Jang Hyuk

Jang Hyuk

Born Jeong Yong-jun

December 20, 1976 (age 47)

Geumjeong-gu, Busan, South Korea[1]

 Seoul Institute of the Arts – Film

Education
 Dankook University – Theater and

Film

Occupations  Actor

 rapper

Years active 1997–present

Agent SidusHQ
Kim Yeo-jin
Spouse

(m. 2008)

Children 3

Korean name

Hangul 장혁

Hanja 張赫
 Revised Romanization Jang Hyeok

McCune–Reischauer Chang Hyŏk

Birth name

Hangul 정용준

Hanja 鄭鏞浚

Revised Romanization Jeong Yong-jun

McCune–Reischauer Chŏng Yong-jun

Jeong Yong-jun (Korean: 정용준; born December 20, 1976), better known as Jang
Hyuk, is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his leading roles in the
films Volcano High (2001), Windstruck (2004), The Swordsman (2020), The Killer: A
Girl Who Deserves to Die (2022), and the television dramas Successful Story of a
Bright Girl (2002), Thank You (2007), The Slave Hunters (2010), Deep Rooted
Tree (2011), You Are My Destiny (2014), Voice (2017), Money Flower (2017), Wok of
Love (2018), My Country: The New Age (2019), Tell Me What You Saw (2020)
and Bloody Heart (2022).
Career[edit]
1997–2001: Beginnings and rise to fame[edit]
Jang Yong-jun spent most of his childhood and adolescence in his birthplace, Busan. In
1996, Jeong Hoon-tak, who ran a management company named EBM Production Co.,
after success elevated Jung Woo-sung and Kim Ji-ho as top star, met Jeong Yong-jun,
a 20-year-old young man who was a student at Seoul Institute of the Arts. He was
convinced that the innocence in the face of Jung Yong-joon, which exudes sadness and
strange charisma would become a “weapon”. Jung Hoon-tak pushed Jung Yong-joon
into the accommodation of the group god members who were still preparing for their
debut. And started the harsh training. With Jung, who has his own confidence that “only
those who are prepared can succeed,” Jung Yong-joon prepared for a long time.[2]
After Lee Seung-hwan's music video, Jung Yong-joon making his acting debut in 1997
in the television drama Model under his stage name Jang hyuk. Besides the teen
series School (1999) and a minor role in the little-seen film Zzang (The Best),[3] Jang
appeared in the music video of "To Mother", the 1999 debut single of
popular boyband g.o.d, whom he was housemates with at that time.[4][5] Also in 1999, he
played the good-hearted yet aggressive Myung-ha in the series Into the Sunlight.
[6]
Using the stage name "TJ", he had a brief career as a rapper and acted in several
music videos from his rap album TJ Project, which was released in 2000.[7]
Jang's career first began to take off in 2001, when he was cast in the lead role of the
special-effects extravaganza Volcano High with actress Shin Min-a. His acting in the
eccentric role drew praise from fans and critics.[8][9]
2002–2004: Mainstream popularity and controversy[edit]
In 2002 he continued to make a name for himself, starring in the sleeper hit Jungle
Juice,[10] which made the top of the weekly box-office. His popularity continued to
increase when he starred in the hugely popular TV drama Successful Story of a Bright
Girl with actress Jang Na-ra.[11][12] He also took a role in Public Toilet, the HK-Korea co-
production by acclaimed Hong Kong director Fruit Chan which won a Special Mention in
the Upstream section of the 2002 Venice Film Festival.[13]
Jang continued to appear in high-profile projects; in 2003, Jang starred alongside Lee
Na-young in the comedy Please Teach Me English,[14] by director Kim Sung-su and the
following year, he starred opposite Jun Ji-hyun in Kwak Jae-yong's Windstruck.
[15]
Although Windstruck was generally not well received in Korea, it went on to
beat Shiri and become one of the best-selling Korean films in Japan.[16]
In late 2004, together with fellow actors Song Seung-heon and Han Jae-suk, Jang was
found to have illegally avoided his mandatory military service through his and Han's
agency SidusHQ.[9][17] Amid widespread public condemnation, Jang apologized to his
fans, then began to serve his two-year military term.[18][19]
2006–2009: Career revival and international collaborations[edit]
After his discharge from the military in 2006,[20] Jang made his comeback in the drama
series Thank You.[21] A heartwarming story about a young single mother (played by Gong
Hyo-jin) with an HIV-positive daughter and the cynical doctor who enters their
lives, Thank You surprisingly became a modest hit, and with it Jang left the stigma of his
draft-dodging scandal behind him.[citation needed]
He then signed up for the international movie production Dance of the Dragon (2008), a
love story that mixed ballroom dancing with martial arts action and
costarred Singaporean actress Fann Wong.[22][23] He won the Best Actor award at the
inaugural West Hollywood International Film Festival for his role.[24][25] Jang also made
a cameo in Japanese drama Ryokiteki na Kanojo, a remake of the 2001 Korean film My
Sassy Girl. After his earlier guesting on star Tsuyoshi Kusanagi's talk show, the director
of the drama reportedly added new scenes for Jang that were not included in the
original script.[26] Jang then appeared as the love interest in three music videos
of Taiwanese singer Elva Hsiao.[27]
More leading roles in TV dramas followed, including Robber (2008) and Tazza (2008)
adapted from the gambling manhwa.[28][29] In 2009, he appeared in the short film His
Concern in the omnibus Five Senses of Eros,[30] the risque thriller Searching for the
Elephant,[31] and the melodrama Maybe.[32][33]
2010–2013: Critical acclaim and continued success[edit]
In 2010, he received the best reviews of his career for his leading role as the slave
hunter ("chuno") Dae-gil in the hit fusion period drama The Slave Hunters.[34][35] His acting
coach of 14 years described Jang as being relentless in his analysis of a character.[citation
needed]
According to Jang, "It is easy to fail if you don't understand the steps one has to
take to be famous."[36] He won several acting awards, most significantly the Grand Prize
("Daesang") at the KBS Drama Awards,[37] and a Best Actor nomination at the
2011 International Emmy Awards.[38][39][40]
In the same year, he starred in Fall in Love with Anchor Beauty, the Chinese remake of
2000 Korean drama All About Eve.[41] Fall in Love with Anchor Beauty received high
ratings in China during its run.[42]
Back in Korea, Jang played a fund manager-turned-lawyer in 2011's Midas, also
starring Lee Min-jung and Kim Hee-ae.[43][44] He next starred in legal thriller The
Client (2011) with Ha Jung-woo and Park Hee-soon, saying the film satisfied his wish to
portray a more emotionally complex persona. Playing a man accused of murdering his
wife, Jang said he had to find "the right balance" "as someone who can appear at times
like a criminal or at other times like an innocent man."[45]
Initially reluctant to sign on to period drama Deep Rooted Tree (2011) because he found
the role of low-level royal guard Kang Chae-yoon uninteresting in the original novel,
Jang changed his mind upon reading that the character had been dramatized and made
richer in the TV script. It tells the story of Kang investigating a case involving the serial
murders of Jiphyeonjeon scholars in Gyeongbok Palace while King Sejong (played
by Han Suk-kyu) is developing the Korean alphabet.[46][47]
In 2013, he headlined Iris II, the sequel to the 2009 spy action series.[48][49][50][51] This was
his third acting collaboration with actress Lee Da-hae, after Robber and The Slave
Hunters.[52][53] He also returned to the big screen in 2013 blockbuster disaster film The
Flu, in which he and Soo Ae played a firefighter and a doctor racing against time to find
the cure for a deadly strain of the cold virus.[54][55]
To the surprise of many given his past draft-dodging scandal, he then joined Real Men,
a weekly show in which six male celebrities are filmed documentary-style as they enter
army boot camp. This was Jang's first regular appearance on a variety/reality show in
his 17-year acting career. He said, "I'd like to use this opportunity to reflect on myself
through Real Men and to experience army life again."[56] He appeared on Real Men from
June 2013 to February 2014.[57] He then wrote a collection of essays on his life
experiences titled Jang Hyuk, Hot-Blooded Man, published on August 6, 2013.[58][59]
2014–present[edit]
In 2014, he reunited with Volcano High director Kim Tae-kyun in Innocent Thing, a
thriller about a high school girl who becomes obsessed with her married gym teacher.[60]
[61]
He also teamed up again with Successful Story of a Bright Girl costar Jang Na-ra
in You Are My Destiny, a Korean remake of the similarly titled 2008 Taiwanese drama.[62]
[63][64]
Shortly after, he and Jang starred together for the third time in Old Farewell, about a
boxer who travels into the past and re-encounters his recently deceased wife. It was
part of the single-episode anthology Drama Festival, and helmed by one of their
directors on Fated.[65]
In 2015, Jang returned to the milieu of period dramas with Shine or Go Crazy, a fictional
romance between a cursed Goryeo prince and the last princess of Balhae.[66] The
film Empire of Lust followed, in which he played the wily and ambitious Yi Bang-
won who launched a coup to become the king of Joseon.[67][68] He was next cast in the
Chinese film Inside or Outside, a detective mystery co-starring Simon Yam and Wallace
Huo.[69] Jang then played a Joseon innkeeper merchant in The Merchant: Gaekju 2015.[70]
In 2016, Jang was cast in the Chinese drama New Sea.[71] Back in Korea, Jang starred in
KBS's medical drama A Beautiful Mind, playing a genius neurosurgeon.[72] Though the
drama was critically praised, the number of episodes were brought down from 16 to 14
because of low viewer ratings.[73]
In 2017, he starred in his first cable drama, crime thriller Voice by OCN, where he
played an ex-detective who joined a call center's team to track his wife's killer.[74]
[75]
Voice became a hit and its ratings broke OCN's dramas records when it was aired in
Korea.[76] His movie Ordinary Person opposite Son Hyun-joo was released in March
2017, where he acted as a manipulative National Planning Security chief.[77][78] He also
starred in weekend drama Money Flower,[79] earning much acclaim and a Baeksang Arts
Awards Best Actor nomination for his role as a revenge-seeking lawyer.[80] The same
year, he was cast in action film The Swordsman.[81]
In 2018, Jang returned to the small screen with SBS' romantic comedy drama Wok of
Love, playing a former gangster turned restaurant owner;[82] and MBC's action
melodrama Bad Papa, playing a former champion boxer who chose to become a bad
man in order to become a good father.[83]
In 2019, he took part in reality TV program Urban Cops where celebrities team up with
real life cops to solve crimes in the city.[84] The same year, he was cast in the historical
drama My Country, playing the role of Yi Bang-won.[85]
In 2020, Jang acted as a genius profiler in OCN drama Tell Me What You Saw.[86] His
movie The Swordsman was released in September 2020. The same year, he took part
in reality TV program Yacht Expedition: The Beginning.
In 2021, Jang took part in outdoor survival variety TV program Law of the Jungle-
Pioneers and cooking show National Bang Bang Cook Cook. His noir movie Tomb of
the River was released in November 2021.
In 2022, Jang returned to the small screen with KBS2's historical drama Bloody Heart,
playing the first vice-premier and a living symbol of power and a figure that everyone
obeys.[87] His movie The Killer: A Girl Who Deserves to Die made its world premiere at
the Udine Far East Film Festival in April 2022, held a red carpet premiere at Los
Angeles in June 2022 and hit the big screens simultaneously in South Korea and North
America on 13 July 2022. He also won the Daniel A. Craft award for Excellence in
Action Cinema at the 21st New York Asian Film Festival. In November 2022, he took
part as a judge in tvN's variety program Super Action.
In March 2023, Jang decided not to renew his contract with Sidus HQ after working with
the agency for 26 years since his debut.[88] In April, he returned to the small screen with
tvN's drama Family: The Unbreakable Bond. In August, he took part in reality TV travel
program Express Delivery: Mongolia Edition.
Personal life[edit]
Jang began dating his girlfriend, Kim Yeo-jin, in 2002. They met at a fitness club, where
Kim was his Pilates instructor. The couple's marriage was registered in January 2008,
and the ceremony was held in June.[89] His close friends, singer Kim Jong-kook and
actor Cha Tae-hyun, participated in the wedding ceremony.[90] The couple have two sons
and a daughter, born in February 2008, November 2009 and April 2015 respectively.[91][92]
Jang has practiced Jeet Kune Do for more than 10 years and is a former
professional Taekwondo athlete.[93]
Filmography[edit]
Film[edit]

Year Title Role Notes

1998 Zzang Im Se-bin

2001 Volcano High Kim Kyung-soo

Jungle Juice Ki-tae

2002
Public Toilet Kim Seon-bak

2003 Please Teach Me English Park Moon-soo

Windstruck Go Myung-woo
2004
S Diary Im Chan cameo

Korea-Singapore-USA
2008 Dance of the Dragon Kwon Tae-san
collaboration

Five Senses of Eros Jung Min-soo segment: "His Concern"

2009 Rabbit and Lizard Eun-seol [94]

Searching for the Elephant Hyun-woo

Year Title Role Notes

2011 The Client Han Cheol-min

2013 The Flu Kang Ji-goo

2014 Innocent Thing Kim Joon-ki

Prince Yi Bang-
2015 Empire of Lust
won

Woo-geom (Ou
2016 Inside or Outside Korea-China collaboration
Jian)

Because I Love You Fortune teller cameo[95]

2017
Ordinary Person Choi Gyu-nam

2020 The Swordsman Tae-yul

2021 Tomb of the River Lee Min-seok [96]

The Killer: A Girl Who Deserves to

2022 Bang Ui-gang [97][98]

Die

Television series[edit]

Year Title Role Notes Ref.

1997 Model Joon-ho

1999 School Kang Woo-hyuk

Year Title Role Notes Ref.

Into the Sunlight Han Myung-ha

2000 Wang Rung's Land Bong-pil [99]

Successful Story of a Bright

Han Gi-tae
Girl
2002

The Great Ambition Park Jae-young [100]

2007 Thank You Min Gi-seo

Robber Kwon Oh-joon

Japanese drama; cameo,

2008 Ryokiteki na Kanojo Jang Hyuk
ep.1

Tazza Kim Go-ni

The Slave Hunters Lee Dae-gil

2010
Fall in Love with Anchor
Chen Yi Po Chinese drama [101]

Beauty

Midas Kim Do-hyun

2011
Deep Rooted Tree Kang Chae-yoon / Ddol-bok

2013 Iris II: New Generation Jung Yoo-gun

Year Title Role Notes Ref.

You Are My Destiny Lee Gun

2014
Old Farewell Kang Soo-hyuk

Shine or Go Crazy Wang So

2015 The Producers Jang Hyun-sung Cameo, ep.3 [102]

The Merchant: Gaekju 2015 Chun Bong-sam

2016 A Beautiful Mind Lee Young-oh

Voice Mu Jin-hyuk Season 1

Hit the Top Passerby Cameo, ep.2 [103]

2017

Kang Pil-joo / Jang Eun-

Money Flower [104]

cheon

Wok of Love Doo Chil-sung

2018
Bad Papa Yoo Ji-cheol

The Crowned Clown King Seonjo Cameo, ep.1 [105]

2019
My Country: The New Age Yi Bang-won

2020 Tell Me What You Saw Oh Hyun-jae

Year Title Role Notes Ref.

2022 Bloody Heart Park Gye-won [106]

Family: The Unbreakable

2023 Kwon Do-hoon [107]

Bond

Web series[edit]

Rol
Year Title Notes Ref.
e

Love
2014 Cameo [108]

Cells

Variety show[edit]

Year Title Notes

2013 Real Men Cast member (until 2014)

Ding Ge Long Dong Qiang Chuanju member

2015
The Friends in Croatia Main cast[109]

Dragon's Club: Overgrown

2017 Main cast[110]
Bromance

2019 Urban Cops Main cast[84]

2020 Yacht Expedition: The Beginning Main cast[111]

2021 Law of the Jungle - Pioneers Main cast[112]

 National Bang Bang Cook Cook Cast Member [113]

2022 Super Action Judge[114]

2023 Express Delivery Mongolia Edition Cast Member[115]

Music video[edit]

Year Song Title Artist

1997 "Will You Understand (이해할께)" Cho Kyu Man

1997 "A Request" Lee Seung-hwan

1999 "To Mother" g.o.d

"God Bless TJ"

"Money"

"TJ's Love Story"

2000 "Take the Life of You" TJ Project

"Rain"

"Hey Girl"

"Love of Sun and Moon"

2001 "A Better Day" jtL

2006 "그저 흐르는 대로" UTO

"Impulse"
Elva Hsiao
2008 "The Loneliness of Two People"

"Is There Love?" [116] Kim Yong-jin

2017 "Hot Sugar" [117] Turbo

Discography[edit]
Album information Track listing

T.J Project[118]
show
Track listing
 Released: August 8, 2000
 Label: LOEN Entertainment

Soundtrack[edit]
Year Song Title Remarks

2023 "And, Go On (그리고, 여행은 계속된다)" 'Express Delivery: Mongolia Edition' OST

Book[edit]
Year Title Publisher ISBN

2013 Jang Hyuk, Hot-Blooded Man Paper Book ISBN 9788997148325

Awards and nominations[edit]
Year Award Category Nominated work Result Ref.

2000 SBS Drama Awards Best New Actor Wang Rung's Land Won [119]

Top Excellence Award, Successful Story of a

Won
Actor Bright Girl, Daemang

Excellence Award,
Actor in a Special Daemang Nominated
Planning Drama
2002 SBS Drama Awards [120]

Excellence Award, Successful Story of a

Nominated
Actor in a Miniseries Bright Girl

Successful Story of a
Top 10 Stars Won
Bright Girl, Daemang

Excellence Award,
Nominated
Actor
MBC Drama Awards Thank You [121]

Golden Acting Award,

2007 Won
Actor in a Miniseries

Chinese Martial Arts

New Artist Award — Won [122]

Festival

2008 3rd Asia Model BBF Popular Star

— Won [123]

Awards Award

2nd West Hollywood

International Film Best Actor Dance of the Dragon Won [24]

Festival

[124]
SBS Drama Awards Excellence Award, Tazza Won
Year Award Category Nominated work Result Ref.

Actor in a Special
Planning Drama

Top 10 Stars Tazza, Robber Won

2010 46th Baeksang Arts

Best Actor (TV) Nominated
Awards

5th Seoul International Outstanding Korean

The Slave Hunters Won [125]

Drama Awards Actor

3rd Korea Drama

Best Actor Won [126]

Awards

17th Han Il Culture Acting Award, Cultural

— Won [127]

Awards Diplomacy category

2nd Jewelry Awards Ruby Award — Won [128]

5th A-Awards Passion Award — Won [129]

23rd Grimae Awards Best Actor The Slave Hunters Won [130]

[37]
KBS Drama Awards Grand Prize
Won
(Daesang)

Top Excellence Award,

Nominated
Actor

Best Couple Won

Award with Lee Da-hae
Year Award Category Nominated work Result Ref.

39th International
Best Actor Nominated [38]

Emmy Awards

Best Performer, TV
23rd Korea PD Awards Won [131]

Actor category

2011
Top Excellence Award,
Actor in a Special Midas Won [132]

Planning Drama
SBS Drama Awards

Midas, Deep Rooted

Top 10 Stars Won
Tree

Presidential
2012 46th Taxpayer's Day — Won [133]

Commendation

MBC Entertainment Popularity Award in a

Real Men Won [134]

Awards Variety Show

13th Korea World

Favorite Actor Won [135]

Youth Film Festival

2013
Top Excellence Award,
Nominated
Actor Iris II

KBS Drama Awards

Excellence Award,
Actor in a Mid-length Nominated
Drama

2014 7th Herald Donga Best Dressed of the

— Won [136]

Lifestyle Awards Year

3rd APAN Star Awards Top Excellence Award, You Are My Destiny Nominated
Year Award Category Nominated work Result Ref.

Actor in a Miniseries Won [137]

Best Actor in a Drama

Old Farewell Nominated
MBC Drama Awards Short

Best Couple
You Are My Destiny Won [138]

Award with Jang Na-ra

Shine or Go
Top Excellence Award,
4th APAN Star Awards Crazy, The Merchant: Nominated
Actor in a Serial Drama
Gaekju 2015

Top Excellence Award,

MBC Drama Awards Actor in a Special Shine or Go Crazy Nominated
Project Drama

2015 Top Excellence Award,

Nominated
Actor

Excellence Award,
The Merchant: Gaekju
KBS Drama Awards Actor in a Mid-length Won [139]

2015
Drama

Best Couple
Won
Award with Han Chae-ah

Excellence Award,
2016 KBS Drama Awards A Beautiful Mind Nominated
Actor in a Miniseries

2017 2017 Korean Film

Drama Star Award Voice Won [140]

Shining Star Awards

MBC Drama Awards Grand Prize (Daesang) Money Flower Nominated

Year Award Category Nominated work Result Ref.

Top Excellence Award,

Actor in a Weekend Won [141]

Drama

54th Baeksang Arts

Best Actor (TV) Nominated [142]

Awards

Top Excellence Award,

6th APAN Star Awards Nominated [143]

Actor in a Serial Drama

31st Grimae Awards Best Actor Won [144]

2018
Top Excellence Award,
Actor in a Monday- Bad Papa Nominated
Tuesday Drama
MBC Drama Awards

Vocal King Award Won [145]

Top Excellence Award,

SBS Drama Awards Actor in a Monday- Wok of Love Nominated [146]

Tuesday Drama

3rd Chungbuk
International Martial
2021 Actor Award The Swordsman Won [147]

Arts and Action Film

Festival

Daniel A. Craft Award The Swordsman,The

21st New York Asian
2022 for Excellence in Killer: A Girl Who Won [148]

Film Festival
Action Cinema Deserves to Die

State and cultural honors[edit]

 State and cultural honors

Organization or
Country Year Honor or Award Ref.
ceremony

South Presidential Commendation as Exemplary

Taxpayers' Day[note 1] 2012 [150][151]

Korea Taxpayer

Notes[edit]
1. ^ Honors are given at the Taxpayers' Day (납세자의 날), organized by National Tax Service,
Taxpayers' Day in Korea is March 3. An award ceremony is held annually, during which
individuals and corporations receive commendation for being model taxpayers.[149]