Actress Kim Jung-eun revealed an unexpected series of mishaps sparked by her name — and the studio couldn’t stop laughing.
On June 17, appearing on MBC variety show Radio Star, Kim shared that she’s received multiple casting calls tied to her name. "They contacted me every time they had a special," she said, adding, "They even invited me for a 'bald special,' so at first I thought it was a joke," drawing laughs. She continued, "I was also asked to appear on a 'celebrities who lost out because of their names' special."
Explaining why she finally joined the show, Kim said, "I recently filmed a short-form drama with Lee Han-wi. I thought it would be fun to come on together. Making people laugh is the best thing in life, isn’t it?" She added confidently, "I’ve prepared a lot of funny stories."
Yoo Se-yoon then asked, "You’re said to be No. 1 among celebrities who suffer because of their names. But there’s also talk that you only hang out with heads of state." Kim replied, "One of my close friends is literally named Lee Jae-myung," sending the studio into chaos.
Kim went on to share a real reservation fiasco. "I had to make a booking in Korea and said on the phone, 'The reservation name is Kim Jung-eun and the guest is Lee Jae-myung,' and the person went, 'Excuse me, what?'" she recalled. "I tried to explain, but they just went, 'Yeah, right,' and hung up," prompting roaring laughter.
In the end, Kim had to call back and clarify: "I’m actually actress Kim Jung-eun, and my friend’s name really is Lee Jae-myung." She added, "When I’m with my friend Jaemyung, people around us ask if there’s some kind of state meeting going on," before revealing, "He’s flying back to Korea from the U.S. right now," cracking everyone up again.
Kim Jung-eun, who debuted in 1996, recently appeared in the short-form drama Don't Mess with Tycoons' Mom.