The Controversial Life of Jung So Min From Bad Guy to Love Next Door

Ever since the drama Love Next Door, Jang So Min has been the center of attention because of her amazing performance and fans couldn't help but fall in love with her more because of her charming, witty and playful personality. However, what you don't know is behind the glamorous life of Jang So Min, she struggled immensely. So do you really know the struggles of So Min had to go through to achieve success? To know more about So Min's painful ride to popularity, like this video and hit that subscribe button. So Min was born on 16th March 1989 in Seoul, South Korea and that's her stage name by the way. Her real name is Kim Yeon Ji. While it may seem like So Min most likely had supportive parents who helped her to reach stardom, unfortunately it was quite the opposite. She has a brother who's three years younger than him. Now being the eldest comes with a lot of responsibilities. It has been reported that So Min's father is the head of a private company so it is safe to assume they belong to an affluent family. Now it may sound comforting to many but for So Min that was not the case at all. From a very young age, she was drawn to ballet and Korean dance classes while attending elementary and middle school but her parents, especially her father, hated the idea of dancing or arts in general. During her high school days, she really wanted to attend an art school to pursue her dreams but that couldn't happen and she was forced to attend a regular school instead. Now in this case scenario, most may just focus on their studies and forget about their dreams but our So Min was different. Her passion for dance made her attend dance classes secretly. So Min had to keep this matter under her sleeves otherwise it would have caused a rift in the family, especially with her father. Throughout her high school period, her skills improved so much that she won various awards at the school's contests. At the same time, she excelled in her studies too. After all, she had a reputation to maintain. It came with a lot of backlashes though because when her father found out about this matter, they were not happy at all. These differences ruptured their relationship. Eventually, So Min stopped talking to her father for years to the point they did not talk until she was in college. From there, the thought of building a career popped into her mind and with a stroke of luck, she got into modeling gigs and appeared in magazines. At that point, So Min decided to attend acting school secretly that too for fun and to make her expressions more alive. That is when she fell in love with acting which was also an unfortunate dream because her father already hated dancing let alone acting. It was like a dream never becoming true. She really wanted to attend the Korean National University of Arts and that is when the cat got out of the bag. She confessed to her family about everything but of course they were against the idea completely. After throwing a fit rage, So Min convinced her mother to give her a chance to sit for the entrance exam at the acting department. On the day of the exam, So Min even had to lie to her father but it was all worth it because she got a scholarship and was selected. That is when her father saw the amount of hard work So Min had been doing and it was that day when things softened between them you know. In the SBS show My Little Old Boy, So Min shared that 9 years of anger melted when she caught her secretly watching the first ad she had filmed. Truly a father can never stay mad at their daughter for that long can they? Even if the moment was sweet, it was filled with awkwardness too. In the following years, the tension in the family started to fade away and So Min's career also started to flourish well. While focusing on her studies during her university days, So Min never missed the opportunity you know. She appeared in commercials or small ads, modern gigs, whatever she was offered at the moment. She signed up for it and just like that in 2008, she starred alongside Kim So Hyun in the 2008 project Worst Friends. She officially debuted in 2010 in the drama Bad Guys where she took the supporting role of Hong Mo Nae. This piqued the attention of many and just like that, she worked alongside Kim Hyung Jung from Boys Over Flowers in the rom-com drama Playful Kiss, which was loved by everyone especially the Japanese audiences. From there, So Min had to take a step back from the industry to focus on her studies and get her degree done. In 2012, she came back to the drama realm and appeared in shows like Stand By and Can We Get Married. So Min's part in the entertainment industry involved exploring various agencies. Among these, SM Entertainment was particularly influential, refining her skills and helping her secure key roles in popular dramas such as Big Mouth, D-Day, 20, and My Father is Strange, which boosted her career. After her explorations, she signed a new contract with Jellyfish Entertainment in 2017. However, she felt like something was still missing, which she couldn't pinpoint. So Min decided to explore the world of singing and did several original soundtracks including Star with So In Guk. Despite these efforts, she still struggled with a lack of direction, leading her to join Blossom Entertainment in 2019, which unfortunately did not provide the support she had hoped for. In 2022, after years of navigation different agencies and projects, So Min finally achieved the recognition she had been seeking with her role in Alchemy of Souls alongside actor Lee Jae Wook. Since then, she has participated in a series of successful projects cementing her position in the industry as well. Now let's turn our attention to her romantic life. Jang So Min has always been open about her relationship. She dated her co-star Lee Jun from 2017 drama My Father is Strange. Their connection was remarkable as they not only attended the same school in Banggang but also lived in the same neighborhood. Lee Jun had a close friend who was also close with Jang So Min. So many coincidences as if fate was bringing them closer. Their bond deepened further when they both enrolled in the same college, pursuing a Korean dance major and working together on the drama allowed them to grow closer, creating a beautiful love story between them. By 2020, their relationship was confirmed by their agencies. Unfortunately, by 2020, Dispatch reported that after three years of being together, they had naturally drifted apart, leading to their breakup. However, they chose to remain good friends and continued supporting each other. In 2021, during an appearance on DSP's variety show My Little Old Boy, So Min shared that her ideal type of partner is the former basketball player and variety show star Seo Jang Hoon, who had been incredibly supportive during her tough times. This indicates that she values someone kind and warm in a partner. All over, So Min is a dedicated actress who puts in the effort to avoid any form of controversies. Jang So Min is also known for her sweet nature and captivating personality, truly working with her even made actor Jang Hae In more humble. So that's all regarding Jang So Min's controversy life. If you liked it, like this video and hit that subscribe button. Bye!