Jung Yong-hwa (Korean: 정용화; pronounced [tɕəːŋ joŋ hwa]; born June 22, 1989), also known mononymously as Yonghwa, is a South Korean singer, musician 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), The Package (2017), Sell Your Haunted House (2021) and Brainworks (2023). 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. 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.
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.
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).
Jung Yong-hwa debuted as an actor before his band's debut in Korea. He was the first member of CNBLUE to appear on screen in 2009 when he landed his first acting role in the SBS drama You're Beautiful. The drama aired from October 7 to November 26, 2009. As the series revolves around the life of a musical group, he played the role of the lead guitarist in the faux idol band A.N.Jell. The series gained a cult following, and earned high ratings in Japan, which fostered the growth of his popularity.
In 2011, Jung was cast in MBC's youth campus drama Heartstrings, along with fellow band member Kang Min-hyuk. The drama also reunited Jung with You're Beautiful co-star Park Shin-hye. After the drama aired, Jung experienced a rise in popularity in Japan.
In 2013, Jung starred in the KBS' romantic comedy Marry Him If You Dare.
In 2014, Jung took the leading role in period action drama The Three Musketeers. Despite suffering from low ratings, Jung received positive reviews from critics and producers for his improved acting in the series. Three Musketeers was also well received in China and fostered in Jung's growth in popularity in the country.
In 2017, Jung made his big-screen debut in the Chinese gastronomy film Cook Up a Storm alongside Nicholas Tse. The same year, Jung starred in JTBC's travel romance drama The Package with Lee Yeon-hee.