In 1975, she joined the Little Angels arts troupe. In 1982, she went abroad to study at the Monaco royal ballet school.
The breakthrough yearThe year she turned 18, she won the Prix de Lausanne ballet competition, the first Korean to do so, and her name became known in the international ballet world. Newsis writes that this win made her name known on the world ballet stage.
The year she turned 19, she joined Stuttgart Ballet in Germany as a member of the corps de ballet. In 1990, she received a presidential commendation. In 1994, she became a soloist. In 1997, she became a principal dancer.
In 1999, she won the Prix Benois de la Danse for best female dancer for Lady of the Camellias, the first Asian to do so. In 2002, she became a lifetime member, the first Asian to do so, according to Woman Donga. In 2007, she received the title of Kammertänzerin from the Baden-Württemberg state government in Germany.
In 2012, she danced the title role in Lady of the Camellias when Stuttgart Ballet toured Korea. In 2013, she published her autobiography, and that December she was named artistic director of the Korean National Ballet. In 2014, she took office as artistic director of the Korean National Ballet.
In 2015, she gave a farewell performance of Onegin in Korea at the Seoul Arts Center. In 2016, she retired from dancing after Onegin at the Stuttgart Opera House, 30 years after joining. In 2017, she was reappointed artistic director and served on the Prix Benois de la Danse jury. In 2018, she appeared on the KBS2 talk show Daehwaui Huiyeol.
In 2019, she presented the new ballet Hoi Rang. In 2020, she continued as artistic director for another term. In 2023, her fourth consecutive term was confirmed.
In 2024, she received a commendation from the Public Procurement Service. In 2025, the Korean National Ballet staged Lady of the Camellias, the first full-length staging by an Asian ballet company. In 2026, she stepped down as head of the Korean National Ballet after a 12-year term.
Kang Sue-jin (born Apr 24, 1967) won the Prix de Lausanne in 1985, the year she turned 18, the first Korean to do so, and became known in the international ballet world. She joined Stuttgart Ballet in Germany in 1986, the year she turned 19, and in 1999, the year she turned 32, she won the Prix Benois de la Danse for best female dancer.
Ages are by calendar year (the year minus the birth year), birthdays aside.
Joined the Little Angels arts troupe.
Source 05 · Seoul Economic Daily (Korean) · Ballerina publishes autobiography (Feb. 14, 2013) · opens in a new tab The year is from the chronology in Seoul Economic Daily; the month and day are not confirmed. Outlets differ on whether she entered Sunhwa Arts Middle School in 1979 or 1980.Went abroad to study at the Monaco royal ballet school, the year she turned 15.
Source 02 · Seoul Shinmun (Korean) · Autobiography interview (Jan. 31, 2013) · opens in a new tabSource 21 · Maeil Shinmun (Korean) · World ballerina Kang Sue-jin (July 26, 2008) · opens in a new tabSource 04 · Newsis (Korean) · Baden-Württemberg Order of Merit (Apr. 7, 2014) · opens in a new tab Chosun Ilbo gives the year as 1981, while the other outlets say 1982. The month is from Seoul Shinmun.Took first place at the Prix de Lausanne ballet competition three years after going abroad to study, the first Korean to do so. Newsis writes that this win made her name known on the world ballet stage.
Joined the corps de ballet. Chosun Ilbo writes that she was the first Korean to join.
Source 01 · Chosun Ilbo (Korean) · Ugly feet (Aug. 8, 2023) · opens in a new tabSource 10 · News1 (Korean) · Retires in Germany (July 25, 2016) · opens in a new tab The month and day are not confirmed. Outlets give her age on joining as 18, 19 or 21 (completed years), so the age here is counted by year.The Seoul Economic Daily chronology lists a presidential commendation.
Source 05 · Seoul Economic Daily (Korean) · Ballerina publishes autobiography (Feb. 14, 2013) · opens in a new tab The reason for the commendation and the month and day are not confirmed.Moved up from the corps de ballet to soloist.
Source 06 · Woman Donga (Korean) · Fourth term as head of the National Ballet (Apr. 6, 2023) · opens in a new tabSource 02 · Seoul Shinmun (Korean) · Autobiography interview (Jan. 31, 2013) · opens in a new tab Seoul Economic Daily gives 1993. The month and day are not confirmed.Became a principal dancer.
Source 01 · Chosun Ilbo (Korean) · Ugly feet (Aug. 8, 2023) · opens in a new tabSource 04 · Newsis (Korean) · Baden-Württemberg Order of Merit (Apr. 7, 2014) · opens in a new tabSource 06 · Woman Donga (Korean) · Fourth term as head of the National Ballet (Apr. 6, 2023) · opens in a new tab Seoul Economic Daily gives 1996, and Seoul Shinmun says the year after soloist. The month and day are not confirmed.Won the Prix Benois de la Danse for best female dancer for Lady of the Camellias, the first Asian to do so.
Source 25 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Ballet stars who made Korea shine (Aug. 17, 1999) · opens in a new tabSource 17 · Asia Economy (Korean) · Lady of the Camellias premiere announced (Apr. 29, 2025) · opens in a new tabSource 01 · Chosun Ilbo (Korean) · Ugly feet (Aug. 8, 2023) · opens in a new tab The month and day of the award are not confirmed. Yonhap News Agency reported it in August 1999 as this year’s award.The Seoul Economic Daily chronology lists the Bogwan Order of Cultural Merit of Korea.
Source 05 · Seoul Economic Daily (Korean) · Ballerina publishes autobiography (Feb. 14, 2013) · opens in a new tab The month and day are not confirmed.Woman Donga writes that she was the first Asian lifetime member.
Source 06 · Woman Donga (Korean) · Fourth term as head of the National Ballet (Apr. 6, 2023) · opens in a new tab The month and day are not confirmed.Received the title of court dancer, awarded by the Baden-Württemberg state government. Newsis writes that she was the first Asian to receive it.
Source 04 · Newsis (Korean) · Baden-Württemberg Order of Merit (Apr. 7, 2014) · opens in a new tabSource 06 · Woman Donga (Korean) · Fourth term as head of the National Ballet (Apr. 6, 2023) · opens in a new tab The month and day are not confirmed.Danced the title role at the Sejong Center Grand Theater. The run continued through the 17th.
Source 22 · Kyeonggi Ilbo (Korean) · Tour performance in Korea (July 10, 2012) · opens in a new tab The Korean press gives the title as Camellia Lady and the role as Camellia.In the same month, also attended the ceremony naming her an ambassador for the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics.
Source 02 · Seoul Shinmun (Korean) · Autobiography interview (Jan. 31, 2013) · opens in a new tab The exact dates of the publication and the ceremony are not confirmed.The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced that Kang Sue-jin, then a principal dancer at Stuttgart Ballet, would be the new artistic director. The term is three years.
Source 07 · News1 (Korean) · Named artistic director of the National Ballet (Dec. 3, 2013) · opens in a new tabSource 03 · Kukmin Ilbo (Korean) · Named head of the National Ballet (Dec. 4, 2013) · opens in a new tabCame to work for the first time that day, and the inauguration ceremony was held in the afternoon.
Source 08 · Dong-A Ilbo (Korean) · First remarks in office (Feb. 5, 2014) · opens in a new tabPresented her farewell work, Onegin, to Korean audiences first, at the Seoul Arts Center.
Source 09 · News1 (Korean) · Farewell work Onegin in November (July 2, 2015) · opens in a new tabSource 10 · News1 (Korean) · Retires in Germany (July 25, 2016) · opens in a new tab Reported as performances on Nov. 6–8, and News1 the following year says she gave her farewell performance in Korea last November.Retired after a performance of Onegin at the Stuttgart Opera House, 30 years after joining in 1986.
Source 10 · News1 (Korean) · Retires in Germany (July 25, 2016) · opens in a new tabSource 11 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Stuttgart farewell performance (July 24, 2016) · opens in a new tabThe Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said she would be reappointed as of Feb. 3. The term is three years.
Source 13 · Kukmin Ilbo (Korean) · Term as head of the National Ballet renewed (Jan. 13, 2017) · opens in a new tabAppointed to the jury of the Prix Benois de la Danse, in its 25th year.
Source 12 · News Culture (Korean) · Prix Benois de la Danse nominees (Apr. 13, 2017) · opens in a new tab Based on when it was reported; the date of the appointment is not confirmed.Talked about the background to returning to Korea and becoming artistic director of the Korean National Ballet.
Source 23 · Dong-A Ilbo (Korean) · Daehwaui Huiyeol (Oct. 21, 2018) · opens in a new tabA new work by the Korean National Ballet, said to have premiered in Yeosu that May and then run at the Seoul Arts Center from Nov. 6 to 10.
Source 24 · Seoul Economic Daily (Korean) · Hoi Rang press conference (Oct. 30, 2019) · opens in a new tab The November run is listed as upcoming in the press conference article.After 2017, continued in the post for another term. Edaily writes that a third consecutive term was a first in the company’s history.
Source 14 · Edaily (Korean) · Kang Sue-jin interview (Feb. 22, 2022) · opens in a new tab The day is not confirmed. Outlets count the renewals differently.Received her letter of appointment from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, to lead the company through 2026. Kyunghyang Shinmun writes that four consecutive terms for the head of a national arts organization is a first.
Source 15 · Kyunghyang Shinmun (Korean) · Fourth term confirmed (Apr. 5, 2023) · opens in a new tabReceived a commendation for taking part in making a Public Procurement Service policy promotional video.
Source 16 · Seoul Economic Daily (Korean) · Public Procurement Service commendation (Dec. 20, 2024) · opens in a new tabStaged the full-length production, the first by an Asian ballet company. It is the work that won the 1999 Prix Benois de la Danse.
Source 18 · Newdaily (Korean) · Lady of the Camellias Asian premiere (May 7, 2025) · opens in a new tabSource 17 · Asia Economy (Korean) · Lady of the Camellias premiere announced (Apr. 29, 2025) · opens in a new tab The run was held from the 7th to the 11th at the Seoul Arts Center Opera Theater.The Korean National Ballet said she would step down on April 4. It said she was to be appointed a professor at Seoul Cyber University afterward.
Source 19 · Chosun Ilbo (Korean) · Leaving the National Ballet (Feb. 27, 2026) · opens in a new tabStepped down after a 12-year term.
Source 19 · Chosun Ilbo (Korean) · Leaving the National Ballet (Feb. 27, 2026) · opens in a new tabSource 20 · Kyunghyang Shinmun (Korean) · Successor named (Aug. 6, 2026) · opens in a new tab The departure date is based on the announcement article. The later professorship is not confirmed in news reports.END OF SELECTED RECORDSSelected records, 1975–2026 · not a complete list of work. “Key moment” is an editorial label, not a measure of success.
What did they do, and at what age?
AgeTrail lines up the key moments of a life by age.
Debut and breakthrough are marked separately, and every record has a source.
Arts · South Korea
Apr 24, 1967 —
Ages are counted from the birth year 1967: the year of the event minus 1967, birthdays aside. “Key moment” labels and the connecting story are AgeTrail's editorial reading.
Fact-checked: 2026.10.03 · An independent archive, not affiliated with the person or their agency.