Name	Choi Jin-sil
Caption	Choi Jin-sil
Birth date	December 24, 1968
Birth place	Seoul, South Korea
Death date	October 02, 2008
Death place	Seoul, South Korea
Years active	1988–2008

Hangul	최진실
Hanja
Rr	Choe Jin-sil
Mr	Ch'oe Chin-sil
Tablewidth	254
Color	silver
Title	Korean name

Choi Jin-sil (December 24, 1968 – October 2, 2008) was a South Korean actress. She was considered one of the best actresses in South Korea, nicknamed "The Nation's Actress". Since her debut two decades ago, she played a leading role in 18 movies, 20 television dramas and 140 commercials.

Early years

Choi Jin-sil was born as the first child to her parents Choi Guk-hyeon and Jeong Ok-suk on 24 December 1968 in Seoul. Her mother had lived separately from her father since 1985 and divorced him in 1998. She had a younger brother, Choi Jin-yeong who was an actor and singer.

Her family was so poor that her mother once managed the household by running a pojangmacha(a small street stall selling foods). She dreamed of becoming a star to survive from the poverty. She confessed in talk shows her nickname during her school days was "Choisujebi" because she used to eat "sujebi"(a dumpling soup) instead of ordinary meals due to the home environment. Although she later became a high-paid model and actress, she was known for frugality, even receiving awards for her savings activity and frugality.

In 1988, she became a TV actress starring in the MBC historical drama, "500 Years of Joseon Dynasty". Her first movie was "North Korean Partisan in South Korea"(1990).

Her last work was "The Last Scandal of My Life"(2008), generating many positive reviews from critics and viewers. A second season of "The Last Scandal of My Life" was being planned to be aired in November 2008 before her abrupt death.

She was also an MC in a talk show, "Choi Jin-sil'Truth and Lie'" in 2008.

Personal life

In 1994, her former manager Bae Byeong-su, who was an influential figure in the entertainment field, was murdered by her road manager. She was then called in as a witness to the murder of her former manager. The incident shocked the Korean public.

In 2000, her marriage with Jo Sung-min received widespread attention in South Korea. Jo was a professional baseball player with the Yomiuri Giants of Japan. Choi first met Jo on a television show in 1998. Choi gave birth to a son (2001) and a daughter (2003).

In November 2002, Jo physically attacked Choi, who was then pregnant with their second child. In August 2004, Jo again assaulted Choi. In September 2004, Choi divorced Jo.

Choi took the parental rights and child custody over the children on condition of exempting Jo's debt to her mother and brother as well as dropping several charges against Jo. Jo could only visit his children regularly according to the mutual agreement.

In January 2008, the South Korean family register was changed. As a result, children could use their maternal family name when the family members wanted it. According to the changed family register, her children changed their surname from "Jo" (paternal family name) to "Choi" (maternal family name).

After Choi's death, her mother managed the inheritance and took the child custody over her two children.

Allegation of Domestic violence

In August 2004, Choi Jin-sil came forward and declared herself a victim of domestic violence. Subsequently the advertiser, Shinhan Engineering and Construction, claimed she did not keep her contractual obligation to "maintain dignity," because she disclosed to the public her bruised and swollen face which was caused by the violence of her then husband.

On June 4, 2009, the Supreme Court reversed a high court ruling that decided in favor of Choi in a compensation suit filed by the advertiser in 2004 against the actress, who was the model for its apartments. In handing down its ruling, the Supreme Court censured Choi for coming forward and declaring herself a victim of domestic violence, saying it constituted a failure to maintain proper "social and moral honor." Her two children became defendants as heirs.

On June 9, 2009, Korean Womenlink, the Korea Women's Hot Line, and the Korea Women's Association United issued a joint statement lambasting the ruling. Women's groups censured the Supreme Court for not realizing the suffering of domestic violence victims, which included Choi. As to the ruling, the groups claimed that revealing the results of domestic violence was not a matter of "dignity" but a matter of "survival." "When a person is suffering, he or she needs to restore their dignity and social honor by disclosing the damage and seeking proper legal help as Choi did," a director of Korean Womenlink said.

Death

Choi Jin-sil committed suicide by hanging on 2 October 2008, at her home in Seoul. Her suicide was confirmed by police. She was survived by her two children, mother, and younger brother Choi Jin-young, who also committed suicide just a year and a half after his sister.

Libel

On September 8, 2008, Ahn Jae-hwan, husband of popular comedian Jeong Sun-hee, was found dead in his car. Ahn committed suicide apparently due to distress over mounting debts.

Jeong and Choi had been close friends for a long time in South Korea's entertainment circles. When the news of Ahn's death hit the nation, Choi appeared deeply shaken at the funeral.

Shortly after the funeral rumors circulated on the Web that Choi, as a loan shark, had lent a large sum of money to Ahn. On September 22, 2008, Choi sought a police probe into the source of the rumors, calling them groundless. On September 28, 2008, Police arrested a securities company employee for spreading the rumors.

Choi came under greater stress amid rumors circulating on the Internet she was involved in the suicide of fellow actor Ahn Jae-hwan.

In response to Choi's death, the South Korean government tried to strengthen a legal push to regulate Internet postings by Netizens. Politicians have reacted by proposing legislation that would impose a more rigorous real name registration requirement on the Internet and more heightened punishment for libelous statements.

Press reaction

The news of her death was reported in major daily newspapers and broadcasts. Before long a great number of reporters rushed to Choi's house and started to cover the event on a large scale. On the other hand major portal web sites blocked online users from leaving replies for articles concerning Choi, for fear that some users might leave malicious comments.

"Almost 80 percent of South Korea's households have broadband access, fostering active online interactions. Most Web sites here have bulletin boards where users can post uncensored, anonymous comments, and nearly all young people run their own blogs, updating via cellphone. Such sites were a major avenue for rumors about the possible dangers of dropping a ban on American beef that fed enormous street protests and political upheaval earlier this year. Major Web portals have in recent years doubled the number of monitors to screen out online character assassination and respond more quickly to complaints of malicious rumors. But many victims still complained that vicious rumors spread so fast their reputations were ruined virtually overnight," The New York Times commented on her death on October 2, 2008.

"She was more than South Korea's Julia Roberts or Angelina Jolie. For nearly 20 years, Choi Jin Sil was the country's cinematic sweetheart and as close to being a "national" actress as possible. But since her body was found on Oct. 2, an apparent suicide, she has become a symbol of the difficulties women face in this deeply conservative yet technologically savvy society. Incessant online gossip appears to have been largely to blame for her death. But it's also clear that public life as a single, working, divorced mom — still a pariah status in South Korea — was one role she had a lot of trouble with," TIME commented on her death on October 6, 2008.

Theft of Urn

The surveillance cameras set up around Choi Jin Sil's burial site in the park in the Gapsan Park Cemetery in Yangpyeong.

On August 15, 2009, Choi Jin Sil's ashes were stolen from her burial site. The police hunt for a suspect in the case of Choi Jin-sil's stolen urn after securing surveillance camera images showing a man carrying out the theft. On August 25, 2009, the police arrested the criminal. Choi Jin Sil's ashes were found in his home.

A small memorial park for Choi Jin-sil has been built in a cemetery in Gyeonggi Province. Choi Jin Sil's ashes were placed in the new tomb in the park in the Gapsan Park Cemetery in Yangpyeong on September 28, 2009. Security devices have been installed to prevent the recurrence of another theft, with the tomb specially manufactured in China and more surveillance cameras placed around the tomb.

The Choi Jin Sil Foundation

Choi Jin Sil was the "big sister" who led the so-called "Choi Jin-sil Association". It was a friendly group of close celebrities that included comedians Lee Young-ja, Jeong Sun-hee, models Hong Jin-kyung, Lee So-ra and actresses Choi Hwa-jung, Uhm Jung-hwa. After Choi's death, they founded "The Choi Jin Sil Foundation" for charity.

Drama Synopsis

The Drama Synopsis "As Life Goes On"(사노라면) which Choi Jin-sil had written was found in her home after her death.

Filmography

Note: The whole section is referenced.

Film

TV drama

Awards

Film awards

Grand Bell Awards

* 1995 (33rd) - Best Actress for How to Top My Wife

* 1993 (31st) - Best Favorite Actor

* 1991 (29th) - New Rising Actress for My Love, My Bride

Blue Dragon Film Awards

* 1991 (12th), 1992 (13th), 1993 (14th), 1994 (15th), 1995 (16th), 1997 (18th), 1998 (19th) - Best Favorite Star

* 1990 (11th) - New Rising Actress for Partisans of South Korea

Baeksang Art Awards

2006, Best Actress for Television part

* 1991, 1995, 1997 - Best Favorite Actor

Chunsa Film Art Awards

* 1991, New Rising Actress

Broadcasting awards

KBS Drama Awards

* 2005, Best Actress Award, Netizen Award, Best Couple Award

* 1998, Best TV Actress

MBC Drama Awards

* 1997, Best Acting Award

2008, Achievement Award

SBS Drama Awards

1995, Star Award, Good Acting Award

Broadcasting nominations

2008 MBC Drama Awards

* Top Excellence Award for Actress

* Best Couple Award, Choi Jin-sil and Jung Jun-ho, for The Last Scandal of My Life

* Best Drama Award, The Last Scandal of My Life

Notes and references

External links

Choi Jin-sil at HanCinema

Category:Suicides by hanging in South Korea Category:Female suicides Category:Actors who committed suicide Category:South Korean film actors Category:South Korean television actors Category:South Korean female models Category:South Korean Christians Category:People from Seoul Category:1968 births Category:2008 deaths

Name	Choi Jin-Cheul
Fullname	Choi Jin-Cheul
Birth date	March 26, 1971
Cityofbirth	Jindo, Jeonnam
Countryofbirth	South Korea
Height
Currentclub	Gangwon FC
Position	Centre back (retired)
Youthyears1	1990–1995
Youthclubs1	Soongsil University
Years1	1996–2007
Clubs1	Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
Caps1	241 | goals1 = 18
Nationalyears1	1997–2006
Nationalteam1	South Korea
Nationalcaps1	65 | nationalgoals1 = 4
Pcupdate	21 October 2007
Ntupdate	21 October 2007
Manageryears1	2008–
Managerclubs1	Gangwon FC (Coach)

Choi Jin-Cheul (born March 26, 1971) is a South Korean football player, who played for the K-League team Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors.

Choi made 65 appearances for the South Korea national football team. He usually played as centre-back and made a very strong team with Hong Myung-Bo and Kim Tae-Young during the World Cup 2002. As the oldest player of the Korean Nation Team for World Cup 2006, Choi has been an influential and strongly reliable defender throughout his World Cup career (2002, 2006). Before the World Cup, he had already announced his retirement from the national team after the tournament.

Honors

Club

Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors

Korean FA Cup champion : 2000, 2003, 2005

Korean FA Cup runner-up : 1999

Korean Super Cup champion : 2004

Korean Super Cup runner-up : 2001, 2006

AFC Champions League champion : 2005

Asian Cup Winners Cup runner-up : 2002

Individual

K-League Best XI : 2002, 2003, 2006 (all DF)

K-League All-Star Game : 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007

Club career statistics

|- |1996||rowspan="12"|Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors||rowspan="12"|K-League||27||0||?||?||2||1||colspan="2"|-|||| |- |1997||9||0||?||?||12||2||colspan="2"|-|||| |- |1998||11||6||?||?||16||2||colspan="2"|-|||| |- |1999||26||7||?||?||9||2||colspan="2"|-|||| |- |2000||25||2||?||?||7||1||colspan="2"|-|||| |- |2001||21||0||?||?||4||0||?||?|||| |- |2002||23||0||?||?||1||0||?||?|||| |- |2003||33||1||4||0||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||37||1 |- |2004||17||1||2||0||4||1||?||?|||| |- |2005||19||0||2||0||11||1||colspan="2"|-||32||1 |- |2006||16||1||0||0||4||0||10||1||30||2 |- |2007||14||0||1||0||1||0||2||1||18||1 241||18||||||71||10|||||||| 241||18||||||71||10||||||||

International goals

:Results list South Korea's goal tally first.

References

External links

K-League Player Record National Team Player Record

FIFA Player Statistics

Club & Country Statistics

Category:1971 births Category:Living people Category:Association football defenders Category:South Korean footballers Category:South Korea international footballers Category:Jeonbuk Hyundai players Category:K-League players Category:2002 FIFA World Cup players Category:2004 AFC Asian Cup players Category:2006 FIFA World Cup players