Actor Jung Heung-seok Opens Up About Disappearance from Spotlight and Life Changes

Actor Jung Heung-seok (47) revealed the reasons behind his disappearance from the spotlight after his peak years on the recent episode of MBN's 'Special World' aired on the 5th.

Jung Heung-seok, who began his acting career as a child actor, gained significant attention for his role in a TV program that humorously depicted the differences between men and women, achieving a syndrome-level popularity.

During the broadcast, Jung reminisced about his heyday, saying, "It was around 2009 and 2010, and things were going really well for about 3 to 4 years. I went on a date with my girlfriend in downtown Uijeongbu, and about 100 people asked for autographs and photos. My girlfriend ended up waiting for an hour."

After his success with 'Rollercoaster,' he continued to receive drama offers without auditions, enjoying a smooth career. However, his work suddenly came to a halt.

Jung admitted, "I thought I was the best and became arrogant," revealing that he sent a message to a casting director saying, "I won't work with you anymore. I'm going to do movies now."

His soaring popularity plummeted instantly. Jung shared, "I kept sending my profile to production companies, but I didn't receive a single call for 7 to 8 months. A friend eventually told me, 'Your arrogant and rude behavior has spread throughout the industry. They won't hire you anymore,'" expressing his deep regret.

Living alone in a semi-basement apartment, Jung disclosed that he has taken over his father's fish business, which has been running for 30 years, and has been personally handling fish at a market for the past two years. He also tearfully shared the guilt he feels over his sister's death, saying, "I asked her to bring pizza 30 years ago, and she got into a car accident," revealing his heavy heart.

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