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Happy Birthday Kang Dong Won: Broker, Peninsula to Dr. Cheon and Lost Talisman; See actor's top 7 performances
As Kang Dong Won turns 42, let’s dive into his exemplary performances in various projects, namely Broker, My Brilliant Life, and more. Take a look at his best roles in his 20-year-long career span.
Kang Dong Won is one of the most recognizable faces in the South Korean entertainment industry. Being spotted by a modeling agent on the street, Kang Dong Won started as a model and discovered his passion for acting after he was featured in Jo Sung Mo’s music video titled I Swear. He kick-started his acting career in 2003 with Country Princess and Something About 1%.
With an illustrious career spanning over two decades, Kang Dong Won has delivered standout performances primarily in films such as A Violent Prosecutor (2016), Golden Slumber (2018), Broker (2022), and more. Hailed by critics for his method acting abilities, the actor has received several accolades including the 29th Buil Film Awards, 16th New York Asian Film Festival, 30th Korean Association of Film Critics Awards, and other honors.
On Kang Dong Won’s 42nd birthday, let’s take a look at his diverse filmography and celebrate his artistic prowess.
Dr Cheon - Dr. Cheon and Lost Talisman (2023)
Kang Dong Won shines as a fake exorcist in his latest film titled Dr. Cheon and Lost Talisman. In this occult action-comedy, the actor plays the witty character of Dr Cheon, a fraudulent exorcist who comes from the family of village shamans, but he doesn’t believe in ghosts.
The movie follows the struggles of Dr. Cheon as he deceives his superstitious clients in exchange for a hefty sum of money. When he meets a mysterious client Yoo Kyung (Esom) who can see ghosts, a series of eerie events ensue. Unlike other gruesome occult films and dramas, this movie brings lighthearted entertainment complemented by Kang Dong Won’s comic timing and unmatched action sequences.
Jung Seok in Peninsula (2020)
In the film Peninsula, Kang Dong Won assumes the role of a former Marine Corps Captain named Jung Seok, who fails to save his nephew and sister during a zombie outbreak in South Korea. It is a standalone sequel to the 2016 film, Train to Busan, as it takes place in the same universe and the film starts with the survivors trying to escape from the Busan station, thronged by zombies.
Four years later, guilt-ridden Jung Seok lives a silent life in Hong Kong. He is recruited by a bunch of mobsters who assign him a task to head over to South Korea and bring back a truck filled with $20 million. In desperate need of money, Jung Seok embarks on this mission and returns to his homeland, where zombies are still lurking around.
Dong Soo in Broker (2022)
Broker is a heartwarming tale that touches upon the sensitive subject of putting up newborn babies for illegal adoption. The film is inspired by the concept of baby boxes in Japan and it has won Ecumenical Jury Award at the 2022 Cannes Festival for its unique storytelling.
In this poignant film, Kang Dong Won plays the role of Dong Soo, a part-time worker at church who partners with Ha Sang Hyeon (Song Kang Ho), the owner of a laundry. The duo runs an illicit business of taking infants who are abandoned in church and then selling them to childless couples. Dong Soo does the task of deleting the camera footage that shows that the baby was left alone at the church.
These baby brokers come across a young mother So Young (IU) who leaves her child and then returns after realizing her mistake. Later, she joins the duo and sets out on a road trip to meet potential parents.
Sung Min in Vanishing Time: A Boy Who Returned (2016)
This fantasy film follows the journey of four kids who embark on an adventurous trip to the mountains. As they discover a mysterious egg inside a cave, the group of 6th-grade students disappear. Soo Rin (Shin Eun Soo) is the only student who comes back, but a few years later, a man in his 30s claims to be Sung Min, one of the lost kids. It is interesting to see Kang Dong Won as adult Sung Min and the viewers are left to wonder what exactly happened inside the cave!
Jung Tae Sung in Temptation of Wolves (2004)
Unlike Kang Dong Won’s other films which have serious plots, Temptation of Wolves is a light-hearted drama film about high-school romance. In this romance flick, Kang Dong Won plays a shy school boy named Jung Tae Sung, who is also known for his stubbornness. Jung Tae Sung and Ban Hae Won (Jo Han Sun) are the popular guys who compete to get the attention of Jung Han Kyeong, a new student from the countryside. This film marked Kang Dong Won’s first breakthrough role, which brought him closer to mainstream cinema.
Dae Soo in My Brilliant Life (2014)
In My Brilliant Life, Kang Dong Won portrays a doting father to his son Ah Reum, who is diagnosed with progeria, a rare genetic disorder that fastens the aging process. At the age of 16, Ah Reum looks like an eighty-year-old man and he is aware that he doesn’t have much time left. Kang Dong Won as Dae Soo and Song Hye Kyo as Mi Ra do justice to their roles as parents. As a taxi driver, Dae Soo finds it hard to make ends meet and pay for Ah Reum's hospital expenses. Above all, he undergoes the agony of not being able to spend enough time with his terminally ill son.
Song Ji Won in Secret Reunion (2010)
One of the highest-grossing movies of 2010, Secret Reunion features Kang Do Won as Song Ji Won, a spy from North Korea, and actor Song Kang Ho as Lee Han Gyoo, an agent for South Korea. The duo has been forced out of their jobs and deemed as traitors. Six years later, both the agents meet accidentally and join hands for a business partnership. Despite working together, they attempt to steal information from one another.
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