre, eventually releasing a mini album titled ‘Life Note’.
Although the record was not as successful as she had hoped, it did not prevent her from collecting numerous prizes for her musical abilities.She wowed the crowds at the 2014 Seoul Music Honors, the 2015 Golden Disk Awards, and the Melon Music Awards, where she took home awards for the songs ‘Love Wifi’ and ‘Thumbs Up’.Throughout this time, she has never ceased appearing on television and has grown to become one of South Korea’s most recognizable television personalities. She has been a part of the show ‘We Got Married’ since 2014, where she was obliged to be in a virtual marriage with co-star Namkoong Min.
Apart from that, she has appeared on the most popular South Korean variety program of all time, ‘Running Man,’ as well as numerous other shows.Her rare performances on fiction television include a 2011 role in the series ‘Lights and Shadows’ and a cameo in the 2014 film ‘Secret Hotel.’In 2017, she was cast as a contestant on the second season of the reality show ‘Sister’s Slam Dunk.’
Private Life of Hong
Hong Jin-young stated that she is no longer certain of commitment because she has been in four significant relationships and has never experienced commitment from any of her partners. She stated that she had been duped by someone she truly loved and would never wish to repeat the experience. Apart from her virtual marriage to ‘spouse’ Namkoong Min, she claims to be single.
Estimated Net Worth
Hong Jin-young is one of the wealthiest and most popular pop singers in the world. Hong Jin-net young’s worth is estimated to be at $1.5 million, based on our analysis of Wikipedia, Forbes, and Business Insider.