Model Jang Yoon-ju Reveals Shocking Experience of Being Pressured into Nude Photoshoots at a Young Age

Model Jang Yoon-ju has made a shocking revelation about being pressured into nude photoshoots at a young age.

On November 3rd, Jang Yoon-ju shared a video titled 'I've Had a Lot to Say' on her YouTube channel 'YOONJOUR Jang Yoon-ju.'

In the video, Jang Yoon-ju stated, "Today, I'm sharing stories from my trainee days to the present, which I haven't talked about in detail before."

Discussing how she became a model, Jang Yoon-ju recalled, "In middle school, I was punished for getting a question wrong. My teacher told me to 'lift your skirt,' and when I showed my calves, she said, 'Look at her legs. If she grows taller, she could become a model.' It was a female teacher at an all-girls school."

Driven by her newfound interest in modeling, Jang Yoon-ju's mother enrolled her in a small charm school despite their financial struggles. Starting from the third year of middle school, she learned walking for two and a half years in a rigorous program. "For a year, I only learned the basics in flat shoes. At that time, Kate Moss was my role model," she reminisced.

After facing multiple rejections in auditions, Jang Yoon-ju considered giving up on modeling. "Friends I practiced with started working before me. I often heard 'You can't do it.' My self-esteem dropped. I was about to quit when my mom suggested exercising, so I took up swimming and weight training," she shared.

"After exercising, both my body and mind changed. My gaze changed, and at auditions, I felt like, 'Yeah, I'm short. If you want to pick me, pick me.' And then I started getting selected," she explained, attributing her success to a change in confidence.

After her debut show, Jang Yoon-ju was invited to shoot for a famous magazine. "I received offers from the U.S., but opportunities slipped away because I wasn't prepared, and due to the IMF crisis, I couldn't get a work visa," she lamented.

Debuting at the young age of 18, Jang Yoon-ju revealed, "I was pressured into nude photoshoots." She confessed, "Being young with curves, I was often asked to do revealing shoots. Even if it wasn't full nudity, I had to show a lot of my body, which was uncomfortable and something I didn't want to do. I was pressured into these shoots because my body was considered beautiful."

Senior models advised her, "Why do you keep doing revealing shoots? You're too young. As an older sister, not just a senior, I'm concerned. Stop doing them," she recalled.

However, she reflected, "I thought, can't modeling be considered an art performance? Isn't it good to confidently show yourself even when undressed? It's a free performance overseas. The advice felt warm rather than hurtful."

Meanwhile, Jang Yoon-ju debuted in 1997 at the SFAA Collection fashion show and has been active as a model for 29 years.

Reported by Kim Eun-jung, TenAsia, eun@tenasia.co.kr