Who is Jeon Jong-seo, who charmed the Dodgers with her first pitch? The South Korean actress rose to fame in Oscar-shortlisted Burning, is dating the director of her film Ballerina, and is a Mbappé fan

Mar 24 , 2024

Who is South Korean actress Jeon Jong-seo, who captivated Dodgers members and fans last weekend? Photo: Getty Images

The Major League Baseball (MLB) season kicked off last week, on March 21, in Seoul, South Korea with Japan’s star player Shohei Ohtani making his debut for the Los Angeles Dodgers in a match against the San Diego Padres.

Jeon Jong-seo at a Hublot event in March 2024; the award-winning actress made her debut in the 2018 film Burning. Photo: @wjswhdtj94/Instagram

However, an earlier Dodgers game – a preseason exhibition match against the Kiwoon Heroes on March 17 – ended up grabbing more attention. Unexpectedly, all eyes were on South Korean actress Jeon Jong-seo, who the stole the show with her ceremonial first pitch at the game.

Spectators and Dodgers players watched in awe as the 29-year-old actress, wearing a cropped Dodgers jersey and a pair of leggings, took to the mound to throw the first pitch.

Footage of the Dodgers team’s reaction – especially first-baseman Freddie Freeman and pitcher Tyler Glasnow, who seem to be absolutely captivated by her – have gone viral on the internet.

Beyond her well-known roles in Netflix’s Ballerina and Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Area, here’s what we know about the actress who managed to charm a stadium of baseball fans.

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Jeon Jong-seo is an accomplished actress

Jeon Jong-seo has a role in Netflix’s Ballerina. Photo: @wjswhdtj94/Instagram

Born in 1994, Jeon earned her first acting credit when she was cast in the critically acclaimed 2018 South Korean movie Burning. The film catapulted the actress into stardom; it was also the South Korean entry for best foreign language film at the Academy Awards that year, making the shortlist.

The actress has since starred in several successful productions like the 2020 South Korean psychological thriller The Call, which earned her the prestigious award for best actress at the 57th Baeksang Arts Awards.

Jeon Jong-seo is also part of Wedding Impossible, a South Korean television series. Photo: @wjswhdtj94/Instagram

Further showcasing her versatility, she made her English language film debut in Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon (2021) alongside American actors Kate Hudson and Craig Robinson. She’s currently starring in South Korean TV series Wedding Impossible.

What’s her relationship status?

Lee Chung-hyeon and Jeon Jong-seo (centre and second from right) at a media event for The Call. Photo: Getty Images

After meeting him on the set of the 2020 film The Call, Jeon has been romantically involved with the movie’s director, Lee Chung-hyeon, 34.

Jeon Jong-seo is currently dating Lee Chung-hyeon, her director in The Call. Photo: @wjswhdtj94/Instagram

The pair went public with their relationship in December 2021 and have worked on different projects together since, namely the 2023 Netflix movie Ballerina.

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Both the actress and director have spoken up about how they keep things professional on set. In a September 2023 press conference for Ballerina, Jeon said they were “careful not to make any other actors or staff members feel uneasy because of our relationship”, per SBS Star.

She’s a football fan

Judging from her Instagram, Jeon Jong-seo is a fan of Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappé. Photo: @wjswhdtj94/Instagram

Based on Jeon’s Instagram posts, the actress is a football fan – especially of Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappé. In January, The Call actress posted a carousel of selfies while in Paris, France, wearing Mbappé’s jersey.

South Korean celebrities

Jeon captivated the audience when she threw the first pitch at a Dodgers exhibition match ahead of the MLB season kick-off – even team members Freddie Freeman and Tyler Glasnow couldn’t look away
The actress stars in Wedding Impossible, and in Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon (2021) alongside Kate Hudson, and is currently dating director Lee Chung-hyeon, whom she worked with on The Call (2020)