` 1. Song Kang – Love Alarm (2019)
Song Kang was born in 1994, but it was not until 2017 that he officially debuted with his role
in ‘The Liar and His Lover’. At that time, Song Kang was 23 years old, an age that was said to
be quite late to start his career as an actor. Recognizing that, Song Kang has always been active
from participating in dramas to trying his best in the movie industry. However, those roles are just
minor supporting roles and not very prominent. The time has come when his relentless efforts
helped him achieve his first male lead role in 2019 in Love Alarm. The school drama revolves
around the love of 2 guys and 1 girl, but a highlight is the appearance of a special love app
that lets you know if there is someone who fancies you within a radius of 10 meters.
The new and approachable idea helped Love Alarm ranked 8th in the top 10
most popular Korean films in the latest report of Netflix.
After the success of Love Alarm, Song Kang continued to receive the lead role in ‘Sweet
Home’ - the live-action series based on a million-view webtoon of the same name. It is
also the K-drama with the largest investment from Netflix up to now, attracting plenty of attention.
2. Lee Do Hyun – Hotel Del Luna (2019) Possessing an impressive acting style and
outstanding appearance, Lee Do Hyun, in the early years of his career, only had limited screentime
in works he appeared in. Most of the time, he was only allowed to take on supporting roles.
The actor first appeared on screen as the teenage version of the male lead in Prison Playbook.
After that, he continued to play supporting roles in ‘Thirty But Seventeen’ and ‘Clean With Passion
For Now’. It was not until he appeared in Hotel Del Luna that Lee Do Hyun went viral
with his handsome appearance, interesting character image, and flexible acting skills.
In the series, the actor transforms into the lover of guest house owner IU - the female lead,
in her previous life. After Hotel Del Luna, fans favorably called Dohyun "The National Second Lead"
and his fan base increased rapidly. With Hotel Del Luna as a stepping stone,
Lee Do Hyun quickly received many acting opportunities. 2020 marked a big milestone
in his acting career when, for the first time, Lee Do Hyun took on the lead role in ‘Eighteen Again’.
Taking advantage of ‘Eighteen Again’’s popularity, Lee Do Hyun has returned with Sweet Home -
one of the most popular series on Netflix. Lee Do Hyun's willingness to challenge difficult roles
has helped his reputation quickly rise in the hearts of audiences inside and outside Korea.
3. Rowoon - Extraordinary You (2019)
Born in 1996, Rowoon possesses an unbelievably perfect physical appearance
with a height of 190cm and a “genius face”. He debuted in 2016 as an idol in the group SF9.
As one of the most popular members of the group, Rowoon had chances to take
part in many dramas after his debut, like ‘Click Your Heart’ (2016), ‘School 2017’,
‘About time’, and ‘Where stars land’ (2018), but none of his roles hit big.
It was not until Extraordinary You in 2019 that Rowoon attracted attention.
The film is set in a high school where people discovered the fact that they are just characters
in a comic book called ‘Secret’, and their behaviors and speech are controlled by the author.
During its premiere, Extraordinary You experienced extreme popularity,
topping Korea’s Naver search chart. Its success brought Rowoon the Best New Actor
award at major awards ceremonies such as the 32nd Grimae Award and MBC Drama Awards.
Becoming a phenomenon not only in Korea but also on international grounds,
Rowoon has been chosen to become models for famous brands such as The North Face, Klavuu,
and Gongcha. He has also received “love calls” for consecutive film projects such as JTBC’s ‘She
Would Never Know’ and upcoming KBS’s Yeonmo. Through each role, this talented singer-actor
gradually improves his acting and promises to be a powerful actor in the near future.
4. Kim Hyeyoon – Sky Castle (2018) Kim Hyeyoon debuted with a supporting role in
2013 KBS drama ‘Samsaengi’. Although she impressed the audience in OCN's 2014 thriller film Bad Guys,
Kim Hyeyoon was in no rush for new acting opportunities. Instead, she chose to focus on her
studies and got a full scholarship in 2015 from Konkuk University, one of Korea's top institutes.
During that period, Hyeyoon only did cameo and supporting roles for several dramas,
so her popularity quickly declined. After finishing college, Hyeyoon officially returned
to challenge bigger roles. Hyeyoon's participation in the JTBC drama Sky Castle was a turning point
in her acting career. She played Kang Ye Seol - a young and ambitious female student who is
obsessed with her goal of entering Seoul National University. Hyehoon’s stunning portrayal made
this character the audience’s favorite, despite controversial personality traits.
The series' huge success turned Hyehoon into a big
star and she won the 55th Baeksang Art Award for Best New Actress.
After Sky Castle, Hyeyoon gets to participate in other famous film projects. Despite being only
25 years old, she has been recognized by domestic and foreign fans alike as the “chameleon” of the
Korean film industry with the ability to act a variety of characters regardless of personality.
5. Han Sohee - The World of the Married (2020) Han Sohee has always been a hard-worker.
She worked as a waitress in a bar for an entire year while waiting for opportunities to come.
Fortune eventually smiled on her when in 2016, she was offered a role in a SHINee's MV,
from which she became a photo model, which led to her later getting small roles in some dramas.
Han Sohee officially joined showbiz in 2017, quite late compared to other female stars of her age.
Since then, She acted in many films such as ‘Money Flowers’, ‘Reunited Worlds’, ‘Abyss’, ‘100 Days My
Prince’, but was not very successful. It was not until she played the devilish woman that seduced
the husband in ‘The World Of The Married’ that Han So Hee's name became well-known to the audience.
In The World Of The Married, Han So Hee not only impressed viewers with her terrifying role,
but also with her ability to act out racy sexual themes, she is also regarded as a female star
who can successfully act in a film that contains elements of sexuality despite having only 3-year
of experience. Han So Hee’s daring rookie mindset had delivered perfect performances, conquering
even the strictest viewers and making herself one of the most discussed TV villains in 2020.
Currently, Han Sohee is known as "The Queen of Advertisement".
According to a newspaper’s report in July 2020, she had become the most popular female star for
advertisements in the first half of the year. From January to the end of June, the actress
signed more than 10 advertising contracts, including garment products, food, cosmetics,
and jewelry. It is clear that the success of The World of The Married not only gave Han Sohee the
Best New Actress nomination at the Baeksang Art Awards, but also helped her change her life.
6. Seo Yeji - It’s Okay to Not Be Okay (2020) In 2013, at the age of 23, Seo Yeji got her debut
role in 2013QR3 Potato Star. After that, Yeji actively appeared in many TV projects such as
‘Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth’, ‘Save Me’, ‘Lawless Lawyer’, and became more familiar with TV
viewers. In the eyes of many audiences, the image of a young actress with a small, pure, sweet face
and a husky voice has somewhat remained in their mind. Despite being in the industry for 7 years,
Seo Yeji didn’t really have a breakthrough in her career. It was not until 2020, at the age of 30,
that she finally received the attention she deserves thanks to her role as the "crazy woman"
Go Mun Young in ‘It's Okay to Not Be Okay’. The film went super viral, bringing Seo Ye Ji’s name
beyond Asia, as Go Moon Young in ‘It's Okay to Not Be Okay’ is definitely the most unique character
in the 2020 Korean Dramas. Just like that, Seo Ye Ji has created a heated topic among Korean drama
lovers. Besides topics related to the plot, the beautiful outfits Yeji got to wear in the film
were also regularly discussed among the fashion lover community.
The film’s popularity helps Seo Yeji become the new "muse" of many luxury brands
such as La Boutique Bleue, Hancinema, and Chloé. Her charisma and strong aura helps these brands
thoroughly convey their messages to customers. Are any of the names familiar to you? Are you
rooting for any other actors or actresses? Just comment down below. And if you want
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