Who is Youn Yuh-jung's ex-husband Jo Young-nam? Inside Oscar winner's private life after cheating scandal
South Korean performer Youn Yuh-jung has won the Best Supporting Actress award for her role in 'Minari' at the 93rd Academy Awards. While her career is in full swing, her love life still remains a sad part of history, as the actor never got married after parting ways with her ex-husband, back in 1987.
In 'Minari', Youn plays the character of Soon-ja, “grandma” to young David, who comes from South Korea to stay with the family on their farm in Arkansas. She brings with her the “minari” seeds that gave the film its title.
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Who is Youn Yuh-jung?
Youn Yuh-jung was born on June 19, 1947 in Kaesong, Gyeonggi province of South Korea, and grew up in Seoul. While she was doing her major in Korean Language and Literature, from the Hanyang University, she passed the open auditions held by TBC in 1966. She dropped out of her college and made her acting debut in the television drama, 'Mister Gong', in 1967. By the late 1960s, she became a rising star in South Korea and won several awards for her role in 'Woman of Fire' (1971). She retired from the spotlight for several years before returning to acting in the late 1980s.
Apart from 'Woman of Fire' and 'Minari', Youn has also worked in South Korean films like 'The Housemaid' (2010), 'The Taste of Money' (2012), 'The Bacchus Lady' (2016), and 'Canola' (2016). She is also known for her matriarch roles in South Korean family drama series such as 'Men of the Bath House' (1995), 'Be Strong Geum Soon' (2005), 'Daughters-in-Law' (2007), 'My Husband Got a Family' (2012), and 'Dear My Friends' (2016), all of which are popular across East Asia.
Yuh-Jung and her family were living in Korea during the Korean War. In an interview with the NPR, she said her family rationed supplies, and her great-grandmother would re-use the family’s water. “To me, she was very dirty, or not hygienic,” she said. “So, I didn’t like her at all. What a stupid thing [to think]. I didn’t like her because she’s not clean and she’d always say she’s not hungry. She would always skip lunch. She later realized her great-grandmother was skipping meals so her family could have more food. “She never said, ‘I love you,’ but I realized, after I become 60 years old, all of a sudden I thought about my great-grandmother. Then I realized, ‘Oh, she was saving all the food and all the water for us. Every night, I prayed for her because I felt terrible,” she told NPR. “I ask her for forgiveness, I was very ignorant.”
Her family struggle ended when Yuh-jung became a popular name, but after getting married in 1975, the couple once again faced a family crisis. Her husband singer Jo Young-nam cheated on her and the couple divorced in 1987.
Who is Jo Young-nam?
Born on April 2, 1945, Jo Young-nam got married to Yuh-Jung at the age of 30. The former couple also has two sons. The singer-turned-painter agreed that the couple part ways in 1982 after he was caught cheating. Young-nam made news in May 2016, after a painter claimed that after he painted 90 percent of a painting based on hwatu [Korean card game], Jo Young-nam would paint over it, sign his name, and release it. He was charged with fraud for selling 21 paintings by two other painters to 17 people for 160 million won (approximately $142,490). Jo Young-nam’s representation had denied the charges by saying, “Most painters have assistants.” His trial, which has lasted for more than two years, ended with the verdict of not guilty at the appeals court in 2018.
Young-nam has dated a number of women throughout his storied career. In a 2012 interview he revealed that he’s always had “girlfriends,” not “lovers,” and his youngest girlfriend is 24 years old. His open personality garnered a lot of attention after he said he often allows his second ex-wife to visit his place with her current husband. He was also picked as owning the most expensive house among all Korean celebrities.
The tragic cheating scandal
In KBS's AM Plaza episode, Young-nam spoke up about his ex-wife, Yuh Jung, and his regrets regarding their relationship. He said, "We got divorced because I cheated on her. I don't understand why I cheated on my children, I regret it."
He was asked whether he watches her films for which he said yes and revealed that he watched 'Minari' on the first day of its release itself. The former couple tied the knot when Yuh-Jung was at the peak of her career in 1974. After the wedding, the couple settled in the US. She bid goodbye to her acting career to spend time with her family. Ten years later, she returned to Korea and started working in movies. This wasn't the first time where Jo Young Nam got vocal about cheating on his ex-wife. He had written about it in his autobiography as well. The singer has been quite open about his marriage issues. The singer also recalls about his second marriage and refusing to have a baby with her.