Profile | Who is Park Seo-joon, Korean actor in The Marvels, K-drama sensation Itaewon Class – and even the Oscar-winning film Parasite?
- Park is most well known for his role in the Netflix Korean drama Itaewon Class, in which he plays former juvenile delinquent Park Saeroyi
- He will be in cinemas this summer in the big-budget disaster drama Concrete Utopia, before making his Hollywood debut in The Marvels, alongside Brie Larsen
It’s been three years since Park Seo-joon appeared in Itaewon Class but the Korean star finally returned to screens in April in the sports film Dream, alongside Lee Ji-eun (aka IU).
It’s not that Park’s taken a break for three years – the pandemic conspired to delay the release dates for many of his projects. He currently has four more either ready to go or in production – more on those further down.
In fact, Park has been consistently busy since he began acting in TV just over a decade ago. Unlike many of his celebrity peers, he completed his military service before he was a household name, which meant he didn’t have to step away from the limelight while his star was already burning bright.
Park was able to build his character through a unique set of circumstances and experiences.
He initially grew up in a wealthy family, but after the failure of his father’s business he experienced life on the other side of the tracks.
He has also spent time in prison, having briefly served as a security guard at Cheongju Prison during his military service.
Itaewon Class: Netflix’s delightful underdog revenge drama
Before turning to acting, Park initially harboured ambitions of being a baseball player. But his father felt that his brother was a better fit, and Park then moved into acting instead.
Committed to his studies, he worked hard and got himself into the prestigious Seoul Institute of the Arts.
Why we love him
Park is now known for his good looks and charm, though he is also humble and hasn’t always been quick to recognise his own strengths.
In fact, when he enrolled at the Seoul Institute of the Arts, he felt so inadequate compared to the other students he decided to enrol in the military early. Other young actors his age were generally looking to strike out in their careers while the iron was hot and defer enrolling until their late 20s.
The star-making roles
After kicking off his professional acting career in a 2011 music video and then the 2012 drama Dream High 2, Park first drew serious attention for a pair of roles he took on in 2015.
In Kill Me, Heal Me, he plays a writer who is the brother of Hwang Jung-eum’s character and snoops around trying to gather dirt on the lead character, a schizophrenic corporate heir played by Ji Sung.
A few months later, he appeared as a fashion magazine editor in the hit romantic comedy She Was Pretty, also alongside Hwang Jung-eum – which means that Park and Hwang went from being on-screen siblings to lovers in the same year.
The iconic parts
Full of humour, action and camaraderie, the film struck a chord with young viewers that summer. Park and Kang later reunited when the latter appeared in a cameo as Park’s teammate in Dream – both actors once again running alongside each other.
The unheralded performance
Strictly speaking, Park doesn’t really have any unheralded performances, but one that doesn’t get mentioned often these days in the wake of his bigger hits is his impressive early film role in the thriller The Chronicles of Evil.
He plays a rookie detective assisting Son Hyun-joo’s lead character – who turns out to have quite a few secrets – in an investigation. Park ably handled the role’s many unexpected layers.
Tomorrow’s turns
Who is Park Shin-hye, Pinocchio and The Call star who just became a mother?
