Choi Jin-sil

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This is a Korean name; the family name is Choi.

Choi Jin-sil
Choi Jin-sil
Born	December 24, 1968(1968-12-24) Seoul, South Korea
Died	October 2, 2008 (aged 39) Seoul, South Korea
Years active	1988–2008
Spouse(s)	Jo Seong-min (2000-2004)

Choi Jin-sil (December 24, 1968 – October 2, 2008) was a South Korean actress and model. She was considered one of the best actresses in South Korea, nicknamed "The Nation's Actress".^[1] On October 2, 2008, Choi was found dead at her home, and the police chief stated that it was "obviously suicide".^[1] It has been speculated that negative comments by Korean netizens^[2][3] and rumours regarding her lending money to Ahn Jae-hwan^[1] contributed to Choi's depressed state.

[edit] In early years

Choi Jin-sil was born as the first child to her father, Choi Guk-hyeon and her mother, Jeong Ok-sun^[4] in Seoul, South Korea on December 24, 1968. She had a younger brother, Choi Jin-yeong (최진영) who is also an actor as well as a singer. Choi Jae-seong (최재성), star in 1980s and early 90s^[5][6] is her cousin on paternal side.^[7] Her family was so poor that her mother once managed the household by running a pojangmacha (a small street stall selling foods). She dreamed of becoming a star to survive from the poverty.^[8] She confessed in talk shows her nickname during her school days was "Choisujebi" because she used to eat sujebi (a dumpling soup) everyday instead of ordinary meals due to the home environment.^[9] Although Choi later became a high-paid model and actress, she was known for frugality, so she was honored by the South Korea president as "King of Savings".^[8]

[edit] Career

After graduation from Seonil Girls' High School, Choi debuted as a TV actress starring in the MBC historical drama, Hanjungnok, Joseon Dynasty 500 years. In the following year, she began to gain stardom by starring in a advertising campaign for Samsung Electronics in which she acted as a newly wedded housewife. After several experiences in TV dramas as a supporting actress, and Choi was cast as leading roles in the MBC drama Our Paradise (우리들의 천국) and in the movie titled "Nambugun".^[10]

Choi returned in 2005 with the soap opera Jang-mitbit Inseng ("My Rosy Life"), an instant sensation amongst housewives and other viewers. She then appeared as a leading character in MBC's drama "My Life's Last Scandal"(내생애 마지막 스캔들) with Jeong Joon-ho, generating more positive reviews from critics and viewers. A second season of "My Life's Last Scandal" was being planned before her abrupt death.^[11]

[edit] Personal life

In contrast with her successful career, Choi Jin-sil had suffered a series of misfortunes in her personal life. She had faced a load of unconfirmed rumors and anti-fans's negative comments on the web. In 1994, her former manager, Bae Byeong-su who was an influential figure in the entertainment field was murdered by her road manager, Jeon Yong-cheol. The incident cast a shock to the public.^[12][13]

Her marriage and divorce with a baseball player Jo Seong-min (조성민) had caused big sensations in South Korea.^[13] The marriage was once referred to as "the century's union" because both were big stars in the sport and entertainment business. Jo who was a professional baseball player at Yomiuri Giants of Japan is 5 years younger than Choi said he had been a big fan of Choi Jin-sil since they first met in a TV show in 1998. They then built up a close friendship and became lovers. According to Jo, when he was in a recovery program for his injured elbow, she helped him alot.^[14]

However, their marriage officially ended in 2004 after Jo Seong-min's adultery, and domestic violence against Choi as well as debts were exposed to news media in 2002. At that time, Choi was pregnant with their second child and accused her husband of having an affair with Ms. Sim during the marriage, who was a bar owner. Choi was admitted to a hospital to treat her assault by Jo.^[15] Jo claimed that Ms. Sim was just a business partner and he had nothing to do with adultery. However, he secretly married Ms. Sim without a wedding ceremony, 10 months after the final settlement of the divorce.^[16][17] The fact was reported 2 years after the marriage and he did not notify his family.^[18] Choi Jin-sil was said to have expressed shock over the marriage.^[19] She had a son and daughter by him and took the parental rights and child custody over the children in the condition to exempt Jo's debt to her mother and brother, summing 180,000,000 won as well as to drop the charges against her husband. He could only visit his children twice per month by the mutual agreement.^[20]

According to the South Korean family register, her children changed their family name from "Jo" (Choi's former husband's family name) to "Choi".^[21]

[edit] Death

Choi was found dead after an apparent suicide at her home early morning on October 2, 2008.^[22]

Before her sudden death, rumors had circulated in the Korean press concerning Choi and her alleged relations with actor Ahn Jae-hwan, who committed suicide in early September 2008. Ahn killed himself after incurring a large sum of debt following trouble with his business projects, sending a shock wave through Korea's entertainment circles. In 2007 he had married Chung Sun-hee, an entertainer, in a high-profile ceremony, but signs of trouble began to show when Chung made a remark on her own radio show, prompting widespread public outcry which hurt Ahn and Chung's joint business. Ahn is now speculated to have left a huge debt resulting from his troubled business projects, and some of the money is said to come from loan sharks. Chung Sun-hee and Choi Jin-sil had been close friends, and when the news of Ahn's death hit the nation, Choi appeared deeply shaken at the funeral. Shortly after the funeral, a rumor surfaced, claiming that Choi had been involved with the loans lent to the late Ahn. Choi flatly denied this and police subsequently arrested a suspect who had allegedly started the rumor.^[23]

On October 1, the night before her death, Choi had a drink with her manager, went home and locked herself in a bathroom, asking her mother to go to sleep. She then hung herself by the neck from the shower hose in the bath tub. Her body was found early in the morning on October 2 by her own mother, who called Choi Jin-young, the late Choi's younger brother, and called police at 7:34 a.m. local time. Just before her death, it was reported that Choi sent a text message to one of her colleagues and expressed her wish that her two children should be taken care of.

When the news of her death was reported in major daily newspapers and broadcasts, hundreds of reporters rushed to Choi's house in Seocho-gu, Seoul, and started to cover the event, while major portal web sites such as Naver.com blocked online users from leaving replies for articles concerning Choi, for fear that some users might leave malicious comments. Choi is known to have suffered greatly due to some negative comments and rumors on the internet shortly after Ahn Jae-hwan committed suicide because she was a close friend of Ahn's wife, Chung Sun-hee.^[24][25]

Choi's family members initially objected to the Korean police administration's decision that an autopsy was required but her body was ultimately released.^[26]

[edit] Filmography

• Note: The whole section is referenced.^[27][28]

[edit] Film

[edit] TV drama

[edit] Awards

[edit] Film awards

• Grand Bell Awards
  • 1995 (33th) - Best Actress for How to top my wife
  • 1993 (31th) - Best Favorite Actor
  • 1991 (29th) - New Rising Actress for My Bride My Love

• Blue Dragon Film Awards
  • 1991 (12th), 1992 (13th), 1993 (14th), 1994 (15th), 1995 (16th), 1997 (18th), 1998 (19th) - Best Favorite Star
  • 1990 (11th) - New Rising Actress for North Korean Partisan in South Korea

• Baeksang Art Awards (백상예술상)
  • 2006, Best Actress for Television part
  • 1991, 1995, 1997 - Best Favorite Actor
• Chunsa Film Art Awards
  • 1991, New Rising Actress

[edit] Broadcasting awards

• KBS Korea Broadcasting Grand Awards (KBS 한국방송대상)
  • 2005, Best Actress Award, Netizen Award, Best Couple Award
  • 1998, Best TV Actress
• MBC
  • 1997, Best Acting Award
• SBS
  • 1995, Star Award, Good Acting Award

[edit] Notes and references

[edit] External links

• Choi Jin-sil at the Internet Movie Database
• Choi Jin-sil at HanCinema