# Jang Dong-gun

Jang Dong-gun (born March 7, 1972) is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his leading roles in the films Friend (2001) and Taegukgi: The Brotherhood of War (2004). Jang is one of the highest-paid actors and celebrity endorsers in Korea, consistently topping surveys by industry insiders of most bankable stars.

## Early life

Jang Dong-gun spent his childhood in Yongsan District, Seoul, and later went on to study at the Korea National University of Arts School of Drama, though he dropped out before obtaining a degree.

## Career
### 1992–2003: Beginnings and breakout

Jang first entered the entertainment world in a talent contest in 1992. He began by acting in TV dramas such as Iljimae, The Last Match, co-starring Shim Eun-ha, and he eventually made his film debut in Repechage (1997) together with Kim Hee-sun.
By the late 1990s he had become quite popular in Korea, but he also became one of the first Korean stars to garner a fan following in other parts of Asia, after several of his TV dramas were screened there in the late nineties. In 1999, after acting in the critically acclaimed Nowhere to Hide as Park Joong-hoon's younger partner, Jang moved on to star in a feature that was filmed on location in Shanghai. Titled Anarchists, this tale of five young terrorists from 1930s China helped to elevate his status even further.
Jang's breakout came in early 2001 in Friend, which smashed the box office record set by Shiri to become (at the time) the biggest Korean film of all time. After playing the nice guy in almost all his previous roles, this portrayal of a tough-talking gangster from Busan led him to local stardom. The following year he starred in the popular action blockbuster 2009 Lost Memories set in a futuristic Great Japan, and appeared in the low-budget film The Coast Guard by controversial director Kim Ki-duk.

### 2004–2011: Overseas popularity and Hollywood debut

In 2004, Jang took the lead role in Kang Je-gyu's Taegukgi, an epic film about two brothers set during the Korean War. The film broke Friend's record with an astounding 11 million tickets sold. By this time, Jang's name had become known widely throughout Asia.
Jang followed this up with The Promise, a $30 million pan-Asian production by Chinese director Chen Kaige in which he played opposite Hong Kong star Cecilia Cheung. Meanwhile, he was cast in Typhoon as a modern-day pirate who has been betrayed by both North and South Korea. Directed by Friend's Kwak Kyung-taek, Typhoon set a new record in 2005 for the highest production budget in Korean film history at $15 million.
For the next four years, Jang kept a low profile in the Korean entertainment sphere as he worked on his Hollywood debut The Warrior's Way, also starring Kate Bosworth and Geoffrey Rush. The film encountered problems with post-production and distribution, and was only released in 2010.
He returned to the silver screen in 2009 as the nation's youngest (and most eligible) head of state in Jang Jin's comedy Good Morning, President.
He reunited with director Kang Je-gyu in My Way, a film set during World War II based on the true story of a Korean soldier who is drafted by the Japanese army and eventually is present at the Battle of Normandy. A large-scale, ambitious pan-Asian collaboration co-starring Japanese actor Joe Odagiri and Chinese actress Fan Bingbing, My Way was the most expensive Korean movie to date (with an estimated budget of ₩28 billion), But despite being simultaneously released in Korea and Japan in December 2011, the film flopped at the box office.

### 2012–present: Return to television

Jang made his highly anticipated return to television dramas in A Gentleman's Dignity, saying he was drawn to the romantic comedy tale of 40-something-year-old men struggling to grow up and mend and forge lasting relationships. After the series ended, Jang and co-star Kim Min-jong visited refugees in the Republic of the Congo on a mission trip sponsored by UNICEF, UNHCR and World Food Programme. It was televised on SBS documentary program Hope TV.
His 2012 film Dangerous Liaisons was a Chinese adaptation of the French literature classic set in 1930s Shanghai, directed by Hur Jin-ho and co-starring Zhang Ziyi and Cecilia Cheung.
Jang next starred in No Tears for the Dead, an action thriller directed by Lee Jeong-beom. He played a Korean-born American hitman who feels conflicted about killing his last target (played by Kim Min-hee).
In 2015, Jang was cast in the film Seven Years of Night, a revenge thriller based on the novel of the same name by Jung Yoo-jung. He plays a character who takes revenge on his daughter's murderer, by killing his son. The film premiered in 2018.
In 2016, Jang was cast in his first Chinese drama, Once Loved You Distressed Forever alongside actress Tang Yixin. He was then cast in the espionage noir thriller VIP, which premiered in 2017.
Jang returned to the small screen after five years, starring in the Korean remake of the popular American legal drama series Suits (2018). The same year, Jung starred in Kim Sung-hoon's period zombie action film Rampant alongside close friend Hyun Bin.
In 2019, Jang starred in the fantasy historical drama Arthdal Chronicles.

## Personal life

Jang is a practicing Buddhist, having first explored Buddhist reading while hospitalized in high school, after undergoing chest surgery.
He enjoys playing baseball and is a member of the celebrity amateur baseball team "Playboys" with Lee Jong-hyuk, Hyun Bin, Kim Seung-woo, Hwang Jung-min, Ji Jin-hee, and other actors.

### Relationship and marriage

The famously private actor surprised the country in November 2009 when he went public with his two-year romance with Ko So-young. Since co-starring together in the 1999 film Love Wind Love Song, rumors about Jang and Ko had spread several times in the past, but both had consistently denied them. The announcement immediately sparked speculation of an impending marriage although it wasn't until March 2010 that Jang officially told his fans at a fan meeting that he would be marrying Ko in May. After months of media frenzy leading up to their nuptials, the two tied the knot on May 2, 2010 in an extravagant wedding ceremony at Seoul's Shilla Hotel which was attended by their A-list celebrity friends, reporters and fans from around the world.
Their son, Jang Min-joon, was born on October 4, 2010. Their second child, a daughter, was born on February 25, 2014.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1997 | Repechage | Min-gyu | |
| 1997 | Holiday In Seoul | Taxi driver | |
| 1998 | First Kiss | Actor | Cameo |
| 1999 | Love Wind Love Song | Tae-hee | |
| 1999 | Nowhere to Hide | Detective Kim | |
| 2000 | Anarchists | Sergei | |
| 2001 | Friend | Han Dong-su | |
| 2002 | 2009: Lost Memories | Masayuki Sakamoto | |
| 2002 | The Coast Guard | Private Kang | |
| 2004 | Taegukgi: The Brotherhood of War | Lee Jin-tae | |
| 2005 | Typhoon | Sin | |
| 2005 | The Promise | Kunlun | Chinese production |
| 2009 | Good Morning, President | Cha Ji-wook | |
| 2010 | The Warrior's Way | Yang | International co-production |
| 2011 | My Way | Kim Jun-sik | |
| 2012 | Dangerous Liaisons | Xie Yifan | Chinese production |
| 2014 | No Tears for the Dead | Gon | |
| 2017 | V.I.P. | Park Jae-hyuk | |
| 2018 | Seven Years of Night | Young-je | |
| 2018 | Rampant | Kim Ja-joon | |
| 2023 | A Normal Family | Jae-gyu | |
| TBA | Tropical Night | Baek Do-jun | |

### Television series

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1992 | Our Heaven | | |
| 1993 | Iljimae | Iljimae | |
| 1994 | The Last Match | Yoon Chul-jun | |
| 1996 | Icing | Yoon Chan | |
| 1997 | Medical Brothers | Kim Su-hyung | |
| 1997 | Model | Lee Jung | |
| 1997 | Myth of a Hero | Kim Tae-woo | |
| 1998 | Ready Go! | Shin Ji-soo | |
| 1998 | Love | Jung In-ha | |
| 1999 | Springtime [ko] | Kang Hyun-woo | |
| 1999 | Ghost | Jang Dae-hyup | |
| 2000 | All About Eve | Yoon Hyung-chul | |
| 2012 | A Gentleman's Dignity | Kim Do-jin | |
| 2018 | Suits | Choi Kyung-seo | |
| 2019–2023 | Arthdal Chronicles | Ta Gon | Season 1–2 |

### Television shows

| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
| 2022 | Back to the Books | Host | Season 2 | |

## Discography

| Album information | Track listing |
| 너에게로 가는 길 Track from Our Heaven OST Released: March 1, 1993 Label: 킹 | Track listing 5. 너에게로 가는 길 - Jang Dong-gun |
| With Justice And Peace For All Album Artist: Jang Dong-gun Released: June 1993 Label: 킹 | Track listing 우리들의 천국(Main Theme) 너에게로 가는 길(주제곡) 처음느낀 너 내 안에 있는 너 우리들의 천국(Love Theme) 고독 그리고 나 너에게로 가는 길(Remake Dance) 구름과 나 우정 Happy Ending |
| Friendship Album Artists: Jang Dong-gun and Jeon Cheol Released: June 1994 Label: Asia (Shinchon Music) | Track listing 그대가 있기에 나의 친구 너에겐 너무 미안해 늘 푸르른 소나무 처럼 사랑한다는 이유만으로 슬픈추억 이제 난 알아 조금씩 |
| 飛翔 (Flying) Album Artist: Jang Dong-gun Released: October 1995 Label: Seoul Records | Track listing 프롤로그-소중한 너에게 슬픈 발라드 나만의 착각 SHE SAID 'GOOD BYE' 연인에게 부킹 에덴의 저편 바람둥이 밤은 깊은데 사랑을 내곁에 |
| Bon Seung & Dong Gun Album Artists: Goo Bon-seung and Jang Dong-gun Released: February 12, 1998 Label: Doremi | Track listing Bach & Andante 풍경 Love Song (Piano Version) 불멸의 사랑 동거 Remember Love Song(Full Version) Bach & Adagio Remember 정말 그러길 바랄께 내안에 있는 너 풍경 Repeat 풍경 Repeat & B.T |
| 정말 그러길 바랄께 Track from Dong Gam: Sympathy 1970~2001. June Released: June 22, 2001 Label: One Entertainment (Sony Music Korea) | Track listing Disc 1 - 1. 정말 그러길 바랄께 - Jang Dong-gun |
| 과거는 흘러갔다 (From Film) Track from The Coast Guard OST Released: November 13, 2002 Label: DreamBeat | Track listing 9. 과거는 흘러갔다 (From Film) - Jang Dong-gun |
| We Online: Actor's Choice Single Released: March 5, 2010 Label: A&G Modes | Track listing 우리 (We) - Gong Hyung-jin, Kim Seung-woo, Lee Ha-na, Jang Dong-gun, Ji Jin-hee, Hwang Jung-min 우리 (We) (Inst.) |
| 나보다 더 (More Than Me) Single from A Gentleman's Dignity OST 2 Released: July 27, 2012 Label: CJ E&M | Track listing 1. 나보다 더 (More Than Me) - Jang Dong-gun |

## Awards and nominations

Year presented, name of the award ceremony, award category, nominated work and the result of the nomination :
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result |
| 1993 | MBC Drama Awards | Best New Actor | Iljimae | Nominated |
| 1994 | 30th Baeksang Arts Awards | Best New Actor (TV) | The Last Match | Won |
| 1997 | 18th Blue Dragon Film Awards | Best New Actor | Repechage | Won |
| 1997 | 33rd Baeksang Arts Awards | Most Popular Actor (TV) | Medical Brothers | Won |
| 1997 | MBC Drama Awards | Top Excellence Award, Actor | Medical Brothers | Won |
| 1999 | 20th Blue Dragon Film Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Nowhere to Hide | Won |
| 2000 | 37th Grand Bell Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Nowhere to Hide | Nominated |
| 2000 | 21st Blue Dragon Film Awards | Popular Star Award | Anarchists | Won |
| 2000 | MBC Drama Awards | Top Excellence Award, Actor | All About Eve | Nominated |
| 2001 | 46th Asia-Pacific Film Festival | Best Supporting Actor | Friend | Won |
| 2001 | 22nd Blue Dragon Film Awards | Popular Star Award | Friend | Won |
| 2001 | 22nd Blue Dragon Film Awards | Best Actor | Friend | Nominated |
| 2002 | 23rd Blue Dragon Film Awards | Best Actor | The Coast Guard | Nominated |
| 2003 | 40th Grand Bell Awards | Best Actor | The Coast Guard | Nominated |
| 2003 | 2nd Korean Film Awards | Best Actor | The Coast Guard | Nominated |
| 2004 | 40th Baeksang Arts Awards | Best Actor (Film) | Taegukgi: The Brotherhood of War | Nominated |
| 2004 | 41st Grand Bell Awards | Best Actor | Taegukgi: The Brotherhood of War | Nominated |
| 2004 | 25th Blue Dragon Film Awards | Best Actor | Taegukgi: The Brotherhood of War | Won |
| 2005 | 2nd Max Movie Awards | Best Actor | Taegukgi: The Brotherhood of War | Won |
| 2006 | 43rd Grand Bell Awards | Best Actor | Typhoon | Nominated |
| 2007 | 15th Chunsa Film Art Awards | Hallyu Arts Award | — | Won |
| 2007 | Korea TV Advertising Festival | Best Couple Award (with Soo Ae) | — | Won |
| 2007 | Korean Entertainment Industry Society | Star (Movie) Award | — | Won |
| 2009 | 46th Savings Day | President's Commendation | — | Won |
| 2009 | 30th Blue Dragon Film Awards | Best Actor | Good Morning, President | Nominated |
| 2012 | 5th Style Icon Awards | Top 10 Style Icons | — | Won |
| 2012 | 5th Style Icon Awards | Style Icon of the Year | — | Won |
| 2012 | SBS Drama Awards | Top 10 Stars | A Gentleman's Dignity | Won |
| 2012 | SBS Drama Awards | Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Weekend/Serial Drama | A Gentleman's Dignity | Won |
| 2017 | 5th Marie Claire Asia Star Awards | Actor of the Year | V.I.P. | Won |
| 2018 | 2018 Korea Best Star Awards | Best Actor | Seven Years of Night | Won |
| 2018 | KBS Drama Awards | Top Excellence Award, Actor | Suits | Nominated |
| 2018 | KBS Drama Awards | Excellence Award, Actor in a Miniseries | Suits | Won |
| 2019 | 4th Asia Artist Awards | Grand Prize (Daesang) | Arthdal Chronicles | Won |
| 2025 | 18th Asian Film Awards | Excellence in Asian Cinema Award | — | Honored |

### Listicles

Name of publisher, year listed, name of listicle, and placement :
| Publisher | Year | Listicle | Placement |
| Forbes | 2010 | Korea Power Celebrity 40 | 34th |
| Forbes | 2011 | Korea Power Celebrity 40 | 25th |
| Forbes | 2014 | Korea Power Celebrity 40 | 37th |