After over a decade, Kim Ah Joong remains iconic for releasing "Maria," one of the hardest songs to cover because of its high notes. Amid her popularity, THIS made South Korea ban her from TV.
Whatever happened to her?
Kim Ah Joong 2005-2010: Acting Career, '200 Pounds Beauty,' Debut As Singer
Kim Ah Joong, born in 1982, initially debuted as an actress in 2004 as an extra. After a year, she finally landed her first support role for the movie "When Romance Meets Destiny."
Due to her impressive acting skills, it only took her months to achieve her first female lead role through the drama, "The Bizarre Bunch."
In 2006, Kim Ah Joong's popularity continued and reached her breakthrough with the globally known comedy film, "200 Pounds Beauty."
In this film, she played the role of an overweight girl who had plastic surgery and came back as a beautiful slim girl to become a pop sensation.
In the same year, Kim finally debuted as a singer with two singles, "Maria," a Korean rendition of the UK hit track of the same name originally released by rock band Blondie; and "Beautiful Girl," both released as the original soundtrack of the movie.
Following the release of the film, "Maria" became a worldwide sensation for its high notes, while "Beautiful Girl" even won Cyworld's Digital Music Awards' "Song of the Month."
Even to this day, the song remains legendary in the K-pop scene, being one of the hardest songs to cover.
Some of the few but most notable covers were from S.E.S Bada, aespa NingNing, Choi Yena, EXID Solji, BTS Jungkook, and more.
In 2010, Kim Ah Joong broke her three-year hiatus with a new drama, "The Accidental Couple."
Kim Ah Joong 2011-2019: Tax Evasion, TV Ban, Comeback Film
Amid popularity, Kim Ah Joong was unfortunately caught in a tax evasion scandal and was found guilty in 2011. This controversy took a toll on her career, making South Korea ban her from working in television until late 2014.
Despite this, she continued working for film, such as in "My P.S. Partner" in 2012. That year, she also made her comeback as a singer with the single, "Sexy Jingle Bells."
As more fans seemed to not pay attention to her tax evasion issue anymore, Kim Ah Joong officially returned to the small screen with "Punch" in 2014, making her win the "Best Couple Award" with Kim Rae Won.
However, her popularity didn't return to as it was before.
Her last work was for the movie adaptation of OCN's "Bad Guys" in 2019.
Where Is Kim Ah Joong In 2022? Actress Turned Singer's Status
Currently, the 40-year-old singer hasn't made a comeback since her last release in 2012.
As an actress, she's currently signed with Namoo Actors and in February this year, she returned to the industry with Disney+ "Grid," co-starring with actor Seo Kang Joon.
In regard to her relationship status, the singer-actress is not yet married, or in any public relationship as of now. She's been traveling lately in different places.
Her last television appearance was in October when she joined tvN's "House on Wheels" as a guest. During the show, she surprised everyone with her visuals as fresh as third-gen idol SF9 Rowoon. She was also commended for her amazing cooking skills.
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Written by Eunice Dawson.
