# Jang Ki-yong
**Jang Ki-yong** (장기용; born 1992) is a South Korean actor and model represented by [YG Entertainment](https://www.edgepedia.org/yg-entertainment). He began his career as a fashion model, became widely known through appearances in IU's 2013 music videos, and moved into acting with a 2014 drama debut, building a filmography that spans romance comedies, thrillers, and fantasy dramas.[1](https://k-calc.com/celeb/p/jang-ki-yong) • [2](https://www.starnewskorea.com/broadcast-drama/2017/11/24/2017112412382880484)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1992, Ulsan, South Korea; actor and model[1](https://k-calc.com/celeb/p/jang-ki-yong) |
| Agency | YG Entertainment; re-signed with the company before his military enlistment[3](https://www.xportsnews.com/article/1691537) |
| Acting debut | 2014 drama *It's Okay, That's Love*; his first acting audition was for the film *Big Match* (2014)[3](https://www.xportsnews.com/article/1691537) • [4](https://v.daum.net/v/20170521080026623) |
| Breakthrough | Jung Nam-gil in the KBS 2TV drama *Go Back Couple* (고백부부, 2017)[2](https://www.starnewskorea.com/broadcast-drama/2017/11/24/2017112412382880484) |
| Military service | Enlisted in the Army in August 2021; discharged February 22, 2023 after about 1 year and 6 months[3](https://www.xportsnews.com/article/1691537) |
| Post-service work | *The Hero Is Not* (히어로는 아닙니다만, 2024) and *Kisses Are Not for Free!* (키스는 괜히 해서!, 2025)[5](https://v.daum.net/v/20240614100141616) • [6](https://v.daum.net/v/20260101061726514) |
| Awards | Excellence Award (romantic comedy) and Best Couple Award with Ahn Eun-jin at the 2025 SBS Drama Awards[6](https://v.daum.net/v/20260101061726514) |
## Modeling and early screen work
Jang started in modeling and expanded into drama, film, and variety work. His face first reached a wide public through IU's music videos for "Pink Shoes" (분홍신) and "Friday" (금요일에 만나요) in 2013, and he went on to appear in a range of productions before landing a defining role.[2](https://www.starnewskorea.com/broadcast-drama/2017/11/24/2017112412382880484) • [4](https://v.daum.net/v/20170521080026623)
His first acting audition was for the 2014 film *Big Match*, in which he tried out for the role played by [Choi Woo-shik](https://www.edgepedia.org/choi-woo-shik). In a 2017 interview he described arriving early for the audition and riding an elevator with a director he did not recognize, an anecdote he used to explain how the casting came about.[4](https://v.daum.net/v/20170521080026623) He began acting in earnest with the 2014 drama *It's Okay, That's Love*.[3](https://www.xportsnews.com/article/1691537)
## Breakthrough with Go Back Couple
**Go Back Couple.** In the KBS 2TV drama *Go Back Couple* (고백부부), which ended its run on November 18, 2017, Jang played Jung Nam-gil, a complete man with looks, wealth, and intelligence who formed a triangle around the characters played by Son Ho-jun and [Jang Na-ra](https://www.edgepedia.org/jang-na-ra). The reserved Nam-gil gradually changes after meeting Ma Jin-joo, and the role drew enthusiastic support from viewers.[2](https://www.starnewskorea.com/broadcast-drama/2017/11/24/2017112412382880484)
The role changed how he was recognized in public. Jang said that when he was known as a model, mostly students and people in their early twenties recognized him, but after the drama men in their forties and fifties greeted him familiarly as "Nam-gil" in restaurants. He described the nicknames viewers gave the character, including "sub-male lead syndrome inducer" and "a senior who does not exist in real schools," as new and pleasant to hear.[2](https://www.starnewskorea.com/broadcast-drama/2017/11/24/2017112412382880484) Jang Na-ra, his co-star, called him a passionate actor in a separate interview.[7](https://www.ajunews.com/view/20171128155358747)
## Leading roles before enlistment
After *Go Back Couple* and an impression-making turn in *My Mister* (나의 아저씨, 2018), Jang moved into leading roles in *[Come and Hug Me](https://www.edgepedia.org/come-and-hug-me)* (이리와 안아줘, 2018), *[Search: WWW](https://www.edgepedia.org/search-www)* (검색어를 입력하세요 WWW), *My Roommate Is a Gumiho* (간 떨어지는 동거, 2021), and *[Now, We Are Breaking Up](https://www.edgepedia.org/now-we-are-breaking-up)* (지금 헤어지는 중입니다, 2021), continuing to work steadily until just before his enlistment.[3](https://www.xportsnews.com/article/1691537) • [8](https://kprofiles.com/jang-ki-yong-profile-facts/)
In *My Roommate Is a Gumiho*, a tvN drama adapted from a webtoon, he played opposite [Lee Hye-ri](https://www.edgepedia.org/lee-hye-ri), and the pair's romantic chemistry received favorable reviews.[9](https://kstar.kbs.co.kr/list_view.html?idx=49587) In 2021 he also appeared in the Netflix film *Sweet & Sour* (새콤달콤), directed by Lee Gae-byok, playing [Jang Hyuk](https://www.edgepedia.org/jang-hyuk), a contract worker at a large company whose long-distance relationship with a nurse ([Chae Soo-bin](https://www.edgepedia.org/chae-soo-bin)) frays as a rival colleague (Jung Soo-jung) appears. The film was released exclusively on Netflix on June 4, 2021.[10](https://cine21.com/news/view/?mag_id=97841) • [11](https://cine21.com/news/view/?mag_id=97970) A retrospective on his 2021 output noted that although all three of that year's projects were romances, he gave each a distinctly different tone.[12](https://www.mk.co.kr/news/realestate/10177841)
## Military service and return
Jang enlisted in the Army as an active-duty soldier in August 2021 and completed about 1 year and 6 months of service, reporting his discharge from the 15th Infantry Division on the morning of February 22, 2023. Before enlisting he had already re-signed with YG Entertainment, which pledged full support for his return to acting. At his discharge he told waiting fans, "Thank you for waiting for a long time. I will greet you soon with a good work."[3](https://www.xportsnews.com/article/1691537)
His first post-service drama was the JTBC series *The Hero Is Not* ([히어로는 아닙니다만](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-atypical-family), 2024), in which he played Bok Gwi-ju, a time traveler who has lost his abilities through depression; Park So-yi played his daughter Bok I-na, who can read minds when she looks into another person's eyes.[5](https://v.daum.net/v/20240614100141616)
## Recent and upcoming work
In 2025 Jang starred in the SBS romantic comedy *Kisses Are Not for Free!* (키스는 괜히 해서!) opposite Ahn Eun-jin, playing a team leader who falls in love with a single mother posing as a married woman for the sake of her livelihood. At the 2025 [SBS Drama Awards](https://www.edgepedia.org/sbs-drama-awards) he received the Excellence Award for a romantic comedy miniseries and, with Ahn Eun-jin, the Best Couple Award after a kiss performance on stage drew wide attention.[6](https://v.daum.net/v/20260101061726514) • [13](https://namu.news/article/3137659)
Several projects followed. He completed filming the drama *Pigpen* (돼지우리) with [Cha Seung-won](https://www.edgepedia.org/cha-seung-won), which had not yet been released as of late 2026.[1](https://k-calc.com/celeb/p/jang-ki-yong) He is set to star with [Oh Jung-se](https://www.edgepedia.org/oh-jung-se) in the MBC Friday-Saturday drama *The Law of the Line* (라인의 법칙), an office drama about a low-ranking bank employee who enters company politics without academic pedigree or connections; it marks his first MBC drama in about nine years since *Come and Hug Me*, with a first broadcast planned for the first half of 2027.[14](https://m.wikitree.co.kr/articles/1167869) He has also been reported in talks to join the Japan-Korea co-production *Get Off the Peninsula* (반도에서 나가라), planned for [Amazon Prime](https://www.edgepedia.org/amazon-prime).[15](https://theqoo.net/japan/4374591793?category=94175971)
## References
1. [장기용 (배우) 프로필, K-Calculator](https://k-calc.com/celeb/p/jang-ki-yong)
2. ['고백부부' 장기용 "서브병? 비현실적 선배? 모든 평가 좋아"(인터뷰), Star News](https://www.starnewskorea.com/broadcast-drama/2017/11/24/2017112412382880484)
3. ['만기 전역' 장기용, YG 재계약 의리까지 "기다려 주셔서 감사" [공식입장], Xports News](https://www.xportsnews.com/article/1691537)
4. ['그거너사' 장기용, '아이유의 남자' 아닌 배우로(인터뷰), Daum](https://v.daum.net/v/20170521080026623)
5. ['히어로는 아닙니다만' 장기용, 제대 후 복귀 더 반가운 이유 [★FULL인터뷰], Daum](https://v.daum.net/v/20240614100141616)
6. [키스 재현 안은진♥장기용→투머치토커 윤경호, 시상식의 신스틸러[SBS 연기대상②], Daum](https://v.daum.net/v/20260101061726514)
7. [[AJU★인터뷰①] 장기용 "연기 호평? 그저 편하게 했을 뿐이에요", Aju News](https://www.ajunews.com/view/20171128155358747)
8. [Jang Ki Yong Profile and Facts, Kpop Profiles](https://kprofiles.com/jang-ki-yong-profile-facts/)
9. [[인터뷰] '간 떨어지는 동거'로 성장한 배우 이혜리, KBS연예](https://kstar.kbs.co.kr/list_view.html?idx=49587)
10. [장기용, 채수빈, 정수정의 청춘 로맨스 <새콤달콤> 제작발표회, Cine21](https://cine21.com/news/view/?mag_id=97841)
11. ['새콤달콤' 세 배우와의 만남…일과 연애 사이, 현실과 영화 사이, Cine21](https://cine21.com/news/view/?mag_id=97970)
12. [장기용 "감사한 '지헤중'…장기용의 30대 기대해달라", Star Today](https://www.mk.co.kr/news/realestate/10177841)
13. [장기용♥안은진, 화끈 키스 퍼포먼스 뒤…"사랑스럽게 봐줘서 감사", Xports News via Namu News](https://namu.news/article/3137659)
14. ['라인의 법칙' 장기용·오정세 맞붙는다…MBC 첫 방송은 2027년 상반기, Wikitree](https://m.wikitree.co.kr/articles/1167869)
15. [더쿠 - [단독] 장기용, 한일 합작 드라마 '반도에서 나가라' 출연](https://theqoo.net/japan/4374591793?category=94175971)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of East and Southeast Asia › South Korean actors, 2000s onward › Surnames I to Ka*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license