“Queen of Tears” Star Exposes She Was Pressured To Do Nude Photoshoots

Model-turned-actress Jang Yoon Ju has revealed that she was pressured into nude photoshoots she did not want during her early modeling career.

On January 3, Jang shared her experience in a video uploaded to her YouTube channel, saying she had “a lot she wanted to talk about.”

She began modeling at 18 in 1997 and explained that because her body was considered more curvy than other models, she was frequently pushed toward nude or revealing shoots.

Jang admitted that while she went along with the work, it often made her uncomfortable. She said there were times she clearly did not want to do it, but felt pressured to.

Compared to other models, I had more curves, so I ended up doing nude shoots quite often.

There were times when it made me uncomfortable, and times when I really didn’t want to do it. I was pressured simply because my body was considered attractive.

— Jang Yoon Ju

She also recalled being confronted by senior models, who expressed concern and questioned why she continued accepting nude shoots at such a young age.

Once, some senior unnies called me over and said, ‘Yoon Ju, why do you keep doing shoots where you take your clothes off? You’re still young. We’re not saying this as seniors, but as unnis who are worried about you. Don’t do that.’

— Jang Yoon Ju

At the time, Jang believed that modeling could be a form of artistic expression and thought that presenting the body confidently could be meaningful. However, she acknowledged that attitudes in South Korea — especially during the height of her modeling career — were far more conservative compared to overseas.

At the time, I understood what they meant, but back then I thought that as a model, shouldn’t I be doing these kinds of performances as works of art? I thought that if I could present myself confidently and naturally, even when nude, wouldn’t that be admirable?

Overseas, exposure is seen as a freer form of performance, but in Korea, especially when I was active, the mindset was quite different.

— Jang Yoon Ju

After modelling for years, Jang has branched out into acting and has appeared in multiple movies and K-Dramas.