Kang Hyewon

A former member of the project group IZ*ONE, Kang Hyewon has been quietly expanding her presence beyond the K-pop sphere through acting, most recently drawing attention for her performance in the Japanese drama *First Kiss*. Born in 1999 and signed with 8D Entertainment and Off The Record Entertainment, she has moved through the post-IZ*ONE landscape with a deliberate, low-key approach to career building.

From IZ*ONE to Independent Work

IZ*ONE, the twelve-member group formed through the Mnet survival program *Produce 48* in 2018, operated as a time-limited project with a fixed contract period shared between Korean and Japanese management structures. Kang Hyewon was among its Korean members, and like the rest of the group's lineup, she transitioned to solo and independent activities following the group's conclusion in 2021.

*First Kiss* and the Turn Toward Acting

The clearest marker of where Kang Hyewon's career has been heading arrived in early 2026, when she appeared in the Japanese drama *First Kiss*. She took on the role of Park Rin, a Korean exchange student navigating life in Japan — a part that drew on themes of youth, displacement, and emotional authenticity. Viewers responded to what they described as a matured quality in her performance, and her on-screen chemistry with her Japanese co-star was noted as a particular strength. The role placed her in a cross-cultural production context that relatively few K-pop-rooted performers reach, and the reception suggests her work in the drama landed with some conviction.

The material available on Kang Hyewon's career is still developing, and a fuller discography or solo music catalog is not yet documented in available sources. What the current record does show is a performer moving deliberately from group idol work into drama acting, with *First Kiss* representing the most substantive public moment of that transition so far.