Kang Ji Hwan, Jiayo!!

i love kanh ji hwan and i fell in love with him in fireworks and capital scandal...and i love his versititlity.....he was great in hong gil dong .....and i think he should have a very exciting career in front of him!!!! :)

wow. long article but i enjoyed reading it! thanks for the translation.

kanh ji hwan's answers of how he wants a shot to fame makes me wonder n reconsider what kinda of actor he is.
i like how he's honest about his ambition though.
he' learning how to play guitar n piano shows me he's really dedicated.
but somehow i get this feeling that's he's not really into acting for heck of it or that is his passion but just for the "ratings" n the "fame."
that's fine too.
but i don't feel curious about him anymore after reading this.

yep yep.. kanh ji hwan can act though, compare to other so called"idols" turned into actors.

xoxo,
gossip girl

KJH is a popular actor (and in China due to Be Strong Geum Soon), but I think there had been a level of expectation for years (esp. with the fact that he was already a popular theatre actor prior to his TV career) that he would become a top K-drama star. (A little bit like Gong Yoo, Kim Myung Min or Chun Jung Myung.) One way you can tell is how KBS -- whose shows have been struggling anyway since Dal Ja -- awarded Capital Scandal a bunch of awards last year, even though it drew indifferent ratings. That's partially their way of asserting that KJH is a major, valued talent as well as rewarding the quality of the show. (Capital Scandal also marked a breakthrough for Han Go Eun's acting career; just as HGD might for Sung Yu Ri.)

As it stands, I think he's kinda in the Kim Min Joon career track. Popular though not a big ratings draw, and able to choose interesting projects over one geared toward ratings. Hong Gil Dong was a situation he kinda fell into, and he was a big reason why the project was successful. He's in a good place in his career.

Film project is way overdue.

when asked, "would you rather be a long shot or shot to fame actor," i'm sure most people would say shot to fame. after all, being shot to fame in a sense makes your life easier. It's a plus to your audition score. That's probably why Yoon Eun Hye has successfully starred in so many hit dramas.
I agree with javabeans, I think Kang was being sarcastic when he answered that because the rest of his responses reflect his perseverance and acceptance of winning acclaim step by step.

Truth is, what most actors really want -- YEH included -- is the chance to be cast in good roles. If you were already being cast as a lead in a mainstream project, the money will be very good. Coffee Prince was turned down by other actresses before it was offered to YEH, because the project was considered potentially damaging to their commercial image. (Playing "ugly" is considered bold in K-drama, I guess.)

KJH is also speaking as an outsider, because again he (like Oh Man Suk) came from a different acting world. Many theatre actors cross over to TV or film because the money is of course better. As long as they get interesting projects, that new world continues to be rewarding.

Agree with belleza. Kang Ji Hwan and YEH may have shot to fame, but they have cemented their positions as lead actors with solid follow-up roles that showcased their versatility. It would be unfair to say that YEH is coasting on her instant fame, unless she kept picking the cutesy girlish roles after Princess Hours, which she hasn't. I also really like Oh Man Seok and Lee Seon Gun as actors, and hope they will get more interesting work in tv as lead actors. It's not just about the young good looking idols with hot bodies, or else Korean dramas would be no different from Taiwanese idol dramas. It would be splendid if Chungmuro decided to do their own version of a musical (hey, even Hong Kong did it with Perhaps Love) and cast Kang Ji Hwan in it.

Thank you so much for translating this!

i love his honesty.
most of the time it feels so fake when a lot of actors say ratings dont matter at all. in the back of their mind somewhere they must be thinking about it, how well the audience will receive it and if they like it.
and of course if the ratings were high they'd be proud, yet when they're low they just use the typical 'ratings dont matter'

to gossip girl: lol i laughed when i saw the way u signed off with 'XOXO'...im loving GG too.

Thanks alot Javabeans for the article...

I would like to add comment on #9

Felicity, like you, I also would like to see how KJH will perform if he has opportunity to once play in a musical drama. He must be great in it.

Undoubtedly, he is a good dancer. You can saw him danced in Be Strong Geum Soon, Fireworks and Capital Scandal. I just saw him performed in Summer Lovin' (From Musical "Grease") for his fanmeeting back in his 2006 Birthday. I was like "OMG! KJH is surely not only a great actor but also great entertainer"..Judging by his versatility either in acts, dance, and martial arts (from Hong Gil Dong) plus the good look..He is such a gem. It's just ..it takes more time for him to be noticed by the people in Korean entertainment industry.

Although he has not been lucky enough with the rating things for his recent projects, but in them he showed his quality as an actor.

He is one of the rare K-Actors that I see who can be so good in different kind of roles, either it is silly, funny or serious roles. I have an opinion that KJH just needed a good script and that he will well performed in whatever role thrown to him.

Hopefully, his wish to become an actor who combines ratings with project quality will come true. An actor who will be respected in long haul. Since he deserves that..

That's one frank and tongue-in-cheek interview. hehe. I love his sense of humor.

It's nice to choose projects that perk your interests, but it is helluva nicer if you get recognition and (more than emotional) rewards for them. It is only human to want to have your cake and eat it too. So I totally understand his views.

I'll be the first one to go against mainstream opinions and wish that KJH's next project be nowhere near a musical or a romantic comedy. I'd love to see him play against type - void of charm, good looks, singing or dancing and even action scenes. It's about time that he uses a different type of acting muscles. I think most actors do dream of a career that is filled with commercial success mixed with personal satisfying projects. Yup, a big screen role needed to be next. Small, independent is fine as long as it is WITHS2-sub-able, please. Ha.

Anywayz, I wish him lots of luck in career and life. He deserves to be noticed and appreciated. Enjoy your time off, KHJ. Thank you for the article, javabeans.

It would probably be too difficult to produce a real musical TV drama, or a drama with many musical pieces (anybody remember Cop Rock? erm, anybody? :D ) But I would love to see a production of Grease (his role in the Korean production of Grease is what made him so popular) done for Korean TV. Or something like what Jo Jin Moo did.

Going along with what Felicity is saying, the way Chungmuro is structured tends to limit the ceiling for idol actors/actresses, and it provides a way for the really talented (provided they have leading man/woman looks) to rise toward the top. Netizen community is absolutely brutal with acting (and face appearance and choice of clothing and pronunciation of lines and . . .) in the way you don't see with the Chinese and Japanese fanbases. And likewise, when you're really good, you have an extremely loyal fanbase, which KJH has. And even among the younger idols (like Choi Si Won of Suju), their acting is significantly better than from Taiwan and Japan, because they're allowed to develop before being promoted against a high visibility product

he's so honest. i love that.

I miss him.. I too want him to take a rest for a day and jump into the next role the very next day, Since HONG GIL DONG FINALE, I've been RE-watching Capital Scandal, firework and will start hgl again. off course only the happy and funny part, Oh, I can't wait...

I thought he was uber attractive in Hong Gil Dong. I just watched the last few episodes today. I too like that he's honest and has a good sense of humor. He seems like a really interesting person.

Hi dramabeans. Thanks for this meaty entry on Kang Ji Hwan. I didn't know him prior to Hong Gil Dong. In fact, this is the first time i am seeing him without his Gil Dong costume. He's quite a handsome dude. =)

This just makes me admire him even more.

Kang Ji Hwan (sigh*)
Side note:
though both characters in Capital Scandal & Hong Gil Dong could have been the same, he made them different. Amazing.

I LOVE ur music style..!thank u for uploading ur songs!

I LOVE ur music style..!thank u for uploading ur songs!

to be honest, when i first saw the promo poster of him in be strong, Geum Soon, i didnt find him attractive. but until i watch the show did i realise that he's a good actor and that adds the charm in him and make me think he's afterall quite handsome and attractive. am impressed further when i realised that he can dance... that's charming!!! yup, may not be attractive at first look but definitely one that has depths. in short, i like him.. hahahah

Interestingly, I first saw him in the last episode of Summer Scent as a cameo. He appeared for about 3 seconds as Park Jung-ah (Han Ji Hye)'s groom. XD

i like men who are straight forward and who are not afraid to speak their minds...
it is always better to long for longevity in the entertainment industry.

i love his eyes. saranghe!

belleza, I agree with you that Chungmuro gives opportunities for the truely talented character actors to shine, more so than Taiwan and Japan, and there are a wider variety of dramas that do well in Korea (those that target the ahjummas, the yuppies, the teenage demographic); whereas Taiwan and Japan are mainly dominated by Idol dramas. And generally, korean dramas have a high level of acting standard. But we can't deny that one of the attraction of Korean dramas in other asian countries are the beautiful stars. Compared to HK dramas and Japanese doramas, I find the actors in Korean dramas far better looking.

Also, I am not convinced that the younger idols in Korea are significantly better actors than idols from Japan. If we're talking about Taiwan, yes. Japanese hit doramas are populated by Johnny Boys who *can* act. Case in point - Takuya Kimura, Tomoya Nagase, Matsumoto Jun - all popular lead actors who've done well in doramas and so has Dohmoto Tsuyoshi from Kinki Kids and Okada Junichi from V6. Actually, I think these Johnny Boys have a lot of charisma. Hehe. They are way ahead of the kids from DBSK and Suju in terms of acting, if you ask me. ^__^

are Kang Ji Hwan's other dramas any good? i want to see others of him, but i don't want to waste my time with a bad one. i watched the first episode of Exhibition of Fireworks and didn't like it at all.

@kotatsulove,

If you haven't already seen Capital Scandal, give that show a shot. It's his showiest performance, and IMO his best show. Definitely the best KBS trendy of 2007.

@Felicity,

The eye candy factor is definitely true. The men are . . . manly. :D I do wish the plastic surgery thing was toned down a bit, since it tends to make Korean lead actresses more homogenous looking than other countries.

I like Johnny dramas too (and I'm always comparing YEH's acting style to Takuya Kimura's.) Actually half of Arashi (like SMAP) are talented actors -- MatsuJun, Nino, Ohno. It's just that the dramas starring members of NEWS and Kat-tun. I mean, I like Yamapi but you know . . .

Didn't KJH say he wanted to do a melodrama after HGD?

@kotatsulove - yes, Capital Scandal for fusion & humor;
90 Days (a melodrama) for serious acting chops.

@belleza. Oh yes, the Arashi boys are a talented bunch. XD Nino may turn out to be the most naturally gifted actor in Arashi, surpassing even Matsujun. He appeared in Clint Eastwood's sublime Letters from Iwo Jima, starring Ken Watanabe in 2006, way before Rain's Hollywood invasion. Heh. If YEH is the female counterpart to Takuya Kimura, then I reckon Yamapi is male counterpart to Song Yuri. You just want to pet Yamapi/Yuri. XD

@hjk - oh noooo....not another melodrama. I'm getting migraines just thinking of the overwrought crying scenes.

Thanks for this article and all the posts on Hong Gildong! I'm watching on KBS America and am on episode #17, trying not to read ahead on your posts.

I'm now at the point that I was at the end of the BBC's version of Pride and Prejudice, with Colin Firth: if Kang Ji Hwan walked into my house, I'd leave my husband and go anywhere with him! :-) So hot, and what a great actor!

By the way, I only have access to KBS on my satellite, no other networks. What comes after HGD that's worth watching? Should I be DVR-ing something now?

KJH would make a wonderful Darcy. KJH with full pork chop sideburns? That's sex.

@Felicia,

Yamapi is definitely the male Sung Yu Ri. And prettier too. ;) I think Nobuta was kinda bad for Pi's career, because it pushed him into "next Nagase/Takuya" territory before he was ready. He really should do a K-drama or at least a show in Korea . . . *ahem* (i.e. I Am Legend 2: Pi in Korea!)

As much as Sung Yu Ri is criticized for her acting, she'd be considered fairly average -- not great, not horrible -- in the J-drama world, and maybe even good in the TW-Drama world. I mean, anybody rewatched Meteor Garden lately . . .

I'd be surprised if KJH takes up another melo, unless it's film. But if Kim Sun Ah needs a new partner for her new project, I can't think of a better partner than KJH.

Wow. What an honest guy..

Really, I'm falling more and more in love with him. I'm usually an idol-lover. The 20's something. But he really is growing on me.

He's so honest! And I get a vibe that he means everything he says, and you can see he's acted on some of the things he said as well. He works hard (project after project), cares about ratings, but at the end of the day, really try to pick something that HE enjoys working on.

Somehow, I feel he's a lot like theater stars...Movies are different, more flashy, better pay, and a lot more fame. People who shoot to fame there often are for charisma or good looks, not necessarily acting. Sometimes they just get lucky. However, theater players go through more, more experience, ect. They usually really love acting even with the fame.

He shot to stardom, yes, but you can tell he loves acting, and trying to maintain his status. Really, whoever found him struck gold.

hey thanks javabeans! man, i totally just love this guy..

KJH is such a great actor, i 1st saw him in Capital Scandal (the best drama ever, a nice mix of comedy/romance/suspense/action/historical, if you haven't seen it give it a try), then i saw Fireworks and then 90 Days (both ok but too sad), and then Hong Gil Dong (a really good drama, kind of the same mix as CS). i hope he gets another drama soon. thanks for posting this article.

I had never seen an actor with such a supreme and excellent acting, I start to watch jia you jin shun, and started to notice him for the very first.time He was really very handsome, charming, attractive, as though every girls would fall for him...in the 90 days drama, the show although do not get good ratings, but his acting was really great, while the other female leading actress did not act as well, for example, some crying,sad and touching scene. Kang Ji Wan acted really well, i believe its hard for guys to cry out loud, but he made it on the screen, he shown really touching emotion that i would never forget. In capital scandal and in Hong Gil Dong, he really acted out very well, as if he is the real character.

I would really hope that his company would continuously provide good opportunity for his career. I really felt that he is the best, as long if he is playing a leading actor in any drama,i do not care how the drama story going to be good/bad, because Kang Ji Wan had really good acting, i would love to watch all of his drama which he play as a leading actor. And actually i had finish watching all his drama, right now i'm just craving for more. I hope that he will come out with more great shows, and won more popularity, and had more fans who think similar as me to how good KJW is

JIA YOU!! Kang Ji Wan

Jiayou!!! We are always hoping for more of your shows and appearances...I am a fan of Hong Gil Dong.... Continue being honest and very real person!! THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS YOU KANG JI-HWAN

I'am happy you winner in BAeksang Award for popularity actor, I Hope see you in Indonesia

ilove you sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo mach

I enjoyed watching your movie "Hong Gil Dong" and also your leading actress "doe eyes" and the young miss. Can't wait to see your next movie

I just finished watching HGD ! And i find his acting amazing not to mention i fall in love with the character now i'm curious to watch capital scandal ! ^^

Then I watched . I would like I love you kang ji hwan and I love ou sung yu ri

javabeans, thanks a bunch for this!!! it's sooooo refreshing to read a real english translation of such an interview, and not a word-for-word TRANSLITERATION that hardly makes any sense because it's gotten so way off the original context. as much as i appreciate the dudes (bless their hearts) who post such nose-bleeding interviews or articles on soompi, it's great reading something i can actually UNDERSTAND. keep 'em coming!

i love KJH (among other things, wink wink) for his tenacity and perseverance, and for his wry outlook on fame and success. well, gimme the underdog actor ANYDAY, i'll say. they're usually the ones who choose roles with more discernment, thereby earning more respect in the long run. hope his newest project ("movie is movie") meets our expectations. :)

LOVE KANG JI HWAN

High 5 belleza!! - I'd like to see a KJH-Kim Soon-ah collaboration. I've read all that u wrote here, and I agree with a lot of what you've said.

The reason I I watched bits and pieces of Hong gil-dong was because of Sung Yu-ri. A friend told me to look out for Jang Geun-suk in it but I thought KJH nailed it and made the titular c'ter his - he would be a hard act to beat. He emotes well, much better than some of his peers. Hong Gil-dong's runaway success can be attributed to a few factors - the right timing, an interesting sageuk plot and a beautiful cast (KJH, Sung Yuri and Jang Geun-suk are three of today's most good looking eye candy).

I thought KJH emoted well and looked above average. But Capital Scandal made me do a double take, he looks mightily fine. It will take some time for A Movie is a Movie to reach our shores (Singapore) but I'll be eagerly anticipating it.

I am also making Hong gil-dong my next DVD project because I never watched the series continously nor in full.

KJH has a loyal fan base in Japan and China more than Korea REally he is so Famous in Japan and korea even not in his CountRy,, but i Crazy with Him Since he was in Be Strong geum soon REally!!!,, i watched all his Dramas

he Has Small Eyes,, smaller than other Actors but he is The SExiest Small Eyes Man Ever .. So oriental his Looks .. so Oriental but Handsome oriental

Just a view from watching the many good dramas - A man is most beautiful around 30 years old and he will only be around 30 once in his life time. If you watch BaeYongJun. He is best in Winter Sonata. Kwan Sang Woo is best in Stairways to Heaven and Jin Cheng Wu from Japan is best when he did Precious Times. But he is a bit special is still a very sought after actor.
If any many can shoot to fame once in his life time, I believe it is very good .

Anonymous

KJW is a very good actor, I was very impressed in his acting in be strong Geum Soon, I wish they can make an other drama about afterward of Geum Soon and Jae-Hee and Hwee-Sung, it will be a new hit. I believe that the chemical worked good between HHJand KJW. Somehow, I think that HHJ acting will make anyone acts in the opposite role become interesting and important (as in Jumong; I started to like Jumong after he met So Su No, and more interested in the older prince). In be strong geum soon, KJW's acting is surreal, I cried with him in emotion and he did an excellent job portrait the young in-love Doctor.
Usually, dramas become tiresom after 20th episode, wt BSG, I just want it to go on. I still rewatch it time to time and find it still like it like the first time I watched.
be strong geum soon is the best drama that KJW successed.

very good actor, excellent in acting, i like you also you dance gracefully, i really admire you hope you are the same in person a very very good lover who fights for his girlfriend. . . ha ha ha hope in coming drama you will again to be paired to han hye jin. . looking forward your succes and here in phils continuing looking your dvd. hope to see you soon again in dvd