Park Jeonghwa, who began her career as a child actress in 2004, officially debuted in the entertainment industry as a member of EXID in 2012. The group famously skyrocketed to fame with their 2014 hit “Up & Down,” becoming pioneers of the “reverse-charting success” phenomenon. Since transitioning into acting in 2019, Park has continued to build an impressive portfolio.
Over the past six years, she has secured roles in major projects such as SBS’s One the Woman (2021), Netflix’s Mask Girl (2023), the film Handsome Guys (2024), and most recently, ENA/Genie TV’s Ms. Incognito. Her strong presence in both dramas and films has established her status as a rising actress.
Despite her busy acting career, Jeonghwa has consistently maintained her activities with EXID, demonstrating her versatility as a true “all-round entertainer.” All five EXID members left Banana Culture Entertainment and pursued individual careers, yet the group remains intact—an exceptional and admirable feat in the K-pop industry. Just this year, EXID won on KBS 2TV’s Immortal Songs (Baby V.O.X special) and performed at a major music festival in Jakarta, proving their continued strength.
In an interview with Star News on November 14, Jeonghwa spoke candidly about balancing life as both an actress and an EXID member. “Everything is just fun for me,” she said. “Whether I’m acting in front of the camera or singing on stage, I feel this indescribable spark that energizes me.”
When asked if her idol image ever feels burdensome, she shook her head. “Even if people still see me as EXID, I have no regrets. Being known through EXID brought me so many opportunities. I want EXID to help ‘actress Park Jeonghwa,’ and I try to ensure that ‘actress Park Jeonghwa’ never becomes a burden to EXID.”
She continued, “I’ve been acting for six years now, and I believe I’m steadily moving forward. This year especially, we had many chances to perform as a full EXID team again, and returning to the stage has been a true win-win.”
For Jeonghwa and the members, EXID has always been more than just a music group. “We’re all in different agencies now, doing our own activities. Even so, none of us ever talked about disbanding or someone leaving. It’s because all of us genuinely wanted to keep EXID alive. I think there was also a sense of responsibility—to not let the group disappear. When I shared these feelings with the older members, they felt the same. That mutual dedication is what kept EXID alive. We didn’t kill EXID—we chose to keep it alive.”
Jeonghwa also revealed, “Tomorrow (November 15), we’re heading to Vietnam for EXID’s full-group schedule.” EXID is set to perform at Waterbomb Ho Chi Minh City 2025, joining a star-studded lineup that includes Rain, Jay Park, MAMAMOO’s Hwasa, and Kwon Eun Bi.
Looking ahead, she promised, “If there are opportunities for EXID to perform together, we’ll gladly gather our hearts and make it happen. I can’t give specific details, but EXID will continue to live on.”
When asked about performing as EXID without an agency, she admitted, “Because we don’t have a company, we did wish someone could help manage the team. Thankfully, the former manager who worked with us at Banana Culture—now the CEO of his own entertainment company—has been helping us wholeheartedly. He’s been with us since debut, from manager to team leader. We’re so grateful he still supports us.”
She also spoke about her personal passion: “I truly love music. It’s naturally woven into my life. Rather than grand activities, I just want to write lyrics about what I feel, release music, communicate with people, and keep music in my life. Even as an actress, I don’t want to let go of music.”
Jeonghwa added, “Being on stage gives me an enormous amount of energy. Honestly, I’m enjoying it 120% more than when I was an active idol. Back then, I was too tense—because singing was my main job, I felt pressure to prove something, so it was hard to enjoy the moment fully. Now, my focus is on connecting with my members and communicating with fans to complete the stage together. I realized that when we’re enjoying ourselves, the audience enjoys it more too. It’s not about being perfect or sexy—it’s about sharing joy.”
Sources: Daum
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