Jang Ki Yong has yet to have his big break.
Among the rising male stars of Korea’s entertainment industry, Jang Ki Yong is one of the most outstanding faces. The model-turned actor has everything, from beauty, acting skills to chemistry with his co-stars. Only some luck to become a top star is something that Jang Ki Yong seems to lack.
The potential actor who started out as a model
There are many successful actors whose starting points were models, such as So Ji Sub, Lee Jong Suk or Kim Woo Bin. Jang Ki Yong also has a similar path in the entertainment industry.
He started looking for opportunities in the modeling industry in 2012 when he came under the management of YGKPlus Models. Having a high fashion face structure and outstanding height of 1m87, Jang Ki Yong quickly gained impressive achievements as a model. After 2 years, Jang Ki Yong decided to pursue acting with a cameo role in “It’s OK It’s love” in 2014.
In 2017, Jang Ki Yong gained attention through the drama “Go Back Couple”. His natural acting and sweet chemistry with the female lead made viewers excited and ship him with Jang Nara.
After “Go Back Couple”, Jang Ki Yong has become more well-known and started to be considered one of the rising actors. The dramas that he participated in later such as “Come And Hug Me”, “Kill it” or “Search: WWW” were not too successful in terms of ratings, but his talent was more recognized by the public.
Jang Ki Yong‘s acting is also recognized by professionals. At the 2019 Baeksang Arts Awards, Jang Ki Yong excellently won Best New Actor in TV for his role in “Come And Hug Me”. This prestigious Baeksang award was an important stepping stone for Jang Ki Yong in his acting path.
Having everything but luck
Having worked in the industry as an actor since 2014, but Jang Ki Yong has yet to have a breakout role that earns him a spot among the leading Korean actors. Jang Ki Yong has both good looks and acting skills, he also has the ability to spark convincing chemistry with his co-stars. All he needs is a good male lead role and an impressive script that can take his career to another level.
In 2021, fans had high hopes for Jang Ki Yong‘s new drama when he got the chance to act alongside A-lister Song Hye Kyo. “Now We Are Breaking Up” was expected to be a small screen year-end hit and take Jang Ki Yong’s fame to new heights. Unfortunately, luck was once again not on Jang Ki Yong‘s side as “Now, We Are Breaking Up” failed to meet expectations. The drama started off with promising ratings but continued to go downhill towards the end. The major cause for its underwhelming performance is the outdated storyline.
Jang Ki Yong’s chemistry with Song Hye Kyo in “Now We Are Breaking Up” also draws mixed reactions. Some enjoy it, others say it feels forced and find their huge age difference uncomfortable. The average rating of “Now, We Are Breaking Up” is 6.6% – higher than Jang Ki Yong’s previous dramas but still not enough to help him draw keen attention.
In fact, Korea’s entertainment industry is full of talented actors who are struggling to build reputation and earn a solid position. Unfortunately, Jang Ki Yong is no exception.
It’s not entirely right to say Jang Ki Yong has poor choices of script. The dramas that Jang Ki Yong accepted are quite diverse in genres. However, these scripts lack what it takes to become a hit.
