[K-Star’s Best Character] Park Seo Joon’s Colorful Charms in ‘Fight For My Way’

Edited by Hwang Hong Sun

Translated by Kim Hoyeun

After getting on stage for an animation cosplay performance in high school, Park Seo Joon felt great joy and dreamed of becoming an actor. Despite his father’s opposition, he showed his will by maintaining top grades and eventually began his journey as an actor by entering the Seoul Institute of the Arts. However, after entering college, he hit a slump after seeing so many talented prospective actors and chose to enlist to organize his thoughts at an early age.

After being discharged from the military, Park Seo Joon began his acting career with Dream High 2 (2012). He then drew attention by playing the rakehell son of a wealthy family in I Summon You, Gold! (2013), and first performed his lead role in Witch’s Romance (2014). Then in 2015, he starred in two dramas, Kill Me, Heal Me, and She Was Pretty, establishing himself as a solid actor.

Park Seo Joon, who continued a successful career, had a short break in 2016, but made a splendid comeback with Fight For My Way in 2017. Fight For My Way is a story about young people who proudly walk their own path without paying attention to the eyes of the world. In the drama, Park Seo Joon played the role of Ko Dong Man, who was once a promising taekwondo fighter but now works as a contract employee by one mistake.

By delicately portraying a character who looks bright and cheerful, but was deeply scarred by his mistake, and presenting excellent chemistry with Choi Ae Ra (Kim Ji Won), Park Seo Joon received much love. From comedy to melodrama to touching emotional scenes, he clearly imprinted his presence as actor Park Seo Joon by showing off his colorful charms.

The drama, which started off pretty weak, continued to see a rise in viewership as Park Seo Joon’s passionate performances became the talk of the town. After every episode, Park Seo Joon’s name and the drama were spotted on the real-time search keywords of portal sites, and the related videos gained huge popularity via social media. Later that year, Park Seo Joon was recognized for his acting prowess by winning Excellence Award at the 2017 KBS Drama Awards.

The actor’s ideal performances continued even after the drama ended. Shortly after finishing Fight For My Way, movie Midnight Runners, in which he first played the leading role in the big screen, got released and successfully attracted 5 million viewers.

Park Seo Joon, who once again showed flawless performances in Itaewon Class, which ended in popularity this spring, will return with director Lee Byung Hun’s new film Dream �(literal translation). It is a story about people who have never touched a soccer ball before, trying out for the Homeless World Cup. He will play the role of Yoon Hong Dae, who becomes the coach of the hopeless soccer team, and work with IU.