Uhm Jung-Hwa is regarded as one of the most influential women in the Korean entertainment industry, and many Korean female artists recognize her as a role model.
Uhm Jung-Hwa’s Profile
Uhm Jung-Hwa’s Career
1990s
Uhm Jung-Hwa officially debuted as a singer in 1993 with her first studio album Sorrowful Secret. By the mid-90s, she established herself as a top Korean female singer with a series of hit singles including “Sad Expectation” (Hangul: 슬픈 기대; RR: Seulpeun Gidae), “A Love Only Heaven Permits” (Hangul: 하늘만 허락한 사랑; RR: Haneulman Heorakan Sarang), “Rose of Betrayal” (Hangul: 배반의 장미; RR: Baeban-ui Jangmi), and “Tell Me” (Hangul: 말해 줘; RR: Malhae Jwo). Uhm Jung-Hwa’s fourth studio album Invitation introduced a new mature side of the singer. The music video for its title track caused a lot of controversy due to its suggestive nature. Invitation quickly became one of the highest selling albums of the year and received positive reviews from critics and fans. She released two of the most recognizable singles of her career, “Poison” and “Invitation” (Hangul: 초대; RR: Chodae). She remained successful the following year in 1999 with her fifth studio album 005.1999.06.
2000s – Present
During the 2000s, Uhm Jung-Hwa began to focus more on her acting career and committed herself to taking a variety of acting roles. She also began to pursue and experiment with different musical genres, in particular, electronica. In 2004, she released her double album Self Control which featured songs composed by Jung Jae-hyung, Fractal, and Roller Coaster. Music critics praised Uhm Jung-Hwa for her ability to reinvent her image and sound. After a two-year break from the music scene, she released her ninth studio album Prestige. Throughout the year, she released two singles, “Come 2 Me” and “Song of the Wind” (Hangul: 바람의 노래; RR: Baram-ui Norae). Each enjoyed positive critical reception. In early 2007, she won at Korean Music Awards for Best Electronic Dance Record. In the summer of 2008, she released her first EP titled D.I.S.C.O with help from her longtime friend Yang Hyun-suk of YG Entertainment. The lead single “D.I.S.C.O” featured T.O.P, a member from the popular boy band Big Bang. The EP was one of the best-selling albums by a female artist in 2008 and was further promoted by the digital single “D.I.S.C.O Part 2” which was a remix of “D.I.S.C.O” and featured G-Dragon, the leader of Big Bang. After an eight-year hiatus, Uhm Jung-Hwa announced that she would be releasing her first new album since D.I.S.C.O. The album title is The Cloud Dream of the Nine. She revealed that she would release the album in two parts, the first part would be released on December 27, 2017, and the second part at a later date. Uhm Jung-Hwa performed the title tracks “Watch Me Move” and “Dreamer” at Gayo Daejeon along with “D.I.S.C.O.” She also performed the two tracks on M Countdown on January 5. One year after the release of Part 1, Uhm Jung-Hwa revealed through her Instagram account that she was in the preparation stage of her comeback with part 2 of The Cloud Dream of the Nine.
Acting Career
Uhm Jung-Hwa has established herself as one of South Korea’s top actresses. She is known for her roles in the films Marriage Is a Crazy Thing, Singles, Princess Aurora, Dancing Queen, and Haeundae, which became one of the highest-grossing movies in Korea. She has won two Baeksang Arts Awards for Best Actress, in 2002 for Marriage Is a Crazy Thing and again in 2012 for Dancing Queen.
Uhm Jung-Hwa Speaks Up About Intangible Fear of Marriage
Uhm Jung-Hwa has revealed her intangible fear of marriage in a recent interview. During an interview on July 31, 2015, at a café in Seoul’s Sogyeok neighborhood, Uhm Jung-Hwa explained her “intangible fear” of marriage. The actress said, “I think all women have this intangible fear of marriage. ‘Me? A housewife?’ I’ve thought about that.” “I think that kids are all beautiful and married life would be great, but on the other side of that, there’s child care, and I think I’ve always had the fear that I might not be able to raise a child and work at the same time,” she continued. “While doing this movie, I must admit that I’ve developed a fantasy about marriage. I’ve come to feel that having a loving husband, kids, and a household to manage is a really cool thing.” At the time, Uhm Jung Hwa was playing the role of Song Seung-Heon in the upcoming film Miss Wife (also known as Wonderful Nightmare) which was set to premiere August 13, 2015.
Uhm Jung-Hwa’s Plastic Surgery
Uhm Jung-hwa has had various controversies regarding plastic surgery and is rumored to have undergone a lot of plastic surgery to perfect her appearance. Even though she denies that she has carried out plastic surgery, the results of the operations are too obvious. Uhm Jung-hwa is said to have undergone eyebrow lifting and double eyelid surgery, nose surgery, and cheek implants. When looking at her photos, many differences in her appearance are noticeable, leaving people speculating.
Eyebrow Lifting and Double Eyelid Surgery
Uhm Jung-Hwa is believed to have received eyebrow lifting and double eyelid surgery. After her eyebrows were supposedly lifted, she looks more trendy and her eyes look bigger than her pre-debut era.
Nose Surgery
Uhm Jung-Hwa also is speculated to have undergone nose surgery. Her previous nose was rather flat and round, and her nose now looks more sharp at the end.
