Kang Dong-won
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Gang Dong-won (born January 18, 1981) is a South Korean actor.


Early life

Gang Dong-won was born January 18, 1981, in
Busan Busan (), officially known as is South Korea's most populous city after Seoul, with a population of over 3.4 million inhabitants. Formerly romanized as Pusan, it is the economic, cultural and educational center of southeastern South Korea, w ...
, and grew up in
Changwon Changwon () is the capital city of Gyeongsangnam-do, on the southeast coast of South Korea. With a population of 1.07 million , Changwon is South Korea's ninth-most populous city. A port city, Changwon is bordered by Masan Bay to the south ...
of
Gyeongsangnam-do South Gyeongsang Province ( ko, 경상남도, translit=Gyeongsangnam-do, ) is a province in the southeast of South Korea. The provincial capital is at Changwon. It is adjacent to the major metropolitan center and port of Busan. The UNESCO World H ...
. His father, Gang Cheol-woo, was an engineer and later vice president of SPP Heavy Industries. Gang's family suffered economic hardship at times and Gang had to work part-time in college to pay for his tuition. Academically gifted with an IQ of 137, Gang graduated from
Hanyang University Hanyang University (Korean: 한양대학교) is a private research university in South Korea. The main campus is located in Seoul and its satellite campus, the Education Research Industry Cluster (ERICA campus), is in Ansan. ''Hanyang'' (한양, ...
at Ansan with a degree in
mechanical engineering Mechanical engineering is the study of physical machines that may involve force and movement. It is an engineering branch that combines engineering physics and mathematics principles with materials science, to design, analyze, manufacture, and ...
.


Career


2000–2004: Beginnings

In 2000, when Gang was a first year university student, he was spotted on the street by a modeling agent. Thus began his modeling career, and he appeared on the catwalk for
prêt-à-porter Ready-to-wear (or ''prêt-à-porter''; abbreviated RTW; "off-the-rack" or "off-the-peg" in casual use) is the term for ready-made garments, sold in finished condition in standardized sizes, as distinct from made-to-measure or bespoke clothin ...
collections in
Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
such as
DKNY DKNY is a New York City–based fashion house for men and women, founded in 1984 by Donna Karan. History Karan worked for 15 years at Anne Klein, including 10 as its head designer. In 1984 Karan and her late husband Stephan Weiss were offered t ...
,
Gucci Gucci (, ; ) is an Italian high-end luxury fashion house based in Florence, Italy. Its product lines include handbags, ready-to-wear, footwear, accessories, and home decoration; and it licenses its name and branding to Coty, Inc. for fragrance ...
and
Hugo Boss Hugo Boss AG, often styled as BOSS, is a luxury fashion house headquartered in Metzingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The company sells clothing, accessories, footwear, and fragrances. Hugo Boss is one of the largest German clothing companies, ...
, as well as for the local Seoul Fashion Artists Association (SFAA). After being cast in the
music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a m ...
for
Jo Sung-mo Jo Sung-mo (; born March 11, 1977) is a South Korean pop ballad A sentimental ballad is an emotional style of music that often deals with romantic and intimate relationships, and to a lesser extent, loneliness, death, war, drug abuse, ...
's "I Swear," Gang began taking acting classes, leading to a change in career. He made his acting debut on television in 2003, playing a doctor with a regional dialect in ''Country Princess'' (also known as ''Funny Wild Girl''), and a
chaebol A chaebol (, ; ) is a large industrial South Korean conglomerate run and controlled by an individual or family. A chaebol often consists of multiple diversified affiliates, controlled by a person or group whose power over the group often exc ...
's son in ''
Something About 1% ''Something About 1%'' () is a South Korean TV drama that was broadcast on Sunday mornings for 26 episodes from July 6, 2003, to December 28, 2003. Its central characters are played by film star Gang Dong-won and Kim Jung-hwa of SBS's 2002 TV dr ...
''. In 2004 he shot his first movie, the romantic comedy ''
Too Beautiful to Lie ''Too Beautiful to Lie'' (; lit. "Don't Believe Her") is a 2004 South Korean romantic comedy film about a beautiful ex-con and a naive village pharmacist. Plot Yeong-ju is a girl with cute looks, an innocent smile, and a brilliant talker. She i ...
'', which was moderately successful.


2005–2010: Career breakthrough and mainstream success

Gang's first real breakthrough was in ''
Temptation of Wolves ''Temptation of Wolves'' (; also known as ''Romance of Their Own'' or ''True Romance'') is a 2004 South Korean film directed by Kim Tae-kyun, and based on a novel of the same name by Internet author Guiyeoni. Starring Jo Han-sun, Gang Dong-won a ...
'', the film adaptation of Guiyeoni's teen internet novel. Gang's popularity subsequently rose, extending to other Asian countries, especially
Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
. He then briefly returned to television as an
antihero An antihero (sometimes spelled as anti-hero) or antiheroine is a main character in a story who may lack conventional heroic qualities and attributes, such as idealism, courage, and morality. Although antiheroes may sometimes perform actions ...
in ''Magic'', though it received low ratings. Gang's next roles were an inmate on
death row Death row, also known as condemned row, is a place in a prison that houses inmates awaiting Capital punishment, execution after being convicted of a capital crime and sentenced to death. The term is also used figuratively to describe the state of ...
in ''
Maundy Thursday Maundy Thursday or Holy Thursday (also known as Great and Holy Thursday, Holy and Great Thursday, Covenant Thursday, Sheer Thursday, and Thursday of Mysteries, among other names) is the day during Holy Week that commemorates the Washing of the ...
'', and the antagonist in '' Voice of a Murderer''. His two collaborations with
auteur An auteur (; , 'author') is an artist with a distinctive approach, usually a film director whose filmmaking control is so unbounded but personal that the director is likened to the "author" of the film, which thus manifests the director's unique ...
Lee Myung-se Lee Myung-se (; born August 20, 1957) is a South Korean filmmaker. Lee began his career as an assistant producer under Bae Chang-ho for the films ''Hwang Jin-I'' (1986), ''Our Sweet Days of Youth'' (1988), and ''Dream'' (1990). At the 1991 Asia- ...
in '' Duelist'' and '' M'' further cemented Gang's status as one of the top young actors in Korean cinema, earning him critical recognition for his stylish flair and diverse choice of roles. Gang said that he decided to play the mischievous titular character in the action fantasy '' Jeon Woo-chi: The Taoist Wizard'' because "he wanted to work on a fun movie, as he was emotionally drained while formerly having worked on several serious films. The
Choi Dong-hoon Choi Dong-hoon (; born February 24, 1971) is a South Korean film director and screenwriter. He ranks as one of the most consistently successful directors working in contemporary Korean cinema, with all five of his films becoming commercial hits - ...
film turned into a holiday blockbuster, selling over 6 million tickets over the winter season despite opening in theaters only a week after the release of ''
Avatar Avatar (, ; ), is a concept within Hinduism that in Sanskrit literally means "descent". It signifies the material appearance or incarnation of a powerful deity, goddess or spirit on Earth. The relative verb to "alight, to make one's appearanc ...
'' in Korea. In 2010, he was cast opposite veteran actor
Song Kang-ho Song Kang-ho (born January 17, 1967) is a South Korean actor. Song made his film debut in ''The Day a Pig Fell into the Well'' (1996), and came to national prominence with a series of critically acclaimed performances, including ''No. 3'' (1997) ...
in
Jang Hoon Jang Hoon (born May 4, 1975) is a Koreans, South Korean film director. He directed the films ''Rough Cut (2008 film), Rough Cut'' (2008), ''Secret Reunion'' (2010), ''The Front Line (2011 film), The Front Line'' (2011), and ''A Taxi Driver '' ...
's spy film ''
Secret Reunion ''Secret Reunion'' (; lit. "Sworn Brothers" or "Blood Brothers") is a 2010 South Korean action film directed by Jang Hoon, and one of the highest grossing Korean films of 2010. The story follows Song Kang-ho as Agent Lee Han-gyoo of the Nation ...
''. It became one of the biggest Korean box office hits of 2010, with over 5 million tickets sold. He then joined the
Busan Busan (), officially known as is South Korea's most populous city after Seoul, with a population of over 3.4 million inhabitants. Formerly romanized as Pusan, it is the economic, cultural and educational center of southeastern South Korea, w ...
-centered omnibus ''Camellia'', starring in
Jang Joon-hwan Jang Joon-hwan (born January 18, 1970) is a South Korean film director. Life and career A graduate of Sungkyunkwan University, Jang's first directing job was on the 1994 short film ''2001 Imagine''. His feature-length debut was the science fict ...
's
short film A short film is any motion picture that is short enough in running time not to be considered a feature film. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes ...
''Love For Sale''. Gang's last project before enlistment was the psychic thriller ''
Haunters ''Haunters'' (; lit. "Psychic") is a 2010 South Korean science fiction action film written and directed by Kim Min-seok. It depicts the struggle between a psychic named Cho-in (Gang Dong-won) who can control people with his mind and a man named K ...
''.


2010–2012: Military service

Gang enlisted for his
mandatory military service Conscription (also called the draft in the United States) is the state-mandated enlistment of people in a national service, mainly a military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and it continues in some countries to the present day un ...
on November 18, 2010, for four weeks of basic training at the Nonsan military camp in
South Chungcheong Province South Chungcheong Province ( ko, 충청남도, ''Chungcheongnam-do''), also known as Chungnam, is a province of South Korea. South Chungcheong has a population of 2,059,871 (2014) and has a geographic area of 8,204 km2 (3,168 sq mi) located in ...
. This was followed by non-active duty as a public service worker at Seoul City Research Institute of Public Health and Environment. He was discharged on November 12, 2012. On the day of his release, his agency uploaded a three minutes
YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
clip of him in various locations throughout the city, titled "Gang Dong-won in a Day."


2013–present: Return to acting

In 2013, Gang appeared in ''The X'', a 30-minute spy thriller directed by
Kim Jee-woon Kim Jee-woon (; born July 6, 1964) is a South Korean film director and screenwriter. Career Kim started out directing theater but has worked with increasing levels of success in cinema, showing accomplished acting and a detailed stylization in ...
. In 2014, Gang returned to the big screen in
Yoon Jong-bin Yoon Jong-bin (; born December 20, 1979) is a South Korean film director. Career Yoon Jong-bin's Chung-Ang University graduation thesis film was '' The Unforgiven'', which portrayed masculine codes in the Korean military with honesty and sensit ...
's period action film '' Kundo: Age of the Rampant'', playing an illegitimate nobleman's son who attempts to destroy a group of ''
Robin Hood Robin Hood is a legendary heroic outlaw originally depicted in English folklore and subsequently featured in literature and film. According to legend, he was a highly skilled archer and swordsman. In some versions of the legend, he is depic ...
''-like outlaws in 19th century
Joseon Dynasty Joseon (; ; Middle Korean: 됴ᇢ〯션〮 Dyǒw syéon or 됴ᇢ〯션〯 Dyǒw syěon), officially the Great Joseon (; ), was the last dynastic kingdom of Korea, lasting just over 500 years. It was founded by Yi Seong-gye in July 1392 and re ...
. He next starred in ''
My Brilliant Life ''My Brilliant Life'' () is a 2014 South Korean drama film starring Song Hye-kyo and Gang Dong-won. It was co-written and directed by E J-yong based on the 2011 novel ''My Palpitating Life'' by Kim Ae-ran. ''My Brilliant Life'' won the Third Plac ...
'',
E J-yong E J-yong (; born September 5, 1966) is a South Korean film director and screenwriter. His feature films include ''An Affair'' (1998), ''Untold Scandal'' (2003), ''Dasepo Naughty Girls'' (2006), and ''Actresses'' (2009). Early life E J-yong (his ...
's film adaptation of
Kim Aeran Ae-ran Kim (the romanization preferred by the author, according to literary agency) (; born 1980) is a South Korean writer.
's bestselling novel ''My Palpitating Life'' about a couple who must watch their son suffering from
progeria Progeria is a specific type of progeroid syndrome, also known as Hutchinson–Gilford syndrome. A single gene mutation is responsible for progeria. The gene, known as lamin A (LMNA), makes a protein necessary for holding the Nucleus of the cell ...
grow prematurely old. In 2015, Gang reunited with ''Jeon Woo-chi'' co-star
Kim Yoon-seok Kim Yoon-seok (born January 21, 1967) is a South Korean actor, film director and screenwriter. Kim began his career in theater and it subsequently led him to be cast in minor roles in films and television dramas. His breakout role came as the vi ...
in Jang Jae-hyun's mystery thriller '' The Priests''. In 2016, Gang played a young con artist in the crime film ''
A Violent Prosecutor ''A Violent Prosecutor'' is a 2016 South Korean crime film directed by Lee Il-hyung, produced by Guk Su Ran and starring Hwang Jung-min, Kang Dong-won, Lee Sung-min and Park Sung-woong. It was released in South Korea on February 3, 2016 by Showb ...
'' directed by
Lee Il-hyung Lee Il-hyung is a South Korean film director and screenwriter. Prior to directing his first feature film ''A Violent Prosecutor'' (2016), Lee is an assistant director on films, such as ''The Moonlight of Seoul'' (2008), ''My Way'' (2011) and '' ...
, which became the second highest grossing Korean film of 2016. He also starred in
Um Tae-hwa Um Tae-hwa (born 1980) is a South Korean film director and screenwriter. Um's directorial feature debut ''Ingtoogi: The Battle of Internet Trolls'' (2013)—a graduation project for the Korean Academy of Film Arts (KAFA)—was nominated for Be ...
's fantasy film '' Vanishing Time: A Boy Who Returned'' and
Cho Ui-seok Cho Ui-seok (born January 1, 1976) is a South Korean film director and screenwriter. Career Cho made his debut with the action comedy ''Make It Big'' (2002). His third feature is the thriller ''Cold Eyes'' (2013). His fourth film was the star ...
's financial thriller film ''
Master Master or masters may refer to: Ranks or titles * Ascended master, a term used in the Theosophical religious tradition to refer to spiritually enlightened beings who in past incarnations were ordinary humans *Grandmaster (chess), National Master ...
'' together with
Lee Byung-hun Lee Byung-hun (; born July 12, 1970) is a South Korean actor. He has received critical acclaim for his work in a wide range of genres, most notably ''Joint Security Area'' (2000); ''A Bittersweet Life'' (2005); ''The Good, the Bad, the Weird'' ...
and
Kim Woo-bin Kim Woo-bin (born Kim Hyun-joong on July 16, 1989) is a South Korean actor and model. He began his career as a runway model and made his acting debut in the television drama ''White Christmas (TV series), White Christmas''. He subsequently gaine ...
. After ending the contract with United Artist Agency, Gang signed with a new agency,
YG Entertainment YG Entertainment Inc. () is a South Korean multinational entertainment agency established in 1996 by Yang Hyun-suk. The company operates as a record label, talent agency, music production company, event management and concert production compa ...
in January 2016. In 2017, Gang made a special appearance as Yi Han-yeol in
Jang Joon-hwan Jang Joon-hwan (born January 18, 1970) is a South Korean film director. Life and career A graduate of Sungkyunkwan University, Jang's first directing job was on the 1994 short film ''2001 Imagine''. His feature-length debut was the science fict ...
's historical film '' 1987: When the Day Comes''. In 2018, Gang played a delivery man framed for the assassination of a politician in Noh Dong-seok's thriller ''
Golden Slumber ''Golden Slumber'' is a 2018 South Korean action thriller film directed by Noh Dong-seok, starring Gang Dong-won, Kim Eui-sung, Kim Sung-kyun, Kim Dae-myung, Han Hyo-joo and Yoon Kye-sang. It is based on the 2007 Japanese novel of the same name wr ...
'', based on Isaka Kotaro's novel of the same name. His next project was
Kim Jee-woon Kim Jee-woon (; born July 6, 1964) is a South Korean film director and screenwriter. Career Kim started out directing theater but has worked with increasing levels of success in cinema, showing accomplished acting and a detailed stylization in ...
's science fiction action thriller '' Illang: The Wolf Brigade'', which is a film adaption based on '' Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade'', a Japanese
animated Animation is a method by which still figures are manipulated to appear as moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited on film. Today, most anim ...
thriller. In 2020, Gang starred in the
Yeon Sang-ho Yeon Sang-ho (born 25 December 1978) is a South Korean film director and screenwriter. He gained international popularity for working his Adult animation, adult animated films ''The King of Pigs'' (2011) and ''The Fake (2013 film), The Fake'' ( ...
's horror-action-thriller ''
Peninsula A peninsula (; ) is a landform that extends from a mainland and is surrounded by water on most, but not all of its borders. A peninsula is also sometimes defined as a piece of land bordered by water on three of its sides. Peninsulas exist on all ...
'', a standalone sequel to 2016 hit ''
Train to Busan ''Train to Busan'' () is a 2016 South Korean action horror film directed by Yeon Sang-ho and starring Gong Yoo, Jung Yu-mi, Ma Dong-seok, Kim Su-an, Choi Woo-shik, Ahn So-hee, and Kim Eui-sung. The film mostly takes place on a high-speed train ...
''. He then starred in the
Hirokazu Kore-eda is a Japanese film director, producer, screenwriter, and editor. He began his career in television and has since directed more than a dozen feature films, including '' Nobody Knows'' (2004), '' Still Walking'' (2008), and '' After the Storm'' ( ...
's film ''
Broker A broker is a person or firm who arranges transactions between a buyer and a seller for a commission when the deal is executed. A broker who also acts as a seller or as a buyer becomes a principal party to the deal. Neither role should be confu ...
'' where he played the role of Dong-soo–a man who was abandoned by parents, and now sells abandoned babies with his friend played by
Song Kang-ho Song Kang-ho (born January 17, 1967) is a South Korean actor. Song made his film debut in ''The Day a Pig Fell into the Well'' (1996), and came to national prominence with a series of critically acclaimed performances, including ''No. 3'' (1997) ...
. The film competed for
Palme d'Or The Palme d'Or (; en, Golden Palm) is the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival. It was introduced in 1955 by the festival's organizing committee. Previously, from 1939 to 1954, the festival's highest prize was the Grand Prix du Fe ...
at
2022 Cannes Film Festival The 75th annual Cannes Film Festival is an upcoming film festival scheduled to take place from 17 to 28 May 2022. The festival will see a tribute to actor Tom Cruise, whose film '' Top Gun: Maverick'' is due to premiere at the festival. The off ...
.


Controversy

In March 2017, a user of movie website Max Movie uploaded a list of currently active movie actors who are descendants of pro-Japanese collaborators, and listed Gang. His maternal great-grandfather Lee Jong-man (1885–1977) is listed in the pro-Japanese biographical dictionary, having been involved in mining business during the Japanese colonial rule and donating to the Japanese army. Because of the revelation, Gang issued a public apology, and cancelled his scheduled recording for '' Vanishing Time: A Boy Who Returned'' commentary.


Endorsements

In May 2022, Gang was selected as House ambassador for French luxury brand
Louis Vuitton Louis Vuitton Malletier, commonly known as Louis Vuitton (, ), is a French high-end Luxury goods, luxury fashion house and company founded in 1854 by Louis Vuitton (designer), Louis Vuitton. The label's LV monogram appears on most of its produc ...
.


Filmography


Film


Television series


Music video appearances


Discography


Awards and nominations


Listicles


References


External links

* * * *
Gang Dong-won Japan Official Fanclub

Gang Dong-won
a
Naver Movie

Gang Dong-won
a
Daum Movie
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gang, Dong-won Male actors from Busan South Korean male film actors South Korean male television actors South Korean male models Hanyang University alumni 1981 births Living people 21st-century South Korean male actors YG Entertainment artists