[2][3] Kang played several lead roles in films and television series, including Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo (2016), Rain or Shine (2017), Familiar Wife (2018), Start-Up (2020), and My Roommate Is a Gumiho (2021).

[5] In 2013, she began playing minor roles in mainstream films Fasten Your Seatbelt, Commitment and Friend: The Great Legacy.

The same year, Kang made her television debut in the romantic comedy drama Miss Korea.

[8] Kang rose to fame with her role as an evil queen in the historical drama Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo.

[10] The same year, she played a minor role in the Chinese drama Candle in the Tomb: Mu Ye Gui Shi.