My Take
Jiyoung has always been the one I found impossible to overlook in KARA — she joined the group at just 14 and somehow managed to hold her own alongside members years older, bringing this unguarded, almost mischievous energy that balanced out the group's polished stage presence. When she left KARA in 2014 and pivoted toward acting in Japan, a lot of fans were skeptical, but she made it work, landing roles in Japanese productions like Urakara and the live-action Assassination Classroom films, which says a lot about her adaptability. Studying at Sungkyunkwan University while juggling a career showed she wasn't just coasting on idol fame. She's the rare idol-turned-actress who actually put in the work to earn a second chapter.
Overview
Kang Ji-young (Korean: 강지영; born January 18, 1994), also known mononymously as Jiyoung or under the stage name JY, is a South Korean singer, songwriter and actress. At age 14, she rose to fame as a member of the South Korean girl group Kara, joining the group in 2008.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Kang Ji-young
- Name (Japanese)
- カン・ジヨン
- Reading
- かん・じよん
- Born
- January 18, 1994 (age 32)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Capricorn / Dog
- Origin
- Paju, South Korea
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- 167 cm
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- singer / actor / film actor / radio personality / singer-songwriter
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Muhak Girls' High School
- University
- Sungkyunkwan University
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
5. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | Assassination Classroom: Graduation | — | |
| Notable work | Orphan Black – 7 Genes | — | |
| Notable work | Urakara | — | |
| Notable work | Assassination Classroom | — | |
| Notable work | Reon | — |
6. Links
- Official sitehttp://jiyoung-fc.com
- Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/kkangjji_/
- Xhttps://x.com/kkangjii
- Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%9F%A5%E8%8B%B1
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.