Kang Ye-won Real Name: Kim Ji-eun She/Her
Kang Ye-won → Kim Ji-eun
Kang Ye-won's real name is Kim Ji-eun.
- Known as
- Kang Ye-won
- Real name
- Kim Ji-eun
- Also known as
- Kang Ye-won; Kim Ji-eun (김지은); 강예원
- Born
- March 15, 1979
- Country
- South Korea
- Category
- Actors
Quick answer
Kang Ye-won's birth name is Kim Ji-eun (김지은). She is a South Korean actress who debuted on SBS television in 2001 and is best known for the films Tidal Wave (2009), Harmony (2010), Hello Ghost (2010) and Quick (2011).
About the stage name
She acted under her birth name, Kim Ji-eun, early in her career and changed her professional name to Kang Ye-won in 2004. On MBC's Radio Star in March 2015 she said she changed her name and that it took ten years to make the new one known. In interviews she has explained that her parents chose "Ye-won" (藝元, roughly "first in the arts") and that her former agency head added the surname Kang (強, "strong").
Career highlights
- Debuted in a 2001 SBS drama.
- Tidal Wave (2009), opposite Lee Min-ki, drew more than 10 million viewers.
- Won Best New Actress at the 2010 Chunsa Film Art Awards.
- Later films include Ghost Sweepers (2012), The Huntresses (2014), My Ordinary Love Story (2014) and Part-Time Spy (2017).
- Studied voice at Hanyang University.
Birth year
Older profiles, including the Korean Film Council database, list 1980. In January 2021 her agency confirmed she was actually born March 15, 1979.
FAQ
What is Kang Ye-won's real name?
Kang Ye-won's birth name is Kim Ji-eun (김지은). She changed her professional name to Kang Ye-won in 2004.
What is Kang Ye-won known for?
She is a South Korean actress best known for the films Tidal Wave (2009), Harmony (2010), Hello Ghost (2010) and Quick (2011).
Why did Kang Ye-won change her name?
She has said she took the name Kang Ye-won to make a fresh start in acting. Her parents chose Ye-won, and her former agency head added the surname Kang.

