At the rate the K-pop and K-drama industries are growing these days, we’re perpetually spoilt for choice when it comes to finding a new Korean oppa to stan. In the late 2000s, though, it was a whole different ballgame. Jang Keun-suk, or Jang Geun-suk, was one of the few leading men from that era who garnered leagues of fans across Asia, thanks to his many talents.
The now-37-year-old Korean actor, singer, and idol has enjoyed long-lasting success since his debut in 1997, with a career that has evolved several times over. Last we saw the acclaimed ‘Prince of Asia’, he was building his social media presence as a surprise contestant on Netflix’s The Influencer.
If you’re curious about who Jang Keun-suk is, read on to find out more about him.
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Many Hallyu celebrities make their debuts in their early 20s, but that’s not the case for Keun-suk. His acting debut on Happiness Is For Sale Too at the age of 10, and he has consistently starred in dramas since.
Keun-suk’s filmography is impressive, spannings films, dramas, reality shows, and even web series. The 2009 drama, You’re Beautiful, was his official big break, taking the actor from a local star to a regional heartthrob.
In You’re Beautiful, Keun-suk plays Hwang Tae-Kyung, the leader of a fake K-pop band, A.N.J.E.L. He’s arrogant and has a too-good-for-you attitude that is eventually assuaged when he falls in love with the female heroine, Ko Mi-nyeo. The series had a huge cultural impact despite mediocre broadcast ratings in Korea. It became a huge sensation in Japan, which cemented Keun-suk’s huge fanbase there.
Keun-suk’s fame in Japan continued to grow after You’re Beautiful, skyrocketing in 2012 with the hit drama, Love Rain.
To bank on his popularity, the Japanese government made exclusive commemorative stamps with Keun-suk’s photos on them. He is the first Korean artist to ever receive such an honour.
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Keun-suk is obviously Korean, but he can also speak Japanese and English. He has released several Japanese language albums, and has made original soundtracks for Jpaanese movies and dramas.
He is also fluent in English, having been educated in New Zealand. In 2009, he also starred as the villain in The Case of Itaewon Homicide, and spoke English throughout the film.
As lucrative and successful as Keun-suk’s career has been, it’s not without its downs. In 2015, he was involved in a tax evasion scandal, where the national tax board found discrepancies between his reported and earned income from his overseas activities.
Keun-suk’s agency stepped forward to share that the discrepancies were due to an error on their part, and not the actor’s fault, nor was it an attempt to evade taxes. Still, his career in Korea suffered quite a hit, and he went on hiatus for a year.
In 2018, when Keun-suk was enlisted for mandatory military service, it was revealed that he was classified as ineligible for active duty due to his bipolar disorder, which causes mood swings. Keun-suk agency revealed that he has been diagnosed since 2011.
In what seemed like a nod to his fan-given ‘Prince of Asia’ title, the South Korean government appointed Jang Keun-suk as an ambassador to the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics.
He filmed a promotional video in English for the occasion as well.
Keun-suk has a legacy of supporting a wide variety of charitable events, especially in Asia. From donating billions of Korean won to his alma mater to helping a Mongolian teenager pay for her cancer treatment, Keun-suk is as generous as he is famous.
Most recently, he donated ₩100M (~S$98,020) to help relief efforts after the Turkey-Syria earthquake.
If you watched the recent hit Netflix reality TV series, The Influencer, you would’ve seen Keun-suk as a surprise contestant. The acclaimed actor said that he was on the show, despite already having an established career, because he’s new to the influencing scene.
He’s trying to build his presence on his YouTube channel, where he posts vlogs. Currently, the channel has 156,000 followers.
In a recent YouTube video, Keun-suk revealed shocking news that he has been undergoing a battle with thyroid cancer for almost a year now, hiding the news from his fans as he didn’t want them to worry.
In the same video, he mentions that he has since undergone surgery, which was successful, and that he is recovering well.
Here’s wishing Jang Keun-suk a speedy recovery, and we hope to see him on our screens again soon.
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