Baek Ji-young, who became famous thanks to ‘Secret Garden’ soundtrack, turned out to have a sad life story.
Audiences who love Korean dramas know Baek Ji Young through tearful soundtracks. The singer born in 1976 is a famous artist of the Korean music industry, known as the “Queen of Tears” or “OST Queen” thanks to her soundtracks in Iris, Secret Garden, Rooftop Prince. .. However, its who knows that her life is like a sad drama.
Her career was almost ruined due to the secret filming scandal
Baek Ji Young debuted in the music industry in 1999 and quickly became famous. In 2000, she was one of the most famous names, creating a wave of Latin music in Korea. Baek Ji Young’s charming style and powerful vocals have made the audience go crazy. The soundtrack of Secret Garden is also the song that helped her become famous throughout Asia with the title “OST Queen”.
In 2000, while her career was on the rise, Baek Ji Young encountered an event that changed her whole life. Her career was on the verge of extinction after her secret-filmed video went viral on November 19. It turned out that Kim Si Won, Baek Ji Young’s boyfriend and then-manager, was the culprit. Kim Si Won secretly filmed Baek Ji Young and kept it as a “weapon” out of concern that the female singer would break up with him after success and replace him with someone else.
The public turned their back on Baek Ji Young as soon as the clip was leaked, and radio stations promptly banned all of her songs. Kim Si Won left for the US in the meantime, leaving Baek Ji Young to deal with the criticism alone. Her once-burgeoning career was then on the verge of collapsing.
Baek Ji Young was forced to temporarily flee to Guam at that time. On November 29, the female singer opened a press conference to apologize to the public. At the press conference, Baek Ji Young sobbedly said that she had been a victim and vowed to keep singing as long as her fans were ready to wait for her.
However, Baek Ji Young still had to hide from the public for 3 years. She was extremely distressed, frustrated, and had to take medication for her depression.
Overcoming difficulties and the seem-to-be happy ending
In 2003, Baek Ji Young released the 4th album called Smile, marking her comeback after the shocking scandal.
3 years later, Baek Ji Young released her 5th album called Smile Again and regained her peak popularity. The song “I Won’t Love” brought the female singer many awards, including Best Female Artist, Artist of the Year and Song of the Year at the Mnet KM Music Festival (now the best Mnet Asian Music Awards).
In 2011, the female singer published her relationship with the actor “Rooftop Prince” – Jung Suk Won, who was 9 years younger than her. They encountered opposition from the public and family, nevertheless. Regardless of everything, the couple got married in 2013.
After the wedding, the singer suffered a miscarriage in the 4th month. Jung Suk Won was always by his wife’s side and even canceled all schedules to take better care of her. In 2017, they welcomed a baby girl. The thought that Baek Ji Young’s life would only be filled with joy and happiness from then on, another incident happened.
In 2018, right at Incheon airport, Jung Suk Won was arrested for using methamphetamine in Australia and received a 10-month suspended prison sentence and 2 years of probation. Jung Suk Won’s acting career ended after the drug scandal. After her husband was arrested, Baek Ji Young didn’t even dare to cancel the show because of financial problems. She also apologized to the public on behalf of her husband and helped him through a difficult time.
After many ups and downs, Baek Ji Young now concentrates on raising her children. After the incident, the female singer resumed her entertainment activities, working diligently on songs, giving performances, and appearing in TV programs.
As for her former manager Kim Si Won, he was jailed for having sex with a minor and illegally filming in 2012 in Los Angeles, USA. After all the suffering and ups and downs, everyone hopes that Baek Ji Young will have true happiness with her family.
Source: K14
