Get to know Kim Seon-ho through his roles in popular K-dramas
Kim Seonho as Hong Du-sik and Han Ji-pyeong in “Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha” and “Start-Up,” respectively. Images: Instagram/@tvn_drama, Instagram/@seonho__kim
It was late 2020, and fans of the popular K-drama “Start Up” have been debating on social media if they prefer “Team Dosan” or “Team Good Boy” for the heroine Seo Dal-mi.
Team Good Boy eventually didn’t get the girl in the final episode of “Start-Up,” but actor Kim Seon-ho, who portrayed “Good Boy” Han Ji-pyeong, skyrocketed into domestic and international fame. Since then, the actor has gained a massively loyal following up to the present, including the Philippines.
Seon-ho is best known for his appearances in “Start-Up” and “Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha”. Get to know the 36-year-old actor by checking out his notable K-drama roles below:
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Sun Sung-tae in “Good Manager” (2017)
Seon-ho started his entertainment career as a theater actor in 2009, but his role as Sun Sung-tae in “Good Manager” is his first foray into the K-drama world.
Sung-tae was hired as a rookie employee in the accounting division at the fictional TQ Group Business Operation Department. In an earlier episode, he drunkenly shared that he took up accounting for two years at an institute before working in the company. As a timid rookie, Sung-tae is usually subject to the bossiness of his older colleagues, yet he maintains a positive outlook on his career.
Oh Jin-kyu in “Strongest Deliveryman” (2017)
Seon-ho then shifted gears by taking on the role of businessman Oh Jin-kyu in “Strongest Deliveryman” opposite Go Kyung-pyo of “Reply 1988” fame and Chae Soo-bin from “I Am Not a Robot.”
Contrary to the innocence of his debut role, Seon-ho’s character is known to be the spoiled son of a business magnate. But his lack of entrepreneurial abilities has been subjected to ridicule by his own family. He eventually discovers the ropes of the industry. and establishes a business of his own.
Gong Su-chang in “Two Cops” (2017 to 2018)
Seon-ho also shared the spotlight with veteran Korean actor Jo Jung-seok in “Two Cops,” where he took on the role of a con artist named Gong Su-chang.
In the K-drama, Su-chang’s soul takes over the body of Cha Dong-tak (Jo Jung-seok) who excels in his job as a police detective but is awkward in real life. Thanks to the latter’s soul, the former discovers how to be street-smart and to win the affections of a rookie reporter.
The role of Su-chang led Seon-ho to bring home the Excellence Award and Best New Actor at the MBC Drama Awards in 2017.
Kim Rae-wan in “You Drive Me Crazy” (2018)
The Korean actor also opened his heart to romance as he took on the role of Kim Rae-wan who was secretly in love with his best friend Han Eun-sung (Lee Yoo-young).
Despite being best friends for eight years, Rae-wan and Eun-sung’s dynamic changes when they suddenly sleep together in one drunken night — realizing that they put their romantic feelings aside to save their friendship.
Jung Jae-yoon in “100 Days My Prince” (2018)
Seon-ho also portrayed the role of high-ranking official Jung Jae-yoon in the historical K-drama “100 Days My Prince” opposite EXO’s Do Kyung-soo, Nam Ji-hyun, and Han So-hee.
Jae-yoon, who has a one-sided love for Hong-shim (Nam Ji-hyun), is one of the few people whom Prince Lee Yul (Do Kyung-soo) can trust especially with political affairs. The magistrate suffers from prosopagnosia or “face blindness,” which made him initially unable to recognize the prince who disguised himself in hiding.
Cha Woo-sik in “Welcome to Waikiki 2” (2019)
Seon-ho also charmed K-drama fans as Cha Woo-sik, a tenant of the Waikiki guesthouse. He is the high school friend of the owner Lee Joon-ki (Lee Yi-kyung), which helped him find a place to stay as he pursued his dreams of becoming a musician.
Woo-sik finds himself in a love square with Joon-ki and baseball player aspirant Kook Ki-bong (Shin Hyun-soo), who compete for the affections of fellow tenant Han Soo-yeon (Moon Ga-young).
Go Ji-seok in “Catch the Ghost” (2019)
Seon-ho paid tribute to his earlier roles, as he starred as police officer Go Ji-seok in the crime series “Catch the Ghost.” He partners up with police investigator Yoo Ryeong (Moon Geun-young) to capture a subway ghost and discover its origins.
The K-drama also showed Seon-ho’s serious side as a determined police officer who helped his colleague find her sister.
Han Ji-pyeong in “Start-Up” (2020)
Considered to be Seon-ho’s breakout role, the actor broke the hearts of fans after portraying Han Ji-pyeong in “Start-Up.”
Ji-pyeong is known for being the “Gordon Ramsay of Investments” in Sandbox, or South Korea’s Silicon Valley, as the team leader of the fictional SH Venture Capital start-up business. His role sparked fan theories after becoming the fake Nam Do-san (Nam Joo-hyuk) who wrote letters of encouragement to Seo Dal-mi (Bae Su-zy) at her grandmother’s request.
Despite being supportive of Dal-mi’s dreams, he ended up being unlucky in love after Dal-mi chose to get together with Do-san in the final episode.
Hong Du-sik in “Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha” (2021)
Seon-ho broke out of the second lead syndrome when he took on the role of Hong Du-sik or Chief Hong in “Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha.” Known as Gongjin village’s handyman, he is willing to lend a helping hand to those in need.
The K-drama proved to be a hit in South Korea and in many countries, as the actor won Outstanding Korean Actor at the Seoul International Drama Awards in September 2022. His team-up with onscreen partner Shin Min-ah was also a success, as their chemistry was crucial for the series to be named as one of the highest-rated series on cable television history, per Korean media outlet Newsen.
Following his string of fan meets, Seon-ho is set to challenge himself in the upcoming films “The Childe” and “The Tyrant” which will premiere in 2023. He also returned to his theater roots in the play “Touching the Void” that was shown to fans in South Korea in 2022. EDV
