Jang Nara
Encyclopedia
Jang Na-ra is a South Korea
n singer and actress. She also sings in Chinese, and is known in China by her transliterated Chinese name .
, but appeared with her father in a play, Les Misérables
, in her primary school days, thus sparking her interest to become an actress. Jang also went on to become an advertisement model for some television advertisements in her high school days before entering into the Department of Theater, the Faculty of Fine Arts at Chungang University in March 2000.
, however SM Entertainment had dropped Jang due to assumptions that Jang would have lesser or no popularity than other competing artists. Despite SM's opinion, Jang released her first album with the title song, "Burying My Face In Tears". The album sold 300,000 copies in the process. Her pop ballad style song, Confession and the April Story, was ranked at the top in various music charts. Thus, this resulted in Jang holding an MC job at MBC
's music show, Music Camp.
n young stars such as Park Kyung-lim
and Yang Dong Geun
. Together with Jang Hyuk
, she also played the leading role in a TV drama, "Successful Story of a Bright Girl", which recorded high audience rating.
In recent years, she starred in a drama in China, called "Bratty Princess". Being the lead actress, she has attracted much affection from Chinese-speaking fans and has become quite popular in Chinese-speaking countries in Asia. She has also released a few Chinese-language CDs. Her first Chinese album was a huge success and it featured her previously released Korean songs translated into Chinese. The Chinese versions of "Sweet Dream", "It's Probably Love" and "I'm A Woman Too" have become very popular on radio throughout Asia. She has performed many concerts in China, often singing both Korean and Chinese songs. Recently she released another Chinese album called "Kung Fu". The video for the song featured her in red qipao
(Chinese women traditional dress), fighting villains, and dancing with a cute panda. She is also in the 2008 Olympic song "Beijing Welcomes You
", as the only non-Chinese ethnic singer.
In the middle of this year Jang Nara decided to ended her 6 year of hiatus by taking a leading role as Lee Seo Young who is 34 year old mistaken for being 25 in a rom-com "Baby Faced Beauty". This on-going drama also a mark for her to start her come back status in K-Drama world.She is a relative of bang Min-ah,from the Girl's Day girl group of Dream tea Entertainment.
n children. She also works with the FHI
Charity organization.
Recently, Jang held a fund-raising concert for child patients of leukemia
in China. The Jang Foundation was established from the money raised during Jang's fan club meeting at her June 9 concert in Beijing, which was held to mark the 15th year of Korean-Chinese diplomatic relations. Twelve hundred seats at the concert venue sold out early. After the concert on stage, a leading Chinese charity organization appointed Jang as a goodwill ambassador, making her the first foreigner to receive such an honor.
In June 2010, Jang was appointed as an associate professor at the Beijing Huajia University
(北京华嘉学院).
In 2011, Jang was appointed as Seoul’s Gangnam-gu’s ambassador to promote tourism in the area.
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
n singer and actress. She also sings in Chinese, and is known in China by her transliterated Chinese name .
Early life
As a child, Jang spent most of her childhood in her birthplace, SeoulSeoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
, but appeared with her father in a play, Les Misérables
Les Misérables
Les Misérables , translated variously from the French as The Miserable Ones, The Wretched, The Poor Ones, The Wretched Poor, or The Victims), is an 1862 French novel by author Victor Hugo and is widely considered one of the greatest novels of the nineteenth century...
, in her primary school days, thus sparking her interest to become an actress. Jang also went on to become an advertisement model for some television advertisements in her high school days before entering into the Department of Theater, the Faculty of Fine Arts at Chungang University in March 2000.
Music career
Jang moved into a singing career by signing a contract with SM EntertainmentSM Entertainment
S.M. Entertainment is an independent Korean record label, talent agency, producer, and publisher of pop music, founded by Lee Soo-man in South Korea...
, however SM Entertainment had dropped Jang due to assumptions that Jang would have lesser or no popularity than other competing artists. Despite SM's opinion, Jang released her first album with the title song, "Burying My Face In Tears". The album sold 300,000 copies in the process. Her pop ballad style song, Confession and the April Story, was ranked at the top in various music charts. Thus, this resulted in Jang holding an MC job at MBC
Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation
Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC (Hangul : 문화방송주식회사, Munhwa Bangsong Jushikoesa) is one of four major national South Korean television and radio networks. Munhwa is the Korean word for "culture". Its flagship terrestrial television...
's music show, Music Camp.
Acting career
Jang also has a successful acting career, in which she appears in a TV sitcom "New Nonstop" with famous South KoreaSouth Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
n young stars such as Park Kyung-lim
Park Kyung-lim
Park Kyung-lim is a South Korean entertainer and a comedian known for her wit and kind behavior. Often, her appearance is a source of much derision and jokes; she is often ridiculed for having a "square-shaped" face...
and Yang Dong Geun
Yang Dong-geun
Yang Dong-geun or YDG is a South Korean actor and hip-hop artist. Yang majored in Theatrical Performance at Yong-in University He began to do his compulsory two year military service in May 2008.- Television drama :- Film :- Theatre :...
. Together with Jang Hyuk
Jang Hyuk
- Career :As a child, Jang Hyuk spent most of his life in his birthplace Busan, before making his drama debut in the SBS drama Model in 1997. Besides the TV drama School and a minor role in the little-seen film Zzang, Jang appeared in g.o.d.'s music video of their 1999 debut single To My Mother...
, she also played the leading role in a TV drama, "Successful Story of a Bright Girl", which recorded high audience rating.
In recent years, she starred in a drama in China, called "Bratty Princess". Being the lead actress, she has attracted much affection from Chinese-speaking fans and has become quite popular in Chinese-speaking countries in Asia. She has also released a few Chinese-language CDs. Her first Chinese album was a huge success and it featured her previously released Korean songs translated into Chinese. The Chinese versions of "Sweet Dream", "It's Probably Love" and "I'm A Woman Too" have become very popular on radio throughout Asia. She has performed many concerts in China, often singing both Korean and Chinese songs. Recently she released another Chinese album called "Kung Fu". The video for the song featured her in red qipao
Qipao
The cheongsam is a body-hugging one-piece Chinese dress for women; the male version is the changshan. It is known in Mandarin Chinese as the qípáo Wade-Giles ch'i-p'ao, and is also known in English as a mandarin gown...
(Chinese women traditional dress), fighting villains, and dancing with a cute panda. She is also in the 2008 Olympic song "Beijing Welcomes You
Beijing Welcomes You
Beijing Welcomes You is a feature song for the 100-day countdown of the 2008 Summer Olympics held in Beijing, China. The song comprises one hundred famous artists and entertainers from mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Japan and South Korea. Its music video includes a montage of scenes...
", as the only non-Chinese ethnic singer.
In the middle of this year Jang Nara decided to ended her 6 year of hiatus by taking a leading role as Lee Seo Young who is 34 year old mistaken for being 25 in a rom-com "Baby Faced Beauty". This on-going drama also a mark for her to start her come back status in K-Drama world.She is a relative of bang Min-ah,from the Girl's Day girl group of Dream tea Entertainment.
Filmography
| Year | Film |
|---|---|
| 2012 | Flying With You 一起飞 |
| 2009 | Sky and Ocean 하늘과 바다 |
| 2007 | Girl's Revolution 麻雀要革命 |
| 2003 | Oh! Happy Day 오! 해피데이 |
Drama
| Year | Drama |
|---|---|
| 2011 | KBS: Baby-Faced Beauty 동안미녀 |
| 2011 | Diao Man Qiao Yu Yi 刁蛮俏御医 (Unruly Qiao) |
| 2010 | Iron Masked Singer 铁面歌女 |
| 2007 | Chun Bai Zhi Lian 纯白之恋 (Good Morning Shanghai) |
| 2005 | KBS: Wedding Wedding (2005 TV series) Wedding is an 18-episode South Korean television drama that explores the relationship of a newly wed couple. The series show how two people, who met and married through an arranged matchmaking, slowly develop a relationship and learn what it means to be married... 웨딩 |
| 2005 | CCTV: Diao Man Gong Zhu 刁蠻公主 (My Bratty Princess) |
| 2004 | MBC: Love is All Around 사랑을 할꺼야 |
| 2003 | Hello! Balbari 헬로 발바리 |
| 2002 | MBC: My Love Patzzi My Love Patzzi My Love, Patji , alternative title "My Love Cindy", alternative title "My Feisty Girl" . Written by Kim Yi-young, and produced by Lee Jin-suk.-Synopsis:... 내 사랑 팥쥐 |
| 2002 | SBS: Bright Girl's Success Story 명랑소녀 성공기 |
| 2001 | MBC: Nonstop Nonstop (TV series) Nonstop is a South Korean sitcom that broadcast its first season in 2000 on MBC. It continued with 5 more seasons. The series was popular for its cast of teen idols, many who debuted through the show gaining vast popularity.-Synopsis:... 2 (sitcom) |
Charity and other activities
Jang does some charity work such as sending free powdered milk to the hungry North KoreaNorth Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
n children. She also works with the FHI
Family Health International
Family Health International is a public health and development organization dedicated to improving living standards of the world's most vulnerable people. Family Health International has 2,500 staff conducting research and implementing programs in fifty-five countries...
Charity organization.
Recently, Jang held a fund-raising concert for child patients of leukemia
Leukemia
Leukemia or leukaemia is a type of cancer of the blood or bone marrow characterized by an abnormal increase of immature white blood cells called "blasts". Leukemia is a broad term covering a spectrum of diseases...
in China. The Jang Foundation was established from the money raised during Jang's fan club meeting at her June 9 concert in Beijing, which was held to mark the 15th year of Korean-Chinese diplomatic relations. Twelve hundred seats at the concert venue sold out early. After the concert on stage, a leading Chinese charity organization appointed Jang as a goodwill ambassador, making her the first foreigner to receive such an honor.
In June 2010, Jang was appointed as an associate professor at the Beijing Huajia University
Beijing Huajia University
Beijing Huajia University is a university in Huairou District, Beijing, founded in 1985 as Beijing Zhongshan University by the Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Guomindang . In June 2010, they named Korean actress Jang Na-ra as an associate professor.-External links:*...
(北京华嘉学院).
In 2011, Jang was appointed as Seoul’s Gangnam-gu’s ambassador to promote tourism in the area.
Albums
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Shinhwa Shinhwa is a popular South Korean boy band and hip hop group. The group has six members , and debuted on March 24, 1998. It has enjoyed massive success alongside the likes of Sechs Kies, g.o.d., Turbo , Fin. K.L., H.O.T. and S.E.S... )) |
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CD 01 [Korean / Japanese / English]
CD 02 [Mandarin / Cantonese]
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Others
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Awards
- 2003 Singer of the Year (Korea) CCTV-MTV Music Honors
- 2002 KBS Music Awards
- 2002 MBC Singer Award
- 15th International Chunsa Film Festival: Hallyu Grand Award