Kei Nangon/ Background Information

From Clumsy Media

Nangon Kim Hwae-ji (born Nangon Hwae-ji; November 6, 1991), known professionally as Kei Nangon, is a South Korean actress, model, and businesswoman. Known to be one of the most respected and influential figures in the South Korean entertainment industry, Nangon is currently the highest paid model-turned-actress in Korea and in Japan, she is the most successful Korean actress with the largest active fan base.

Early Life

Kei Nangon was born December 10, 1992, in Mungyeong, Gyeongsangbuk Province, South Korea but grew up in the city of Andong as Nangon Hwae Ji to a prestigious social family. She is the third child to Nangon Min Kyu, the former national football coach of Korea (from 1999-2009) and Ryu Hwae Jin, a mathematics science professor at the world-renowned Seoul National University. Her siblings are Nangon Su Koon, Nangon Hwae Joo and Nangon Tae Jun (model actor; stage name Min Nangon). Ever since an young age she has displayed her understanding in knowledge held well beyond her years and topped all of her classes during her academic years.

During her childhood, she attended many province-level competitions and won many awards especially in the area of mathematics, excelling in bio and mach numbers. Nangon eventually even represented Korea at the 2000 International Mathematical Olympiad when she was nine years old. Due to her early achievements she suffered from the lack of future ambitions, "I didn't know what I really wanted to do. [...] Everything seemed possible but nothing interested me."

She graduated from the prestigious Korea Minjok Academy and began attending Seoul National University.

Career

2004-2009: Street casting, training and struggles

Nangon's mother was frequently told that her "easily stood out" daughter should audition for films and join the entertainment industry. Nangon's height, in particular, drew attention; she was always above average in height amongst her age group and by the age of eleven, she was already standing at 5'4' feet. Her mother was opposed to Nangon appearing in films, and this sentiment was shared by Nangon's father, both of whom expressed a desire for Nangon to pursue a career in medicine or law. In 2004, whilst Nangon was in Seoul for the national Chuseok holidays, she was discovered by a talent agent of SM Entertainment who encouraged Nangon to audition for the agency. She also received an audition invitation with Sidus H.Q. through one of her school friends, whose father was an executive.

Both agencies offered Nangon a contract; while she was attracted to the idea, her mother decided to reject the offers. One year later she contacted the company on her own behalf and after much discussion, her parents agreed for her to join the company if she was to receive the top marks in her grade in the next exam. Achieving the result, Nangon signed an eight year long exclusive contract in October 2005 and under the guidance of the company, the family relocated to Seoul in order for her to pursue the career.

During her three years of training, she took lessons in acting, modelling, dancing and singing and participated in several variety shows, including Family Outing and Star Golden Bell, and was in a number of commercials. Her popularity was steadily rising but an company inside conflict would eventually lead to her leaving the company at sixteen and being filed lawsuit against illegal contract termination. Under the suggestion of a friend she auditioned for the Japanese agency Avex Group to sign her under as an artist in order to avoid the contract termination fine as they share a strong link to her previous company. She was successfully signed and moved aboard by herself to start training in the foreign country but was eventually passed down to the sub-label S&P Entertainment (now known as Clumsy Media) several months later instead, deeming her as a 'failed project'.

On the other hand, the head official of the label at the time saw her potential and invested her into full time training, spending almost half of the budget from the overall trainees on her lessons. During this time in Japan she used the stage name 'Nangon Kei Hyun Ah' and appeared in dramas Change and Koishite Akuma as minor characters as well as several magazine appearances, such as Ray and Popteen and even endorsed LG's first generation Lolliphone phone. Due to these activities she eventually earned an modest amount of fans in Japan. She also appeared in the small budget indie Korean film Cafe Noir but failed to gather public attention.

2010-2011: Debut, fast rising success and breakthrough

While working in Japan for Avex Group in bit television roles, she caught the attention of Korean cast agent Kim Do-yoon who was on vacation with his family, and he cast her in what would become her debut role in the America-Korea collaborative action adventure film The Warrior's Way (2010). Despite high expectations and promotions, the film received negative receptions and was a commercial failure. Nevertheless, at the same time, her popularity in Japan continued through many small roles in popular television shows, including the idol drama Q10 (2011). Later that year, she was cast in the Korean comedy film Hello Ghost (2010) which drew in positive critical response and box office results and helped her start an acting career in her home country. Nangon continued with activities in both South Korea and Japan went on to complete filming for four dramas and two films in one year, and many media reported her as unofficially the actress with the most workload of that year and her potential in rising to become a celebrated actress.

Nangon's breakthrough role came with Korean drama Can You Heart My Heart? (2011). It was widely recognised by critics and the Korean viewership with it credited as the most watched show on television at the time. The project subsequently brought her several award nominations and directly smoothed her transition from a commercial model to a recognised actress. In October, Nangon announced she had been accepted into the Standford University of Business with an Ivy League scholarship and in the last two months of the year she travelled to the United States for her enrolment processes. As a result, Nangon did not attend any celebrated award ceremonies at the end of the year and it was not until the following year that news media began to report that she won five new actress awards but due to her absence, they were passed on to the second nomination on the list.

2012-2017: Hiatus, marriage and business ventures

In the beginning of 2011 when Nangon first enrolled in the Seoul National University, she was recommended for Stanford University by her professor and through a selective interview process she was gained successful entrance. The news was kept away from the public until the university announced the list of their scholarship students in September 2011. At the time Nangon was reported to be unsure of her decision until she made public the following month that she will be going on an indefinite hiatus to pursue her studies. Soon after she completed filming for her last movie Heatr Thief an official announcement was made through her company's website and started the hiatus in November.

This news at the time caused major stirs in the entertainment industry as Nangon is one of the most influential and popular figures. Her fan groups in both Japan, China and Korea came together to sign an online petition for the actress not to go. Following this response, she personally made entries on her mini home page and clarified the issue. "The decision has been made and it will proceed no matter what. This is my own life, I think I can make decisions for myself." Her hiatus was re-enforced again in 2012 after fans overseas starting stalking her home and on campus.

On December 24, 2012 Nangon revealed she had accepted the proposal of her one year boyfriend, Korean-American businessman Kim Ji Young which caused a stir in the industry and became the second most reported entertainment news in Korea. The couple officially married on Decemeber 11, 2013 and their wedding received the most amount of media coverage for a public wedding.

2018-present: Return

On June 21, 2018 Nangon's agency announced the actress' intention to return to the entertainment industry, officially ending her five year hiatus.

Legacy

According to Forbes Korea, Nangon is the highest paid modeling-turned-acting artist of all time and this was confirmed in January 2014. Her consecutive endorsement deals has also made her the most expensive under 25 female representation by 2011.

In August 2018, Nangon ranked at number fifth on the Forbes Korea Celebrity 100 list, earning an estimated $50 million throughout the past three years due to her entertainment agency, Kimnam Management, behind the CEOs of the biggest entertainment agencies in South Korea, including SM Entertainment and YG Entertainment. As a couple with Kim Ji-young, it has been estimated that they have a combined net worth of $300 million although this has not been confirmed.

Other ventures

Academic

Upon graduating from Stanford University of Business in 2014, Nangon became a faculty member of the School of Business at the Seoul National University, where she worked as an academic researcher, specialising in Economics Theory. She left her position reportedly in the early months of 2018 in order to prepare for her return to the entertainment industry.

Business

In 2015 Nangon founded Kimnam Management, an entertainment artist management agency established as a subsidiary under Clumsy Media.

Politics

In December 2012, Nangon caused outrage when she criticised Hong Kong as a "city of protest", suggesting that demonstrators' rights in Hong Kong should be limited when she was interviewed for a Chinese magazine. The same month, in an interview with Phoenix TV, Nangon stated that the South Korean government was "obe of the most corrupt" countries in the world, which in turn angered parts of the Korean online community.

Philanthropy

Besides her career in the entertainment industry, Nangon is a well-known philanthropist and has contributed to various charities. For sinking of the MV Sewol incident on 16 April 2014, Nangon made a donation of US$880,000 along with her husband, under the credit of Korea Investments Charity Foundation. Nangon founded the Kimnam Charitable Foundation in 2017 which focuses on offering scholarship and active help to South Korea's young people and provide aid to victims of natural disaster or illness.

On April 16, 2018 Nangon made her first public announcement since her marriage in 2013. It was revealed that Nangon along with a variety of other celebrities teamed up and started a charity named "The Poet of Life", a foundation for making regular financial contributions to mental health clinics in South Korea and allowing greater free psychologist access by diagnosed depression patients, following the suicide of Nangon's good friend, singer-songwriter Kim Jong-hyun of the idol group SHINee. Subsequently, Nangon became an ambassador for the 2018 South Korea Mental Illness campaign and made a public donation of $500,000.

In the media

During the early stages of Nangon's career, she was enabled with much freedom in terms of actions and speech by her company. She openly discussed her love life and her struggles on the journey to fame as well as defaming other celebrity figures. Due to her outspoken nature, she has been involved with many public scandals, especially in the areas of her relationship with other male figures. For a long time, the public deemed her to have a bad image and 'did not behave like a public figure'. Her company then restricted her activities in 2010 and banned from interviews, which she agreed to publicly and lasted for five months.

Since then her image has taken a positive turn. Nangon's achievements in both the entertainment industry and her academic area has gained her a respectable name from the Korean press.

Nangon has attracted notable media attention for her physical appearance—particularly her model height and overall appearance, being her most distinctive features. The public has voted her to have the 'most well portioned figure' of all times. For three consecutive years, starting in 2010, Nangon has been voted as the most desirable woman by the Korean public in the top five, peaking in #2.

Nangon has consistently been named as one of the most influential, highest earning and powerful celebrity figures in Korea. In 2011 she was the highest paid actress under the age of twenty. Her connection to many well known people in the industry has also been noted. Many press has claimed she has the power to cut another celebrity from their project by voicing out her opinions.

Personal life

In 2011 Nangon purchased a 8,000-square-foot mansion in the community Pyeongchang-dong District, Seoul, South Korea as her first independant home. The house is built in four stories and boasts 6-bedroom, 8-bathrooms. The property comes with an elevator system, an exclusively designed gourmet kitchen, bar area and underground wine cellar, private theater, personal gym and a infinite pool. The news at the time attracted huge media attention as it was reported Nangon spent close to $US8 million for the property and re-constructing it over two times in order to fulfil the final design.

She currently resides in Palo Alto, California. She also owns a residence in Westlake Villaged, purchased jointly with her husband.

The actress has also attracted notable attention for her public display of affection towards China, especially Hong Kong.

Family members

Nangon Su Koon is the eldest out of the four siblings (including Nangon) and is a highly acclaimed public environmental professor at the Seoul National University. Upon graduating from the Seoul Science High School he was invited to become a research member under the Oceanography Unit at the Korean Ocean Research and Development Institute. He is currently teaching at the College of Natural Sciences. Within the family he has become the second to teach at SNU and the first to attend SSHS, followed by Min Nangon.
Nangon Hwae Joo is Nangon's older sister and second eldest within the siblings. She is widely recognised in Korea as an award winning medical scientist. In 2012 through an interview with High Cut magazine Nangon revealed she has been working as a project manager in the Biomedical Research Institute division ever since 2008 at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology. She is also serving as a head organiser at the KIST Gangneung branch.
Min Nangon is Nangon's younger brother, real name Nangon Tae Jun. He is a popular teen model actor. He has modelled for several magazines and shopping malls, appearing in many advertisements. He made his debut in the drama What's Up? and later several cameo appearances in other dramas. Much similar to his sister, he is strongly academic and under the persuation of the education government group decided to quit the industry in order to concentrate on his schooling life. His career officially ended in a year. Currently he is in his final year of studies at the academic gifted Seoul Science High School. Nangon is noted for is acknowledge in astronomy and linguistics. In 2012 he represented Korea in the International Science Olympiad in the area of astronomy and mathematics.

Relationships

Throughout her career, Nangon had an unending string of romantic rumours, some short-lived, some lasting years; and often brought her negative publicity for her ability and alleged involvement with a number of men within a short period of time. Between 2008 and 2011, Nangon was linked with a number of Korean artists, including No Min-woo, Song Joong-ki, SHINee's Kim Jong-hyun, F.T. Island's Lee Hong-ki, 2PM's Nickhun and Jay Park. Nangon denied all of this allegations but she did confirm two of her relationships. In February 2011, Nangon announced to the public that she has been in a relationship with Korean-Japanese idol Mika of the group The Boss for over a year. However, they announced their break up one month later. Shortly after Nangon began a relationship with Korean model-actor Lee Soo-hyuk and it was confirmed by Nangon in October. The pair ultimately broke up in December of the same year with Nangon later explaining it was due to her decision to undertake further studies overseas.

In December 2012, Nangon shocked the industry by announcing on her personal website that she had accepted the proposal of her one year boyfriend and is engaged. Within just one hour of the confirmation, it became the most searched topic of the year. Although no other details were initially revealed, the identity of her fiancee was eventually discovered and revealed to be a Korean-American businessman named Kim "Eric" Ji-young whose father is the CEO of the biggest funding company in Korea, Korea Investments. Reportedly the pair met in 2009 at a student conference at Seoul National University which Nangon was attending at the time and became friends. The news was later forced to be confirmed by Nangon personally. The couple married on December 11, 2013, at the Seoul Silia Hotel with up to five hundred guests and its reception took over three levels.

Nangon reportedly had two high-profile affairs, including one with Korean bodybuilder and actor Park Shin-hoo that lasted over a year and another with Japanese actor Atsushi Jin that lasted over three years. The news was widely reported in both Korea and Japan with intimate photos leaked to the public which consisted of the extravagant oversea holidays. Despite extensive reporting and media claimed evidence, Nangon strongly denied allegations of adultery. The reporting ultimately dissolved when Kim issued a public statement to the Korean media addressing his support and trust in Nangon.

Controversies

In August 2011 Korean idol Hyun Ah's promotions were cut short by broadcast stations as Nangon publicly commented online that she did not like the singer's choice of costumes on screen and deemed it as "attention seeking" and even called claimed she gave off the impression of an "adult show dancer".

In 2012 idol actress Eun Jung was allegedly dropped off from her drama activity as Nangon held a grudge against her idol group, T-ara. It was reported that Nangon did not like his younger brother Min Nangon's rumoured girlfriend Ji Yeon, who also belongs to the same group and thus persuaded individials in the industry to decrease the group members' activities. Nangon has since denied this claim and commented that "her influence has been exaggerated" and "holds no personal grudge [agains the group]".

Trivia

The parents of Nangon were strongly against her decision of entering the entertainment industry, especially so of becoming a model. They believed it was not worth of time and only reserved for people who didn't excel in their education.
Nangon officially joined the company in 2005 (despite being discovered the year before), the very same day as SHINee's vocalist Kim Jong Hyun but through different casting systems. Kim was scouted at a public audition while Nangon was street scouted. It is interesting to note they had attended the same middle school briefly together and often travelled to the company for training together after school was ended for the day.
While Nangon was in training she was a personal favourite of H.O.T member Tony An. Despite having left the company in 2001, An played the role of mentor during her early training years and even tried to sign her under his company Tn Entertainment.
Nangon is leading member of the third generation of trainees acknowledged publicly. It is believed if she had not left the company in 2009 her level of company status would be behind BoA, an active share holder in SM's stocks and H.O.T member KangTa, who is the current creative director at SM Entertainment.
Along with JayMi, Roma Kids and Dll Ini, Nangon was among the first artists of the company but made her debut the latest.
According to official reports, Nangon at one point was the highest earning artist in the company. Compared to the lowest earning artists of the company, Nangon earns almost ten times the amount. She was the only non-musician to make it into the top ten earning list of the company of that year. Her ranking has since decreased due to her hiatus.

Many celebrities who has listed Nangon as their ideal type or has expressed a liking towards her, those include: Song Joong Ki, Joo Won, Ju Ji Hoon, Kim Woo Bin, Yoon Shi Yoon, Ahn Jae Hyun. In terms of idols these include: SHINee's Key and Jong Hyun, C.N.Blue's Min Hyuk, Teen Top's Chun Ji, Block B's P.O, JJ Project's JB, ZE:A's Si Wan, Boyfriend's Min Woo, B1A4's CNU, Infinite's Sung Yeol.