# Kang Ji-hwan (강지환)
**Kang Ji-hwan** (강지환) is the stage name of Jo Tae-gyu (조태규), a South Korean actor born in 1977 who worked in television dramas, films, and musicals from 2001 until his 2019 arrest on sexual assault charges ended his screen career. His best-known works include the daily drama *굳세어라 금순아* (2005), the films *영화는 영화다* and *7급 공무원* (both 2008), and the dramas *경성스캔들* (2007) and *쾌도 홍길동* (2008).[1](https://wiki.onul.works/w/%EA%B0%95%EC%A7%80%ED%99%98) • [2](https://www.osen.co.kr/article/G1110203655)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1977, Seoul, South Korea; birth name Jo Tae-gyu[3](https://k-calc.com/celeb/p/kang-ji-hwan) • [4](https://www.yna.co.kr/amp/view/AKR20200618103000061) |
| Debut | 2001, in the musical *The Rocky Horror Picture Show*[5](https://kkami0123.tistory.com/331) |
| Breakthrough | Lead in the 2005 MBC daily drama *굳세어라 금순아*, followed by a new-actor award[6](https://johigashi.tistory.com/m/597) |
| Biggest film | *7급 공무원* (production year 2008), about 4,039,891 admissions per KOBIS statistics[5](https://kkami0123.tistory.com/331) |
| Award | Best New Actor for *Rough Cut* (*영화는 영화다*) at the 29th Blue Dragon Film Awards, November 20, 2008[7](https://asianwiki.com/Kang_Ji-Hwan) |
| Criminal conviction | 2 years 6 months imprisonment, suspended for 3 years, for quasi-rape and quasi-indecent assault; confirmed by the Supreme Court on November 5, 2020[4](https://www.yna.co.kr/amp/view/AKR20200618103000061) • [8](https://www.donga.com/news/Society/article/all/20201105/103811813/2) |
| Civil liability | Ordered to pay about 5.38 billion won to the production company of the drama *조선생존기*, finalized by the Supreme Court in 2022[9](https://www.ytn.co.kr/_ln/0117_202109241456571316) |
## Early life and debut
Korean profile sources record his birth date as 1977, his birthplace as Seoul, and his education at Chosun University.[3](https://k-calc.com/celeb/p/kang-ji-hwan) He entered the profession in 2001 through the musical *The Rocky Horror Picture Show*.[5](https://kkami0123.tistory.com/331)
## Screen career
**Television breakthrough.** Kang first drew wide attention as a lead in the 2005 MBC daily drama *굳세어라 금순아* (*Stay Strong, Geum-soon*), playing opposite actress Han Hye-jin; the role brought him a new-actor award and marked the start of his full acting career.[6](https://johigashi.tistory.com/m/597) He followed with a run of leading drama roles: *경성스캔들* (2007), *쾌도 홍길동* (2008), *90일, 사랑할 시간* (2006), *커피하우스* (2010), *돈의 화신* (2013), and *빅맨* (2014).[2](https://www.osen.co.kr/article/G1110203655) • [3](https://k-calc.com/celeb/p/kang-ji-hwan) A 2008 Cine21 interview described his early screen image as a playful, well-born type, and noted his attempt at a darker character, the fight-scene insider Su-ta, in *영화는 영화다* (*Rough Cut*).[10](https://cine21.com/news/view/?mag_id=52727) That performance earned him the Best New Actor award at the 29th Blue Dragon Film Awards.[7](https://asianwiki.com/Kang_Ji-Hwan)
**Film work.** His commercial peak on screen was the action-comedy *7급 공무원* (*My Girlfriend Is an Agent*), in which he played the agent Lee Jae-jun; KOBIS statistics record 26,380,710,000 won in box-office sales and 4,039,891 admissions.[5](https://kkami0123.tistory.com/331) His other leading film roles included *영화는 영화다* (1,311,118 admissions), *차형사* (2012, 1,346,754 admissions), *내 눈에 콩깍지* (2009), *태양을 쏴라* (2014, 17,444 admissions for the theatrical cut), and the earlier *방문자* (2005).[5](https://kkami0123.tistory.com/331) A same-titled television remake of *7급 공무원* starring Choi Kang-hee and [Joo Won](https://www.edgepedia.org/joo-won) later appeared.[11](https://www.namu.moe/w/7%EA%B8%89%20%EA%B3%B5%EB%AC%B4%EC%9B%90%28%EC%98%81%ED%99%94%29) In 2015 he was cast as the top star Kim Hyun-jun in the Korea-China romantic comedy *천강대가*, filmed in Dalian, China.[2](https://www.osen.co.kr/article/G1110203655) His last listed drama credit is *죽어도 좋아* (2018), and in 2018 he joined the military-variety program *진짜사나이 300*, where his height was measured at 182.3 cm and weight at 71 kg.[3](https://k-calc.com/celeb/p/kang-ji-hwan) • [12](https://readonly.wiki/w/%EA%B0%95%EC%A7%80%ED%99%98) • [13](https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20180729001440454)
## The 2019 case and conviction
On July 9, 2019, at his home in Opo-eup, Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province, Kang drank alcohol with two outsourced female staff assisting his filming and then entered the room where they were sleeping, sexually assaulting one and indecently assaulting the other; he was charged with quasi-rape and quasi-indecent assault.[4](https://www.yna.co.kr/amp/view/AKR20200618103000061) MBC news reported his emergency arrest by police on the charges.[14](https://imnews.imbc.com/replay/2019/nw1200/article/5399588_29337.html) His first trial opened in September 2019 at the Suwon District Court's Seongnam Branch.[15](https://web.donga.com/pdf/pdf_viewer.php?vcid=2019090210W1301)
The first trial found all charges proven on December 5, 2019, and sentenced him to 2 years and 6 months in prison, suspended for 3 years. The appellate court at Suwon High Court returned the same sentence on June 11, 2020. Kang appealed, contesting part of the quasi-indecent-assault charge on the grounds that the victim was not in a state of inability to resist and that no DNA of his was detected; the prosecution, which had sought 3 years of actual imprisonment, did not appeal.[4](https://www.yna.co.kr/amp/view/AKR20200618103000061) On November 5, 2020, the Supreme Court's First Division, presided over by Justice Park Jung-hwa, rejected his appeal and confirmed the guilt and the suspended sentence, stating that the victims' accounts were consistent and that the receipt of a large settlement did not by itself undermine the credibility of the victim's statement.[8](https://www.donga.com/news/Society/article/all/20201105/103811813/2) • [16](https://www.tenasia.co.kr/article/2020110569914)
## Withdrawal from work and civil liability
The case cost him his in-progress drama role. He left *조선생존기* after 12 episodes had been filmed, and the remaining 8 episodes were completed with a different actor.[9](https://www.ytn.co.kr/_ln/0117_202109241456571316) The drama's production company, Santa Claus Entertainment, then sued Kang and his former agency [Jellyfish Entertainment](https://www.edgepedia.org/jellyfish-entertainment) for restitution of unjust enrichment, claiming 6.38 billion won. In September 2021 the Seoul Central District Court ruled partially for the company, ordering Kang to pay about 5.3 billion won; in October 2022 the Supreme Court dismissed the appeal, finalizing the payment of about 5.38 billion won.[9](https://www.ytn.co.kr/_ln/0117_202109241456571316) • [17](https://web.donga.com/pdf/pdf_viewer.php?vcid=2022101410W1301) Korean entertainment reporting at the time of the conviction judged a return to acting unlikely, given that the offense occurred against staff during a production.[18](https://www.tenasia.co.kr/article/2020110577734)
## References
1. [강지환, 오늘의AI위키](https://wiki.onul.works/w/%EA%B0%95%EC%A7%80%ED%99%98)
2. [강지환, 韓中합작영화 '천강대가' 주연 발탁, OSEN (2015)](https://www.osen.co.kr/article/G1110203655)
3. [강지환 배우 프로필, K-Calculator](https://k-calc.com/celeb/p/kang-ji-hwan)
4. ['성폭행 혐의' 강지환, 2심 집유선고에 불복…상고장 제출, 연합뉴스 (2020)](https://www.yna.co.kr/amp/view/AKR20200618103000061)
5. [강지환 배우 출연영화작품현황, 정보뱅크 (2024)](https://kkami0123.tistory.com/331)
6. [강지환 프로필 나이 학력 근황 작품활동 배우 필모그래피, johigashi 블로그](https://johigashi.tistory.com/m/597)
7. [Kang Ji-Hwan, AsianWiki](https://asianwiki.com/Kang_Ji-Hwan)
8. ['스태프 성폭행' 혐의 강지환, 유죄 확정…징역형 집행유예, 동아일보 (2020)](https://www.donga.com/news/Society/article/all/20201105/103811813/2)
9. [‘성폭행’ 강지환, 53억 배상 위기… 드라마 제작사에 패소, YTN (2021)](https://www.ytn.co.kr/_ln/0117_202109241456571316)
10. [[강지환] 난 지금 도전을 하고 싶다, Cine21 (2008)](https://cine21.com/news/view/?mag_id=52727)
11. [7급 공무원(영화), 나무위키](https://www.namu.moe/w/7%EA%B8%89%20%EA%B3%B5%EB%AC%B4%EC%9B%90%28%EC%98%81%ED%99%94%29)
12. [강지환, 읽기전용위키](https://readonly.wiki/w/%EA%B0%95%EC%A7%80%ED%99%98)
13. ['진짜사나이300' 강지환·안현수 등 육군3사관학교 입소, 아시아투데이 (2018)](https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20180729001440454)
14. [배우 강지환 긴급체포…성폭행·추행 혐의, MBC 뉴스 (2019)](https://imnews.imbc.com/replay/2019/nw1200/article/5399588_29337.html)
15. [강지환 첫 재판 기사, 동아일보 PDF (2019)](https://web.donga.com/pdf/pdf_viewer.php?vcid=2019090210W1301)
16. [스태프 성폭행 강지환 징역2년6개월·집유 3년 확정, 텐아시아 (2020)](https://www.tenasia.co.kr/article/2020110569914)
17. [강지환·젤리피쉬 53억8000여만 원 지급 확정 기사, 동아일보 PDF (2022)](https://web.donga.com/pdf/pdf_viewer.php?vcid=2022101410W1301)
18. [스태프 성폭행 강지환 반전 없이 유죄 확정…배우 활동 불가능할 듯 종합 | 텐아시아](https://www.tenasia.co.kr/article/2020110577734)
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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 18, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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