[HanCinema's News] Kang Ki-young Transitions to Leading Man With "Queen of Divorce"

At forty years old, Kang Ki-young seems an unlikely candidate for a first-time leading man, particularly playing against a veteran actress like Lee Ji-ah. But Kang Ki-young has had a string of unusually strong performances lately, for a performer whon has often seemed typecast into supporting roles. Kang Ki-young had a huge break in "Extraordinary Attorney Woo" where he played the legal mentor of the title character.

Advertisement

But Kang Ki-young's character showed stronger range than just as a senior attorney. Part of his character's story in the unexpected legal drama hit discussed the collapse of his marriage, owing to his dedication to his work. The positive response of viewers to this storyline made him a surprisingly plausible choice for "Queen of Divorce" as another lawyer unlucky in love, now working together with Lee Ji-ah's character as part of an elaborate revenge scheme.

Kang Ki-young isn't satisfied with such a limited range though, with his other project since the end of "Extraordinary Attorney Woo" being "The Uncanny Counter Season 2: Counter Punch" where he played the villain. Much like the characters he plays, Kang Ki-young may look harmless, but has surprising inner depths that have made him an actor of significant interest. His role in "The Point Men" playing opposite stars like Hwang Jung-min and Hyun Bin likely underscored this.

With ratings of only 4.897% in its second episode on January 31st, "Queen of Divorce" is not yet a huge hit. But most of JTBC's recent catalog has only become popular over the long-term, with the quality of the production itself overshadowing ambivalent marketing concepts. Kang Ki-young is precisely the kind of leading actor necessary for such a production strategy.

Written by William Schwartz

___________

"Queen of Divorce" is directed by Park Jin-seok, written by Jung Hee-sun, and features Lee Ji-ah, Kang Ki-young, Oh Min-suk, Kim Sun-young, Lee Tae-gu, Seo Hye-won-II. Broadcasting information in Korea: 2024/01/31~Now airing, Wed, Thu 20:50 on JTBC, TVING.