Park Yoo-chun (Park Yoo-chun)

Also known as: Yuchun, Park Yu Cheon, Micky Yoo Chun

Date of birth: 4 June 1986 (40 years old)

Country: South Korean

Park Yoo Chun is a South Korean singer, dancer, actor, and former member of TVXQ (동방신기) and JYJ (제이 와이 제이). He graduated from Hanam High School and later obtained a bachelor's degree in Computer Information and Communication Engineering from Kyung Hee Cyber University. He made his debut in December 2003 as TVXQ's main rapper and lead vocalist with their first single, "Hug". The 5-member group was immediately launched into mainstream recognition, and their first 4 albums received chart-topping commercial success in South Korea, with "Mirotic" winning the Golden Disk Award for Album of the Year. They became one of the first K-pop groups to establish a solid fanbase in Japan and were signed by Avex Group (エイベックス・グループ) to represent them in the country. But, despite TVXQ's huge success, they fell into legal turmoil and internal conflict when he, Kim Jae Joong, and Kim Jun Su attempted to split from SM Entertainment (SM엔터테인먼트) in July 2009. They filed a lawsuit trying to terminate their contracts, alleging that the 13-year mandatory term was excessively long, schedules were held out without the permission of the members, and profits were unfairly distributed. By October of that year, they were granted an injunction, and the group went on hiatus in South Korea. At the same time, he decided to create a new group with Kim Jae Joong and Kim Jun Su. He re-debuted in April 2010 as JYJ's main rapper and vocalist with their first Japanese EP, "The...". They were managed by C-JeS Entertainment (씨제스 스튜디오스) but Avex Group decided to end their relationship with the trio as the Japanese agency remained loyal to SM Entertainment and to the remaining two TVXQ members. He made his acting debut in June 2010 in the Japanese BeeTV mobile drama "Beautiful Love: If You're Here". Two months later, he made his Korean debut as an actor in the KBS drama "Sungkyunkwan Scandal", earning him several prizes at the 2010 KBS Drama Awards, the 47th Baeksang Arts Awards and the 6th Seoul International Drama Awards. JYJ went on hiatus in late 2015 as all three members began enlisting. The group never released any new material after that. He enlisted for his mandatory military service on August 27, 2015, and was discharged on August 26, 2017. In June 2016, while serving in the military, he was accused of sexual assault by several women. His agency denied all allegations, and the following month, all charges against him were dropped by the police, and his lawyers counter-sued for defamation and blackmail. He won the case in January 2017, and all the persons who wrongfully accused him were sentenced to prison. Then, in April 2019, he was arrested after he tested positive for methamphetamine. C-JeS decided to terminate his contract, and he left JYJ. In May of that year, he was found guilty on charges of using drugs, and in July, he was sentenced to 2 years probation and a fine. He made a comeback to the entertainment industry in November 2020 when he released his album "Re:Mind". He is now mainly promoting in Japan under Diamond Music as he is facing legal problems in South Korea by being named as a tax defaulter in December 2023. He has not paid taxes in over 5 years so the National Tax Service included him on the list.