Jang Keun-suk facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jang Keun-suk
Jang in 2011
Born	(1987-08-04) August 4, 1987 (age 37) Seoul, South Korea
Education	Hanyang University
Occupation	Singer actor director
Years active	1992–present
Agent	CRAFT_42 Entertainment
Korean name
Hangul	장근석
Hanja	張根碩
Revised Romanization	Jang Keun-seok
McCune–Reischauer	Chang Kŭnsŏk

Jang Keun-suk (Hangul: 장근석; Hanja: 張根碩) is a famous South Korean singer and actor. He is well-known for his roles in many popular Korean TV shows. Some of his most loved dramas include Beethoven Virus (2008), You're Beautiful (2009), Mary Stayed Out All Night (2010), and Love Rain (2012). He has also released many successful songs in Japan.

Early life and first steps

Jang Keun-suk started his career very young. When he was just five years old, a talent agent discovered him. This happened when his parents were selling their house. The agent saw Jang and thought he had great potential. The agent then suggested to Jang's parents that he try modeling.

When he was in junior high school, Jang went to New Zealand to study. He attended Nelson College in 2003. There, he worked on learning both English and Japanese.

Becoming an actor

Starting out as a child star

Jang Keun-suk began acting in 1997 in a TV show called Selling Happiness. After that, he kept working in television as a child actor. While he was studying in New Zealand, he got a role in a popular TV show called Nonstop 4. This role brought him back to South Korea.

First big roles (2005–2008)

In 2005, Jang played the president's son in the TV drama Lovers in Prague. The next year, 2006, he acted in his first movie. It was a Japanese horror film called One Missed Call: Final. In this movie, he played a deaf boy. He then appeared in the historical drama Hwang Jini. He played the first love of the main character, Hwang Jini.

In 2007, Jang was in a movie about rock music called The Happy Life. He also helped host a weekly live music show called Inkigayo on SBS.

By 2008, Jang acted in two more music-themed projects. These were the film Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti Do and the drama Beethoven Virus. In Beethoven Virus, he played a trumpet player in an orchestra. He also starred in the drama Hong Gil-dong. Later, he acted with a baby in the movie Baby and I.

Becoming famous worldwide (2009–2013)

Jang became much more famous after starring in You're Beautiful in 2009. In this show, he played the leader of a fictional K-pop band. His character falls in love with a girl who is pretending to be her twin brother. This TV series became very popular and was a big hit in Japan.

In the same year, he took on a different kind of role in the thriller movie The Case of Itaewon Homicide. He spoke all his lines in English for this film. Critics praised his performance.

In 2010, he starred in the romantic comedy Mary Stayed Out All Night. After that, he was in another romantic comedy film, You're My Pet. In this movie, a younger man becomes the "pet" of a career woman. In 2011, Jang also starred in a short film called Budapest Diary. He even helped write and choose locations for the film.

Jang then worked on the drama series Love Rain in 2012. In this show, he and his co-star played two different characters, one in the 1970s and another in 2012. This drama was very popular overseas. It was sold to Japan for a lot of money, partly because Jang was so famous.

In 2013, Jang starred in another TV series based on a comic book, Bel Ami.

New challenges and comeback (2015–present)

In 2015, Jang had a small break from acting in Korea. This was due to a misunderstanding about taxes, which was later cleared up. During this time, he focused more on activities outside Korea.

That same year, Jang tried something new. He directed his first short film called Camp. He was involved in planning and directing the film. It was filmed on Jeju Island and became very popular in Japan.

Jang said he wanted to be recognized as an actor in Korea again. He planned to choose many different types of movies and TV shows for 2016.

He made a successful return in 2016 by hosting Produce 101. This was a music show where 101 girls competed to become K-pop idols. He helped introduce the show to viewers and made it exciting.

Jang then starred in the historical drama The Royal Gambler. In this show, he played a gambler who challenges the King. This role helped him show a different side of his acting. It helped him move past his "pretty boy" image. In the same year, Jang directed another short film called The Great Legacy. This film was shown at a film festival.

In 2017, Jang was cast in a film called Human, Space, Time and Human. In 2018, he returned to TV with the drama Switch - Change the World. In this show, he played two different characters: a prosecutor and a con artist.

Music career

Jang Keun-suk is also a talented singer. His first song as a singer, "Let Me Cry," was released in Japan in April 2011. This song immediately went to number 1 on Japan's music charts! He was the first non-Japanese artist to have his first song debut at number 1. This earned him an award for Best New Artist in Japan.

In September 2011, Jang formed a music group called Team H with Big Brother. They released their first album, The Lounge H Vol.1, in many Asian countries. This album sold so well that it reached "platinum" sales. Team H later won awards for Best Selling Album and Best Korean Album in Hong Kong.

In March 2012, Team H released another album called Lounge H (The First Impression) in Japan. It had ten songs with rock and electronic music.

In May 2012, Jang released his first full-length Japanese album, Just Crazy. It also debuted at number 1 on the Japanese charts. Jang became the first male artist to top the Oricon Weekly Chart with a debut album. He then went on his second Asia tour to promote the album.

In February 2013, Team H released their third album, I Just Wanna Have Fun. They also held their first concert tour in Japan and other countries.

In May 2013, Jang released his second Japanese album, Nature Boy. It included a song he wrote himself called "Love Letter." This album also topped the Oricon Daily Chart. From 2013 to 2014, Jang went on a concert tour across Japan.

In 2014, Team H released another album called Driving to the Highway. They then went on a concert tour in Japan.

In February 2015, Jang released his third solo album, Monochrome. This album was released to celebrate his fifth anniversary in Japan. He also started a concert tour called "Jang Keun Suk The Cri Show 3" all over Japan. All the tickets for his 16 concerts were sold out!

In September 2015, Jang held his first solo concert in Korea in three years. He also had concerts in Shanghai and Japan later that year.

In August 2016, Jang released a new Japanese song called "Darling, Darling." He then started his Asia tour, "It's Show Time." He released two more songs, "Endless Summer" and "Dakishimetai," in the same year.

In August 2017, Jang released his fourth full-length album, Voyage. It had 14 songs and reached second place on the Japanese charts.

More recently, in March and April 2021, Jang released two new songs called "Star" and "Emotion." In 2022, he released teaser videos for new Japanese songs, "Running Through Time" and "Beautiful."

In the media

Jang Keun-suk is very popular, especially in China and Japan. In 2012, he became the first Korean star to be featured on a Japanese stamp. In 2013, he had over 10 million followers on the Chinese social media site Weibo. This was the most followers for any Korean celebrity at the time.

Personal life

Jang Keun-suk started his required military service on July 16, 2018. He served as a social office worker. This was because he had been diagnosed with a health condition in 2011, which meant he couldn't serve in active military duty. He finished his military service on May 29, 2020.

Helping others

Jang Keun-suk is known for his kindness and helping others.

In 2010, he became the youngest person to be named a PR Ambassador for Seoul. He also became a promotional ambassador for the Nuclear Safety Summit in 2011.

In 2015, he was appointed as a "Sharing Professor" at Hanyang University. He gave special lectures there. In 2016, he became a public ambassador for an art exhibition. In 2017, he was named an honorary ambassador for the PyeongChang Olympics. He even received a special medal for his work for the Olympics.

Giving back to the community

Jang often donates money to help people.

• In 2011, he donated money from a charity event to help victims of an earthquake and tsunami in Japan.
• In 2012, he gave a large sum of money to his school.
• In 2013, he donated money through UNICEF to help people affected by a typhoon in the Philippines.
• In 2017, it was shared that he helped a teenager from Mongolia get medical treatment in South Korea. He helped pay for her trip and medical costs.

His fan club also often makes donations. They have given money to organizations that help people with hearing problems and to an orphanage. In 2015, Jang even volunteered at the orphanage with his fans.

In 2016, Jang said he wanted to create his own charity foundation to do even more good work.

In 2022, Jang donated money to help deaf children. In February 2023, he donated a large sum to help victims of the 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquake.

Filmography

Movies

Television series

Web series

Variety shows

Radio shows

Discography

Book

• 2012: Jang Keun Suk Love Recipe

Awards and achievements

Jang Keun-suk has won many awards for his acting and singing. Here are some of them:

Special Honors

Images for kids

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  Jang in 2011

See also

In Spanish: Jang Keun-suk para niños