**The Cast of Princess Hours (Goong) After 18 Years: Three Leads Face Major Scandals, Yoon Eun Hye Struggles with Plastic Surgery Complications, Song Ji Hyo Comes Out on Top**
After 18 years, the cast of *Princess Hours* has seen many changes. Three out of the four main actors have been embroiled in significant controversies, with only Song Ji Hyo maintaining a clean image.
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In 2006, the TV blockbuster *Princess Hours* captivated audiences across Asia with its unique storyline, youthful energy, and stunning cast, propelling the careers of then-promising young actors Yoon Eun Hye, Song Ji Hyo, Joo Ji Hoon, and Kim Jung Hoon. Eighteen years later, their careers and personal lives have diverged dramatically, with three of them facing major scandals, while Song Ji Hyo has remained unscathed.
Yoon Eun Hye
Born in 1984, Yoon Eun Hye was a member of the first-generation girl group Baby V.O.X. Despite her time as an idol, she didn’t attract much attention and even faced criticism for her weight. After the group disbanded, Yoon Eun Hye turned to acting, and her career skyrocketed.
In 2006, her role as Crown Princess Shin Chae Kyung in *Princess Hours* made her a sensation across Asia. Her portrayal of a cute, carefree student suddenly thrust into royal life endeared her to audiences, transforming her from a lesser-known idol into a hot commodity in the entertainment industry. Riding on this wave of success, she continued to make waves with *The Vineyard Man* and *Coffee Prince*. At this point, Yoon Eun Hye was recognized more as a bona fide actress rather than an idol-turned-actress.
With a stable career in both Korea and China, Yoon Eun Hye faced the biggest scandal of her career in 2015. During her participation in a fashion program in China, she was accused by a Korean designer of copying his design. Instead of acknowledging the accusation, she claimed the designer was using her name for publicity, leading the Korean public to brand her as a “shameless thief” and turning their backs on her.
After three years away from the spotlight due to the plagiarism scandal, Yoon Eun Hye returned to the small screen with the drama *Love Alert*. However, her frozen, altered face due to excessive plastic surgery left the public in shock and dismay, with many lamenting the loss of her once unique beauty. Now, 18 years after *Princess Hours*, Yoon Eun Hye is no longer a top-tier celebrity in the Korean entertainment scene.
Although her face has softened over time, fans still express regret over the loss of her natural beauty.
### Joo Ji Hoon
When *Princess Hours* aired, Joo Ji Hoon became a heartthrob for thousands of girls with his portrayal of the handsome Crown Prince Lee Shin. His performance even won him the Best New Actor award at the 2006 MBC Drama Awards, catapulting him to stardom and making him a sought-after actor for both film and television.
However, his career came to a sudden halt in April 2009 when he was arrested for using ecstasy and ketamine and was found to be connected to an illegal drug ring. He admitted to using drugs to enhance his music and dance experience, leading to his immediate removal from a film he was working on and bans from two major broadcasting networks, KBS and MBC. Joo Ji Hoon was sentenced to six months in prison, one year of probation, and 120 hours of community service. Afterward, he served two years in the military, hoping for the public to forget his misdeeds.
It seemed his career as a celebrity was over, but after being released from his broadcasting ban and finishing his military service, Joo Ji Hoon slowly rebuilt his career, winning back the audience with his acting skills. Although not as prominent as before, he has regained a stable position in the industry, with fans forgiving his past mistakes. He dated Gain (of Brown Eyed Girls) for three years before breaking up in 2017.
### Kim Jung Hoon
Born in 1980, Kim Jung Hoon is known as one of the most intelligent artists in Korea, with an IQ of 146. He once studied dentistry at Seoul National University, one of Korea’s most prestigious schools, but dropped out to pursue an artistic career.
After much struggle, he finally rose to fame in 2006 with his role as Prince Lee Yul in *Princess Hours*. Although he played a supporting role, his character sometimes garnered more attention than the lead, Joo Ji Hoon’s Prince Lee Shin. After the success of the drama, he worked tirelessly across Korea, Japan, and China, but his career didn’t take off as expected due to being typecast as Prince Lee Yul.
His quiet career took a dramatic turn in February 2019 when he was accused by his ex-girlfriend of coercing her into having an abortion and withholding child support. She revealed that Kim Jung Hoon pressured her to terminate their child to protect his image and then failed to pay promised housing support after only giving 1 million won out of the agreed 10 million won per month.
The scandal destroyed his image, and he hasn’t appeared on screen for over a year. His ex-girlfriend was willing to conduct a DNA test to confirm the child’s paternity, and the case was eventually settled out of court.
### Song Ji Hyo
In *Princess Hours*, Song Ji Hyo played the least prominent role among the main cast, and she was not a well-known name before the drama. However, after its success, she proved her acting chops in projects like *Jumong*, *A Frozen Flower*, and *New World*. However, she is best known as the “Ace” of the variety show *Running Man*.
Despite being the least noticed character in the main cast of *Princess Hours*, after 14 years, Song Ji Hyo has managed to “survive” the best. She has built a successful career and remained scandal-free. For nearly 20 years, she has diligently pursued acting and *Running Man*, never embroiled in any serious controversies.
Song Ji Hyo joined *Running Man* in 2010 and has dedicated much of her career to the show. Her cheerful personality and enthusiasm in games contrast with her cold, distant appearance, making her a beloved figure and a significant draw for the show.
In her personal life, Song Ji Hyo has only publicly dated once, with C-Jes CEO Baek Chang Soo, who was also her former manager. They split in July 2016, and she left the company. Fans often “ship” her with *Running Man* co-star Kim Jong Kook, but they have only ever referred to each other as “close friends.”
Now at 44, Song Ji Hyo still maintains her youthful appearance, is happily single, and continues to act and be the beloved “Ace” of *Running Man*, cherished by fans across Asia.
