'Zombie Detective' star Jung Chae-yul's sudden passing at 26

The announcement of Jung Chae-yul’s sudden passing on April 12 has shocked Korean tabloids, especially due to the fact that the star was only 26 when she died.

(Images are from chaeyull on Instagram unless otherwise stated.)

Jung Chae-yul is a South Korean actress and model best known for her work on ‘Zombie Detective’.

Jung Chae-yul was born on September 4, 1996, in Busan, South Korea. She started out as a model before transitioning into acting, according to Indian Express.

Jung Chae-yul signed with ESteem Entertainment in 2015 and primarily worked as a model for the agency at the time.

Her beginnings in K-showbiz started out in 2016 when she first appeared on 'Devil’s Runway,' a Korean modeling show.

‘Devil’s Runway’ was one of South Korea’s answers to the hit US series ‘America’s Next Top Model’. As one of the participants, Jung Chae-yul had to compete with other models for a contract with a South Korean modeling agency and for prize money.

Did you know during her time on 'Devil’s Runway,' Jung Chae-yul worked with one of the biggest names in K-entertainment today?

The breakout star of 'Squid Game,' Jung Hoyeon, was in ‘Devil’s Runway’ as a mentor, making the two actresses co-stars in the reality show.

Jung Chae-yul also worked with her senior at ESteem Entertainment, Korean supermodel SooJoo, in the show. SooJoo served as one of the key judges in 'Devil’s Runway.'

(Image: OnStyle)

Jung Chae-yul appeared to have more talents than just modeling, as she gradually shifted her focus to acting and landed her first role two years later, in 2018.

Jung Chae-yul’s first acting role was in the 2018 South Korean film ‘Deep’. In ‘Deep’, Jung Chae-yul plays Si-Eon, a diving instructor who shares a secret with Choi Yeo-jin’s character, Hee-Jin.

(Image: Dreamfact Entertainment)

Jung Chae-yul probably found her calling for acting through her experience in Deep,' as she went on to take on more acting roles later whilst continuing work as a model.

Jung Chae-yul’s first role in a TV series was in ‘Zombie Detective’ (2020). It was a big hit and won the Best Challenge Award in KBS’s 18th Entertainment Awards.

(Image: Netflix)

Despite her role as a supporting character, audiences were captivated by Jung Chae-yul's performance as Bae Yoon-mi.

‘Zombie Detective' was a milestone in Jung Chae-yul’s career, as she continued to land roles in two other TV series, 'I Have Not Done My Best Yet' and 'Wedding Impossible.'

Sadly, given her death, filming of ‘Wedding Impossible’ had to be halted. Jung Chae-yul was playing a lead role in the series, according to The Straits Times.

It is unclear how the show will proceed after the loss of its lead actress.

Shortly before her death, Jung Chae-yul posted two Instagram updates. On April 4, she posed with a drink and captioned her photo: "I'll be posting more frequently."

Given the perplexing nature of her death on April 11 at the young age of 26, as well as the lack of any official statement explaining why or how she died, many netizens have turned to social media to speculate on Jung Chae-yul's death.

Jung Chae-yul's agency issued an official statement urging the public to stop "spreading rumours and speculative reports," The Straits Times reports.

Currently, no clarity has been provided to the public or the media about the mystery of the young star's demise. What is certain, though, is that Jung Chae-yul's tragic death will be mourned by her fans and family.