Profile) Late Choi Jin-sil was Korea's sweetheart for over 20 years

((ATTN: ADDS background throughout)
SEOUL, Oct. 2 (Yonhap) -- Choi Jin-sil, who first caught the eye of South Korean audiences as an attractive 20-year-old starlet in 1988, spent the following 20 years maturing as an actress and working her way into the hearts of people around the country.

She was found dead by her mother early Thursday morning, after apparently
committing suicide due to rumors connecting her with the death of another
entertainer.
Born in Seoul on December 24, 1968, Choi grew up poor as her family struggled to
make ends meet. During her adolescence, she had little contact with her father
after her parents divorced.
She rocketed to stardom with her appearance in television commercials for a video
tape recorder made by Samsung, shot at the end of the 1980s. She played a newly
wed bride in the ad, and became famous for the catchphrase, "What a man does is
up to his wife."
Choi became a youth icon along with popular TV actor Choi Su-jong in 1992, who
co-starred in a TV soap opera "Jealousy" about a tug-of-war between lovers.
She followed it up with a series of hugely popular TV dramas, such as "Star in My
Heart" in 1996, and in films like "The Letter" in 1997.
Despite her professional success, Choi's personal life became troubled in recent
years. In 1994, the nation was shocked by the news that her manager Bae Byung-soo
had been killed by Jeon Yong-chul, Choi's personal driver. Choi was called to
testify in the case.
In 2000, Choi married Cho Sung-min, then one of the country's top baseball
players, who pitched for Japan's Yomiuri Giants from 1996 to 2002. Cho was five
years younger than the actress. They had one son and one daughter together.
The couple separated in 2002. Their marriage ended in September 2004 after Cho
attacked her physically at her apartment and was arrested.
Cho agreed to give up custody of the two children in a bargain where he was
released of debts owed to his wife and her family.
After the divorce, Choi was sued for 250 million won (US$204,332) in damages by a
construction company that had featured her in a TV commercial. The company
claimed that she tarnished the company's reputation as she had not managed her
personal life properly. Choi lost the case.
She made a successful comeback in 2005 with the TV soap opera "My Rosy Life," in
which she portrayed an ordinary housewife who worked like a dog and was divorced
by her husband on the 10th anniversary of their wedding.
She won a number of awards for her performance in the drama, which gained the
sympathy of mothers and wives across the country.
Choi's most recent TV drama, "The Last Scandal," in which the actress played a
divorced woman who falls in love with a TV star, attracted high viewership
ratings. Some said the show spoke to older women suffering from "Cinderella
Syndrome," in which women who fear independence hope to meet rich men.
Her shocking death follows that of actor Ahn Jae-hwan. Rumors had circulated on
the Internet that Choi had lent money to Ahn, who committed suicide due to
mounting debts.
ygkim@yna.co.kr
(END)