Korean Singer Jang Yoon-jung Opens Up About Celebrating Her Birthday on Lunar New Year

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Korean singer Jang Yoon-jung recently revealed that she was unable to celebrate her birthday with a traditional seaweed soup for 30 years because her birthday falls on Lunar New Year. It wasn't until after her marriage that she began to celebrate her birthday properly, a story that touched the hearts of many viewers.

On the January 15th episode of TV CHOSUN's 'Baekban Journey with Heo Young-man,' Jang shared her birthday story while visiting Ganghwa Island.

Jang explained, "I was born on the first day of the lunar calendar." When host Heo Young-man remarked that she probably never had a proper birthday celebration, Jang recalled her childhood. "My father was the eldest son, and I was the eldest daughter. Having a daughter was already a disappointment, and with my birthday on Lunar New Year, I couldn't have a birthday meal," she shared, evoking sympathy.

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Jang recounted the harsh words she heard as a child, such as "How dare you eat with the ancestors?" She expressed the sadness of having her birthday coincide with a major holiday, which meant she had to be mindful of others. "I couldn't eat seaweed soup on the day of the ancestral rites," she said.

Jang spent about 30 years with these "sad birthdays" and only began to openly acknowledge her birthday after becoming a celebrity. "It was only after I became a celebrity that I started to confidently say, 'Lunar New Year is my birthday,'" she noted.

Her life changed after marriage. "Now, I confidently celebrate my lunar birthday," Jang said. "After the New Year rites, my mother-in-law makes seaweed soup just for me."

Jang Yoon-jung has also faced personal challenges, including a financial dispute with her biological mother that left her with a debt of approximately 1 billion KRW. Despite this, she has built a happy family with her husband, Do Kyung-wan, and their two children, earning the support of her fans.

Reporter Na-yeon Cho, TenAsia nybluebook@tenasia.co.kr