The breakthrough yearThe year he turned 20, he debuted as a member of the 21st class of MBC’s open-recruitment actors, and that November he played a lead in the second season of the teen drama Our Heaven. A 2026 article says the show made him, then a rookie, a star overnight.
In 1993 he sang the theme song of Our Heaven himself and gained popularity, and in December he was reported to have applied to the drama school of the Korea National University of Arts. In 1994 he appeared in the basketball drama The Last Match and won Best New Actor (TV) at the Baeksang Arts Awards.
In 1997 he appeared in the drama Medical Brothers and won Best New Actor at the Blue Dragon Film Awards for the film Repechage. In 1999 he acted opposite Ko So-young for the first time in the film Love Wind Love Song.
In 2001 he played Dong-su in the film Friend. In 2004 Taegukgi: The Brotherhood of War was released and reached 11.74 million viewers, making it a film seen by more than 10 million. He won Best Actor at the Blue Dragon Film Awards for it. In 2005 the film Typhoon drew 280,000 viewers nationwide on its opening day.
In December 2008, the year he turned 36, he appeared as the guest on the first episode of The Park Joong-hoon Show. In 2010 he married Ko So-young, and that December The Warrior’s Way opened in North America. In 2011 the film My Way was released. In 2012 he played Kim Do-jin in SBS’s A Gentleman’s Dignity.
In 2014 a daughter was born. In 2018 he returned to dramas after six years with KBS2’s Suits. In 2019 he appeared with Song Joong-ki in tvN’s Arthdal Chronicles.
In 2021 Taegukgi was re-released in 4K. In 2024 he returned to the big screen after eight years with A Normal Family. In May a preview screening was held for the 20th anniversary re-release of Taegukgi. In 2026 he signed with Ace Factory together with his wife, Ko So-young, and in August he appeared as the first guest on her YouTube channel.
Jang Dong-gun (born Mar 7, 1972) debuted in 1992, the year he turned 20, as a member of the 21st class of MBC’s open-recruitment actors, and became known as a lead in the second season of Our Heaven, which began on Nov 27, 1992. Taegukgi: The Brotherhood of War, seen by more than 10 million viewers, came in 2004, the year he turned 32.
Ages are by calendar year (the year minus the birth year), birthdays aside.
Debuted as a member of the 21st class of MBC’s open-recruitment actors. He says he passed at odds of 1,500 to 1, and names Kim Won-hee and Park Joo-mi as classmates who passed that year.
Source 01 · YTN (Korean) · Exclusive contract with Ace Factory · opens in a new tabSource 21 · Sports Seoul (Korean) · Jang Dong-gun’s debut story · opens in a new tab The month and day of his selection were not confirmed.Played a lead in the second season of the teen drama Our Heaven. Raon Sinmun says this season made him, then a rookie, a star overnight.
Yonhap reported in June 1993 that he sang the theme song of Our Heaven himself and gained popularity.
Source 04 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Rush of film and TV drama theme songs · opens in a new tabReported as one of five actors enjoying explosive popularity among teenagers who applied to the acting program of the school of drama at the Korea National University of Arts, opening in 1994.
Source 05 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Five popular actors apply to the drama school · opens in a new tabAppeared in a basketball drama with Son Ji-chang and Lee Jong-won. Yonhap wrote on Jan. 25, 1994 that it was a sensational hit with young viewers, including teenagers, and Wikitree gives its peak rating as 48.6%.
Source 06 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · TV dramas with unusual subjects compete · opens in a new tabSource 07 · Wikitree (Korean) · Jang Dong-gun and Ko So-young on YouTube · opens in a new tab The first broadcast date was not confirmed.Won Best New Actor (TV) at the Baeksang Arts Awards in 1994.
Source 08 · Sports Donga (Korean) · Arthdal Chronicles, Jang Dong-gun and Song Joong-ki · opens in a new tab Based on Sports Donga’s profile summary; the ceremony date was not confirmed.Star News lists Medical Brothers, along with The Last Match, as a drama he appeared in.
Source 20 · Star News (Korean) · Jang Dong-gun and Kang Dong-won, pretty-boy actors · opens in a new tabSource 22 · Wikipedia · Jang Dong-gun · opens in a new tab Date from Wikipedia; not confirmed in news reports.Won Best New Actor at the 18th Blue Dragon Film Awards for the film Repechage.
Source 09 · Sports Chosun (Korean) · Blue Dragon Film Awards grand slam · opens in a new tab The ceremony date was not confirmed.A film in which he acted opposite Ko So-young for the first time.
Source 07 · Wikitree (Korean) · Jang Dong-gun and Ko So-young on YouTube · opens in a new tabPlayed Dong-su in the film directed by Kwak Kyung-taek. Wikitree gives its nationwide total as 8,181,377 viewers.
Source 07 · Wikitree (Korean) · Jang Dong-gun and Ko So-young on YouTube · opens in a new tabSource 25 · Nocut News (Korean) · Friend 2 in production · opens in a new tab The release date was not confirmed.Appeared with Won Bin in the film directed by Kang Je-gyu, which drew 230,000 viewers nationwide on its opening day. Its total reached 11,746,135 viewers, making it a film seen by more than 10 million, and he won Best Actor at the 25th Blue Dragon Film Awards.
Source 10 · Star News (Korean) · Typhoon opening day · opens in a new tabSource 07 · Wikitree (Korean) · Jang Dong-gun and Ko So-young on YouTube · opens in a new tabSource 09 · Sports Chosun (Korean) · Blue Dragon Film Awards grand slam · opens in a new tabSource 23 · Newsen (Korean) · Taegukgi 4K release · opens in a new tab The Blue Dragon ceremony date was not confirmed.Appeared with Lee Jung-jae and Lee Mi-yeon in the maritime action film directed by Kwak Kyung-taek. It drew 280,000 viewers on 540 screens nationwide on its opening day.
Source 10 · Star News (Korean) · Typhoon opening day · opens in a new tabAppeared as the guest on the first episode of Park Joong-hoon’s first talk show. Newsen reported it as his first TV talk show appearance in 10 years.
Source 11 · Newsen (Korean) · First TV talk show in 10 years · opens in a new tabSource 12 · Seoul Shinmun (Korean) · First guest on The Park Joong-hoon Show · opens in a new tabSource 27 · Star News (Korean) · The Park Joong-hoon Show first broadcast · opens in a new tabHeld the wedding at the Shilla Hotel in Seoul. A son was born the year of the wedding.
Source 13 · Star News (Korean) · Wedding gift money · opens in a new tabSource 14 · TV Report (Korean) · Ko So-young and her husband · opens in a new tabSource 07 · Wikitree (Korean) · Jang Dong-gun and Ko So-young on YouTube · opens in a new tabThe film, presented as his Hollywood debut, opened on 1,622 screens in North America. It ranked ninth at the box office on its opening weekend.
Source 15 · Nocut News (Korean) · The Warrior’s Way opens in North America · opens in a new tabSource 16 · Star News (Korean) · The Warrior’s Way first week in North America · opens in a new tabReunited with director Kang Je-gyu on a film with a production budget of 30 billion won. It drew 107,562 viewers on its opening day.
Source 17 · Joynews24 (Korean) · My Way opening day · opens in a new tabPlayed Kim Do-jin. The drama was written by Kim Eun-sook and directed by Shin Woo-chul, and its first episode was rated 14.1% (AGB Nielsen Media Research).
Source 18 · TV Daily (Korean) · A Gentleman’s Dignity ratings · opens in a new tabA daughter was born.
Source 14 · TV Report (Korean) · Ko So-young and her husband · opens in a new tab The month and day of the birth were not confirmed.Appeared with Park Hyung-sik, in his return to dramas after six years.
Source 19 · MK Sports (Korean) · Suits, back on TV after six years · opens in a new tabPlayed one of the two leads with Song Joong-ki.
Source 08 · Sports Donga (Korean) · Arthdal Chronicles, Jang Dong-gun and Song Joong-ki · opens in a new tabThe film released in 2004 was re-released in 4K 17 years later.
Source 23 · Newsen (Korean) · Taegukgi 4K release · opens in a new tabA preview screening of the 4K remastered version for the 20th anniversary was held in the Konkuk University Station area of Seoul.
Source 24 · OSEN (Korean) · Taegukgi 20th anniversary re-release preview · opens in a new tabDirected by Hur Jin-ho, it was his return to the big screen after eight years. He played the pediatrician Jae-gyu, with Sul Kyung-gu, Kim Hee-ae and Claudia Kim.
Source 07 · Wikitree (Korean) · Jang Dong-gun and Ko So-young on YouTube · opens in a new tabSource 02 · MyDaily (Korean) · Joint contract with Ace Factory · opens in a new tabSource 28 · Dailian (Korean) · A Normal Family interview · opens in a new tabSigned an exclusive contract with the agency Ace Factory together with his wife, Ko So-young.
Source 01 · YTN (Korean) · Exclusive contract with Ace Factory · opens in a new tabSource 02 · MyDaily (Korean) · Joint contract with Ace Factory · opens in a new tabAppeared as the first guest on his wife Ko So-young’s YouTube channel. Sports Seoul wrote that the couple sat in front of a camera together for the first time since their marriage.
Source 26 · Sports Seoul (Korean) · Thirty years from the first impression of Ko So-young · opens in a new tabEND OF SELECTED RECORDSSelected records, 1992–2026 · not a complete list of work. “Key moment” is an editorial label, not a measure of success.
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Film & TV · South Korea
Mar 7, 1972 —
Ages are counted from the birth year 1972: the year of the event minus 1972, birthdays aside. “Key moment” labels and the connecting story are AgeTrail's editorial reading.
Fact-checked: 2026.10.02 · An independent archive, not affiliated with the person or their agency.