Actress Jung Yoon-hee, who was once praised as the "most beautiful actress in Korea of all time" and who garnered international acclaim in the past, has been quite a recluse since her sudden retirement in 1984.
Fans were baffled by her exit from the entertainment scene, and some were even left wondering what led her to go and where she went.
Hitting the silver screen in 1975's "Desire," Jung slowly climbed up the popularity ladder, appearing in the drama "Cheongsilhongsil" (1977).
Her beauty and skills won audiences over not only in South Korea but also in Japan and Taiwan.
Jung's performances in films like "Does the Cuckoo Cry at Night?" and "The Parrot Cried with Its Body" won her many awards, including the Grand Bell Award and the Baeksang Arts Award.
But the actress' life dramatically changed when she got married in 1984 to the businessman Jo Gyu-young.
The marriage was marred early on, having been exposed that Jo was actually still married, setting off a media frenzy and declaring adultery.
When the rumors around her spread, Jung decided to just distance herself from her booming career and decided to go into hiding from the public eye along with the scandals.
And her struggles didn't stop once the horn blew on her career. Her youngest son died of a heart attack while a student abroad in 2001.
From then on, her husband had a series of financial setbacks that led to the sale of their Apgujeong apartment in auction in 2016.
Some of her friends who are familiar with her struggles define Jung as an "honest and frugal woman.
"One person said, "She bought clothes at a booth, not at a department store, and she devoted herself to her family.
Jung Yoon-hee may no longer be on screens, but her legacy remains with her fans and co-actors.
Her story is that of a shooting star whose brightness was canceled out by personal tragedy and public scrutiny, living on as a timeless figure of South Korean cinema.
Until then, Jung Yoon-hee remains a mysterious figure—her films linger, reminding us of the talent and beauty that stroked the world.
