'Jewel in the Palace' Park Jung-sook to leave the entertainment industry and become head of a Seoul metropolitan government-affiliated organization

"The Queen is overseeing Seoul's policies" Park Jung-sook's surprising recent life

Actress Park Jung-sook, who captivated audiences with her charismatic portrayal of Queen Munjeong in the drama 'Dae Jang Geum', has revealed the unique path she has taken since leaving the entertainment industry. Appearing on the YouTube channel 'Jo Eun-joo's Q' recently, Park revealed that she is currently serving as the President of the Seoul Foundation for Women and Family, an organization under the Seoul Metropolitan Government.

In the video, she introduced her current profession, stating, "I am overseeing Seoul's women and family policies." It has already been over 20 years since she concluded her entertainment career following 'Dae Jang Geum' in 2003. On screen, Park led the atmosphere by spontaneously delivering lines that reminded viewers of her past role as the Queen. She burst into laughter, saying, "Those seeing me for the first time in a long while might think that time has truly caught up with me."

Park Jung-sook's career began with her debut as a live broadcaster for the 1993 Daejeon EXPO special on KBS. Since then, she made a name for herself as a professional MC, working across major broadcasters such as SBS's 'Start! Morning Wide', EBS's 'Scholarship Quiz', and MBC's 'Talk Show with Im Seong-hoon'. 'Dae Jang Geum', which aired from September 2003 to March 2004, recorded a peak viewership rating of 57.8% and created a global syndrome, through which Park established her unique character as 'The Queen'.

From Bill Gates' proposal to serving as a representative of international organizations

After retiring from the entertainment industry, the path Park Jung-sook chose was one for the public interest. Following 'Dae Jang Geum', she continued her studies abroad. While studying international studies at Columbia University's graduate school, she built an international network so strong that she was frequently invited to relevant events by then-UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. Many abroad still remember her as 'The Queen'.

Her perspective of viewing Hallyu (the Korean Wave) not just as cultural content, but as a field of public policy and diplomacy, met a decisive turning point. This was triggered by her connection with the Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, founded by Bill Gates. When Bill Gates requested a human network to open the Gavi Korea office, Park Jung-sook was directly offered the position of Korea representative.

She demonstrated her expertise on the international stage while serving as the Korea representative for Gavi for about 10 years. After passing through the Smart City Organization, she has now been serving as the President of the Seoul Foundation for Women and Family for 1 year and 10 months. She explained that her time living as a member of international organizations and a public official has been longer than her 10 years spent as an entertainer.

From Daejeon EXPO promotional ambassador to Seoul policy official

The starting point of her career was as a promotional ambassador for the 1993 Daejeon EXPO. In her role of traveling the world to promote Korea, she wore Hanbok to signify that she was Korean. Introducing Korea was her very first job.

She also continued her academic endeavors, serving as a visiting professor at institutions such as Seoul Women's University and Kyung Hee University. Currently, as the head of an organization under the Seoul Metropolitan Government, she is responsible for women and family policies. Meanwhile, Park Jung-sook married National Assembly member Lee Jae-young on May 19, 2012, and has a son.

The video containing Park Jung-sook's recent life was released through the YouTube channel 'Jo Eun-joo's Q'. The title of the video is 'The path chosen by Dae Jang Geum actress and MC Park Jung-sook after leaving the entertainment industry'. The drama she appeared in, 'Dae Jang Geum', aired from September 2003 to March 2004.