There are a lot of Korean celebrities who make it hard to believe they are turning 40.
By Anna Kim
Staff Writer
Kim@Kheraldatl.com
Kang Dong Won, Kim Sa Rang, and Jang Na Ra, what do they have in common? They look younger than their age! They are in their 40s, but don’t get lost in their charming good looks and god or goddess-like perfection.
Kang Dong Won (39), a model-turned-actor, got off to a great start in the screen world. Spotted on the street by a modeling agent, he was a college freshman but quickly became a household name. Academically gifted with an IQ of 137, Kang majored in Mechanical engineering at Hanyang University. The economic hardship of Kang’s family forced him to do part-time work to pay for his tuition.
Although he is past the best age to marry, he doesn’t still think about marriage. Is his younger-looking appearance attributed to his easy-going attitude for marriage?
“I hate doing what is expected of me. So, my job has been constantly to break prejudices since my debut,” said Kang. “I’m not sure about marriage. No one can predict the future. However, the elder used to tell me that I’m the type to go right away. Anyway, I don’t like being treated like public property.”
Kang is known to be notably low-profile, so interviews are often few and far between. However, he made headline 2 years ago when the news of him starring in the Simon West’s disaster flick, Tsunami LA, broke. A Hollywood debut is just around the corner. He will take on the role of a surfer although he does not surf in the movie, where the tsunami happens from the beginning. His first foreign film is alleged to serve him to join an elite pantheon of Korean actors crossing over to the American market. Lee Byung Hun and Rain are his predecessors to make it to Hollywood.
We wouldn’t guess how old Jang Nara is. She is Kang’s age, but she looks like she just pooped out of the fountain of youth. Known as a singer and actress in Korea and China, Jang is not a one-trick pony. Since she made her debut as a singer in 2001, she has yielded a lot of popular songs including “Sweet Dream” from her second album. Jang made her way to China and became a household name there. She released a number of Chinese-language albums to show gratitude to her Chinese fans. She was also the only singer from a Non-Chinese speaking country when the 2008 Summer Olympics song, “Beijing Welcomes You,” were sung together. She starred in a drama in China titled, “Bratty Princess.” Being the lead actress, Jang attracted much attention from an army of fans in Asia. Her baby face might be caused by her exuberant activities as a singer and actress across the countries.
The glowing skin with light of Kim Sa Rang, former Miss Korea turned actress, lends to her baby face. Kim, born in 1978, debuted as an actress in 2000 in the TV drama series, "Anger of Angel," which received positive feedback from critics and viewers. Kim won the Miss Korea pageant in 2000 and also participated as a Korean representative in the Miss Universe Pageant in the same year, where she won the award for Best National Costume by wearing a glamorous Korean hanbok.
As the old saying goes, “The good comes with the bad,” Kim got into an auto collision in Italy that caused an injury last year. Her agency issued a statement saying, “Many people have been concerned because of the sudden news of her accident. We are writing to inform you of what happened exactly in the accident. Immediately after the accident, she complained of pain in her right foot, and she got in an ambulance with the help of rescue workers and the police. She was taken to the hospital, where it was identified that she had a fracture in her right foot and she received emergency treatment.”
Getting over the accident, Kim will come back to the screen after 10 years starring in the movie, “Perfect Man” at the second half of 2019. Jin Seon Jyu, Ji Seung Hyun, Sol Kyung Gu, and Jo Jin Woong are lined up for the movie. The film will plot the story of a lawyer who will do anything if he gets paid and a gangster who befriends him while volunteering in a nursing home for his public service sentence.
The glowing skin with light of Kim Sa Rang, former Miss Korea turned actress, lends to her baby face.
Jang Nara has attracted much attention from an army of fans in Asia.
Kang Dong Won, a model-turned-actor, got off to a great start in the screen world.
