Yoon Eun-hye (Korean윤은혜; born October 3, 1984) is a South Korean actress and singer. She debuted as a member of girl group Baby Vox, staying with the group from 1999 to 2005, as well as WSG Wannabe, a female project group in 2022. Yoon has since moved on to acting and is best known for starring in the television dramas Princess Hours (2006), The Vineyard Man (2006), Coffee Prince (2007), My Fair Lady (2009), Lie to Me (2011), and Missing You (2012).

Yoon Eun-hye
Yoon in April 2021
Born (1984-10-03) October 3, 1984 (age 40)
EducationKyung Hee Cyber University
Chung-Ang University[2]
Occupations
  • Actress
  • singer
Years active1998–present
AgentFAVOR Entertainment
Musical career
GenresPop
InstrumentsVocal
Years active
  • 1999–2005
  • 2008–present
LabelsDR Music
Formerly of
Korean name
Hangul
윤은혜
Hanja
Revised RomanizationYun Eun-hye
McCune–ReischauerYun Ŭnhye
WebsiteOfficial website
Signature

Career

edit

1999–2005: Debut with Baby V.O.X

edit

Yoon debuted as a member of Baby V.O.X at the age of 15, replacing an ex-member (Lee Gai) in 1999. Yoon was the sub-vocal in the group.[3]

After she joined, the group released their third album Come Come Come in 1999. This album became their first major success, with their singles "Get Up" and "Killer" reaching the number one spot on the Korean music charts. In the same year, Yoon became a target of anti-fans. She was shot in the eye by an anti-fan who tried to make her blind with a mixture of soy sauce and vinegar using a water gun. She was rushed to the hospital where the doctors confirmed that her cornea was damaged.[4][failed verification]

Yoon was also a frequent guest on SBS' popular game show X-Man from 2004 to 2005, gaining popularity for her "girl-warrior" image on the show and her love-line with Kim Jong-kook.[5][6]

Following fellow member Shim Eun-jin, Yoon ended her six-year activities as a member of Baby V.O.X in July 2005 when her contract with DR Entertainment expired.[7]

2006–2007: Breakthrough success with Princess Hours and Coffee Prince

edit

In 2006, Yoon made her acting debut in romantic comedy Princess Hours, where she played an ordinary girl who becomes the crown princess due to an arranged marriage to the crown prince. Initially, fans of the Goong manhwa questioned her acting ability, and sent out petitions against Yoon as the lead role, requesting her to be replaced.[8] Despite the controversy, Princess Hours became a huge success across Asia and catapulted Yoon to Korean Wave stardom.[9][10]

Yoon then made her debut on the big screen, starring in the film The Legend of Seven Cutter as a boxer.[11] She returned to television with a leading role in The Vineyard Man which aired on KBS in July 2006.[12] The Vineyard Man initially suffered low ratings, but received positive reviews for its heart-warming storyline and the cast's performances, and eventually rose in viewership.[13] Yoon won the Best Actress award at the 2006 Grimae Awards, chosen by cinematographers in every broadcasting station in Korea.[14]

In 2007, Yoon took on the leading role in MBC's drama Coffee Prince. She played a tomboy who was mistaken for a boy by her employer.[15] The drama was another huge success for Yoon, who was hailed by critics as an actress who brings a colorful shade to her character.[16] At the 44th Baeksang Arts Awards, Yoon beat out veteran actresses Kim Hee-ae and Park Jin-hee to win the coveted Best Actress award, becoming the youngest actress ever to win the award.[17] Riding the big success of Coffee Prince and Goong, Yoon became one of the highest-paid actresses in the industry.[10]

2008–2011: Acting criticism

edit
 
In 2009

In 2009, Yoon starred in KBS' romantic comedy My Fair Lady, playing an arrogant, strong-headed heiress of a rich business family.[18] Although My Fair Lady was a moderate success, Yoon was harshly criticized for her unnatural speech and accent as well as her regression in acting skills.[19][20]

Yoon returned to the big screen after five years with the coming-of-age film My Black Mini Dress (2010), based on the same titled chick lit novel by Kim Min-seo.[21] She then starred in SBS's romantic comedy series Lie to Me (2011), playing a smart government official who is unlucky in the love department.[22] However, both projects failed to achieve commercial success.[23]

2012–2015: Directorial debut, acclaim and Goddess Fashion

edit

In 2012, Yoon made her directorial debut with the short film The Knitting, which was her first assignment as a graduate student at Chung-Ang University. The film was screened at the 17th Busan International Film Festival and competed in the Korean Short Film Competition.[24][25] It was also screened at the 38th Seoul Independent Film Festival as one of the five short films in the "New Choice" category.[26] The same year, she served as jury for the 'Face of Short Film Awards' at the Asiana International Short Film Festival (AISFF).[27]

In late 2012, Yoon starred in MBC's melo-thriller Missing You, playing a victim of sexual abuse.[28][29] The role marked a turning point for Yoon, who received critical acclaim for her performance.[30][31] This was followed up with a leading role in KBS's romantic comedy Marry Him If You Dare, where she played a 32-year-old call center agent who travels back in time to change her future.[32][33] In 2014, Yoon was cast alongside Park Si-hoo in the Chinese-South Korean romance film After Love.[34]

In 2015, Yoon made a special appearance in the film Chronicle of a Blood Merchant, directed by Ha Jung-woo.[35] She then joined the second season of Goddess Fashion, a Chinese fashion design survival program where the participants have to show off their own created designs to the judges. On August 29, 2015, Yoon was awarded No. 1 in an evaluation.[36]

2017–present: Return from hiatus

edit

In 2017, Yoon made her return to the Korean entertainment industry by appearing as a regular in tvN's variety show Dear Pet, We Need to Talk.[37]

In 2018, Yoon was cast in the romantic comedy drama Love Alert. This marks her return to the small screen five years since her last drama Marry Him If You Dare in 2013.[38]

In 2019, Yoon starred in the 2-episode romance drama Go Go Song.[39]

Controversies

edit

Conflicts with management

edit

In July 2007, conflicts with Yoon's Management Eight Peaks surfaced; eventually Yoon filed a Certification Of Contents (COC) to cancel her contractual agreement with the company.[40] The contents of the first COC stated that in January 2007, Yoon was confirmed to star in the MBC drama Que Sera Sera and had even completed the script reading and rehearsal for the upcoming shoot. However, the company forced Yoon to withdraw for Yoon to star in a company-produced drama, and as an effect, she was replaced by Jung Yu-mi. After her withdrawal, Yoon took a two-day vacation to Gangwon-do in March. Eight Peaks claimed that they had no knowledge of this so-called incident and spread a rumour of Yoon's irresponsibility online which damaged her reputation.[41] Yoon filed a second COC in August, which included evidence to support the disagreeable actions made by Eight Peaks. These actions included the improper handling and distribution/division of earnings and proceeds as well as the unilateral (one-sided) manner of making and carrying out decisions which caused immense problems."[41]

Yoon and Eight Peaks finally came to a mutual agreement through careful negotiations and settled their disputes amicably. With her contract dispute resolved, it was reported in October 2008 that Yoon signed on with Kraze Entertainment as her new management company.[42]

Plagiarism accusations

edit

Following Yoon's win on the Chinese fashion program Goddess Fashion, in which she presented a white coat with collars and a unique fringe on the sleeves to give a feeling of wings following the film theme of Chronicles of Narnia, Yoon was accused of plagiarism by Korean fashion designer Yoon Choon-ho. The designer accused the actress of ripping off his design after being made aware of her piece on the show, and posted a comparison of his creation versus hers, stating that he and his team had worked hard on the piece from the F/W (Fall/Winter) line. Yoon Choon-ho additionally revealed that he had heard her and her stylist had picked up a sponsorship outfit just days ago.[43] Additionally, she was embroiled in another allegation of plagiarism when another design of hers was accused of being similar to a dress from 2015 F/W Dolce & Gabbana.[44]

She denied the allegations, saying that her idea for the outfit came from a 2008 Victor & Rolf style and the 2014 Lanvin Collection, which used feather decorations. She further condemned Yoon Choon-ho for trying to cash in on her fame.[45][46]

Filmography

edit

Film

edit
Year Title Role Notes
2002 Emergency 19 Singer of Vegiemeal with Baby V.O.X (cameo)
2006 The Legend of Seven Cutter Han Min-joo
2011 My Black Mini Dress Lee Yoo-min
2012 The Knitting Short film; as director
2015 Chronicle of a Blood Merchant Im Boon-bang (cameo)
2016 After Love Yin Hong

Television series

edit
Year Title Role Notes
2006 Princess Hours Shin Chae-gyung
The Vineyard Man Lee Ji-hyun
2007 Coffee Prince Go Eun-chan
2009 My Fair Lady Kang Hye-na
2010 Personal Taste Yoon Eun-soo (cameo, episode 8)
2011 Lie to Me Gong Ah-jung
2012 Road for Hope Herself (cameo)[47]
2012–2013 Missing You Lee Soo-yeon / Zoe
2013 Marry Him If You Dare Na Mi-rae
2018 Happy to Meet You Herself Chinese drama (cameo)
Love Alert Yoon Yoo-jung
2019 Go Go Song Gong Sun-hwa

Variety show

edit
Year Title Notes Ref.
2004-2005 X-Man
2020-2021 Stars' Top Recipe at Fun-Staurant Episode 49–51, 61-63
2020 Law of the Jungle in Zero Point Cast member [48]
2021 Cooking - The Birth of a Cooking King contestant [49]
2022 Hangout with Yoo Cast as WSG Wannabe [50]
Kilimanjaro Cast Member with Hyojung, Uee, and Son Ho-jun [51]

Discography

edit

Singles

edit
Year Track Singer Album
2008 Salad Song Yoon Eun Hye feat. Lee Dong-gun Samsung Ziple commercial film
사랑해 (I Love You) Mighty Mouth feat. Yoon Eun Hye Digital single
2009 Ziple 'Asak' Samsung Ziple commercial film
Romance Yoon Eun Hye & Yoon Sang Hyun My Fair Lady OST
Dash Girl
2010 AM 5:00 Do.U Production Crew (Outro) [Do.U] Know Me
Tic Tok 2PM feat. Yoon Eun Hye Digital single[52]
2011 Love Is Blind My Black Mini Dress OST
My Black Mini Dress Yoon Eun-hye, Park Han-byul, Cha Ye-ryun & Yoo In-na

Ambassadorship

edit
  • Public relations ambassador for famine countermeasures (2023)[53]

Awards and nominations

edit

All Awards listed below are referenced from The House Company & Naver[54][55]

Year Award Category Work Result
2006 42nd Baeksang Arts Awards Best New Actress Goong Nominated
19th Grimae Awards Best Actress The Vineyard Man Won
MBC Drama Awards Best New Actress Goong Won
Popularity Award, Actress Nominated
Best Couple Award with Ju Ji-hoon Nominated
KBS Drama Awards[56] Excellence Award, Actress The Vineyard Man Nominated
Best New Actress Won
Popularity Award, Actress Nominated
Best Couple Award with Oh Man-seok Won
2007 MBC Drama Awards[57] Top Excellence Award, Actress Coffee Prince Won
Popularity Award, Actress Nominated
Best Couple Award with Gong Yoo Nominated
Star News Chief Producer's Choice Acting Awards Outstanding Actress Award Won
2008 44th Baeksang Arts Awards[58] Best Actress (TV) Won
48th Monte Carlo Television Festival Best Actress Nominated
3rd Seoul International Drama Awards Best Actress Nominated
2009 KBS Drama Awards[59] Excellence Award, Actress in a Miniseries My Fair Lady Nominated
Popularity Award, Actress Won
Best Couple Award with Yoon Sang-hyun Won
2011 SBS Drama Awards[60] Top Excellence Award, Actress in a Special Planning Drama Lie To Me Nominated
2012 MBC Drama Awards Top Excellence Award, Actress Missing You Nominated
Popularity Award, Actress Won
Best Couple Award with Park Yoo-chun Nominated
Best Couple Award with Yoo Seung-ho Nominated
Hallyu Star of the Year Won
2013 Hallyu 10th Anniversary Grand Prizes[61] Grand Prix, Best Actress Won
KBS Drama Awards Excellence Award, Actress in a Miniseries Marry Him If You Dare Nominated
Netizen Award, Actress Nominated
Best Couple Award with Lee Dong-gun Nominated
2016 18th Huading Awards Global Best TV Actress Won

References

edit
  1. ^ "윤은혜". Cinefox (씨네폭스) (in Korean). Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  2. ^ "Yoon Eun-hye to go to grad school". Korea JoongAng Daily. March 14, 2012. Archived from the original on August 9, 2017. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
  3. ^ 윤은혜, 베이비복스 막내에서 브라운관 톱스타로. The Daily (in Korean). January 16, 2009. Archived from the original on July 26, 2013. Retrieved February 23, 2011.
  4. ^ "'Anti-fans' force managers to increase stars' security". Korea JoongAng Daily. October 23, 2006. Archived from the original on August 8, 2017. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
  5. ^ "[10LINE] Yoon Eun-hye". TenAsia. September 2, 2009. Archived from the original on August 8, 2017.
  6. ^ "Yun Eun Hye Talks About Kim Jong Kook on ′Running Man′". enewsWorld. February 1, 2013. Archived from the original on May 20, 2017. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
  7. ^ 尹恩惠退出 Baby VOX組合又失一員愛將 Archived July 1, 2017, at the Wayback Machine. China Radio International. (in Chinese). July 8, 2005.
  8. ^ "Female singers' soap roles provoke viewer anger". Korea JoongAng Daily. September 20, 2005. Archived from the original on August 8, 2017. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
  9. ^ "Princess Hours (Goong)". Visit Korea. Archived from the original on August 20, 2017. Retrieved August 9, 2017.
  10. ^ a b "10 Hallyu Stars". The Korea Times. October 14, 2007. Archived from the original on August 27, 2018. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
  11. ^ 윤은혜, 카리스마 탈출기 여고생으로 흥행 연속도전. No Cut News (in Korean). March 21, 2006. Archived from the original on August 9, 2017. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
  12. ^ Hwang, You-mee (August 10, 2006). "Actresses venture to show their other side on TV". The Korea Herald via Hancinema. Archived from the original on February 1, 2008. Retrieved September 5, 2013.
  13. ^ 상승세 '포도밭'엔 '그 사나이'가 있다!. JoyNews24 (in Korean). Archived from the original on July 26, 2013. Retrieved September 9, 2007.
  14. ^ "'2006 그리메상' 최우수연기자상 수상". My Daily (in Korean). Archived from the original on July 26, 2013. Retrieved September 9, 2007.
  15. ^ "Yoon Eun-hye Goes From Girl Group to Boy Actor". The Chosun Ilbo. August 8, 2017. Archived from the original on August 12, 2014. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
  16. ^ "Interview with Yoon Eun-hye, who played the role of Koh Eun-chan in Coffee Prince". MBC Global Media. June 27, 2007. Archived from the original on July 28, 2014. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
  17. ^ 윤은혜 "받아도 되는지 모르겠다"...최우수상 받자 눈물 철철. My Daily (in Korean). Archived from the original on July 26, 2013. Retrieved September 9, 2007.
  18. ^ "New Drama to Bring Modern Princess With Edge". The Korea Times. August 18, 2009. Archived from the original on January 4, 2022. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
  19. ^ ""속상하고 미칠것 같아…" 울어버린 윤은혜 [Yoon Eun-hye sheds tears at acting criticism]". The Chosun Ilbo. September 14, 2009. Archived from the original on December 28, 2009. Retrieved July 31, 2010.
  20. ^ "[Interview] Yoon Eun-hye "I cried because of my acting issue"". HanCinema. March 9, 2011. Archived from the original on August 9, 2017. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
  21. ^ "It actresses portray growing pains in chick flick". The Korea Times. March 1, 2011. Archived from the original on January 30, 2020. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
  22. ^ "True Romance: new spin on rom-coms?". The Korea Times. May 8, 2011. Archived from the original on March 11, 2014. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
  23. ^ "Yoon Eun-hye "Poor on the screens, I'll do better on home screens"". HanCinema. March 31, 2011. Archived from the original on August 9, 2017. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
  24. ^ "Yoon Eun-hye "I don't deserve this but..."". Nate via Hancinema. September 11, 2012. Archived from the original on August 26, 2014. Retrieved August 26, 2014.
  25. ^ "Yoon Eun-hye to Screen Directorial Debut at BIFF". The Chosun Ilbo. September 12, 2012. Archived from the original on August 8, 2017. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
  26. ^ "[Korea] The 38th Seoul Independent Film Festival to Start November 29th". Visit Korea. November 22, 2012. Archived from the original on August 26, 2014. Retrieved August 26, 2014.
  27. ^ "Yun Eun Hye to Serve as Special Judge for Asian International Short Film Festival". enewsWorld. October 8, 2012. Archived from the original on August 9, 2017. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
  28. ^ Hong, Grace Danbi (October 9, 2012). "Yun Eun Hye Becomes Park Yoo Chun's Leading Lady in I Miss You". enewsWorld. CJ E&M. Archived from the original on October 14, 2012. Retrieved October 29, 2012.
  29. ^ Sunwoo, Carla (October 10, 2012). "Yoon Eun-hye to play Park Yu-chun's love interest". Korea JoongAng Daily. Archived from the original on January 27, 2013. Retrieved October 29, 2012.
  30. ^ "Interview with 'Missing You' Heroine, Yun Eun-hye". KOFICE. February 7, 2013. Archived from the original on June 30, 2017. Retrieved March 22, 2013.
  31. ^ "Yoon Eun-hye Embraces Mature Roles". The Chosun Ilbo. February 16, 2013. Archived from the original on July 1, 2017. Retrieved February 16, 2013.
  32. ^ "Yoon Eun-hye takes on cheery role". Korea JoongAng Daily. October 11, 2013. Archived from the original on August 8, 2017. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
  33. ^ "Yoon Eun-hye back in rom-com fantasy". The Korea Herald. October 10, 2013. Archived from the original on August 8, 2017. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
  34. ^ "Park Si-hoo, Yoon Eun-hye meet on big screen". The Korea Times. February 2, 2016. Archived from the original on August 9, 2017. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
  35. ^ "Yoon cast in tale of blood merchant". Korea JoongAng Daily. May 29, 2014. Archived from the original on August 8, 2017. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
  36. ^ "Yoon Eun-hye's coat is the big winner". Korea JoongAng Daily. October 13, 2015. Archived from the original on August 8, 2017. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
  37. ^ "Yoon Eun-hye to begin activities in Korea after long hiatus". Kpop Herald. November 9, 2017. Archived from the original on December 29, 2017. Retrieved December 28, 2017.
  38. ^ "Yoon Eun-Hye learns true love in 'Love Alert,' following long hiatus". Kpop Herald. October 31, 2018. Archived from the original on October 31, 2018. Retrieved November 1, 2018.
  39. ^ "'사랑은 액션' 더 많이 사랑한 이야기 '고고송'". KCM Times (in Korean). January 22, 2019. Archived from the original on September 21, 2021. Retrieved September 21, 2019.
  40. ^ 윤은혜 "자체 제작 드라마 출연강요" 전속해지 통보. Newsen (in Korean). July 5, 2007. Archived from the original on July 26, 2013. Retrieved July 31, 2010.
  41. ^ a b 이데일리 SPN: 함께 만들고 함께 즐기는 엔터테인먼트 포털 E Daily. (in Korean) Archived September 27, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  42. ^ Kang, Seung-hun (October 23, 2007). "윤은혜, 크라제 엔터테인먼트와 계약 체결". inews24 (in Korean). Archived from the original on August 7, 2021. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
  43. ^ "Yoon Eun-hye faces plagiarism". The Korea Times. September 6, 2015. Archived from the original on August 8, 2017. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
  44. ^ "Yoon Eun-hye faces another plagiarism claim". The Korea Times. September 8, 2015. Archived from the original on August 8, 2017. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
  45. ^ "Yoon Eun-hye denies plagiarism". The Korea Times. September 7, 2015. Archived from the original on August 8, 2017. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
  46. ^ "Yoon Eun-hye apologizes over design fuss". The Korea Times. December 11, 2015. Archived from the original on August 9, 2017. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
  47. ^ "BoA, Yun Eun Hye and Ahn Sung Ki Draw Awareness to the Problems in the World". enewsWorld. July 2, 2012. Archived from the original on August 9, 2017. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
  48. ^ Han Jeong-won (October 5, 2020). "'정글' 측 "이근X개리X윤은혜X허경환 출연, 지난주 촬영 완료"(공식)". Newsen (in Korean). Archived from the original on October 9, 2020. Retrieved October 6, 2020.
  49. ^ Lee Seung-gil (December 9, 2021). "쿡킹' 오늘(9일) 종영, 윤은혜·전진·박정현·김승수 모두 한 자리에" ['Cooking' ends today (9th), Yoon Eun-hye, Jeon Jin, Park Jung-hyun, and Kim Seung-soo all in one place] (in Korean). My Daily. Archived from the original on December 9, 2021. Retrieved December 9, 2021 – via Naver.
  50. ^ Choi Hee-jae (July 1, 2022). "WSG워너비 윤은혜→박진주, 녹음 현장 공개…켄지 지원사격" [WSG Wannabe Yoon Eun-hye → Park Jin-joo, recording site revealed… Kenji support fire] (in Korean). X-portsnews. Archived from the original on July 1, 2022. Retrieved July 1, 2022 – via Naver.
  51. ^ Lee, Chang-gyu (September 1, 2022). "tvN 측 "윤은혜→손호준, '킬리만자로' 출연…방영 시기 미정" [공식입장]" [tvN side "Yoon Eun-hye → Son Ho-jun to appear in 'Kilimanjaro'… Airing time undecided" [Official position]] (in Korean). X-ports News. Archived from the original on June 21, 2020. Retrieved September 1, 2022 – via Naver.
  52. ^ "Former Baby VOX member sings with 2 pm". Korea JoongAng Daily. January 14, 2010. Archived from the original on August 9, 2017. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
  53. ^ Kim, Ji-hye (February 21, 2023). "윤은혜, 희망친구 기아대책 홍보대사 위촉..선한 영향력" [Yoon Eun-hye, Hope Friend Hunger Countermeasures Ambassador appointed... Good influence] (in Korean). Herald POP. Archived from the original on April 12, 2023. Retrieved February 22, 2023 – via Naver.
  54. ^ The House: Yoon Eun Hye's History thehousecompany (in Korean). Archived July 26, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  55. ^ Naver: Baby V.OX Biography Archived July 26, 2013, at the Wayback Machine Naver. (in Korean).
  56. ^ "2006 KBS Drama Awards". KBS (in Korean). Archived from the original on October 6, 2017. Retrieved February 21, 2018.
  57. ^ "2007 Year-end Korean drama awards round-up". HanCinema. Star Money. January 7, 2007. Archived from the original on September 27, 2020. Retrieved January 27, 2018.
  58. ^ "The 44th PaekSang Arts Awards Sparkles with Stars". KBS World. April 24, 2008. Archived from the original on September 2, 2017. Retrieved January 27, 2018.
  59. ^ Lim, Hye-seon (January 4, 2010). "Lee Byung-hun scores triple wins at KBS Acting Awards". 10Asia. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved September 9, 2014.
  60. ^ Jessica Kim (January 2, 2012). "Han Suk-kyu reclaims glory at SBS Drama Awards". 10Asia. Archived from the original on April 26, 2014. Retrieved June 29, 2014.
  61. ^ "Bae Yong-joon wins grand prize at Japan's hallyu awards". Yonhap News Agency. October 21, 2013. Archived from the original on August 9, 2017. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
edit