Jung Yong-hwa (Korean: 정용화; pronounced [tɕəːŋ joŋ hwa]; born June 22, 1989) is a South Korean musician, singer-songwriter, record producer and actor. He is the leader, lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the rock band CNBLUE. Jung made his television debut in You're Beautiful (2009), and has since starred in television dramas Heartstrings (2011), Marry Him If You Dare (2013), The Three Musketeers (2014) and The Package (2017). On the music front, Jung also made his solo debut with the album One Fine Day in 2015.

Early life and career beginnings

Jung Yong-hwa was born on June 22, 1989, in Seoul, South Korea. His family consists of his parents and a brother, who is four years older. He moved to Busan in 1991 and lived there through high school, where he first began composing music. After taking his college entrance, he moved back to Seoul, where he joined FNC Music. In 2009, Jung left for Japan to study music with his bandmates. While there, they did street performances and released independent albums. The group debuted in Japan with the EP Now or Never on August 19, 2009 with an indie label AI Entertainment. They debuted in Korea in 2010 with the EP Bluetory, and its lead single "I'm a Loner" became an instant hit in Korea.

Music career

On January 14, 2011, Jung released his first solo digital single, "For First Time Lovers". The song was featured on the second season of We Got Married, where Jung was a cast member and one half of an on-screen couple with Seohyun of Girls' Generation. Upon its release, it topped various South Korean music charts. In 2014, he released "You, My Star", a self-composed single dedicated to his fans. All profits of the single were donated to charity.

In January 2015, Jung debuted as a solo artist with the album One Fine Day, which clinched the number one spot on the Billboard World Albums chart. The album featured artists JJ Lin, Yang Dong-geun, Verbal Jint, YB's Yoon Do-hyun and Peter Malick. One Fine Day received generally favorable reviews from music critics, who noted his growth as a singer-songwriter. Jung later embarked on his first series of solo concerts across Asia.

In 2016, Jung collaborated with Sunwoo Jung-a on a collaborative album project. The duo released two singles “Hello” and “Empathy”; Jung composed "Hello" and co-wrote the lyrics to "Empathy". Jung reportedly collaborated with foreign artists through a songwriting camp for his first EP, titled Do Disturb. The EP along with the music video for its lead single "That Girl" were released on July 19, 2017. Jung released his second Japanese album Summer Calling on August 9, 2017.

Songwriting

Jung has composed several notable singles for CNBLUE, including "In My Head" (2011), "Where You Are" (2012) and "I'm Sorry" (2013). In particular, his composition "Can't Stop" for the group's fifth EP was very well received and earned rave reviews from critics and K-pop fans. For his drama Heartstrings (2011), he composed and sang "Because I Miss You". The single peaked at number 14 on the Gaon Chart, and later ranked number one on Japanese ringtone charts. He also produced "Casting Love" for the soundtrack of Marry Him If You Dare (2013), which was sung by Jeon Gun-hwa.

Jung has also composed for other artists. He composed and produced "Fool" (also known as "Babo") as a gift for label-mate Juniel, which was featured on her debut album as well as "Love is Only You" for another FNC artist, girl group AOA. Jung released 17 compositions for the first half of 2012. As a gift for the CNBLUE School in Burkina Faso, Africa, Jung helped produce their "School Song". In 2013, Jung penned the song "Feel Good", the brand song of Samsung Galaxy, which was released on YouTube on August 23, 2013. In January 2019, Jung was among 25 songwriters selected for the forthcoming year to become full members of the Korea Music Copyright Association (KOMCA).

Philanthropy

Jung has actively participated in charity events in the previous years including in the event held by BC Card in Seoul last May 2015. He has released a song called You, My Star on December 23, 2013, dedicated to his fans. All the proceeds from this song have been donated to the FNC charity, Love FNC. On December 2017, it has been reported that Jung has taken part in a public campaign for children with hearing disabilities run by Audiology Development Foundation in China. This campaign will help pay for the costs of education and other needs of children with hearing disabilities.

Jung held a two-day concert in March 2018 before he enlisted. All the profits in the said event will be donated. He donated 50 million won to the Miral Welfare Foundation to celebrate this year's International Day of Disabled Persons on December 3. He requested that the donation will be used for the medical and living expenses of disabled children from low-income families. He established a scholarship program at his alma mater, Namsan High School in Busan. He attended the graduation ceremony held on February 12, 2019, awarding six scholarships to selected graduates. He also donated to the school’s development and will continuously do so.

Jung donated 20 million won for the victims of forest fires Gangwon Province through Hope Bridge National Disaster Relief Association. According to the organization, the donation will be used for the recovery of the damaged areas in Gangwon Province and support for the victims.

Controversy

On June 28, 2016 it was reported that Jung is being under investigation for insider trading. He was reportedly being investigated for allegedly earning approximately $347,000 through buying stocks in FNC Entertainment after learning about their plans to sign a major celebrity. On June 30, Jung was cleared of suspicion and was found not guilty. On October 31, FNC Entertainment announced that they would take legal action against malicious rumors about the singer after being framed of insider trading.

On January 17, 2018, Jung was reported to have entered a Kyung Hee University graduate school program, despite failing to appear at two official interviews for graduate school entrance. It was later revealed that he attended the interview separately at his agency FNC Entertainment at the request of the professor in charge of student admission. Due to the controversy, Jung's admission was set to be revoked by Kyung Hee University despite having not broken any rules as the university itself has no clear rules regarding graduate student admission process, and that it's often up to the professor's discretion. Citizens’ Coalition for Democratic Media (CCDM) issued a press release criticizing SBS for targeting Jung in their report, calling it "exploitative" and "extremely inappropriate reporting by the media that runs the serious risk of human rights violations."

On October 9, 2018, FNC Entertainment announced that Jung had been cleared of all charges earlier that year. It was reported that Jung was not guilty of obstruction of business in regards to his school admissions. The prosecutor decided to not indict him in July. The law also acknowledged that Jung did not have any intention of receiving preferential admission.

Mandatory Military Service

Jung began his compulsory military service on March 5, 2018. Jung volunteered to be assigned in the 702nd Special Assault Regiment in Second Corps on April 13, 2018.- Wikipedia