Who Is She? All You Need To Know About The Makeup Artist For Top Stars Song Hye Kyo, Tang Wei, And Jun Ji Hyun Who Changed Up Korea’s Makeup Trend
Makeup artist Jung Saem Mool appeared as a guest on MBC‘s Radio Star on March 1 and shared her stories of what it was like being the makeup artist for top stars in Korea.
When the emcees asked, “When was the busiest time of your life?” she answered that it was in the mid-2000s when she did makeup for top celebrities Lee Hyori, Jun Ji Hyun, BoA, and Song Hye Kyo at the peak of their careers.
After getting off the plane after work, I went to another filming site. Right after going to Song Hye Kyo’s filming in France, I would go to America for Lee Hyori and Jun Ji Hyun’s commercial shoot.
— Jung Saem Mool
She admitted to being completely worn out then and said that her shoulders often become numb and stiff like a turtle shell due to the nature of her job.
Jung Saem Mool has also gained attention for her makeup transformation effect on Chinese actress Tang Wei. On the MBC show Three Wheels, she shared that she changed Tang Wei’s unnatural makeup style into a younger and fresh look, and the actress got a lot of positive responses and attention for it.
Although Tang Wei hesitated to change her makeup artist to Jung Saem Mool initially, after the success of her new makeup style at the Baeksang Arts Awards, she brought Jung Saem Mool with her to China and Hong Kong to do her makeup. Jung Saem Mool even did Tang Wei’s wedding makeup.
She is also known for doing actress Kim Tae Hee‘s wedding makeup, whom she has been working with since the beginning of the actress’s career.
It wasn’t only Tang Wei’s makeup style that she changed—in the 1990s and 2000s, she shook up the whole makeup industry by pushing an “invisible” makeup trend that contrasted with the heavy and dark makeup look that was trending at the time.
In 2001, she did actress Jun Ji Hyun’s makeup in the iconic movie My Sassy Girl, giving her a natural look with the “invisible” makeup trend. With top celebrities now sporting this natural “invisible” look, the whole makeup industry shifted accordingly, and even Korean citizens began to wear lighter makeup.
Having studied at the Academy of Art University‘s fine arts school in San Francisco and built a big name for herself, Jung Saem Mool’s career is remarkable—but so is her personal life.
In 1997, she married Yoo Min Suk, the CEO of an entertainment agency that actors Bae Yong Joon and Park Sang A were in. At that time, makeup artists often didn’t get paid on time, but Yoo Min Suk always paid on the day of work—she said it was this gentle and considerate side of him that made her want to get married to him.
Yoo Min Suk is also the CEO of her makeup brand JUNGSAEMMOOL BEAUTY.
The couple adopted two beautiful daughters. They had initially wanted to give birth and adopt children, but even after getting treatments, she couldn’t physically have a child. At 43, she saw her first daughter Yoo Ah In and fell in love at first sight.
Her first daughter eventually wanted a sibling, and Jung Saem Mool—feeling the fullness of raising the first child—adopted a second daughter named Yoo Ra El, a gifted child. Jung Saem Mool has expressed that her life is full of worth, love, and happiness because of her two beautiful daughters.
The couple donated to the Korean Social Welfare Society in honor of their 20th wedding anniversary. “When we adopted a baby four years ago, we learned the joys of being parents, and we want to thank everyone who our family great happiness,” the couple said as they gave their donation. They also brought awareness to the many children still waiting for a family.
