Jang Keun-suk first appeared as a child model and began his acting career in the family sitcom “Selling Happiness”. Despite his refined appearance and “Prince of Asia” image, he didn’t come from a wealthy background.
Jang Keun-suk once shared on a TV show that he came to Seoul as a child with just 200,000 won (approx 148 USD), living with relatives and enduring financial struggles. At one point, he even used the 2 million won he earned from an underwear ad to pay rent.
Jang Keun-suk pursued various jobs, including modeling and working as a VJ, before studying abroad in New Zealand and Japan to learn languages. After returning to Korea eight months later, he gained popularity through “Nonstop 4”.
He began taking on more mature roles in dramas like “Hwang Jini”, “Hong Gil-dong”, “Beethoven Virus”, and “You’re Beautiful”. Though he chose projects based on personal interest rather than fame, these all became successful, cementing his career. He especially gained immense popularity in Japan, proving his title as the “Prince of Asia”.
Jang Keun-suk has since excelled in various genres, from dramas and films to radio and variety shows, earning the title of a true all-around entertainer. Notably, he is now famous for owning buildings worth approximately 130 billion won (approx 96.2 million USD), which has sparked envy. He even once owned a building in Shibuya, Tokyo, reportedly earning around 3 billion won (approx 2.22 million USD) in rent.
However, despite his achievements, Jang Keun-suk recently revealed he had been diagnosed with thyroid cancer during the recent medical crisis. Although thyroid cancer is sometimes referred to as a “good cancer”, Jang Keun-suk discussed the emotional and physical toll it took, especially with surgery being delayed due to the medical crisis.
Now, having undergone surgery with no signs of metastasis, Jang Keun-suk expressed his gratitude for a second chance at life and hopes to live healthily and happily going forward.