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Biography
1999-2005: Baby V.O.X daysYoon Eun Hye debuted as a member of Baby V.O.X at the age of 15, replacing an ex-member (Lee Gai) in 1999. Yoon was the sub-vocal in the group, known for her cuteness & child-like traits.1 Being the youngest member of the group, she received little attention & was often overshadowed by her other four members.2
Following her replacement, the group released their third album Come Come Come in 1999. This album became their first major success, with their singles “Get Up” & “Killer” reaching the number one spot on the Korean music pop charts.3 Since then, the group released many hit albums which garnered them not just a large loyal fan base in Korea, but also in China, Thailand & other Asia markets.4
Yoon was often the prey of anti-fans. One infamous incident was during her debut year, she was shot in the eye by an anti-fan who tried to make her blind with a mixture of soy sauce & vinegar using a water gun. She was rushed to the hospital where the doctors confirmed that her cornea was damaged.5
Following fellow member Shim Eun Jin, Yoon Eun Hye ended her 6 years activities as a member of Baby V.O.X in July 2005 when her contract with DR Entertainment expired.6
edit 2005: Establishing a solo career
After her departure from Baby V.O.X, Yoon was left without a management company. However, this did not stop her from establishing her career in the entertainment business. During this period, Yoon continued to appear on many TV shows, doing MC hosting & taking up small role in several sitcoms.7
Yoon Eun Hye appeared as a regular guest on the variety show X-Man on SBS, in which she was popular with audiences.8 Due to her astonishing strength in the variety shows, she was labelled as "Young Girl Warrior".9 While on X-Man, Yoon became involved in a romantic "scandal" with K-pop singer Kim Jong Kook.10 Though the show raised her public profile, she left the show a year later in order to pursue an acting career.11
Yoon made her acting debut in the movie Escaping Charisma (also known as The Legend of Seven Cutter). In this movie, Yoon plays a tom-boy high school student, Han Min Joo, who is an ace boxer. It was reported that Yoon only took 2hrs to master the basic boxing techniques which normally takes a person a week to learn. Her athleticism was such that the boxing coach suggested a career in professional boxing.12 Originally, the movie was planned to be released in November 2005, but it only hit theatres the following year.13 The success of her first drama Princess Hours aided in ticket sales for this movie.14
edit 2006: Breakthrough success
By late 2005 Yoon Eun Hye signed on with a new management company, Eight Peak, when she was offered her first major acting role in Princess Hours. Yoon played the lead role as the crown princess Shin Chae Kyung, which shot her to instant fame throughout Asia.15 Initially, fans of the Goong manhwa questioned her acting ability, & the manhwa fans sent out petitions against Yoon as the lead role, requesting her to be replaced. They even bombarded her Cyworld minihompy with harsh words.16 Yoon had thoughts of giving up the role initially but she released a statement not long after stating that she would ultimately do her best, displaying her determination to prove herself.1718
The drama debuted with average ratings, but as it progressed, viewership increased to 28.3% nationally. The popularity led to an extension of additional episodes (from 20 to 24 episodes) & a "Special 1.5" episode on MBC.19 Although Yoon & the other main casts were invited to work on a second season, only one of them officially agreed. Eventually, a spin-off series with brand new characters was filmed, known as Goong S, which was not the actual sequel planned by the original director & company.20
Following the success of her first drama, Yoon took on her next leading role in The Vineyard Man which was aired on KBS in July 2006. The Vineyard Man initially suffered low ratings due to strong competition from MBC 45th anniversary drama, Jumong. Nonetheless, the heart-warming storyline & Yoon’s convincing portrayal as “Lee Ji Hyun” gradually won the hearts of audiences, reaching a 15.6% on its finale.21 Yoon's portrayal in The Vineyard Man won her not only "Best New Actress" in the 2006 KBS Drama Awards, but also “Best Actress” at 2006 Grime Awards along with Song Il Kook as the "Best Actor".22
edit 2007: Continued success with Coffee Prince
Yoon Eun Hye’s third lead role was for MBC's Monday/Tuesday drama The 1st Shop of Coffee Prince, which started airing in July 2007. She played Go Eun-Chan, an employee at a coffee shop, who was once a master of Taekwondo. With her short haircut & tomboyish manner, the character was presumed to be a boy by the owner of the coffee shop, thus leading to romantic complications.23 The drama enjoyed high ratings, where viewership ratings hit as high as 32.1% in Seoul & 29.9% nationwide, making it the highest rated show in its timeslot.24 The huge success of Coffee Prince made Yoon the highest paid actress, MBC paying her 20 million won per episode for the drama.2526 For that matter, Yoon became the youngest actress to join South Korea's A-list of stars, the 20 million Won Club which includes Bae Yong-joon, Kwon Sang Woo, Ko Hyun Jung, & Song Il kook.27
Yoon successful performance in Coffee Prince, put her in the list of being one of the best actresses in Korean entertainment.28 From 19–27 November 2007, StarNews carried out their own 2007 Acting Awards, combining all 3 stations. StarNews surveyed a total 17 Chief Producers (5 from KBS, 7 from MBC & 5 from SBS) in nominating & selecting the winners. In this award, Yoon Eun Hye was named “Outstanding Actress” for her role in Coffee Prince. The Chief Producers evaluated Yoon’s acting & assessed her as having great potential for success.29
The success of Coffee Prince earned Yoon Eun Hye a fan base not only in Korea, but also in other countries.30 Riding the big success in her dramas, Yoon was crowned as “Drama Ratings Queen” by the media & netizens.31 Yoon’s growing popularity since Princess Hours & Coffee Prince resulted in many companies requesting her endorsement. Due to the overwhelming invitations, Yoon even had to turn down several advertisement requests. Consequently, Yoon was labelled as the "CF Queen" in South Korea.3233
During filming of Coffee Prince, Yoon suffered symptoms of severe headache & had to be hospitalised.34 Yoon was later diagnosed with pernicious anemia.35
Yoon Eun Hye received a personal invitation from Italian fashion house Blufin to attend the Blumarine Spring 2008 Ready-to-Wear Collection fashion show in Milan on 25 September.36Anna Molinari even personally presented Yoon with a piece of dress as a gift.37
edit Change in management
In July 2007 conflicts with Yoon Eun Hye’s management Eight Peaks surfaced; eventually Yoon filed a certification of contents (COC) to cancel her contractual agreement with the company.38 In August, Yoon filed a second COC; when asked to reveal the information behind the second COC, Yoon's counsel stated:
“If Eight Peaks refused to cancel the contract then they will not hesitate to file a lawsuit, suing them for their refusal.” 39
The contents of the first COC stated that in January 2007 Yoon was confirmed to star in the drama Que Sera Sera & had even completed the script reading & rehearsal for the upcoming shoot. However, the company forced Yoon to withdraw in order for Yoon to star in a company-produced drama. After her withdrawal, Yoon took a two day vacation to Gangwon-do in March. Eight Peaks claimed that they had no knowledge of this so-called incident & spread a rumour of Yoon's irresponsibility online which damaged her reputation.40 Yoon's manager, Park Geun-Soo stated:
“The second COC includes evidence to support the disagreeable actions made by Eight Peaks. These actions included the improper handling & distribution/division of earnings & proceeds as well as the unilateral (one-sided) manner of making & carrying out decisions which caused immense problems” 41
Yoon Eun Hye & Eight Peaks finally came to a mutual agreement through careful negotiations & settled their disputes peacefully. With her contract dispute resolved, Yoon Eun Hye signed on with Kraze Entertainment as her new management company in September. This placed her in a positive environment where her activities as an actress was Kraze Entertainment's focal point of attention.42
edit 2008: Recognition as an actress
In April, Yoon Eun Hye was awarded the “Best Actress Award” under the “TV Drama Category” for the role as Go Eun Chan in The 1st Shop of Coffee Prince during the 44th PaekSang Arts Awards. Yoon out beat veteran actresses, Kim Hee Ae & Park Jin Hee, making her the youngest actress ever to win "Best Actress Award" at PaekSang Arts Awards.4344 Prior to this, Yoon also set the record as being the youngest actress ever to win “Best Actress Award” at 2006 Grime Awards & “Top Excellence Actress Award” in 2007 MBC Drama Award.4546
After 3 years of absence from the K-pop scene, Yoon Eun Hye returned to her music roots in February, lending her vocals to the new hip-hop group, Mighty Mouth.47 Yoon’s collaboration, titled "Saranghae" ("사랑해", I Love You), received a lot of attention in the press & from netizens, & it topped various charts in South Korea.48
In April 2008, Premiere Elle published a list of the "Top 100 Most Powerful & Influential People in The Korean Entertainment Industry", where Yoon Eun Hye was ranked 44th. Interestingly, Yoon was one of the only 5 actors (following behind Bae Yong Joon, Rain, Jeon Do Yeon & Song Kang Ho) ranked among the top 50, which compromised mainly of film directors & writers, CEOs or presidents of media stations & entertainment companies.4950
In October, Yoon Eun Hye was invited to the Chanel Contemporary Art Project — Mobile Art in New York, where she stood shoulder-to-shoulder with many of the world’s supermodels & Hollywood stars. Yoon was the only Asia representative invited to this event.51
Yoon Eun Hye set up her own independent management company, The House Company in September 2008 after her contract with Kraze Entertainment expired. She led the founding of the company on her own, taking care of all the details from planning the company, designing of company logo to the interior of the company. Even though this is a “1-person Corporation”, Yoon has plans to groom new talents.52
edit 2009: Return to acting
In 2009, Yoon Eun Hye collaborated with Korean fashion house JOINUS to design a series of clothes named Yoon Eun-Hye for JOINUS. Yoon was involved in the designing process whenever a new season came along until the end of 2009, & the clothes were sold as part of JOINUS catalogue.53
On 30 April 2009, Yoon Eun Hye was presented with the "2009 Best Jewelry Lady" award. This award was recommended by representatives from top brands, as well as famous designers & professionals in the jewelry industry. Yoon was awarded a plaque & a set of jewelry designed & dedicated especially to her.5455
Concurrently, Swarovski took a deep interest on Yoon Eun Hye & was chosen as the actress who best suited Swarovski. Nathalie Colin, Swarovski's Creative Director, personally designed the "Swarovski Nirvanna Yoon Eun Hye Ring" & presented the ring to the actress as a gift. On 21 July, Yoon Eun Hye graced the Daniel Swarovski 20th Anniversary event where she was presented the "Yoon Eun Hye Nirvana Ring” personally by Colin. Yoon is the first Asian star to have the honour of her very own Swarovski rings.56
Yoon Eun Hye announced her comeback after 2 years of hiatus with the drama entitled My Fair Lady. Yoon played Kang Hye Na, an arrogant, strong-headed heiress of a rich business family living a "princess-like" life whose world revolved around her. The pilot episode got off a good start by topping the viewing chart among Wednesday-Thursday dramas with ratings of 17.4%.57 Yoon Eun Hye was nonetheless harshly criticized for her acting, which surfaced as a hot issue as it seemed she regressed in her skills since The 1st Shop of Coffee Prince. Yoon’s pronunciation, in particular, was the topic of netizens’ concerns, which they felt hindered Yoon from successfully portraying her character. In an interview Yoon stated:
“I thought of how upset my parents would feel to read all those articles slamming my acting, & I felt like going crazy. There were a lot of times when I endured through it & smiled as I filmed, only to end up with tears trickling out. Now, I’m afraid of making transformations. Each time, people grow familiar with the character, but if it takes a long time & hurts me every time, I don’t know what to do, & I feel afraid.”
”There are more voices joining in to encourage & praise me. I take the viewers’ criticism to mean that I shouldn’t be arrogant. I’m reaching that age where I mature as an actor & as a woman. I want to show my talents little by little, but the unfortunate thing is that a lot of people don’t give me time for failure. I like to learn more as I experience failure too. I wish people would not brand an actor as a failure through one mistake.”5859
As the drama progressed, Yoon received more favourable appraisals, where the final episode of My Fair Lady drew a rating of 19% nationwide.60 During the wrap party for the drama, the director of the KBS Drama Department spoke highly about the drama, stating that KBS was pleased with the drama & its ratings.61
To show her appreciation for everyone on the production team, Yoon Eun Hye bought 112 pairs of Puma sneakers for the entire crew as a parting gift. It was reported that in the middle of September, Yoon had secretly enquired the shoe sizes of everyone on the production team before placing orders for the shoes. After filming wrapped, Yoon personally handed the shoes one-by-one to each production staff to show her appreciation for their hard work.62
edit 2010: Charity works & Baby V.O.X reunion
In January 2010, Yoon kicked off her first charity project by working with visually impaired children to create a unique line of hand painted bags. This special project was sponsored by ELBON, a chic boutique that carries branded goods, to whom Yoon was the brand ambassador. These bags were displayed in the store on ELBON opening day, to create public awareness about the visually impaired children.63
In February 2010, Yoon Eun Hye became a goodwill ambassador for the "Pink Wings Campaign" by Vogue Girl Korea. This charity campaign was designed to help female teens that are head of their household, where profits from the sales will go towards scholarships & spending for these teens in need.64
In March, Yoon Eun Hye & Kim Hyun Joong of K-pop group SS501 collaborated in Basic House's "Never Alone Campaign" for UNICEF to help African children. Proceeds from the sale of the “Never Alone” T-shirts go to help the needy in Africa.65
Concurrently, Yoon Eun Hye was the ambassador for another charity campaign title, "Hope Angel", a fundraising program for children suffering from incurable diseases. Yoon’s goal was to raise 10 million won & get 500 signatures from netizens to encourage these children not to lose hope. This charity program powered by the Make-A-Wish Foundation which kicked off on March 2, attracted quick responses from the netizens. Yoon achieved 82% of the 500 required signatures within 2 hours, with the target reached later on the same day.66 On May 1, the goal of raising 10 million won was reached, ending this fund raising program within 2 months.67
During her charitable activities, Yoon also continued to work. In February, a 12 minutes long-form "music drama" commercial titled Temptation for Cass Beer was released. This commercial also featured Taecyeon, Junsu, Wooyoung & Nichkhun from 2PM. Yoon plays Nichkhun’s stylist who is psychotically in love with him. This music video quickly caught the publics’ attention & became a hot topic.68 Along with the commercial, a digital single was released, entitled "Tik Tok". Because of the single's success in addition to her previous guest appearance on Mighty Mouth's "Saranghae", Yoon was nicknamed the "Lucky Magician" by the media.69
Yoon Eun Hye was chosen as the representative of Cartier to film a travel log for the newest summer series of “La Besace Marcello de Cartier” along with the German fashion editor of Style Proofed Pia Sundermann, Brazilian Supermodel Fernanda Motta & French painter Ara Starck. Prior to this, Yoon modelled for Cartier’s "All About Trinity" jewelry line;70 she was then subsequently invited in April to visit Cartier’s flagship store & workshop in Paris, in which she received royal treatment.71
In May 2010, The House Company introduced its first groomed artist, Do.U. Yoon was also secretly involved in the production of the mini album entitled Do You Know Me? In this album, Yoon’s vocals could be found on the last track, entitled "AM 5:00 Do.U-reul Mandeun Saramdeul (Outro)" (AM 5:00 Do.U Production Crew (Outro)).72 She is also the backup vocal for the first track of the album. Another song on the EP, "Gomdoli" (Little Bear), was featured in the official soundtrack of Personal Taste, in which Yoon Eun Hye made a cameo appearance.73
It was announced on June 28, 2010 that Yoon would be starring in Love Song, a drama remake of the 1996 Hong Kong film Comrades: Almost a Love Story. In the drama, Yoon will portray Yu Chae-hwa, a woman who moves from China to live in Korea. Yoon explained her decision to star by stating that the script accurately portrayed the feelings in the original film & hopes that it will become a big present not only for Koreans, but for all the fans in Asia.74
According to the production team, Yoon Eun Hye’s success in her previous dramas throughout various Asian markets caused a stampede for the purchase of broadcast rights for the drama since her involvement was officially announced. Companies in 11 Asia countries negotiated for the rights to broadcast Love Song. Outside of Asia, there was also demand in the United States, Europe, & the Middle East. Warner Bros. also expressed interest in buying the US broadcast rights for Love Song.75 On 30 June, the sudden passing of late Park Yong Ha led the production to a hiatus. Despite the infinite halt in the production, Yoon maintained her loyalty towards the project even when her contract with the production company had expired. For that matter, Yoon is being praised by the Korean entertainment industry for being a “Loyal Lady”.76 It was announced on 23 February 2011 that the production of Love Song has been cancelled as production team was unable to find a replacement for the male lead.77
On 22 August, Yoon together with her former Baby V.O.X members performed on stage for the first time in 6 years since they disbanded. The five members of the original Baby V.O.X made a special appearance on SBS Kim Jung Eun's Chocolate where they belt out a medley of hit songs. Yoon got emotional during the recording, expressing her gratitude towards her fellow members for their enduring support & understanding after she goes solo as an actress.78 The emotional reunion on stage brought much attention among the music fans, being one of the most searched word on Nate.79
In November, Korea's advertisement industry published scientific methods of forecasting the ratings & deciding on which dramas to invest. It was revealed that Yoon came in first place as the most important actor for the ratings & advertisement industry.80
edit 2011: Return to big & small screen
Yoon designed the jacket cover & directed the styling concept for former Baby V.O.X teammate Kan Mi Youn’s ‘First Mini Album: Watch’ released on 17 February. Yoon was praised for her fashion sense & art directions on Kan’s drastic style makeover.81
Yoon returned to the big screen after 5 years with the movie titled My Black Mini Dress, based on the same titled chick lit novel by Kim Min Seo that was participant in the world literature competition.82 Yoon plays the main character “Yoo Min” who’s 2% lacking in appearance, financial means & men. The movie which deals with 4 'Generation 88' girls who ran into the wall of reality after graduation became a hot topic even before opening in theatres, being No.1 searched word on various internet portals. The movie which opened in theatres on 24 March starts off in 2nd place at the box office.83 It attracted over 200,000 viewers within 6 days of its opening.84
On 7 April, SBS announced Yoon return to the small screen after 2 years since KBS drama My Fair Lady. This drama entitled Lie To Me will see Yoon portraying “Gong Ah Jung” who is bubbly, most off-the-wall but determined 5th level government official of the Ministry of Culture, Sports & Tourism. The character was caught in a swirling scandal with a nobleman from an elite family after a most ridiculous lie. This drama is scheduled to be air on 9 May.1999-2005: Baby V.O.X days
Yoon Eun Hye debuted as a member of Baby V.O.X at the age of 15, replacing an ex-member (Lee Gai) in 1999. Yoon was the sub-vocal in the group, known for her cuteness & child-like traits.1 Being the youngest member of the group, she received little attention & was often overshadowed by her other four members.2
Following her replacement, the group released their third album Come Come Come in 1999. This album became their first major success, with their singles “Get Up” & “Killer” reaching the number one spot on the Korean music pop charts.3 Since then, the group released many hit albums which garnered them not just a large loyal fan base in Korea, but also in China, Thailand & other Asia markets.4
Yoon was often the prey of anti-fans. One infamous incident was during her debut year, she was shot in the eye by an anti-fan who tried to make her blind with a mixture of soy sauce & vinegar using a water gun. She was rushed to the hospital where the doctors confirmed that her cornea was damaged.5
Following fellow member Shim Eun Jin, Yoon Eun Hye ended her 6 years activities as a member of Baby V.O.X in July 2005 when her contract with DR Entertainment expired.6
edit 2005: Establishing a solo career
After her departure from Baby V.O.X, Yoon was left without a management company. However, this did not stop her from establishing her career in the entertainment business. During this period, Yoon continued to appear on many TV shows, doing MC hosting & taking up small role in several sitcoms.7
Yoon Eun Hye appeared as a regular guest on the variety show X-Man on SBS, in which she was popular with audiences.8 Due to her astonishing strength in the variety shows, she was labelled as "Young Girl Warrior".9 While on X-Man, Yoon became involved in a romantic "scandal" with K-pop singer Kim Jong Kook.10 Though the show raised her public profile, she left the show a year later in order to pursue an acting career.11
Yoon made her acting debut in the movie Escaping Charisma (also known as The Legend of Seven Cutter). In this movie, Yoon plays a tom-boy high school student, Han Min Joo, who is an ace boxer. It was reported that Yoon only took 2hrs to master the basic boxing techniques which normally takes a person a week to learn. Her athleticism was such that the boxing coach suggested a career in professional boxing.12 Originally, the movie was planned to be released in November 2005, but it only hit theatres the following year.13 The success of her first drama Princess Hours aided in ticket sales for this movie.14
edit 2006: Breakthrough success
By late 2005 Yoon Eun Hye signed on with a new management company, Eight Peak, when she was offered her first major acting role in Princess Hours. Yoon played the lead role as the crown princess Shin Chae Kyung, which shot her to instant fame throughout Asia.15 Initially, fans of the Goong manhwa questioned her acting ability, & the manhwa fans sent out petitions against Yoon as the lead role, requesting her to be replaced. They even bombarded her Cyworld minihompy with harsh words.16 Yoon had thoughts of giving up the role initially but she released a statement not long after stating that she would ultimately do her best, displaying her determination to prove herself.1718
The drama debuted with average ratings, but as it progressed, viewership increased to 28.3% nationally. The popularity led to an extension of additional episodes (from 20 to 24 episodes) & a "Special 1.5" episode on MBC.19 Although Yoon & the other main casts were invited to work on a second season, only one of them officially agreed. Eventually, a spin-off series with brand new characters was filmed, known as Goong S, which was not the actual sequel planned by the original director & company.20
Following the success of her first drama, Yoon took on her next leading role in The Vineyard Man which was aired on KBS in July 2006. The Vineyard Man initially suffered low ratings due to strong competition from MBC 45th anniversary drama, Jumong. Nonetheless, the heart-warming storyline & Yoon’s convincing portrayal as “Lee Ji Hyun” gradually won the hearts of audiences, reaching a 15.6% on its finale.21 Yoon's portrayal in The Vineyard Man won her not only "Best New Actress" in the 2006 KBS Drama Awards, but also “Best Actress” at 2006 Grime Awards along with Song Il Kook as the "Best Actor".22
edit 2007: Continued success with Coffee Prince
Yoon Eun Hye’s third lead role was for MBC's Monday/Tuesday drama The 1st Shop of Coffee Prince, which started airing in July 2007. She played Go Eun-Chan, an employee at a coffee shop, who was once a master of Taekwondo. With her short haircut & tomboyish manner, the character was presumed to be a boy by the owner of the coffee shop, thus leading to romantic complications.23 The drama enjoyed high ratings, where viewership ratings hit as high as 32.1% in Seoul & 29.9% nationwide, making it the highest rated show in its timeslot.24 The huge success of Coffee Prince made Yoon the highest paid actress, MBC paying her 20 million won per episode for the drama.2526 For that matter, Yoon became the youngest actress to join South Korea's A-list of stars, the 20 million Won Club which includes Bae Yong-joon, Kwon Sang Woo, Ko Hyun Jung, & Song Il kook.27
Yoon successful performance in Coffee Prince, put her in the list of being one of the best actresses in Korean entertainment.28 From 19–27 November 2007, StarNews carried out their own 2007 Acting Awards, combining all 3 stations. StarNews surveyed a total 17 Chief Producers (5 from KBS, 7 from MBC & 5 from SBS) in nominating & selecting the winners. In this award, Yoon Eun Hye was named “Outstanding Actress” for her role in Coffee Prince. The Chief Producers evaluated Yoon’s acting & assessed her as having great potential for success.29
The success of Coffee Prince earned Yoon Eun Hye a fan base not only in Korea, but also in other countries.30 Riding the big success in her dramas, Yoon was crowned as “Drama Ratings Queen” by the media & netizens.31 Yoon’s growing popularity since Princess Hours & Coffee Prince resulted in many companies requesting her endorsement. Due to the overwhelming invitations, Yoon even had to turn down several advertisement requests. Consequently, Yoon was labelled as the "CF Queen" in South Korea.3233
During filming of Coffee Prince, Yoon suffered symptoms of severe headache & had to be hospitalised.34 Yoon was later diagnosed with pernicious anemia.35
Yoon Eun Hye received a personal invitation from Italian fashion house Blufin to attend the Blumarine Spring 2008 Ready-to-Wear Collection fashion show in Milan on 25 September.36Anna Molinari even personally presented Yoon with a piece of dress as a gift.37
edit Change in management
In July 2007 conflicts with Yoon Eun Hye’s management Eight Peaks surfaced; eventually Yoon filed a certification of contents (COC) to cancel her contractual agreement with the company.38 In August, Yoon filed a second COC; when asked to reveal the information behind the second COC, Yoon's counsel stated:
“If Eight Peaks refused to cancel the contract then they will not hesitate to file a lawsuit, suing them for their refusal.” 39
The contents of the first COC stated that in January 2007 Yoon was confirmed to star in the drama Que Sera Sera & had even completed the script reading & rehearsal for the upcoming shoot. However, the company forced Yoon to withdraw in order for Yoon to star in a company-produced drama. After her withdrawal, Yoon took a two day vacation to Gangwon-do in March. Eight Peaks claimed that they had no knowledge of this so-called incident & spread a rumour of Yoon's irresponsibility online which damaged her reputation.40 Yoon's manager, Park Geun-Soo stated:
“The second COC includes evidence to support the disagreeable actions made by Eight Peaks. These actions included the improper handling & distribution/division of earnings & proceeds as well as the unilateral (one-sided) manner of making & carrying out decisions which caused immense problems” 41
Yoon Eun Hye & Eight Peaks finally came to a mutual agreement through careful negotiations & settled their disputes peacefully. With her contract dispute resolved, Yoon Eun Hye signed on with Kraze Entertainment as her new management company in September. This placed her in a positive environment where her activities as an actress was Kraze Entertainment's focal point of attention.42
edit 2008: Recognition as an actress
In April, Yoon Eun Hye was awarded the “Best Actress Award” under the “TV Drama Category” for the role as Go Eun Chan in The 1st Shop of Coffee Prince during the 44th PaekSang Arts Awards. Yoon out beat veteran actresses, Kim Hee Ae & Park Jin Hee, making her the youngest actress ever to win "Best Actress Award" at PaekSang Arts Awards.4344 Prior to this, Yoon also set the record as being the youngest actress ever to win “Best Actress Award” at 2006 Grime Awards & “Top Excellence Actress Award” in 2007 MBC Drama Award.4546
After 3 years of absence from the K-pop scene, Yoon Eun Hye returned to her music roots in February, lending her vocals to the new hip-hop group, Mighty Mouth.47 Yoon’s collaboration, titled "Saranghae" ("사랑해", I Love You), received a lot of attention in the press & from netizens, & it topped various charts in South Korea.48
In April 2008, Premiere Elle published a list of the "Top 100 Most Powerful & Influential People in The Korean Entertainment Industry", where Yoon Eun Hye was ranked 44th. Interestingly, Yoon was one of the only 5 actors (following behind Bae Yong Joon, Rain, Jeon Do Yeon & Song Kang Ho) ranked among the top 50, which compromised mainly of film directors & writers, CEOs or presidents of media stations & entertainment companies.4950
In October, Yoon Eun Hye was invited to the Chanel Contemporary Art Project — Mobile Art in New York, where she stood shoulder-to-shoulder with many of the world’s supermodels & Hollywood stars. Yoon was the only Asia representative invited to this event.51
Yoon Eun Hye set up her own independent management company, The House Company in September 2008 after her contract with Kraze Entertainment expired. She led the founding of the company on her own, taking care of all the details from planning the company, designing of company logo to the interior of the company. Even though this is a “1-person Corporation”, Yoon has plans to groom new talents.52
edit 2009: Return to acting
In 2009, Yoon Eun Hye collaborated with Korean fashion house JOINUS to design a series of clothes named Yoon Eun-Hye for JOINUS. Yoon was involved in the designing process whenever a new season came along until the end of 2009, & the clothes were sold as part of JOINUS catalogue.53
On 30 April 2009, Yoon Eun Hye was presented with the "2009 Best Jewelry Lady" award. This award was recommended by representatives from top brands, as well as famous designers & professionals in the jewelry industry. Yoon was awarded a plaque & a set of jewelry designed & dedicated especially to her.5455
Concurrently, Swarovski took a deep interest on Yoon Eun Hye & was chosen as the actress who best suited Swarovski. Nathalie Colin, Swarovski's Creative Director, personally designed the "Swarovski Nirvanna Yoon Eun Hye Ring" & presented the ring to the actress as a gift. On 21 July, Yoon Eun Hye graced the Daniel Swarovski 20th Anniversary event where she was presented the "Yoon Eun Hye Nirvana Ring” personally by Colin. Yoon is the first Asian star to have the honour of her very own Swarovski rings.56
Yoon Eun Hye announced her comeback after 2 years of hiatus with the drama entitled My Fair Lady. Yoon played Kang Hye Na, an arrogant, strong-headed heiress of a rich business family living a "princess-like" life whose world revolved around her. The pilot episode got off a good start by topping the viewing chart among Wednesday-Thursday dramas with ratings of 17.4%.57 Yoon Eun Hye was nonetheless harshly criticized for her acting, which surfaced as a hot issue as it seemed she regressed in her skills since The 1st Shop of Coffee Prince. Yoon’s pronunciation, in particular, was the topic of netizens’ concerns, which they felt hindered Yoon from successfully portraying her character. In an interview Yoon stated:
“I thought of how upset my parents would feel to read all those articles slamming my acting, & I felt like going crazy. There were a lot of times when I endured through it & smiled as I filmed, only to end up with tears trickling out. Now, I’m afraid of making transformations. Each time, people grow familiar with the character, but if it takes a long time & hurts me every time, I don’t know what to do, & I feel afraid.”
”There are more voices joining in to encourage & praise me. I take the viewers’ criticism to mean that I shouldn’t be arrogant. I’m reaching that age where I mature as an actor & as a woman. I want to show my talents little by little, but the unfortunate thing is that a lot of people don’t give me time for failure. I like to learn more as I experience failure too. I wish people would not brand an actor as a failure through one mistake.”5859
As the drama progressed, Yoon received more favourable appraisals, where the final episode of My Fair Lady drew a rating of 19% nationwide.60 During the wrap party for the drama, the director of the KBS Drama Department spoke highly about the drama, stating that KBS was pleased with the drama & its ratings.61
To show her appreciation for everyone on the production team, Yoon Eun Hye bought 112 pairs of Puma sneakers for the entire crew as a parting gift. It was reported that in the middle of September, Yoon had secretly enquired the shoe sizes of everyone on the production team before placing orders for the shoes. After filming wrapped, Yoon personally handed the shoes one-by-one to each production staff to show her appreciation for their hard work.62
edit 2010: Charity works & Baby V.O.X reunion
In January 2010, Yoon kicked off her first charity project by working with visually impaired children to create a unique line of hand painted bags. This special project was sponsored by ELBON, a chic boutique that carries branded goods, to whom Yoon was the brand ambassador. These bags were displayed in the store on ELBON opening day, to create public awareness about the visually impaired children.63
In February 2010, Yoon Eun Hye became a goodwill ambassador for the "Pink Wings Campaign" by Vogue Girl Korea. This charity campaign was designed to help female teens that are head of their household, where profits from the sales will go towards scholarships & spending for these teens in need.64
In March, Yoon Eun Hye & Kim Hyun Joong of K-pop group SS501 collaborated in Basic House's "Never Alone Campaign" for UNICEF to help African children. Proceeds from the sale of the “Never Alone” T-shirts go to help the needy in Africa.65
Concurrently, Yoon Eun Hye was the ambassador for another charity campaign title, "Hope Angel", a fundraising program for children suffering from incurable diseases. Yoon’s goal was to raise 10 million won & get 500 signatures from netizens to encourage these children not to lose hope. This charity program powered by the Make-A-Wish Foundation which kicked off on March 2, attracted quick responses from the netizens. Yoon achieved 82% of the 500 required signatures within 2 hours, with the target reached later on the same day.66 On May 1, the goal of raising 10 million won was reached, ending this fund raising program within 2 months.67
During her charitable activities, Yoon also continued to work. In February, a 12 minutes long-form "music drama" commercial titled Temptation for Cass Beer was released. This commercial also featured Taecyeon, Junsu, Wooyoung & Nichkhun from 2PM. Yoon plays Nichkhun’s stylist who is psychotically in love with him. This music video quickly caught the publics’ attention & became a hot topic.68 Along with the commercial, a digital single was released, entitled "Tik Tok". Because of the single's success in addition to her previous guest appearance on Mighty Mouth's "Saranghae", Yoon was nicknamed the "Lucky Magician" by the media.69
Yoon Eun Hye was chosen as the representative of Cartier to film a travel log for the newest summer series of “La Besace Marcello de Cartier” along with the German fashion editor of Style Proofed Pia Sundermann, Brazilian Supermodel Fernanda Motta & French painter Ara Starck. Prior to this, Yoon modelled for Cartier’s "All About Trinity" jewelry line;70 she was then subsequently invited in April to visit Cartier’s flagship store & workshop in Paris, in which she received royal treatment.71
In May 2010, The House Company introduced its first groomed artist, Do.U. Yoon was also secretly involved in the production of the mini album entitled Do You Know Me? In this album, Yoon’s vocals could be found on the last track, entitled "AM 5:00 Do.U-reul Mandeun Saramdeul (Outro)" (AM 5:00 Do.U Production Crew (Outro)).72 She is also the backup vocal for the first track of the album. Another song on the EP, "Gomdoli" (Little Bear), was featured in the official soundtrack of Personal Taste, in which Yoon Eun Hye made a cameo appearance.73
It was announced on June 28, 2010 that Yoon would be starring in Love Song, a drama remake of the 1996 Hong Kong film Comrades: Almost a Love Story. In the drama, Yoon will portray Yu Chae-hwa, a woman who moves from China to live in Korea. Yoon explained her decision to star by stating that the script accurately portrayed the feelings in the original film & hopes that it will become a big present not only for Koreans, but for all the fans in Asia.74
According to the production team, Yoon Eun Hye’s success in her previous dramas throughout various Asian markets caused a stampede for the purchase of broadcast rights for the drama since her involvement was officially announced. Companies in 11 Asia countries negotiated for the rights to broadcast Love Song. Outside of Asia, there was also demand in the United States, Europe, & the Middle East. Warner Bros. also expressed interest in buying the US broadcast rights for Love Song.75 On 30 June, the sudden passing of late Park Yong Ha led the production to a hiatus. Despite the infinite halt in the production, Yoon maintained her loyalty towards the project even when her contract with the production company had expired. For that matter, Yoon is being praised by the Korean entertainment industry for being a “Loyal Lady”.76 It was announced on 23 February 2011 that the production of Love Song has been cancelled as production team was unable to find a replacement for the male lead.77
On 22 August, Yoon together with her former Baby V.O.X members performed on stage for the first time in 6 years since they disbanded. The five members of the original Baby V.O.X made a special appearance on SBS Kim Jung Eun's Chocolate where they belt out a medley of hit songs. Yoon got emotional during the recording, expressing her gratitude towards her fellow members for their enduring support & understanding after she goes solo as an actress.78 The emotional reunion on stage brought much attention among the music fans, being one of the most searched word on Nate.79
In November, Korea's advertisement industry published scientific methods of forecasting the ratings & deciding on which dramas to invest. It was revealed that Yoon came in first place as the most important actor for the ratings & advertisement industry.80
edit 2011: Return to big & small screen
Yoon designed the jacket cover & directed the styling concept for former Baby V.O.X teammate Kan Mi Youn’s ‘First Mini Album: Watch’ released on 17 February. Yoon was praised for her fashion sense & art directions on Kan’s drastic style makeover.81
Yoon returned to the big screen after 5 years with the movie titled My Black Mini Dress, based on the same titled chick lit novel by Kim Min Seo that was participant in the world literature competition.82 Yoon plays the main character “Yoo Min” who’s 2% lacking in appearance, financial means & men. The movie which deals with 4 'Generation 88' girls who ran into the wall of reality after graduation became a hot topic even before opening in theatres, being No.1 searched word on various internet portals. The movie which opened in theatres on 24 March starts off in 2nd place at the box office.83 It attracted over 200,000 viewers within 6 days of its opening.84
On 7 April, SBS announced Yoon return to the small screen after 2 years since KBS drama My Fair Lady. This drama entitled Lie To Me will see Yoon portraying “Gong Ah Jung” who is bubbly, most off-the-wall but determined 5th level government official of the Ministry of Culture, Sports & Tourism. The character was caught in a swirling scandal with a nobleman from an elite family after a most ridiculous lie. This drama is scheduled to be air on 9 May.
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