Jung Chae-yeon (Korean: 정채연; Hanja: 鄭彩娟; born December 1, 1997), known mononymously as Chaeyeon, is a South Korean actress and singer. She is a member of the girl group DIA and former member of a project girl group I.O.I, having finished 7th in the survival show Produce 101. She is currently active as an actress, best known for her lead roles in the television series To. Jenny (2018), My First First Love (2019), The King's Affection (2021), The Golden Spoon (2022) and Family by Choice (2024).
Early life and education
Jung Chae-yeon was born on December 1, 1997, in Suncheon, South Jeolla Province, South Korea. She has a sister named Jeong Si-yeon. She attended School of Performing Arts Seoul from 2013 to 2016 with former DIA member Ahn Eun-jin. On February 4, 2016, she graduated from SOPA.[4]
In January 2015, MBK Entertainment announced its plans to debut a new girl group, originally with a strategy to have candidates compete on a reality survival program. Once the idea was scrapped, however, the company decided to select its members internally and the final line-up was revealed with seven members, including Seung-hee, Cathy, Eunice, Jenny, Ye-bin, Eun-jin and Chae-yeon.[5]
DIA released their debut album, Do It Amazing, on September 14, 2015, with the lead single "Somehow" (왠지; Waenji).
In December 2015, MBK Entertainment announced that Jung temporarily withdrew from the group to join the trainee survival program Produce 101, which she had auditioned for and signed contracts with before DIA officially debuted.[6][7][8] She finished 7th overall with 215,338 votes, debuting with the I.O.I project group in May 2016.[9][10] A week after their debut extended play Chrysalis was released, MBK Entertainment confirmed that Jung will return to DIA for their upcoming comeback in June 2016.[11]YMC Entertainment revealed that she would be absent from I.O.I's sub-unit promotions as well.[12] Her casting in tvN's Drinking Solo was confirmed on June 30, 2016, marking her acting debut.[13]
DIA's second extended play, Spell was released on September 13, 2016, with the lead single "Mr. Potter". September 18–24, 2016 was noted for exceptionally busy television work for Jung, starting with bi-weekly broadcasts of Drinking Solo (September 19–20). Her appearance on Hit the Stage with fellow DIA member Eun-jin aired on September 21, 2016, and the premiere of the variety series Go Go with Mr. Paik aired on September 23, 2016, with her starring alongside Shinee's Onew.[14] Combined with idol groups' tendency to perform on each of South Korea's daily music programs, a writer for Daily Sports noted that a viewer could see Jung's face virtually every day.[15] She was revealed as the new face of jewelry brand Lamucha that same week, signing a one-year 200 million won contract.[16]
Jung re-joined I.O.I for their second promotional cycle as a full group, releasing Miss Me? on October 17, 2016, with the lead single "Very Very Very".[17] The October 21, 2016 broadcast of Music Bank marked an incident where due to scheduling conflicts, she performed on the show twice; once with DIA on their final run of televised performances for "Mr. Potter", and again with I.O.I. as they began promotions for "Very Very Very".[18]
In December 2016, Jung was cast in the science fiction web drama 109 Strange Things, co-starring with Choi Tae-joon. She plays the role of senior philosophy student Shin Ki-won whose family takes in KDI-109, a robot from the future. The drama is set to air on Naver TV Cast in early 2017, with six episodes.[19] She began modelling for Jill Stuart New York in January 2017.[20]
2017–present: Acting success, rise of fame, and solo activities
In 2017, Jung featured in SBS's romantic fantasy drama Reunited Worlds, playing the younger version of Lee Yeon-hee's character.[21] She then starred in another science fiction web drama I Am, playing an android robot.[22] In December, it was announced that Jung has joined the cast of SBS' reality survival show Law of the Jungle in Patagonia for their Chile special.[23][24]
In 2018, Jung starred in KBS' weekend drama Marry Me Now, playing the younger version of Jang Mi-hee's character.[25] She was also cast in her first film, Live Again, Love Again,[26] which premiered in February 2018.[27] The same month, Jung was announced as the new MC of SBS' music program Inkigayo.[28][29] Jung was cast in the KBS music drama To. Jenny, her first leading role on television.[30][31]
On May 4, 2021, Jung and the members of I.O.I celebrated their 5th debut anniversary with a reunion live stream show called "Yes, I Love It!".[34]
In 2022, Jung joined MBC's drama The Golden Spoon, which aired in the summer of 2022.[35] In September, Jung signed an exclusive contract with BH Entertainment.[36]
On December 13, 2023, Jung confirmed to star in a youth series Family by Choice, which is expected to air in 2024.[37]
^Park, Jung-sun (October 20, 2018). "[피플is] TV는 지금 매일매일 정채연". Joins (in Korean). JTBC PLUS, JTBC Content Hub Co., Ltd. Archived from the original on February 3, 2021. Retrieved November 27, 2016.
^Baek Ji-eun (February 9, 2022). "[공식] 정채연, MBC '금수저' 여주인공 확정…육성재와 로맨스 호흡" [[Official] Chaeyeon Jung confirmed as the female lead in MBC's 'The Golden Spoon'... Yook Sungjae and Romance Breath] (in Korean). Sports Chosun. Archived from the original on February 9, 2022. Retrieved February 9, 2022 – via Naver.
^Lee Min-ji (September 16, 2022). "정채연, BH엔터와 전속계약 체결…이병헌 김고은 한솥밥 [공식]" [Chaeyeon Jung signed an exclusive contract with BH Entertainment... Lee Byung-hun Kim Go-eun One Pot Rice [Official]] (in Korean). Newsen. Archived from the original on September 16, 2022. Retrieved September 16, 2022 – via Naver.
^ abMoon Ji-yeon (December 13, 2023). "[공식] 황인엽·정채연·배현성, '조립식 가족'으로 만난다" [[Official] Hwang In-yeop, Jeong Chae-yeon, and Bae Hyun-seong meet as a ‘prefabricated family’] (in Korean). Sports Chosun. Archived from the original on December 13, 2023. Retrieved December 13, 2023 – via Naver.
^"Gaon Digital Chart". Gaon Music Chart. Archived from the original on February 4, 2015. Retrieved September 7, 2019.
^Kim No-eul (May 8, 2021). "연모' 측 "정채연, 세자빈 役 캐스팅 확정"(공식)" ['Yeonmo' side "Casting confirmed for Jeong Chae-yeon and Crown Prince Ja-bin" (official)]. Newsen (in Korean). Archived from the original on May 10, 2021. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
^Park Jung-min (January 11, 2022). "정채연 '금수저' 여주인공 확정…육성재 만난다 [공식]" [Jung Chae-yeon confirmed as the female lead in 'Gold Spoon'... Meet Yook Sungjae [Official]] (in Korean). Newsen. Archived from the original on January 11, 2022. Retrieved January 11, 2022 – via Naver.
^"다이아·아이오아이 출신 배우 정채연, 버블 합류→소통 시작" [Actress Jung Chae-yeon, formerly of DIA and I.O.I, joins Bubble → Starts communicating]. Top Star News (in Korean). Lee Soo-hyun. June 20, 2023.
^Yang, So-young (March 20, 2023). "윤시윤 정채연, 순천만 개막공연 '봄, 정원으로' MC 확정" [Yoon Si-yoon and Jeong Chae-yeon confirmed as MCs for the Suncheonman Bay Opening Performance ‘Spring, To the Garden’] (in Korean). Maeil Business Daily Star Today. Archived from the original on March 21, 2023. Retrieved March 21, 2023 – via Naver.
^Lee Min-ji (December 27, 2021). "임영웅→투모로우바이투게더, 2022 대한민국 퍼스트브랜드 대상" [Lim Young-woong → Tomorrow by Together, 2022 Korea's First Brand Grand Prize] (in Korean). Newsen. Archived from the original on December 27, 2021. Retrieved December 27, 2021 – via Naver.
^Choi, Hee-jae (December 30, 2022). "김영대·박주현·이혜리, 미니시리즈 부문 우수연기상 수상 [MBC 연기대상]" [Kim Young-dae, Park Joo-hyun, and Lee Hye-ri won the Excellence Award in the mini-series category [MBC Drama Awards]] (in Korean). X-ports News. Archived from the original on March 5, 2023. Retrieved March 5, 2023 – via Naver.
^Choi Na-young (December 19, 2022). "이종석X임윤아→박주현X김영대..'2022 MBC 연기대상' 베스트커플 후보 공개" [Lee Jong-suk X Im Yoon-a → Park Joo-hyun X Kim Young-dae...'2022 MBC Drama Awards' Best Couple Candidates Revealed] (in Korean). Osen. Archived from the original on December 19, 2022. Retrieved December 19, 2022 – via Naver.