Jang Ja Yeon was a South Korean actress. She graduated from Haksan Girls' High School and later obtained a bachelor's degree in Economics from Gwangju University and a master's degree in Journalism and Broadcasting from Chosun University.

She made her debut in 2006 as a model for a Lotte WellFood commercial and gained recognition as she began the face of several brands. She ventured into acting and made her debut in 2008 with a role in the KBS Drama Special "Love Hunt 30 Minus 3".

On March 7, 2009, she committed suicide at the age of 29 by hanging from the staircase of her house. She was cremated and her ashes were spread next to her parents' graves.

However, a few days later, a major scandal rocked the entertainment industry when letters in what the media labeled as "The Jang Ja Yeon List" were published. The letters revealed that she had been sexually and physically abused by a number of prominent entertainment executives during her career, including the CEO of her own agency, The Contents Entertainment (더컨텐츠엔터테인먼트), Kim Sung Hoon. The Seoul Police has never released the full list of 31 names that were allegedly included in those letters. CEO Kim was arrested in Japan and sent back to South Korea where he was found guilty of sexual abuse, abuse of power, and forcing women in her agency to provide sexual favors to other executives. He was sentenced to only 1 year in jail, 2 years probation, and 160 hours of community service. Then, in 2019, President Moon Jae In ordered this case to be re-opened but, no new credible evidence was found and so far, only CEO Kim is the only person ever punished for these crimes.

(Source: MyDramaList) Edit Biography