Gang Dong won

Early life

Gang Dong-won was born January 18, 1981 in Busan, and grew up in Changwon of Gyeongsangnam-do, South Korea. His father, Gang Cheol-woo, was an engineer and later vice president of SPP Heavy Industries. Gang's family suffered from economic hardship at times, and Gang had to work part-time in college to pay for his tuition. Academically gifted with an IQ of 137, Gang graduated from Hanyang University with a degree in Mechanical engineering.

2003–2004: Beginnings

In 2000 when Gang was a first year university student, he was spotted on the street by a modeling agent. Thus began his modeling career, and he appeared on the catwalk for prêt-à-porter collections in Paris such as DKNY, Gucci and Hugo Boss, as well as for the local Seoul Fashion Artists Association (SFAA).

After being cast in the music video for Jo Sung-mo's "I Swear," the experience intrigued Gang so much that he decided to take some acting classes. Realizing that acting was what he had been looking for his entire life, the revelation meant a change of career. He quit modeling and made his acting debut on television in 2003, playing a doctor with a regional dialect in Country Princess (also known as Funny Wild Girl), and a chaebol's son in 1% of Anything. In 2004 he shot his first movie, the romantic comedy Too Beautiful to Lie, which was moderately successful.

2005–2010: Career breakthrough and Mainstream success

Gang's first real breakthrough was in Temptation of Wolves, the film adaptation of Guiyeoni's teen internet novel. With his beautiful, androgynous looks, Gang's popularity rose, extending to other Asian countries, especially Japan. He then briefly returned to television as an antihero in Magic, though it was not successful ratings-wise.

Instead of starring in more mainstream fare, Gang surprised audiences with his next roles as an inmate on death row in Maundy Thursday, and the antagonist in Voice of a Murderer. His two collaborations with auteur Lee Myung-se in Duelist and M further cemented Gang's status as one of the top young actors in Korean cinema, earning him critical recognition for his stylish flair and diverse choice of roles.

Gang said that he decided to play the mischievous titular character in the action fantasy Jeon Woo-chi: The Taoist Wizard because "he wanted to work on a fun movie, as he was emotionally drained while formerly having worked on several serious films. With its strong, star-filled ensemble cast and a high effects budget, the Choi Dong-hoon film turned into a blockbuster holiday event, selling over 6 million tickets over the winter season despite opening in theaters only a week after the release of Avatar in Korea.

In 2010, he was cast opposite acclaimed veteran actor Song Kang-ho in Jang Hoon's spy film Secret Reunion. It became one of the biggest Korean box office hits of 2010, with over 5 million tickets sold. He then joined the Busan-centered omnibus Camellia, starring in Jang Joon-hwan's short film Love For Sale. Gang's last project before enlistment was the psychic thriller Haunters.

2010–2012: Military service

Gang enlisted for his mandatory military service on November 18, 2010 for four weeks of basic training at the Nonsan military camp in South Chungcheong Province. This was followed by non-active duty as a public service worker at Seoul City Research Institute of Public Health and Environment. He was discharged on November 12, 2012. On the day of his release, his agency uploaded a three-minute YouTube clip of him in various locations throughout the city, titled "Gang Dong-won in a Day."

2013–current: Return to acting

Gang lay low in 2013, with the exception of appearing in The X, a 30-minute spy thriller directed by Kim Jee-woon that showcases the visual potential of ScreenX, a new 270-degree exhibition system.

In 2014, Gang returned to the big screen in Yoon Jong-bin's period action film Kundo: Age of the Rampant, playing an illegitimate nobleman's son who attempts to destroy a group of Robin Hood-like outlaws in 19th century Joseon Dynasty. He next starred in My Brilliant Life, E J-yong's film adaptation of Kim Aeran's bestselling novel My Palpitating Life about a couple who must watch their son suffering from progeria grow prematurely old.

In 2015, Gang reunited with Jeon Woo-chi co-star Kim Yoon-seok in mystery thriller The Priests. He next starred in the crime film A Violent Prosecutor which became the 2nd highest grossing Korean film of 2016.

Gang signed with a new agency, YG Entertainment, in 2016. He next appeared in Uhm Tae-hwa's fantasy film Vanishing Time: A Boy Who Returned and Cho Ui-seok's thriller film Master.

In 2017, Gang will star in thriller Golden Slumber, based on Isaka Kotaro's novel of the same name. He will also feature in war film 1987.

Controversy

In March 2017, a user of Max Movie uploaded a list of currently active movie actors who are descendants of pro-Japanese collaborators, and listed Gang. His maternal great-grandfather Lee Jong-man (1885-1977) is listed in the pro-Japanese biographical dictionary, having been involved in a mining project during Japanese colonial rule, as well as being responsible in part to the creation of the infamous & controversial comfort women. Because of the revelation, an interview Kang Dong Won gave in 2007 in which he praised his maternal great-grandfather resurfaced online. Gang and his agency, YG Entertainment issued apologetic statements; and Gang cancelled all his upcoming appearances.