Edited by Seo Hayne
Translated by Kim Hoyeun
Sometimes, we are shocked when we belatedly realize that an actor in the drama is actually a singer. And Kim Se Jeong is an excellent example. Kim Se Jeong debuted as I.O.I in 2016 after blasting into No. 2 in the final ranking of Mnet’s idol survival program Produce 101, and going through Gugudan, she has continued both her singing and acting careers.
Last year, she appeared in You Hee Yeol’s Sketchbook to celebrate the release of her solo album Flower Way and expressed her ambition to “win three trophies in acting, singing and entertainment shows in three years.” As if to prove her words, she showed off her “singing skills” through her group and solo promotions and “entertainment sense” through Netflix’s Busted. She has also proven her infinite potential in the field of “acting” by starring in three dramas in the past three years.
Her debut project was teen drama School 2017. She took on the role of Ra Eun Ho, who wants to become a campus couple with a college student, solidly leading the play from beginning to end and presenting a lively and bouncy charm that matched her character. With this performance, Kim won the Best New Actress at the 2017 KBS Drama Awards.
In her second project, I Wanna Hear Your Song, she played Hong Yi Young, a peculiar character who can only fall asleep after listening to a tone-deaf person’s song after losing all her memories after an accident. The role she played was a timpanist, and she once said that she chose to star in the work because “the fact that it’s not an ordinary rom-com genre but a work that also embodies mystery and music came fresh.” Kim Se Jeong portrayed a modern person suffering from insomnia and realistically showed a person who approaches what she loves earnestly yet pleasantly.
I Wanna Hear Your Song took a big part in introducing the orchestra’s main percussion instrument, “timpani,” to the public, but the results were quite disappointing. But still, Kim won the K-Drama Hallyu Star Award at the KBS Drama Awards for her role Hong Yi Young, once again proving her potential.
Now, she is starring in the webtoon-adapted drama The Uncanny Counter as Do Ha Na, whose sense is so advanced that she can detect evil spirits. In addition to her “daily life” acting that she has shown previously, she is being praised for her intense actions such as dropping delinquents with her kick in an alley and fighting with an evil spirit in an elevator. “It’s a great happiness and luck to play Do Ha Na,” she said, expressing her affection for her role.
Gugudan officially disbanded last year, but Kim Se Jeong’s future is bright. Her grand mission to balance between acting, singing, and entertainment shows will continue on.
Editor Seo Hayne: I like actors as they faithfully lead through their long running-time. I also like idols who accomplish everything on stage within 3 minutes.
