What is the Forbes 2022 Power Celebrity?
Every year, Forbes Korea unveils its highly anticipated “Power Celebrity 40” list, a ranking that deciphers who holds the most sway in the Korean entertainment landscape.
This 2022 edition promises a fascinating look at the biggest names in K-Pop, television, film, and even the world of sports.
From chart-topping music groups to record-breaking athletes, get ready to discover the A-listers who dominated the Korean cultural scene last year and continue to shape its trajectory.
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BTS (Group) – Music
The group BTS successfully concluded its solo concert ‘BTS PERMISSION TO DANCE ON STAGE’ at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, USA this year. More than 200,000 ARMYs participated in this face-to-face concert held over 4 days, and the performance on the last day, which was also broadcast live online, was watched by about 402,000 people in 182 countries and regions, showing off their strength. . On the last day of the performance, the subtitle ‘2022.06.10.’ announcing the comeback date was inserted on the screen of the concert venue, heralding the release of a new album.
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Blackpink (Group)- Music
Blackpink, a four-member female idol group, has members Jennie and Rosé continuing their solo activities following their group activities. On April 13, Rosé’s solo song ‘On the Ground’ surpassed 200 million streams on Spotify. This is the third record since Jenny’s ‘Solo’ and Lisa’s ‘Money’ exceeded 200 million streams on Spotify last year. As Blackpink’s comeback begins in earnest after the endemic, album releases and concerts are scheduled to resume. Blackpink sold 1.25 million copies of ‘The Album’ released in 2020, becoming the first K-pop girl group to set a million-seller record.
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Son Heung-min (sports)
Son Heung-min has been performing consistently every season since joining Tottenham Hotspur in the English Premier League (EPL). In the 2021-2022 season, he ranks second in the scoring rankings in the EPL with 17 goals (6 assists) after Mohamed Salah (Liverpool, 20 goals). There is a 3-goal gap with leading scorer Mohamed Salah (Liverpool, 20 goals), so it is possible for him to become the top scorer. If he adds just one more goal this season, he can rewrite the record for most goals in a season. Glenn Murray, who played for Tottenham in the past, also praised Son Heung-min in a recent interview with BT Sports, saying, “It’s surprising that a big club like Real Madrid didn’t recruit Son Heung-min.” In fact, Son Heung-min was ranked 10th in the TOP 10 best strikers in the world announced by the American insider.
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Ryu Hyun-jin (sports)
In 2019, Ryu Hyun-jin transferred from the Los Angeles Dodgers to the Toronto Blue Jays. Last year, he received praise from local American media for recording his first win of the season against the prestigious New York Yankees of Major League Baseball (MLB). However, in the two games since he opened this season, Ryu Hyun-jin’s ERA was 13.50, his worst performance since his debut. It is known that his physical condition is not good, with signs of injury to his left arm. In 2020, Ryu Hyun-jin became the first Asian player to win the Warren Spahn Award, given to the best left-handed pitcher in MLB. Fans are hoping that he will overcome his sluggishness as soon as possible and show his old performance again.
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Lee Chan-won (singer)
Singer Lee Chan-won, who finished third in [Mr. Trot] and was selected as the first Mr. Trot beauty, is still enjoying great popularity. Thanks to this popularity, he appeared on KBS 2TV’s [Immortal Song] Parents’ Day special show ‘The Three Great Kings’ on April 25 along with singers Young Tak and Jang Min-ho. During his school days, he appeared on [National Singing Contest] four times, and many viewers remember his growth process. In 2019 [National Singing Contest], Sangju City, Gyeongsangbuk-do won the grand prize. In a past interview, he said, “I never learned singing formally, and from the time I was born, I was obsessed with singing along to trot under the influence of my father.”
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Lee Seung-gi (broadcaster)
He debuted as a singer, but has since been active as an all-round entertainer by combining entertainment and acting. He appeared in Season 1 of the entertainment show [2 Days & 1 Night] and several dramas, and is well-known among people of all ages, from young people to middle-aged people. Due to his upright personality, he served as the school president during his school days, and with his ‘tough son’ image and ‘foolish charm’, he appeared on various entertainment programs. After being discharged from the military, he is active as an actor and broadcaster with his seasoned sense and experience. He received the SBS Entertainment Grand Prize in 2018 for the entertainment show [All The Butlers], and last year, he was selected as Actor of the Year (TV category) at the Asia Artist Awards Grand Prize.
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Lim Young-woong (singer)
He began his path to success in 2020 by appearing on [Mr. Trot]. He debuted with his digital single ‘I Hate You’ on August 8, 2016, and began to gain fame after winning 5 consecutive wins on the [Morning Yard] Challenge Dream Stage in 2017. In particular, he took first place in [Mr. Trot] with overwhelming popularity and established himself as an ‘idol’ for the elderly in Korea. He has recently reached his heyday as a blue chip in the music and advertising world, and is sweeping various award ceremonies, and his personal YouTube channel also surpassed 1.33 million subscribers as of April.
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Yoon Yeo-jeong (actor)
She is a veteran actor who is 74 years old and is celebrating 56 years since his debut. Until recently, she has been active in both leading and supporting roles, commercial films, and independent films. She is generally known for her roles as a picky, strict and conservative mother-in-law, or as a nagging, stubborn aunt or grandmother, but she showed a variety of acting skills in the movies [The Taste of Money], [The Dust Keeper], and [The Woman Who Kills]. . His acting skills are now recognized overseas. He was the first Asian actor to win the Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Supporting Actress and the BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actress, and the first Korean actor to win the American Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Attention is focused on whether he can continue the success of [Minari] by appearing in Apple TV+’s original series [Pachinko] again this year.
- Yoo Jae-seok (broadcaster)
‘National MC’ Yoo Jae-seok, who celebrated his 30th debut anniversary last year, still enjoys national popularity. When he won the grand prize in the TV category at the 57th Baeksang Arts Awards last year, he became the most successful grand prize winner ever, winning a total of 18 grand prizes across the three broadcast entertainment awards. In particular, SBS [Running Man], KBS [Happy Together], and MBC [Infinite Challenge] are broadcast programs that he has hosted for over 10 years. MBC [What Do You Do When You Hang Out] featured a variety of ‘sub-characters’, and this year, Palbong’s (Yoo Jae-seok) new project, WSG Wannabe Blind Audition, ranked first among Saturday entertainment programs.
- Minho Jang (singer)
Jang Min-ho, who debuted as a trot singer in 1997, reached his peak when he appeared in [Mr. Trot]. He debuted as a first-generation idol group in 1997, but after failing, he debuted again as a ballad group ‘Baram’ in 2004, but the results were not good. Even if he turned into a trot singer, it was still the same as not seeing the light of day. Then, in 2013, the song ‘Man Speaks’ gained popularity, putting an end to 17 years of obscurity. After appearing on [Mr. Trot], he is enjoying his peak as a trot singer after over 20 years of singing.
- IU (singer)
She is a female singer-songwriter. She debuted as a singer in 2008 when she was just 15 years old, and she has had a huge impact on the popular music scene, producing numerous mega hits. In reality, every song she has released since 2010 has ranked at the top of her charts. Her songs [Nagging], [Good Day], and [You and I] appealed to the public, and she clearly showed her skills as a singer-songwriter through her self-composed songs. She is also very active as actress Lee Ji-eun. She began her career as an actress with dramas such as [My Mister] and [Hotel del Luna], and she also tried her hand at the big screen. With her first feature-length starring film [Broker], she is standing on the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival and is steadily building her acting career.
- Park Seo-joon (actor)
Park Seo-joon gained great popularity for his role as Park Sae-roi, a passionate young man who does not compromise with injustice, in the 2020 JTBC drama [Itaewon Class]. [Itaewon Class] broke the highest viewer ratings in each episode and ended successfully with the final episode recording 16.5%. As [Itaewon Class] was released worldwide through Netflix, Park Seo-joon’s popularity in Asia soared. It seems like the [Itaewon Class] craze will continue this year. Negotiations are underway to produce an American drama, and as there is a significant demand for a remake in Japan, a Japanese remake under the title [Roppongi Class] (tentative title) has also been confirmed. In addition, Park Seo-joon confirmed his appearance in [The Marvels], the second part of the movie [Captain Marvel], and began his global activities in earnest.
- Jang Yun-jeong (singer)
She is the ‘Queen of Trot’ who shook Korea. She served as a judge in [She is Mr. Trot], and in [The Trot God Has Risen] she showed off her skills as a singer. In 2020, Jang Yoon-jung showed off her strength as an active singer by releasing her limited special LP re-recorded with all of her sessions, and in [The Return of Superman], she is shown as a loving wife and mother with her family. Jang Yoon-jeong was shown. And with the release of her new mini album ‘Astrena’ on April 19, she introduced a total of four songs, including the double title song ‘Jeongpyo’ and Burr ‘Team Mok’.
- Ahn Jung-hwan (broadcaster)
He is a former Korean national soccer player and currently works as a soccer commentator and broadcaster. During his time as an active soccer player, he was called ‘Fantasy Star’ for his outstanding skills, and his noble appearance attracted numerous female fans. He once held the record for most goals in Asia by scoring three goals in the FIFA World Cup. His broadcasting career is as solid as that of his soccer career. In 2021, MBC’s [It’s a Good Thing We Don’t Fight] ranked first in entertainment ratings in its same time slot on Monday, and Ahn Jung-hwan received the MBC Broadcast Entertainment Awards’ Male Top Excellence Award. Recently, he has been gaining popularity by appearing in [Brave Detectives] and [We Must Unite 2].
- Kim Yeon-kyung (sports)
She was the captain of the Korean women’s national volleyball team and a volleyball player for the Incheon Heungkuk Life Insurance Pink Spiders. She is currently invincible without a team of her own, but continues her self-training as much as she is active. She actually boarded a plane to LA, USA on April 4th for her personal training. There’s a reason she’s invincible. She played for her home team Heungkuk Life Insurance in the 2020-2021 season, where she finished as runner-up. At the time, Heungkuk Life Insurance was leading, but suffered a major blow to its players due to their departure due to a school violence incident. In the end, she had to give the championship cup to GS Caltex. The domestic volleyball world still considers Kim Yeon-kyung as her most influential person. In January 2021, FIVB
- Jeong Dong-won (singer)
He is known as a trot singer and saxophonist. He showed off his skills as a trot idol on SBS [Gifted Talent Discovery Group] in 2019. In the same year, a five-part documentary titled ‘Trot Boy, Dongwon’ was aired on KBS1 [Human Theater], attracting attention. Afterwards, he made his broadcast debut with his mini album ‘Miracle’ on December 18, 2019, and ranked 5th in the final on [Mr. Trot] in January 2020. Jeong Dong-won first became famous when he appeared on the Hamyang-gun section of [National Singing Contest] in 2018 and received an Excellence Award. As his popularity soared, even ‘Jeong Dong-won Road’ was created near Ansim Village, Hadong-gun, Gyeongsangnam-do, Jeong Dong-won’s hometown. Last year, he was expanding his scope as an actor by appearing in the movie [Goosebumps] and the drama [There’s No Gu Pil-su].
- Twice (singer)
It is a 9-member multinational girl group. They are also famous as a prolific girl group, having already released two albums this year, seven albums last year, and a whopping 10 albums in 2020. Twice added a new record this year as well. The music video for the title song of the same name, ‘FANCY’, and ‘Like OOH-AHH’ from the 6th mini album ‘YES or YES’ released in 2018 recorded billions of views, and the hit song ‘FANCY’ was released in April. The number of views exceeded 500 million on the 15th.
- Lee Jeong-jae (actor)
In 1994, she played the role of ‘Baek Jae-hee’, a bodyguard who unilaterally offers her pure love to the heroine Go Hyun-jung in the drama [Hourglass], showing her reticence and deep-eyed acting, making her a star. Although there was controversy over his acting skills at the time, he won the Best Actor Award at the 19th Korean Association of Film Critics Awards in 1999, the Best Actor Award at the 1999 Blue Dragon Film Awards, the Best Actor Award at the 29th Golden Cinematography Awards in 2006, the Best Supporting Actor Award at the 34th Blue Dragon Film Awards in 2013, and the 5th Best Actor Award in 2014. He developed his acting skills by winning awards at numerous film festivals, including the Film of the Year Award and the Best Supporting Actor Award. She And She In 2021, she was reborn as a global star as her Netflix drama [Squid Game] became a huge hit worldwide. He was the first Korean to receive Best Actor awards at both the Screen Actors Guild Awards, the Independent Spirit Awards, and the Critics’ Choice Awards.
- Lee Ji-ah (actress)
She debuted in 2007 with the role of Sujini in the MBC drama [Taewangsa Shrine]. The following year, she played the role of Crane, a violin-playing orchestra member and city hall official, in the 2008 MBC drama [Beethoven Virus], and later appeared in the 2009 SBS drama [Style], the 2010 drama [Athena: Goddess of War], etc. He continued his activities steadily. Last year, she appeared in the SBS drama [Penthouse 2] from the second half of the 6th episode, where she played 4 roles and received favorable reviews for her outstanding acting skills.
- Lee Min-ho (actor)
In particular, he rose to stardom by playing the role of Gu Jun-pyo from F4 in the 2009 Korean version of [Boys Over Flowers]. He established himself as a Korean Wave star with the successive hits of [City Hunter] and [The Heirs] in which he appeared. Last year, he played the lead role of Lee Gon (the emperor of a parallel world) in [The King: Eternal Monarch] and showed off his powerful acting. This drama was introduced through Netflix and gained worldwide popularity. [The King: Eternal Monarch] ranked 9th on the Netflix ‘World Ranking’ chart, and was the only Korean work to be in the top 10, garnering attention. He appeared as the lead in Apple TV+’s [Pachinko], which was released on March 25, 2022.
- Kim Soo-hyun (actor)
He started out as a child actor and gradually grew into a leading actor. [The Moon Embracing the Sun] and [Dream High], in which he played the lead role, recorded such high viewership ratings that they were called ‘national dramas.’ [My Love from the Star] created a sensation, maintaining the top spot in viewership ratings in its time slot from the first to the last episode. In China, the number of views on the video site exceeded 4 billion, which led to explosive popularity in Asia, including the Greater China region. He jointly won the grand prize with Go Doo-shim at the 2015 KBS Drama Awards. After 5 years, he returned to the tvN weekend drama [It’s Okay to Not Be Okay].
- Suzy (actress)
She debuted as a member of the JYP girl group miss A in 2010 and rose to stardom with the song ‘Bad girl Good girl’. At the age of 17 she won the Best Song Award. She is both a singer and an actress. Since 2019, she has been focusing on building her filmography as an actress. After trying her hand at acting in the KBS2 drama [Dream High], she earned the title ‘Nation’s First Love’ by playing the younger role of Han Ga-in in the movie [Architecture 101]. Since then, he has established himself as a top actor by starring in various dramas and movies. Last February, he made a comeback as a singer by releasing his digital single ‘Satellite’ for the first time in about four years.
- Kim So-yeon (actor)
She is a former teen star and has been an MC on music shows and appeared in various dramas since the late 1990s. She consistently appeared in [All About Eve], [Gahwaman Four Voices], and [My Daughter is the Most Beautiful in the World], and her acting skills were recognized in each of her works, rising to the ranks of top stars. In the SBS drama [Penthouse I], which started in 2020, she played the role of an insane villainess ‘Cheon Seo-jin’ and showed off her creepy, brilliant performance. She later appeared in [Penthouse II] and [Penthouse III] in succession, and last year she achieved the feat of winning the grand prize at the SBS Drama Awards.
- Park Eun-seok (actor)
Since his debut in the theater world in 2012, he has been active as a theater actor. He began appearing in TV dramas in 2015, and made his name known to the public by playing Logan Lee in the [Penthouse] series. He immigrated to the United States at the age of seven, and at age 22 he returned to Korea to pursue his dream of becoming an actor. Thanks to his long life abroad, his English skills are excellent, and he received favorable reviews for his many English lines when playing Logan Lee, a Korean-American.
- Young Tak (singer)
After a long period of obscurity, he reached his peak in 2020 by winning the first prize in [Mr. Trot]. Songs such as ‘Why are you out there’, ‘Jjiniya’, and ‘A Glass of Makgeolli’ sung in [Mr. Trot] gained great popularity. Even before his debut, he was famous for his outstanding singing ability and even won the SBS [Amazing Contest Star King]. He debuted in 2007 with the release of his first full-length album ‘Young Tak Disia’ and turned into a trot singer in 2016.
- Kang Daniel (singer)
He is a member of the 11-member boy group ‘Wanna One’ created on [Produce 101]. In 2019, he founded his own label, Konnect, and began his solo career. Recently, he seems to be expanding his scope of activity by taking on various challenges such as acting and MC. He was selected as the MC for the dance audition program [Street Woman Fighter], which attracted a lot of attention, and successfully completed his first MC challenge, drawing a positive response. He also showed good performance by serving as MC in the next series [Street Girls Fighter], which was produced due to the success of Supa. In addition, he played the lead role in the currently in production drama [You and My Police Class].
- Jeon Mi-do (actor)
He debuted in 2006 with his musical [Mr. Mouse]. Afterwards, he attracted attention as a talented new actor. He won the Newcomer Award at the Theater Awards for his play [Agnes of God]. Afterwards, he played the main character for the first time in the drama [Wise Doctor Life]. He gained popularity and recognition thanks to the success of the drama, and is gaining popularity by appearing in commercials and entertainment programs. This year, he appeared in [Thirty, Nine] and worked with Son Ye-jin and others.
- Han So-hee (actor)
She debuted as Lee Seo-won in SBS’s [Into the New World] in 2017 and quickly rose to stardom by appearing as Yeo Da-kyung in the 2020 JTBC drama [The World of the Married]. Gaining popularity and recognition, she has continued her active career by appearing in numerous works since last year. In particular, she played the lead role in the Netflix original drama [My Name] and led the drama with her brilliant action acting. This work was a huge success, rising to a high of 3rd place in the Netflix World Rankings.
- Song Hye-kyo (actress)
She is Korea’s undisputed romance queen. In 2000, he played the main role in the KBS2 drama [Autumn Fairy Tale], which gained overwhelming popularity, exceeding 40% in viewership ratings, and rose to the ranks of top stars by appearing in [Full House], [The World They Live In], and [The Wind Blows That Winter]. . She later appeared in writer Kim Eun-sook’s drama [Descendants of the Sun], which was simultaneously aired in China, and showed off her potential as a guaranteed box office check. Won the grand prize at the KBS Drama Awards for [Descendants of the Sun]. Since then, he has continued his active acting career, appearing in the dramas [Boyfriend] and [Now, We’re Breaking Up].
- Son Ye-jin (actor)
The original ‘nation’s first love’ is a top actor who has enjoyed steady popularity since the early 2000s. He has built a filmography across genres, including not only romance but also action, thriller, and comedy. Although he is a top star, his passion for acting is so extraordinary that he appears in dramas or movies every year. In April of this year, he made a big splash by marrying Hyun Bin, his co-star in the tvN drama [Crash Landing on You].
- Song Ga-in (singer)
He is a trot singer with a background in traditional Korean music who debuted in 2012. While he was unknown after his debut, he reached his peak by winning TV Chosun [Miss Trot Tomorrow] in 2019. In this program, she led the revival of trot, which had been stagnant, by touching the hearts of middle-aged and older people with one line, “A lot of Taedong River~”. She has established herself as the undisputed next-generation trot queen, and before COVID-19, she had a busy schedule, performing over 100 km a day.
- Rain (singer)
She is a singer and actress, and she has been actively performing for over 20 years. In 2020, he entered a new heyday with the comeback of ‘Gang’ and formed a group called ‘Ssak3’ with Yoo Jae-seok and Lee Hyo-ri on the entertainment show [What do you do when you hang out?] and gained great popularity by targeting the 30s and 40s generation with nostalgia for the 1990s and 2000s. . Afterwards, he released a new song ‘Change to Me’ with PD Park Jin-young and appeared in the drama [Ghost Doctor]. He is also active in YouTube and web entertainment. His YouTube channel [Season, Non-Season] attracted 1.61 million subscribers, and he also appeared in the Netflix entertainment [Gugger and Hairy] produced by producer Tae-ho Kim. [Gorgeous and Hairy] received so much attention that it ranked 7th in the Korean TV program rankings immediately after its release.
- Park Shin-hye (actress)
She made her debut in the entertainment industry in 2003 with Lee Seung-hwan’s music video ‘Flower’. In the same year, she appeared as the younger version of Choi Ji-woo in the drama Stairway to Heaven, which made her face known to the public. She later appeared in various works and developed her acting skills, establishing herself as an adult actress and currently establishing her as one of Korea’s leading actresses. Her [You’re Beautiful] and [Her Heirs] gained popularity in Asian countries such as Japan and China, solidifying her position as a Korean Wave actress. She is also the first Korean actress to go on an Asian tour. This year, she announced that she had married her fellow actor Choi Tae-joon.
- Seungyoon Lee (singer)
In 2011, he advanced to the finals of the MBC University Song Festival and began his official career by performing his self-composed song ‘I Shouldn’t Have Been.’ Afterwards, he debuted as a guitarist and vocalist for the indie band Tavan, and made his official debut in 2016 by releasing his personal album ‘What Should I Steal’. He first became known to the public when he appeared as the 30th singer on JTBC’s audition program [Singer Gain]. He won the final thanks to his outstanding lyrics, composition, and vocal skills. After winning [Singer Gain], he appeared on various broadcasts and commercials. After releasing the new song ‘I Wanted to Tell You’ in June of last year, he made a comeback with his first full-length album ‘Even if I Become Ruins’ in November. He is evaluated as a talented singer-songwriter who has established his own unique musical style.
- Lee Moo-jin (singer)
She is the main character of ‘Seoul University of Arts Hallway Nam’, which became a hot topic on YouTube and Facebook. He made his face known to the public by appearing as singer number 63 on [Singer Gain] in 2020 and took third place in the final. He always introduces himself as “I am Moojin Lee, a singer-songwriter who talks while playing the guitar.” He often uploads videos of himself playing and singing songs on YouTube, and among them, ‘Assignment Song’ received a lot of sympathy from college students with its hyper-realistic lyrics, emotional acting, and attractive melody. The ‘Assignment Song’ video uploaded to the JTBC Entertainment channel on YouTube recorded 1 million views within 9 days of upload.
- Irene (model)
She is a Korean-American model and influencer. She rose to prominence in 2010 when she appeared on On Style, a show that covered fashion. Her witty remarks and flashy style made her the subject of women’s attention and made her popular. She has since continued her work as a fashion influencer, including launching her own brand ‘Irene is good’. Since last year, she has been appearing on the SBS soccer variety show [Girls Who Hit Goals] as her model team FC Gucheok Jangshin, and she has been receiving favorable reviews.
- Ahn Hyo-seop (actor)
He is currently one of the most popular male actors. He made his face known as a violinist in the 2015 tvN music entertainment show [Always Dreaming of Bach, Cantare 2]. The following year, he appeared in the MBC dramas [One More Happy Ending] and [Gahwaman Four Voices] and began to gain popularity with his likable face. He recently rose to stardom with his passionate performance as Kang Tae-moo, the main character in the SBS drama [In-house Confrontation], which ended in April. This drama aired simultaneously on Netflix.
- Kim Hye-soo (actor)
He is a top actor in Korea, both in name and reality. Skillfully portraying everything from sexy femme fatale characters to slyly broken comedic characters, she has built up a filmography across a variety of genres. Recently, she played Shim Eun-seok, an elite judge with innate intelligence and a tough personality, in the Netflix original drama [Boy Judge]. [Boy Referee] ranked first in Korea two days after its release, and ranked third worldwide in the non-English language category within three days. This record held for two weeks.
- Kim Hee-jae (singer)
He is a South Korean singer and actor. She ranked 7th in [Mr. Trot] and was listed in the TOP 7. At the age of 14, she was famous for her trot prodigy, appearing in [Amazing Competition Star King] with Lee Chan-won, and performing as Ulsan Lee Mi-ja and appearing on stages such as [National Song Proud]. He is a talented person who can digest various genres, including not only trot but also rock, ballad, and pop.
40 Park Bo-gum (actor)
He made his face known to the public by playing the role of Go genius Choi Taek in the tvN drama [Reply 1988]. Since then, with his acting skills and stardom, he has established himself as a guaranteed box office hit on both the TV and screen. With his boyish appearance and good-natured image, he is highly preferred not only by broadcasters but also in the advertising world. He enlisted in the Marine Corps in 2020 and announced his discharge in February of this year.
– Reporters Kim Young-moon and Shin Yun-ae from Forbes Korea