Jeon Ji Hyun Profile: One Of The Most Successful Money Makers In K-biz (2024 Updated)
Jeon Ji Hyun’s Biography
- Birth Name: Wang Ji Hyun (왕지현)
- Stage Name: Jeon Ji Hyun, Gianna Jun
- Birthdate: October 30, 1981
- Zodiac sign: Scorpio
- SNS (Company): @ieumhashtag_official
Jeon Ji Hyun’s Acting Career
- Early career
Debuting as a model, Jeon Ji Hyun began to rose to fame after she was featured in a commercial for Samsung My Jet Printer in 1999.
She then started to draw attention as an actress via the 2000 film “Il Mar”, and secured her breakthrough with the 2001 comedy movie “My Sassy Girl”, which earned her the title of the “Nation’s First Love”.
- Hollywood debut
In late 2006 Jeon Ji Hyun made her Hollywood debut as the female lead in the 2009 action horror movie “Blood: The Last Vampire”.
At the time, she adopted the Westernized name Gianna Jun.
She also starred in other English-language project such as “Snow Flower and the Secret Fan”, where she acted alongside Chinese actress Li BingBing.
- Return to television & Career resurgence
After starring in various films, Jeon Ji Hyun made her return to television with the K-drama “My Love from the Star”, where she starred alongside Kim Soo-hyun. The series experienced explosive commercial success, launching the actress into a Hallyu star and securing her the prestigious Daesang at the 2014 Baeksang Arts Awards.
Jeon Ji Hyun then continued to cement her career with a series of hits, from movies like “Assassination” to K-dramas like “The Legend of the Blue Sea”, “Kingdom: Ashin of the North”, and Jirisan
Jeon Ji Hyun’s Impressive wealth & Other Ventures
In recent years, Jeon Ji Hyun has limited her acting roles but still attracts a large fan base due to her appearance and wealth.
Famous and hardworking, Jeon Ji Hyun has succeeded in both the arts and business.
The actress knows how to choose scripts and roles, and with her versatile acting skills, she has been very successful in dramas/films. In 2021, she surpassed numerous famous actors to rank second among the top 9 highest-earning actors in Korea. The actress was paid $120,000 per episode. Among both male and female actors, her income was only second to Kim Soo Hyun, who earned $600,000 per episode.
As her fame grew, she secured many advertising contracts and brand endorsements. With her previous modeling experience and professional activities, Jeon Ji Hyun’s name became increasingly popular. She created numerous iconic advertisements for clothes, jewelry, shampoo and even food like fried chicken. Products featured in her works or used in real life quickly sold out.
According to Soompi, there was a time when this star filmed 15 advertisements, earning $11.9 million. She was paid $852,000 for each advertisement.
Moreover, she has also been particularly successful in real estate. The actress owns numerous rental apartments and villas.
In 2023, she and her husband purchased a 264 square meter apartment on the top floor of the famous Acro Seoul Forest building in Seoul for $10 million. The couple is said to have paid the entire amount in cash. Jeon Ji Hyun owns about 92.3% of the property, while her husband owns the rest.
Previously, she also owned several other high-value properties. This includes an apartment in Samsung-dong I-Park priced at nearly $6 million. She also owns two commercial properties, including a two-story building in Ichon-dong, Yongasan-gu, and another two-story building in Gangnam-gu; as well as a three-story building in Deungchon-dong…
According to Koreaboo, the total value of the actress’s real estate holdings is estimated at least $106 million. However, this figure can easily change, as she and her husband frequently buy and sell properties.
In the three years she has not acted, she still holds a big fortune thanks to advertising contracts and successful real estate investments and rentals.
Additionally, Jeon Ji Hyun recently became the new House Ambassador for luxury brand Louis Vuitton.
Admirable Marriage & Personal Life
Beautiful and successful, Jeon Ji Hyun also draws attention for her marriage to a wealthy businessman, becoming part of a high-profile family.
The actress married wealthy businessman Choi Jung Hyun, the third son of Choi Gun, one of the major shareholders of the Alpha Group. Her husband studied in the U.S. and worked at Bank of America before returning to take over the family company. The family of her husband is among the top 1% of the richest in Korea.
Her wedding attracted media attention both domestically and internationally for its luxury and expense. At that time, she wore a wedding dress worth 80 million won, a ring worth 500 million won, and a crown worth 1.2 billion won.
After more than a decade of marriage, the couple has two sons, aged 8 and 6 this year. The couple does not publicly share images of their children on social media to maintain privacy.
The actress once said on KBS 2TV’s “Entertainment Weekly” that her husband always supports her career. They have known each other since childhood and are very understanding and harmonious in daily life. She added, “I frequently go on dates with my husband and we watch movies together. It’s one of our regular and necessary activities. I used to wear a hat to cover my face when going out with him, but now I go out comfortably without covering up.”
The couple was also entangled in divorce rumors, but Jeon Ji Hyun’s husband stepped up to deny such rumors himself.
Source: k14
