Idol Stars, the New Power House of Korean Cinema
Twenty years have passed since the first generation of idol star groups such as H.O.T., Fin.K.L and S.E.S have entered the public scene. And it’s now fair to claim that idol stars have become key players in Korea’s entertainment industry, their presence growing even stronger by the day. If it is true that it used to be a big deal for idol stars to challenge the silver screen, it has now become a cliché. Some are recognized for their potential as Korean cinema’s rising stars, and thanks to their ticket power-guaranteed fandoms, they are often being ranked at the top of the casting list. We have covered in this article a few names that might well be the fuel of Korean cinema's engine.
DOH Kyung-soo, Building a Profile of His Own
DOH Kyung-soo shows the most notable track record in Korean cinema lately. Better known for his K-pop boy band EXO persona, ‘D.O’ grabbed his first role as an actor in TV drama
It’s Okay, That’s Love, impressing the public with his delicately detailed delivery of a broken teenager. Expanding his fan base even more, when the drama became a hit, he headed straight for film, making his big screen debut with the
Myung Films-produced
Cart (2014). In this socio-politically charged film directed by
BOO Ji-young and based on a true story, DOH excellently performed as the son of Sun-hee (played by
YUM Jung-ah), a temporary worker at a large retail store who organizes a labor union and strike against the company with her colleagues. Fresh face tinted with rebellious puberty, DOH made his mark as a character who triggers Sun-hee to break out of her shell, as well as proving himself as an acting talent with the potential to lead the future of Korean cinema. He won Best New Actor at the Blue Dragon Awards and Most Popular Actor at the Paeksang Arts Awards for comedy film
MY ANNOYING BROTHER (2016) he co-starred with
JO Jung-suk. Praised as “an actor with a promising future”, he was then cast in black comedy
Room No.7 (2017) last year.
This year, DOH will be performing in two films distributed by film investment/distribution company
NEW: feature animation
The Underdog presented by the producers of
Leafie, a Hen Into the Wild (2011) and
Swing Kids, the latest feature from
KANG Hyoung-chul, director of
Scandal Makers (2008) and
Sunny (2011). In
The Underdog, DOH will be the voice of street dog Moongchi who embarks on a journey for an independent life after he is abandoned by his master. And in
Swing Kids, one of the most awaited Korean films of this year, DOH plays a young North Korean soldier ‘ROH Ki-soo’ who dreams of tap dancing amidst the Korean War. DOH shaved his head to play this role alongside the likes of one of Broadway’s most accomplished tap dancers and Hollywood actor Jared Grimes. Both films are scheduled for theatrical release in the second half of this year.
Suzy, Actress of Korean Film Industry's Next Generation
Like
DOH Kyung-soo, K-pop girl group ‘miss A’ member,
BAE Suzy who goes by the stage name Suzy, is another acting talent Korean Cinema definitely acknowledges. Soon after making an impressive debut through high-teen TV drama
Dream High, she was cast in the teenage role of Seo-yeon (whose adult role was performed by actress
HAN Ga-in) in the
Myung Films-produced
Architecture 101 (2012). Her fresh-faced feistiness immediately captured the Korean film industry’s attention. In a market where melodramas continued to remain at a low,
Architecture 101 owes much if its success of 4.11 million box office entries to Suzy. She won the Best New Actress award at the Paeksang Arts Awards and moved on to co-star with
RYU Seung-ryong in costume drama
THE SOUND OF A FLOWER (2015). After a year-long ‘Pansori (Korean traditional opera)’ training, Suzy was transformed into Pansori singer Chae-sun, making the most of her idol star background. Meanwhile, she has continued to build a lengthy track record in TV dramas including
Gu Family Book,
Uncontrollably Fond and
While You Were Sleeping.
From YOON Kye-sang to AN So-hui, Idol Stars who are Now Full-fledged Acting Talents
Idol Stars in Web Dramas
The online contents industry has also been moving fast recently to cast idol stars. Chinese online platform Tencent-produced web drama
Black Cat directed by
PARK Hyun-jin of
Like for Likes (2016), has raised much expectations for Korean and international fans by casting
IM Si-wan. B1A4’s Baro-starring
Close Eye (2017), AOA’s Yu Na starring
My Old Friend (2016) are also web dramas with idol stars attached. Yuri (
GWON Yu-ri), another member of Girls Generation, considered one of the leaders of the Korean Wave ‘Hallyu’ is following the footsteps of
Yoon-a with a new web drama waiting to be screened for worldwide viewers.
Kross pictures produced web drama the
Sound of Heart, based on the popular Korean webtoon of the same title, has cast Yuri alongside
Sung Hoon as their new female and male leads for Season 2 and 3, now in production. Season 2 is scheduled to be serviced globally in the second half of this year.