After graduating from Chung-Ang University's Department of Theater and Film, Yum Jung-ah entered the entertainment industry through beauty pageants. She was the first runner-up at the Miss Korea 1991 pageant. That same year, she made her acting debut in the MBC drama Our Heaven. In 1992, she represented South Korea in the Miss International pageant, where she also finished as the second runner-up.
Early in her career, public recognition was not immediate. Yum Jung-ah recalled that even in her twenties, she was persistently known by the modifier "actress who was a Miss Korea," stating, "There were times when I complained, 'Why do I only get flashy roles?'"
