Kang Ji Hwan, born as Jo Tae Gyu, is a South Korean actor. Kang made his debut in the entertainment industry through popular musical productions “The Rocky Horror Show” and “Grease”. From 2003 to 2004, using the stage name Kang Ji Hwan, he began appearing in small roles on television. Kang shot to fame in 2005 with “Be Strong, Geum Soon!”, his first onscreen leading role. The drama increased his pan-Asian popularity, particularly in Japan, China, and Taiwan.
On July 9, 2019, Kang was arrested over allegations that he sexually molested and assaulted two of his agency’s female employees at his home. Kang stated that he remembered drinking with them but did not remember what happened afterwards. Kang’s agency, Huayi Brothers, issued an apology statement and sought another actor to replace Kang in his ongoing TV series. On July 15, 2019, Kang admitted to all charges against him and apologized to the victims. Following this, Huayi Brothers terminated their contract with Kang on July 16, 2019. On July 26, 2019, Kang was indicted with the criminal charges of quasi-rape and quasi-indecent acts by force. During the first trial, in September 2019, it was revealed that Kang had offered the victims a settlement before the trial, but they rejected it.
