It is a well-acknowledged fact that visuals are a deciding factor in the successful career of a K-Drama actor. That, however, doesn’t guarantee explosive success for every handsome face.
In a recent viral post, a Korean netizen pointed out that there is one K-Drama actor whose career trajectory was “as unfortunate as Byeon Wook Seok.” Byeon, whose popularity has exploded with his latest K-Drama, Lovely Runner, has previously worked on multiple hit projects. But regrettably, his roles failed to bring him the spotlight for years before Strong Girl Nam Soon kicked it off, and Lovely Runner exponentially accelerated it.
The actor, who netizens think has had an even more unfortunate career than Byeon, is Seo Kang Joon. Widely beloved for his captivating visuals, Seo, who debuted in 2013, has delivered impressive performances in lead roles in iconic K-Dramas such as Cheese in the Trap, The Third Charm, and When the Weather Is Fine.
Despite Seo being a star in the industry, netizens feel that his potential is much bigger. Some of them felt that all he needs is the right project to finally land the popularity he deserves. However, others feel that Seo has already had his moments of glory, and it would be difficult for him to rise past them. Some even joked that the industry is so saturated that he could be replaced by trot singer Park Hyunbin (who Seo is considered a lookalike of), if he slacks off even a little bit.
- “To be honest, Seo Kang Joon should have gotten popular during Cheese in the Trap. There are already too many male actors, and if he slacks off even just a little, Park Hyunbin will pop out…But since he has the acting skills to back it up, he should follow the path of Lee Je Hoon rather than being a star.”
- “Even though his acting skills are solid, he’s often treated as if their only asset is his looks, and he ends up being cast in roles that are all about being a ‘visual genius.’ Since his acting skills are good, I hope he gets to do a lot of work in period dramas, noir films, or consistently appear in Netflix dramas and similar projects.”
- “The reason Seo Kang Joon can’t rise to fame like Byeon Woo Seok is that, unlike Byeon Woo Seok, he’s already had several moments of attention. Each time, he couldn’t make a big breakthrough. He’s already done everything he could as a celebrity. Now, he either continues to live like this, taking on projects occasionally, or he finds a good project that showcases his acting skills. Too many opportunities have passed for him to make a sudden, sensational impact in Korea. As a fan, I find this very unfortunate.”
- “Didn’t he already make it big?”
- “Speaking of Park Hyun-bin, I recently saw that he’s back in form. After he was discharged from the military, he lost some weight and took care of himself, so he looked handsome again. If you compare him now to when he was in his prime during the filming of ‘Cheese in the Trap,’ who do you think looks better…”
Meanwhile, Seo Kang Joon will reportedly play the main role in the upcoming K-Drama Undercover High School. The show is expected to be released in 2025.
Source: Nate Pann
