First-generation star chef and former actor Jung Shin-woo dies at 56

[Financial News] Chef Jung Shin-woo (legal name Jeong Dae-yeol), who began his career as an actor through an open recruitment program at Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC), passed away on the 18th after a 12-year battle with cancer. He was 56.

According to the restaurant industry on the 19th, Jung was diagnosed with thymic cancer in 2014 and fought the disease for more than 10 years, but his condition was recently reported to have worsened.
Kang Jiyoung, a global food culture critic, announced his passing on her social media, writing, "Chef Jung Shin-woo has gone to heaven. Even after being diagnosed with thymic cancer, he endured a difficult 12-year battle with the disease, sustained by the power of positivity. I now hope he can rest peacefully in a place without pain or suffering," she said in tribute.
The late Jung made his debut in 1988 with the musical Gospel (musical) and went on to fully embark on his acting career by appearing in dramas such as Lawyer Park Bong-sook and Applause. In 1998, he was selected as an open recruitment talent at MBC and, working under the stage name Jung Shin-woo, appeared in dramas including Roses and Bean Sprouts and The Merchant.
However, in 2000, just two years later, he made a bold career change to become a culinary researcher. Expanding his activities as Korea’s first male food stylist, he became a familiar face to the public as a chef through his appearances on Korea Educational Broadcasting System (EBS) program The Best Cooking Secrets.
In 2014, however, he developed thymic cancer and began undergoing treatment. Under the nickname Miracle Chef Jung on his blog, he shared his battle with the illness and recipes for anti-cancer dishes, strengthening his will to live. Nonetheless, the suffering caused by the disease was immense.
In a post written in January 2024, he confided, "The cancer (tumor) that has already been living in my body for nine years has had its rate of metastasis greatly slowed. But because of dialysis, which I can never get used to, my life has been paralyzed. My hospital schedule, which leaves me unable to do anything, gradually drained my passion for life. From that point on, I put down my knife and my studies."
In his final post, uploaded to social media last December, he wrote, "My body is collapsing like dominoes due to complications and dialysis," adding, "Because of the pain in the soles of my feet and my calves, I can no longer walk," revealing how much his health had deteriorated.
He is survived by his wife, and no separate mourning altar will be set up. A funeral Mass is scheduled to be held at 11 a.m. on the 19th at The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital funeral hall.

moon@fnnews.com Moon Young-jin Reporter