Terra Nova Blogs: Jung Yong Hwa

Saturday, September 10, 2011

Jung Yong Hwa

Jung Yong Hwa (정용화, born on June 22, 1989) is a South Korean recording artist, musician and actor. He is the leader of idol band CN Blue, which debuted in 2009 in Japan and 2010 in South Korea. Jung Yong Hwa was born June 22, 1989, in Seoul, South Korea. His family consists of his parents and a brother four years older than him. He moved to Busan in 1991 and lived there through high school, where he first began composing music. After taking his college entrance exam, he moved back to Seoul where he joined FNC Music and began training in bass technology at F&C Academy. Jung is now the leader, vocalist, and guitarist of CN Blue. On May 25, 2010, an FNC Music representative announced that Jung had been diagnosed with vocal cord nodules and acute laryngitis. Jung was hospitalized for treatment from May 24 to 27, 2010 and may require surgery in future. On January 14, 2011, Jung released his first solo-digital single, "For First Time Lovers (Banmal Song)." On August 20, 2011, Jung and Girls' Generation member Seohyun performed the song together as a special duet on "K-POP All Star Live in Niigata" in Niigata, Japan. In early 2009, Jung landed his first acting role as Kang Shin-woo in the SBS drama You're Beautiful, which aired from October 7 to November 26, 2009.

As the series revolves around the life of a musical group, Yong Hwa played the role of the lead guitarist in the faux idol band A.N.Jell along with fellow co-stars Jang Geun-suk the group leader, Park Shin-hye and Lee Hongki of FT Island. Jung's second TV contract was for MBC's Sunday Sunday Night program Korea Ecosystem Rescue Centre: Hunters, which featured seven celebrity MCs, including Kim Hyun Joong going out to capture wild boars. The show premiered on December 6, 2009 but was forced to prematurely cease its run in mid-January 2010 due to protests by animal-rights groups. Yong Hwa subsequently continued as one of the MCs on the replacement program Eco House, which deals with global climate change. In February 2010, Yong Hwa was also paired with Seohyun of Girls' Generation as part of a virtual wedded couple for the popular MBC variety show We Got Married. They filmed their final episode of We Got Married on March 15, 2011. Jung was chosen as the male lead of MBC's drama Heartstrings, along with Park Shin-hye, a co-star from You're Beautiful. Heartstrings was first aired on June 29th, 2011. Yong Hwa was an MC at the first-ever Melon Music Awards held on December 16, 2009 together with actress Lee In Hye. Alongside Kim Heechul and Park Shin-hye, Yong Hwa was an MC for the 2009 SBS Gayo Daejeon award ceremony which was held on December 29, 2009. Yong Hwa temporarily replaced Tiffany & Yuri of Girls' Generation as co-host MCs for MBC's Show! Music Core episode to be aired on May 29, 2010 together with Min Sun-Ye and Kim Yoo-Bin of the Wonder Girls. In June 2010, he was also a co-host MC for Music Core along side Yuri and Seohyun of Girls' Generation. Finally on July 18, 2010, Yonghwa officially started as one of the new hosts of SBS's Inkigayo together with f(x)'s Sulli and 2AM's Jo Kwon. He ended being a host of Inkigayo last March 13, 2011 due to his tight schedule. He also appeared as an MC for 2010 SBS Gayo Daejun which was held on 29 December along with Jo Kwon, Kim Hee Chul and Hwang Jung Eum .