Edited by Seo Hayne
Translated by Yu Jin Kim
Park Seo Joon, the man who cooks Hot Chicken Flavor Ramen and makes chicken rice, is currently striving to become the next boss on tvN’s show Jinny’s Kitchen. Soon, in the spring, he will meet the audience as soccer player Hong Dae in the movie Dream, based on the true story of the South Korean national team competing in the Homeless World Cup. In the second half of the year, he is scheduled to show his various charms as Prince Yan in Marvel Cinematic Universe’s highly anticipated The Marvels. In addition, there are big projects like Concrete Utopia and K Project in the pipeline. Here are the five representative dramas of Park Seo Joon, who will be busy throughout the year.
Kill Me, Heal Me (2015)
Kill Me, Heal Me follows the romance between Cha Do Hyun (played by Ji Sung), a third generation chaebol with multiple personality disorder, and his secretive psychiatric resident Oh Ri Jin (Hwang Jung Eum). Park Seo Joon left a strong presence in the drama by pulling off his comical role of Oh Ri Jin’s older twin brother, Oh Ri Ron. Being talented at everything except studying, Oh Ri On got several names, including his pen name “Omega” that is used for writing his best-seller mystery novels and his false name “Oh Hwi” for dating women. Although he doesn’t possess seven different identities like Cha Do Hyun, he still fills the show with his multiple charms. However, his brings out his true self only in front of his step sister, Oh Ri Jin.
She Was Pretty (2015)
She Was Pretty is a story about a woman who used to be beautiful in the past but is now struggling with her appearance. The story follows her as she reunites with her first love, Ji Sung Joon (played by Park Seo Jun), from elementary school, who has transformed into a cold and stubborn person with a gorgeous appearance after leaving for the United States. As the associate editor of a magazine company, he coincidentally meets the still-smitten Kim Hye Jin (played by Hwang Jung Eum), who was once his crush. However, he continues his relationship with her without realizing that she is actually Hye Jin’s best friend, Min Ha Ri (played by Go Joon Hee). The drama delivers a message that inner beauty is what truly matters while depicting Hye Jin and Sung Joon’s romance in a delightful and heart-fluttering way.
Fight for My Way (2017)
Fight For My Way is a drama that depicts the dreams, love and growth of youths who lack qualifications and formally recognized certifications. Park Seo Joon played Go Dong Man, who gave up his dream of becoming a national taekwondo player due to a tragic incident and lives a life different from his original plan. In an interview, he revealed that he incorporated his past experience of living in an 8-square-meter studio apartment when he first started acting into the drama, which made his character more vivid. He also received a lot of love for his sweet portrayal of the relationship between his character and his longtime friend, Choi Ae Ra (played by Kim Ji Won), which evolved into a romantic one. He was praised for his ability to handle not only romance, action, and comedy but also emotional acting.
What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim (2018)
What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim is a story about assistant Kim Mi So, who has been supporting her narcissistic boss for the past nine years, suddenly announcing her resignation. Park Seo Joon, who played the role of vice-chairman Lee Young Joon, led the drama’s popularity with his impressive acting skills. In particular, he skillfully delivered cringy lines such as “This little Young Joon” and “Shining aura” in a charming way, adding more lovable aspects to his character. He also had great chemistry with Park Min Young, who played Kim Mi So, and their romantic scenes garnered attention. Among them, the passionate kissing scene in episode 13 received a strong reaction, with the clip recording 330 million views so far.
Itaewon Class (2020)
Park Seo Jun didn’t settle for the success of What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim and embarked on an acting transformation. Itaewon Class is a work that showed his popularity is not limited to the romantic comedy genre and gave him another leap as an actor. Based on a popular webtoon of the same name, the drama tells the story of a young man who never compromises with injustice, striving to achieve a success story by starting his own business and competing against Jang Ga, the powerful leader in the food industry. Park Seo Jun plays Park Sae Royi, a character who does not give up even in harsh environments and establishes his own bar-restaurant called Dan Bam in Itaewon. He changed his appearance to match the character’s trademark hairstyle and received praise for his portrayal of the character’s unwavering charm in sticking to his beliefs in any situation.
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.
