The sad careers of 2 Korean actresses from “High Kick 2”: One-trick pony female lead vs Forever supporting female character 

Hwang Jung Eum and Yoo In Na once played best friends in “High Kick 2”, but how are their careers going? 

13 years ago, Hwang Jung Eum and Yoo In Na both appeared in the national sitcom “High Kick 2”, playing the best of friends. At the time, both actresses were mere rookies with little experience, and yet managed to deliver their respective roles spectacularly, making “High Kick 2” a perfect launching pad for both of their careers. 

Hwang Jung Eum

After “High Kick 2”, Hwang Jung Eum was considered a true actress instead of an acting idol, and started to get offered roles in various big works. However, it was not until 2015, with the double successes of “Kill Me, Heal Me”, and “She Was Pretty”, did the actress truly explode with fame. The actress starred alongside actor Park Seo Joon in both of those works, which even now, remained the most notable ones in her career. 

However, despite her popularity, Hwang Jung Eum’s acting skills were not recognized. The actress started to be called a “one-trick pony” after “She Was Pretty” for always playing the chipper, positive, and quirky female lead.  While Hwang Jung Eum did try to switch up her image and tried out other kinds of roles, none of these ventures became successful, resulting in the actress getting trapped inside the rom-com genre. 

Hwang Jung Eum’s personal life also drew great attention for her complicated relationship with her husband. The two tried to divorce, got back together, before welcoming their second child. 

Yoo In Na 

“High Kick 2” was Yoo In Na’s small screen debut that somewhat helped boost her career. However, unlike Hwang Jung Eum who later struck it big, Yoo In Na’s works as the female lead never managed to attract much attention, and she is mostly known through her supporting roles. In particular, Yoo In Na was the iconic second female lead in massive hits “My Love From The Stars” and “Goblin”, but her leading roles in “Touch Your Heart” and “Queen And I” never became popular. 

While Yoo In Na boasted overwhelming visuals and talents, it seems that the actress still has a long way to go. What she needs is a big breakthrough as the female lead, instead of just playing popular supporting female characters. Hopefully, such a group will come to Yoo In Na in the near future. 

Source: K14