Hwang Jung-eum Says, "I Filmed 15 Commercials in Six Months and Earned 4 Billion Won"...Recalls Her Heyday

[Financial News] Actress Hwang Jung-eum looked back on the peak of her career, when she enjoyed immense popularity.
On the 16th, the YouTube channel 'Hwang Jung-eum' released a video titled 'A Day Out with My 72-Year-Old Father.' After completing an eye examination with her father, Hwang Jung-eum went to a restaurant and reminisced about her past activities.
Hwang Jung-eum said, "When I was appearing in the sitcom 'High Kick Through the Roof' and the variety show 'We Got Married,' I was so popular that I couldn't even walk around freely." The video also displayed headlines from that time as captions, including "I made several billion won from 'High Kick'" and "I filmed 15 commercials in six months and earned 4 billion won."
She also recalled her hectic schedule during her heyday. Hwang Jung-eum said, "I was only 26, and this was the result of working hard without even getting proper sleep," adding, "I kept going by watching the balance in my bank account steadily grow. That was both the strength that allowed me to keep working and a sense of accomplishment."
Hwang Jung-eum debuted in 2001 as a member of the girl group Sugar before turning to acting. She rose to fame through the sitcom 'High Kick Through the Roof' and later established herself as an actress with a string of successful dramas, including 'Secret Love,' 'Kill Me, Heal Me,' and 'She Was Pretty.'
Hwang Jung-eum married former professional golfer Lee Young-don in 2016 and had her first son in 2017. News of divorce mediation emerged in 2020, but the couple reunited the following year, and she gave birth to a second son in 2022. After announcing another marital breakup in 2024, she finalized her divorce in May last year.
Hwang Jung-eum was later indicted in May 2025 on charges of embezzling approximately 4.3 billion won from the funds of her one-person agency. The first-instance court sentenced her to two years in prison, suspended for four years. The sentence became final after Hwang Jung-eum's side did not appeal.


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