Meet Ahn Hyo-seop, the voice behind Jinu in ‘KPop Demon Hunters’
Ahn Hyo-seop is the voice behind Jinu, one of the antagonists in the hit animated film “KPop Demon Hunters.” Images: The Present Company, Netflix
When viewers fell in love with the story, animation, and music of “KPop Demon Hunters,” Ahn Hyo-seop — who is behind the voice of the dashing demon Jinu — emerged as one of the fan favorites. He has long been a familiar name among K-drama fans, but his portrayal of Jinu gained him widespread popularity.
While Andrew Choi provided Jinu’s singing voice, Ahn breathed life to the secondary antagonist, Jinu, as well as his conflicted storyline about whether to have the memories of his past mistakes wiped off by Gwi-ma (Lee Byung-hun). If you’re curious about who Ahn is besides giving voice to Jinu, here’s everything you need to know about the 30-year-old actor.
Canada resident before turning 17
Born in South Korea, Ahn moved to Toronto, Canada, with his family when he was seven. After 10 years, he decided to return to South Korea alone to be a K-pop trainee. His family stayed behind.
“It was hard because of the cultural differences. I was born Korean, but because we grew up in different environments, there were things they wanted from me,” he said in a “Salon Drip” interview in 2024, referring to the adjustment he had when he moved back to South Korea.
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“There were some things like ‘as a younger sibling.’ It was difficult for me, so I wanted to go back after three days. It was hard because of the unfamiliar environment and because my family was far away, but it got better.”
JYP Entertainment trainee
Ahn was scouted as a JYP Entertainment trainee at 17 and was even roommates with GOT7 member Jackson Wang. Aside from Wang, he also developed a close friendship with the septet’s members Mark, Jay B, Jinyoung, Youngjae, BamBam, and Yugyeom.
The actor shared in a “Happy Together” interview that he was part of the rookie development team — which turned out to be GOT7 — and even practiced with them. However, he was unable to make it to the final lineup due to his height.
“When the group was being put together, I was practicing with them. But I wasn’t able to join the project team… I was a bit lacking in talent then, and also I was too tall,” he said.
Brief music career
Ahn made his acting debut in 2015. In the same year, he debuted in the project group One O One with Starhaus labelmates Kwak Si-yang, Song Won-seok, and Kwon Do-kyun. The group, however, had minimal activity and disbanded four years later.
Nonetheless, the actor is still talented in singing and dancing. He has always performed for fans at fan meets and released music-related content on his platforms.
Among his recent music-related pursuits are releasing a cover of “KPop Demon Hunters” duet “Free” on his YouTube channel, and singing a few bars of Jinu’s introduction in the film.
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Homebody cat lover
When Ahn is not filming a new project or attending professional engagements, he would rather curl up with a good book or lounge around with his cat, Ba-ul, at home.
The actor has recommended books to his fans in multiple interviews, such as Chang Kang-myeong’s “I Hate Korea”; Kim Jin-young’s “The Morning Piano”; F. Scott’s Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby”; and Haruki Murakami’s “Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage”; to name a few.
Aside from books, Ahn is vocal about his love for his American Shorthair feline, Ba-ul (named after his English name Paul). The gray-colored cat has made multiple appearances on his Instagram.
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K-drama prince
Before “KPop Demon Hunters,” Ahn already caught the attention of international fans after portraying the handsome GoFood CEO Kang Tae-moo in the 2022 drama “A Business Proposal.” His team-up with leading lady Kim Se-jeong became popular among fans due to their chemistry.
One of their notable scenes was when Shin Ha-ri (Kim) boldly introduced Tae-moo to “Samantha and Rachel” — referring to her chest — during a blind date.
The actor is also notable for his lead roles in seasons two and three of “Dr. Romantic,” “Abyss,” “Lovers of the Red Sky,” and “A Time Called You.”
His upcoming projects include the film “Omniscient Reader: The Prophet” with Lee Min-ho, Blackpink’s Jisoo, and singer-actress Nana, as well as the drama “Sold Out Again Today.” /edv
