Kang Hye-jung is a South Korean actress who is best known for her roles in the films ‘Love Phobia’ and ‘Girlfriends’. Kang began her career as a model and later ventured into film, beginning with 2000’s ‘Flush’. She gained widespread recognition following the release of her second film, ‘Nabi’. From there, she progressed to starring roles in films and television dramas, eventually becoming one of South Korea’s most popular actresses. While her biggest claim to fame remains ‘Oldboy,’ the film that went on to achieve international success, she has won numerous awards for her other films as well. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her roles in ‘Herb’ and ‘Rules of Dating’. Simultaneously, she earned numerous awards and nominations for her television dramas. She occasionally appears in music videos and remains open to new challenges. She appeared in several music videos, including ‘Lonely Street Lights,’ ‘I Loved You to Death,’ and ‘As I Look into the Mirror.’ She also takes care to avoid being typecast by carefully selecting her roles.
Childhood & Adolescence
Kang Hye-jung was born on 4 January 1982 in Incheon, South Korea. Always on the lookout for the less traveled path, she was aware of her destiny. She never gave up her dream of a career in show business, despite numerous tense confrontations with her parents. She began performing in theatres during her middle school years and continued honing her skills in order to prepare for a career in the film industry.
She began modeling during her senior year of high school and was already appearing in numerous commercials and magazines by her second year. She even appeared in the music video for the song ‘Time’ while still in high school, and this, along with a number of her previous appearances, helped her gain insight into her profession and the way the industry worked.
After completing her education, she moved to Seoul and enrolled in the Seoul Institute of Arts, where she studied theatre and received professional training in the performing arts. However, she had already begun her career by the time she earned her bachelor’s degree.
Career of Kang
She began her career in 2000 with numerous small roles in sitcoms such as ‘Jump’ and ‘NonStop 3’. She also appeared in a short film titled ‘Flush’. It was the start of her career, and she was still fairly inexperienced and naive. Her adorable looks helped her land some small roles, but she quickly established her acting chops in the roles she landed.
2001’s low-budget science fiction film ‘Nabi’ launched her career, and she caught the attention of one of South Korea’s most prolific filmmakers, ParkChan-wook, who then offered her a key role in the film ‘Oldboy’. She won the Best Actress Award at the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival, which helped her capture the attention of director Park, who was himself a novice at the time.
‘Oldboy’ was released in 2002, and Kang starred as Mi-do, the film’s female lead. Her character develops feelings for a complete stranger and assists him in locating the man who imprisoned him 15 years ago. The film, which is now considered a modern classic, was a smash hit both domestically and internationally, and gave Kang tremendous exposure. She was recognized for her portrayal of a vulnerable young girl at the Grand Bell Awards and the Busan Film Critics Association.
2005 was the busiest and most successful year of her career, with appearances in five consecutive films. Among them was the third installment of director Park Chan-vengeance wook’s trilogy.
In 2005, she emerged from her ‘Oldboy’ phase, starring in the relationship drama ‘Rules of Dating’. The small-budget film was not expected to do well at the box office, but it became a surprise hit. ‘Welcome to Dongmakgol’ was also released that year, and despite her small role, she received widespread praise, and the film went on to become one of the year’s highest grossing films. According to a 2005 survey, she was the most bankable film star at the time.
In 2007, she returned to meatier roles with ‘Herb,’ in which she starred as a physically challenged girl. She was nominated for the Best Actress Award at that year’s Korean Film Awards for her performance.
To improve her image, she then shifted her focus to romantic comedies, appearing in ‘Why Did You Come to My House?’ in 2009 and then starring as a depressed woman in ‘Kiss Me, Kill Me’. Her character hires an assassin to kill someone after she is unable to do so herself, but the assassin falls in love with her.
Meanwhile, she continued to appear on the small screen on a sporadic basis, starring in series such as ‘On Air’, ‘Nonstop3’, and ‘Miss Ripley’.
In 2010, she starred in her first English-language film, ‘Wedding Palace’. She starred in the film, which was a critical and commercial success. The film was eventually screened at the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival and won several awards at the 2011 Cine Gear Expo.
Following that, she starred in the romantic comedy television series ‘The Wedding Scheme.’ She then appeared in an extended role as herself in the reality show ‘The Return of Superman’ the following year.
In 2014, she starred in the comedy family drama ‘How to Steal a Dog,’ and the following year, she made her theatrical debut in the play ‘Educating Rita.’ She portrayed Susan, an English literature student, in it.
She also dabbled in songwriting, as she was credited with penning the lyrics for Bobby Kim’s song ‘Good Thing.’
Additionally, she appeared in the mockumentary ‘Behind the Camera’. In 2017, she starred in the science fiction thriller ‘Lucid Dream,’ which had a global premiere on Netflix, a digital video streaming service. She anticipates the release of two additional films in 2017, titled ‘My Wife’ and ‘The Man Only I Can See’.
Private Life of Kang
Kang Hye-jung first met musician Tablo at one of his performances. After a lengthy courtship, the couple married in October 2009. Kang was three months pregnant at the time of their marriage and gave birth to a daughter named Haru in October 2010. Additionally, the couple is regarded as one of the most prominent couples in South Korean show business.
Additionally, she is one of the few South Korean actresses who has admitted to undergoing plastic surgery to enhance her appearance.
Estimated Net Worth
Kang Hye-jung is one of the wealthiest and most popular Movie Actresses. Kang Hye-net jung’s worth is estimated to be around $5 million, based on our analysis of Wikipedia, Forbes, and Business Insider.