Jang Yoon-ju reveals in-law opposition due to modeling prejudice

Model and actress Jang Yoon-ju has candidly shared the opposition she faced from her future in-laws and the social prejudices regarding the modeling profession prior to her marriage. Her story of the struggles and wounds hidden behind her glamorous runway persona, and how she ultimately overcame prejudice through sincerity, is resonating with many.

On the 1st, Jang reminisced about her marriage in a video titled "The Day I Went to a PD's House and Spilled My Life Story, from Meeting the In-Laws to the Story of My Boyfriend's Parents Opposing Our Relationship," uploaded to her YouTube channel "Yunjur Jang Yoon-ju."

In the video, Jang cautiously revealed, "There was opposition from my in-laws ahead of the marriage." She confessed that the reason was not merely a personal issue, but rather the long-standing social prejudice toward the profession of being a "model."

"In the past, whenever my boyfriend introduced me to his parents, most of them viewed me unfavorably because of my job as a model," she said, adding, "At that time, unlike now, the perception of models was very different."

She continued, "There were many cases where they opposed the relationship itself because of prejudice against my profession, and I was deeply hurt and cried a lot because of it."

Despite being recognized as a top model representing the Republic of Korea's fashion industry, there were moments when she had to be judged by the image of her profession before being evaluated as an individual.

"The hardest part was the fact that I was not welcomed even before they met me as a person," she added.

A similar situation occurred during her marriage process with her current husband, businessman Banana.

Jang revealed, "When my husband told his parents there was someone he wanted to marry, I heard my mother-in-law worried, saying, 'Is it okay for someone doing that kind of work to join our family?'"

However, her husband made efforts to show his parents her true self rather than her outward image.

Jang mentioned her experience appearing on the EBS program "Mother's Story" with her mother. The broadcast captured Jang living a simple daily life with her family, rather than her glamorous model persona.

"The broadcast showed our family story of living while growing vegetables ourselves on a rooftop," she said. She shared that her husband told his parents, "She is not a luxurious or materialistic person, but someone who grew up even more simply than us," and urged them to watch the program.

After watching the broadcast, her mother-in-law changed her mind about Jang. She shared a heartwarming moment, stating, "My mother-in-law opened her heart, saying, 'I think I was holding onto prejudices.'"

Jang's confession goes beyond a simple marriage episode, remaining a story of how an individual overcomes the images and prejudices held by society.

The profession of modeling has long been consumed only through glamour and external images. However, since her debut in 1997, Jang has redefined the standards of the fashion industry as a top-tier model, and has since expanded her scope into acting and broadcasting, proving her inner strength and capabilities.

Ultimately, what changed the prejudice was not her glamorous career or fame, but the life and attitude of a single person. Jang's sincere confession serves as a reminder that "what you see is not everything."

Jang married businessman Banana, who is four years younger, in 2015, and they have one daughter. Even now, entering her 10th year of marriage, she continues to be active in various fields including fashion, acting, and broadcasting.