Who here has been watching countless Korean dramas? If you’re a K-drama addict like
most of us, you’ve probably seen most of the people on our list. From being their cute
little selves, then going through their teenage years, to becoming adults, here are child
actors that grew up right in front of our eyes.
Let’s all welcome the child actors and actresses, or better known as the Nation’s little brothers
and sisters, who transitioned from their childhood roles to teenage high school students, and
now are fully grown adults far off from the child roles they were once known for.
Just a little disclaimer, If I happen to mispronounce the name of your favorite, please forgive me. Korean language is beautiful, but for myself a little challenging. But like you all, I love dramas too!
First on the list is none other than Park Shin Hye. Who could forget the child actress
from Stairway to Heaven, who is now in her 30’s and one of the most popular adult actresses
today? Known as the “Queen of High-School Dramas”
by K-drama fans, Park Shin Hye’s career isn’t going to end anytime soon. From the
hit film Miracle in Cell No.7, the classic Prince Hours, The Heirs, Pinocchio and Memories
of the Alhambra, Park Shin Hye started as a child actress who continued rolling on our
screens when she became a teenager. Now as an adult, she has become one of the most in demand
endorsers. Watch Park Shin Hye in her recent movie #Alive and
movie Call and upcoming drama Sisyphus: The Myth.
Definitely love that Park Shin Hye’s career is staying strong. Let’s all celebrate by
clicking that like button. LOL.
Starting as a child actor in the 2002 film, The Way Home, this angry little kid is now
a full-grown man. The Way Home was a low budget film which unexpectedly became a box office
hit and made Yoo Seung-ho be known as “Nation’s Little Brother”. Since then, he continued
appearing in dramas and movies like Immortal Admiral Yi Sun-sin, Queen Seondeok, Warrior
Baek Dong-soo, and Missing You. Now a grown man and done with his military service, our
cute and innocent looking Yoo Seung-ho has starred in dramas we’ve come to love, like
the heartbreaking Remember, The Emperor: Owner of the Mask, the cute and
romantic I’m Not A Robot, the high-school drama My Strange Hero, and his latest drama, Memorist.
Known to many, Kim So Hyun is an actress who started acting at an early age. Debuting at
the age of seven in Drama City. Kim So Hyun has had a huge career and is now known as
the “Queen of High-school Dramas” by many fans, replacing Park Shin Hye.
Now 21, Kim So Hyun’s career
is so successful that her dramas have become hit after hit. Let’s name some of the many
dramas and movies she’s been in: Moon Embracing the Sun, Missing You, Who Are You: School
2015, Pure Love, Hey Ghost, Let’s Fight Tale of Nokdu, and Love Alarm. Did you know
that she also hosts music programs and drama awards? Loving her growth in this industry,
fans are patiently waiting for the second season of her Netflix drama, Love Alarm.
Debuting in acting at the early age of four, Kim Yoo Jung was one of the most in-demand
child actresses in Korea. After appearing in countless dramas and movies as a child,
she grew up in front our eyes with
Dong Yi and Moon Embracing the Sun, and even hosted the music show Inkigayo. Kim Yoo Jung’s
popularity grew even more because of the historical drama, Love in the Moonlight, where she was
paired with Park Bo Gum. This historical drama was such a hit! Did you also get the “Moonlight
Syndrome” and enjoy that little bit of Gender Bending ? She truly is the “Sageuk Fairy” everyone’s been talking about. Now in her
20’s, Kim Yoo-jung recently appeared in the 2020 drama Backstreet Rookie.
Another popular actor today who started as a child actor is Yeo Jin-goo.
Because of his role in the film Sad Movie, Yeo Jin-goo entered the world
of entertainment at the age of eight. Playing roles in the dramas Warrior Baek Dong-soo,
Moon Embracing the Sun, My Absolute Boyfriend, and The Crowned Clown, Yeo Jin-goo has continued
to put himself out there and improve on his acting. Continuing to wow us with his acting
skills, he gained more popularity in his recent drama Hotel del Luna, where he shared the
screen with IU and received critical acclaim. Yeo Jin Goo will be back on our small screens
with the upcoming drama titled Monster, which is said to premiere in 2021.
Starting her career way before her teenage years, Nam Ji Hyun is one of the actresses
who transitioned well from being a child actress to now being the lead actress as an adult.
As a child, she took part in projects like East of Eden and Queen Seondeok. Rising in
popularity and building a name for herself, she appeared in dramas such as Shopaholic
Louis and Suspicious Partner. She also starred in 100 Days My Prince with EXO’s D.O, where
she gained more fans from her impressive acting and the drama’s great story. Want to watch
more of Nam Ji Hyun? Check out her latest work this 2020, 365: Repeat the Year.
If you’ve seen the films When I Turned Nine, Lovely Rivals, and The Wonder Years, you have
surely seen Lee Se Young. Beginning her career as a child actress, Lee Se Young took on more
roles when she entered her twenties. Want to know where you can watch her? Let’s all
witness her growth as an actress in Missing You, Hit the Top, A Korean Odyssey, and The
Crowned Clown. Grateful that she is still active in the film industry, Lee Se Young
has provided us with more Korean dramas this year, namely Memorist and the ongoing drama,
Kairos.
Sunny, Fabricated City, and Miss Granny are Korean movies we know so well, but how much
do we know about the woman who starred in these movies? Shim Eun Kyung is an actress
currently in her 20’s who debuted at the age of nine. Gaining the attention of many,
this actress became one of the best child actresses during her time with her works like
The Woman Who Wants to Marry, Hansel and Gretel, The Legend, and The Great Merchant. She truly
improved on her craft over the years, and even became the first Korean to take home
the Best Actress award at the Japanese Academy Awards. Saying hi to us this 2020, Shim Eun-Kyung
appeared on our screens in the new drama Money Game.
Remember the little girl in the blockbuster hit The Host? Guess what, she’s in her late
twenties already! Go Ah Sung kept serving us great acting in projects like Snowpiercer,
Master of Study, and Heard It Through the Grapevine. Go Ah Sung first appeared in a
commercial at the age of four, and ever since, she took on roles that helped boost her career
and further her acting journey. If you want to watch her recent projects, you can try
watching the Korean drama Life on Mars and the films A Resistance and Samjin Company
English Class.
Another actor we’ve seen grow up on television is Lee Hyun-woo. Starting his career at the
age of nine, this 27-year-old is still active in dramas, films, and even hosting. His career
took off as a child actor, and you may have seen Lee Hyun Woo in The Legend and Queen
Seondeok. This actor continued to build his career, playing a role in Master of Study
and even hosting a music program. Wondering where you’ve seen Lee Hyun Woo? He played
major roles in Secretly Greatly, Moorim School, and The Liar and His Lover alongside Red Velvet’s
Joy. Lee Hyun Woo just completed his military service in 2019, so we are really
excited to see him in the upcoming film titled Dream.
Another child actress who was referred to as the “Nation’s Little Sister” is Moon
Geun-Young. She played the young version of one of the characters in the well-known drama
Autumn in My Heart, and her success continued with her following works, such as A Tale of
Two Sisters, My Little Bride, and Innocent Steps which became hits. Last year, she gave us
a television series titled Catch the Ghost. So, what will she bring to us next? We can’t
wait for the dramas and films she’ll be in in the future.
Showing up on our screens at the early age of nine, Kim Sae-ron made a name for herself
by becoming a popular child star thanks to her roles in A Brand New Life and The Man
From Nowhere. Growing up, she continued appearing in films and even starred in a drama series
too. Kim Sae-ron’s great acting won her a Best Young Actress Award at the 2013 MBC
Awards for her role in The Queen’s Classroom. Everyone was in awe of her remarkable acting
skills in A Girl at My Door, Hi! School: Love On, Manhole, Snowy Road, Secret Healer and so
many more.
Do you remember the child who played the young version of Kim Hyun Joong in Boys Over Flowers?
Hmm, having a hard time remembering? How about Lee Jong Suk’s younger version in Pinocchio
and While You Were Sleeping? Yes, that is Nam Da-reum, the child actor who is now a
teenager stealing our K-drama hearts. He isn’t officially an adult yet but we’ve added
him here because a lot of you might look for this young actor who is in his final years
of being a teenager. Playing a lead role in A Beautiful World and a small role in Hotel
del Luna, Nam Da-reum is a popular actor that everyone anticipates will become more famous
when he grows up. Will he be on our list in the future? For now, let’s watch this handsome
young star play the younger version of one the characters in Start-Up.
Who among these actors have you seen in dramas during their pre-teen years? Let us know in
the comment section below! Thanks for watching MDL'ers. Please be sure to Like, Share, and Subscribe!