Kang So-ra
South Korean actress (born 1990)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kang So-ra (Korean: 강소라; born February 18, 1990) is a South Korean actress.[3]
Kang So-ra | |
|---|---|
 Kang in July 2024 | |
| Born | February 18, 1990 |
| Education | Dongguk University - Theater and Film |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 2009–present |
| Agent | Studio Uhoo[2] |
| Spouse |
Unknown (m. 2020) |
| Children | 2 |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul | 강소라 |
| RR | Gang Sora |
| MR | Kang Sora |
| Signature | |
 | |
Career
Kang made her acting debut in the 2009 thriller movie 4th Period Mystery, but rose to fame when she starred in the 2011 blockbuster Sunny, a coming-of-age film about a group of high school girls growing up in the 1980s.[4] This was followed by leading roles in television dramas, such as teen musical Dream High 2 (2012),[5][6][7] and family drama Ugly Alert (2013).[8] Kang also appeared on the third season of We Got Married, a reality show which pairs up celebrities into fake "married" couples; her partner was Leeteuk from the K-pop group Super Junior.[9][10]
Kang gained increased recognition after starring in two hit series in 2014: medical drama Doctor Stranger (2014)[11][12] and workplace dramedy Misaeng: Incomplete Life (2014).[13] Doctor Stranger was a success in China with 400 million views, and Misaeng: Incomplete Life was dubbed a "cultural phenomenon" in South Korea.[14][15] This was followed by lead roles in romantic comedy Warm and Cozy (2015) together with Yoo Yeon-seok,[16][17] legal drama My Lawyer, Mr. Jo (2016),[18] and romantic comedy Revolutionary Love (2017) alongside Choi Si-won from the k-pop group Super Junior.[19]
In 2019, Kang returned to the big screen in the cycling film Uhm Bok-dong.[20][21]
In 2020, Kang starred in the comedy film Secret Zoo, based on the webtoon of the same name. She plays a veterinarian who pretends to be a lion.[22] The same year, she was cast in the romance melodrama film Waiting for Rain.[23]
Other ventures
Ambassadorship
| Year | Title | Campaign Organizer | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015–present | Alcon Brand Ambassador | Alcon | [24] |
| 2016 | Dongguk Ambassador | Dongguk University | [25] |
Endorsements
In 2009, Kang appeared in advertisements for the music streaming service MelOn and in Samsung Anycall mobile phone commercials.[26] In 2010, she was featured in commercials for Orion's Market O snacks.[27] In 2011, Kang appeared in seasonal apparel campaigns, including advertisements for Buckaroo.[28] In 2015, Kang was chosen as the advertising model for Kellogg's Special K cereal.[29] She was also selected as the model for Canon Korea's EOS M3 mirrorless camera.[30] That same year, she appeared in advertisements for the cosmetics brand A.H.C.[31] and was selected as the advertising model for Coca-Cola's Sprite alongside rapper Bobby.[32]
In 2016, Kang was appointed as the advertising model by Thinkware for iNavi navigation and black-box products.[33] She was also selected as the model for the beauty device brand Tria.[34] In 2017, she was chosen as the advertising model for the fiber drink Miero Fiber.[35] In 2018, Kang became the promotional model for Samchuly Bicycle.[36] She was also appointed as a brand muse for beauty device maker CellReturn, continuing in that role through 2020.[37] In 2019, she was selected as a model for the golf apparel brand Phantom.[38] In 2024, Kang appeared in a digital advertisement for GLFIT Diet, a health brand by Jongkundang Health.[39]
Personal life
It was revealed on a May 2026 episode of Running Man that Kang is multilingual, as she can speak Korean, English and Japanese, while also learning little bit of Russian language for one of her role's scenes in TV Drama Misaeng: Incomplete Life.[40]
Marriage and family
Kang married a doctor of Oriental medicine in August 2020 in a private ceremony.[41] On November 19, 2020, it was announced that Kang was pregnant with their first child, due in April 2021.[42][43]
On April 15, 2021, Kang's agency announced that Kang had given birth to a daughter.[44] On October 16, 2023, it was confirmed that she is expecting her second child and expected to give birth at the end of this year.[45] Kang gave birth to her second daughter on December 11, 2023.[46]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 4th Period Mystery | Lee Da-jeong | [47] | |
| Kwang-tae's Basic Story | Ji-hyo | short film | ||
| 2011 | Sunny | teenage Ha Chun-hwa | [4] | |
| 2012 | Brave | Mérida | (voice, Korean dubbing) | [48] |
| 2013 | My Paparotti | Sook-hee | [49] | |
| Cheer Up, Mr. Lee | Herself | cameo | [50] | |
| 2019 | Uhm Bok-dong | Kim Hyung-shin | [20] | |
| 2020 | Secret Zoo | So Won | [22] | |
| 2021 | Waiting for Rain | Soo-jin | [51] | |
| 2027 | K-Pop: The Debut | TBA |
Television series
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Ugly Miss Young-ae 7 | Kang So-ra | ||
| Dr. Champ | Kwon Yoo-ri | [52] | ||
| Ugly Miss Young-ae 8 | Kang So-ra | |||
| 2011 | My Bittersweet Life | Hong Yoon-mi | [53] | |
| 2012 | Dream High 2 | Shin Hae-sung | [6] | |
| 2013 | Ugly Alert | Na Do-hee | [8] | |
| Ugly Miss Young-ae 12 | Kang So-ra | cameo | [54] | |
| 2014 | Doctor Stranger | Oh Soo-hyun | [12] | |
| Misaeng: Incomplete Life | Ahn Young-yi | [13] | ||
| 2015 | Warm and Cozy | Lee Jung-joo | [16] | |
| 2016 | My Lawyer, Mr. Jo | Lee Eun-jo | [18] | |
| 2017 | Revolutionary Love | Baek Joon | [19] | |
| 2018 | The Beauty Inside | Host | Cameo | [55] |
| 2023 | Strangers Again | Oh Ha-ra | [56] |
Television shows
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011–2012 | We Got Married Season 3 | Cast member | Paired with Leeteuk | [9] |
| 2013 | My Soul's Table | [57] | ||
Hosting
| Year | Title | Ref. |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | MBC Music Festival | [58] |
| 2012 | MBC Entertainment Awards | [59] |
| 2017 | 31st Golden Disc Awards | [60] |
| 2018 | 32nd Golden Disc Awards | [61] |
| 2019 | 33rd Golden Disc Awards | [62] |
Music video appearances
| Year | Song title | Artist | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | "This Good Day" | Halla Man | [63] | |
| "Gloria" | PK Heman | Kang is also featured on the album cover | [64] | |
| "Merely" | JK Kim Dong-wook | |||
| "Happy Me" | Hong Kyung-min | [65] | ||
| 2011 | "Hello" | Huh Gak | [66] | |
| "I Told You I Wanna Die" | includes narration by Kang | |||
| 2017 | "Curtain" | Suho ft. Song Young-joo | [67] |
Discography
Singles
| Title | Year | Album |
|---|---|---|
| "Round and Round" (빙글빙글) (with Nam Bo-ra, Kim Bo-mi, Park Jin-joo, Kang So-ra, Min Hyo-rin, Kim Min-yeong) |
2011 | Sunny OST |
| "B Class Life" (B 급인생) (with Jeong Jinwoon, Kang So-ra, Jinyoung, Kim Ji-soo) |
2012 | Dream High 2 OST |
Accolades
Awards and nominations
| Award ceremony | Year | Category | Nominee / Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| APAN Star Awards | 2014 | Excellence Award, Actress in a Miniseries | Doctor Stranger | Nominated | |
| 2015 | Misaeng: Incomplete Life & Warm and Cozy | Nominated | |||
| Asia Model Awards | 2014 | Popular Star Award | Kang So-ra | Won | [68] |
| Baeksang Arts Awards | 2012 | Best New Actress – Film | Sunny | Nominated | |
| Most Popular Actress – Film | Won | [69] | |||
| Best New Actress – Television | Dream High 2 | Nominated | |||
| Blue Dragon Film Awards | 2011 | Best New Actress | Sunny | Nominated | |
| Buil Film Awards | 2012 | Best New Actress | Won | [70] | |
| Grand Bell Awards | 2011 | Nominated | |||
| Herald Donga Lifestyle Awards | 2014 | Best Style of the Year | Kang So-ra | Won | [71] |
| KBS Drama Awards | 2016 | Excellence Award, Actress in a Mid-length Drama | My Lawyer, Mr. Jo | Nominated | |
| Korea Advertisers Association Awards | 2015 | Best Model Award | Kang So-ra | Won | [72] |
| Korea Drama Awards | 2014 | Excellence Award, Actress | Doctor Stranger | Won | [73] |
| MBC Drama Awards | 2015 | Excellence Award, Actress in a Miniseries | Warm and Cozy | Won | [74] |
| MBC Entertainment Awards | 2012 | Popularity Award (Variety Show) | We Got Married (Season 3) | Won | [75] |
| Miss Supertalent Season 4 | 2014 | Asia New Star | Kang So-ra | Won | |
| Mnet 20's Choice Awards | 2011 | Hot Movie Star | Sunny | Won | [76] |
| SBS Drama Awards | 2013 | Excellence Award, Actress in a Weekend/Daily Drama | Ugly Alert | Nominated | |
| New Star Award | Won | [77] | |||
| 2014 | Excellence Award, Actress in a Drama Special | Doctor Stranger | Nominated | ||
Listicles
| Publisher | Year | Listicle | Placement | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forbes | 2018 | Korea Power Celebrity | 37th | [78] |
