Jang Hye-jin

Jang Hye-jin is a South Korean actress who became world-famous as Chung-sook, the mother in the Oscar-winning film Parasite (2019). Her road to fame was long and hard, which makes her success story one of the most loved in Korean acting. On television, fans know her from True Beauty (2020) and Crash Landing on You (2019).

Early life

Jang Hye-jin was born on September 5, 1975, in Busan, South Korea. She was in the very first class of acting students at the Korea National University of Arts, one of the country's best schools. She made her film debut in 1998 with a small role in If It Snows on Christmas, full of hope for the future.

Career and breakthrough

Fame did not come quickly. For many years she took tiny roles and worked other jobs to live, and she even stepped away from acting for a time. Director Bong Joon-ho, who knew her talent, brought her back. In Parasite, her Chung-sook, a former athlete working as a housekeeper, became one of the film's most loved characters as the film won the Academy Award for Best Picture.

Popular roles

On television, Jang Hye-jin played Go Myeong-eun in Crash Landing on You (2019), the heroine's elegant mother. In True Beauty (2020), she plays Hong Hyun-suk, the heroine's mother, bringing comedy and warmth to the family scenes. Her acting is always grounded in real life, because she has truly lived the hard years her characters often face.

Recent work and why fans love her

She joined Doctor Slump (2024) as Kong Wol-seon and new titles Unmasked (2025) as Hong Na-hee and Our Sticky Love (2026) as Paeng Hee-ja. Fans love Jang Hye-jin because her story gives hope to anyone who starts late or struggles quietly. She is proof that great talent can wait years and still shine for the whole world.