Kang Young-seok

Kang Young-seok (August 12, 1991), is a South Korean actor. In 2011, he made his debut as a musical actor in the production "Hwarang." In 2014, he ventured into theater with his first play, titled "B Adult Year." From 2017 onwards, he began by taking on minor roles and gradually worked his way up to more prominent supporting roles on television. He is known for his supporting roles in 100 Days My Prince, Military Prosecutor Doberman, Insider, Mental Coach Jegal, Poong, the Joseon Psychiatrist, The Kidnapping Day, and Welcome to Samdal-ri.

Early life and education
During his time at Gaepo High School, Kang participated in sports but realized it wasn't his calling, leaving him unsure of his future path. It was during this period that he saw the musical Romeo and Juliet, igniting his curiosity about acting. Without hesitation, he enrolled in an acting academy and found it to be enjoyable. He devoted himself to his studies, often staying late to study scripts and even taking on cleaning duties. His hard work paid off, leading to his acceptance into the Department of Theatre and Film Chungang University. He received support and faced no opposition from his parents as he pursued this path.

Career
Kang Young-seok was initially disappointed when he couldn't find a suitable job, so he decided to explore audition opportunities. In 2011, he successfully landed a role in musical Hwarang after auditioning.

After being discharged from the military in 2014, Kang ventured into theater with his first play, titled "B Adult Year." In the following year, he was recommended for auditions by friends for acting projects. While some may view his quick success in landing roles in the play Model Students (2015), the musical Bachelor's Vegetable Store (2015), and the musical Thrill Me (2015) one after another as luck, Kang attributes it to his diligent preparation and hard work in every audition. Kang's next role was Professor V, a genius physics professor who turns into a vampire in the musical Mama Don't Cry.

The play Old Wicked Song, which premiered in 2015, returned to the Dongsung Arts Center Dongsung Hall stage in September 2016. The story revolves around Mashkan, an eccentric professor with contrasting personalities, and Stephen, a pianist, who find solace and growth through music. The role of pianist Stephen was played by Kang and Lee Hyun-wook in double casting. Stephen, a talented pianist, struggles with inner turmoil and disconnects from the joy of music despite his skill.

This was followed by another musical, Black Mary Poppins. Set in Germany in the 1920s, it is a musical thriller that reveals the truth about four siblings involved in a fire and a mysterious murder that occurred in the mansion of renowned psychologist Dr. Gratzen, and the story of their missing nanny. Kang and Jeon Sung-woo played the role of Hermann, the second child, a painter with a masculine and free personality, but lonely and easily shaken. The musical was performed at Daehakro T.O.M Theater 1 starting on October 13, 2016.

In 2017, Kang was cast in the musical "History of Fools" in a triple casting as the main character, Seo Min-ki, alongside Park Si-hwan and Park Jeong-won.

The play Save the Earth, based on director Jang Jun-hwan's film of the same name, falls into the science fiction genre involving aliens. It is a psychological game between two characters: Byeong-gu, who has a deep wound in his heart, and Kang Man-sik, the person who inflicted the wound and holds the key to solving the problem. Kang, Park Young-soo, Jeong Wook-jin, and Key in the main role of Byeong-gu, took turns performing at Chungmu Arts Center’s Black Theater from August 10 to October 22, 2017.