Everyone else on the list has been found innocent.Īccording to the media, the case was never properly resolved and is still an issue 22 months after Jang's death, according to the Los Angeles Times. Kim was convicted of embezzlement and violence against Jang, and Yoo was convicted of publishing the "Jang-Ja-yeon List." Both also received two years of probation and 160 nonprofit working hours. In the end, only on October 1, 2010, Kim and Yoo were sentenced to one year each. Jang was buried in Jeongeup, right next to her parents' grave. Her family, friends and fellow actors were present. Jang's funeral took place on Maat Seoul National University Hospital in the district of Bundang in Seongnam instead. Kim was finally turned over to the South Korean authorities in early July. On June 25, 2009, the police announced the continuation of investigations into Jang's suicide after her former manager, Kim Sung-hoon, was arrested in Japan. In addition, the police did not complete the list. The Hankyoreh accused the police of questioning one of the suspects, who is an influential leader of the Chosun Ilbo, too briefly and too quickly found innocent. The Hankyoreh newspaper wrote that the police only scratched the surface and did not investigate Jang's management agency. This has been heavily criticized by many South Korean media. Nevertheless, the police were accused of not doing enough to solve the case, also because the request for extradition was not made until ten days after the list was published.Īt the end of April 2009, the police stopped their investigation. Kim was in Japan at the time, whereupon the South Korean police requested her extradition. Kim Sung-hoon denied all allegations, claiming that Yoo forced Jang to write this letter in order to destroy his company. She was known to have had some problems with her management agency. This sparked a great debate over the state of the South Korean entertainment industry. The message also included a list of some of the names of program directors and other VIPs she had to sleep with. She was also forced to drink alcoholic beverages and complained of poor pay. She also described in the message that she was beaten and forced by her agent Kim Sung-hoon to have sex with program directors, CEOs and other media personalities.
Jang left a message addressed to her ex- manager Yoo Jang-ho that she could not withstand the pressure of the entertainment industry.
Police investigations revealed that her death was suicide and found no evidence of unauthorized interference.
On March 7th, 2009, she was found hanged by her sister in her home in Bundang, Seongnam. Jang was considered a great acting talent and her films received good reviews. Jang also made the films Where is Jung Seung-Phill and Searching for the Elephant, which were only released after her death.
JANG JA YEON KIM SUNGHOON SERIES
She had her big break with her role as Sunny in the K-drama series Boys Over Flowers. Jang first appeared in a 2006 television commercial. She has lived with her older sister and younger brother since then. In 1999, her parents were killed in a car accident. Jang Ja-yeon was born on Januin Jeongeup, Jeollabuk-do.