Kim Seon-ho

Kim Seon-ho (, ; born May 8, 1986) is a South Korean actor. He began his career on stage and appeared in numerous plays before making his screen debut in 2017 with Good Manager. He rose to prominence with the television series Start-Up (2020) and gained more recognition for his role in Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha (2021), which led to him being selected as Gallup Korea's Actor of the Year in 2021.

He made his debut in the film industry as the title role in Park Hoon-jung's noir film The Childe. Kim's portrayal of the nobleman earned critical acclaim, leading to his win of the New Actor Award at the Buil Film Awards and the 59th Grand Bell Awards respectively.

Early years and education
Kim grew up as an only child in Bongcheon-dong, a neighborhood in Seoul. He describes himself as introverted and insecure during his childhood and teenage years, which he attributes to a traumatic incident in his childhood. During a home robbery, his mother was stabbed with a knife, and Kim narrowly escaped the attack by hiding under his bed. He slowly overcame this trauma through acting after enrolling in an acting academy during his third year of high school.

After finishing high school, Kim studied at the Seoul Institute of the Arts where he received a degree from the Department of Broadcasting and Entertainment. During his studies, he joined his campus theater club. In the theater club, Kim started to act in plays such as My Town, The Seagull, and Chunpung's Wife.

Kim completed his mandatory military enlistment in 2007 before his debut as an actor. He served as an assistant instructor at Nonsan Army Training Center and later switched to working as a public service worker. His time in the military broadened his worldview.

2009–2016: Theatrical work
Kim first professional stage role was in the open-run production of New Boeing Boeing (an adaptation of the French play of the same name) in 2009, which he reprised in 2013. In 2012, Kim acted the role Dr. Watson to Korean production of William Gillette's play Sherlock Holmes. At the end of 2013, Kim took on the main lead role in play Words I Couldn't Say for 7 Years, written and directed by Park Jung-in, at Daehakro Moonlight Theater. In March 2014, Kim reprised his role at the Figaro Art Hall in Jung-gu, Ulsan.

In autumn of the same year, Kim was triple-cast in season 10 of Aligator Theater Company's play Rooftop House Cat. Kim won the role of protagonist Lee Kyung-min after beating around 200 hopefuls in an open audition. He was then recast for seasons 11 and 12. In 2015 he was cast for another title role in the Aligator Theater Company's play Purpose of Love. Both plays are popular Daehakro (comparable to Off-Broadway) romantic comedy open-run plays.

Later, he expanded his repertoire with darker roles in limited-run plays produced by Aligator Theater Company. In 2015, Kim auditioned for Austin role in Korean revival of Sam Shepard's acclaimed True West, directed by Oh Man-seok. He was triple-cast as Austin with Lee Hyun-wook and Moon Sung-il. They alternately acted opposite Jeon Seok-ho, Kim Jun-won, and Lee Dae-il, who played Austin older brother Lee. According to Interpark, the play ranked first for theater ticket sales at the same time as ticket sales was opened. It was performed at the University Road A Art Hall from August 13 to November 1. Also in 2015, he played Valentin in Korean stage adaptation of Manuel Puig's play Kiss of the Spider Woman at the Art One Theater, Seoul. Kim found minor success and earned the nickname "theater idol".

In 2016, Kim challenged himself by auditioning for multiple roles in Theater Ganda's production of John Cariani's omnibus play, Almost, Maine. Kim was cast after breaking through the competition rate of 200 to 1 and performed as part of second team from April 2012. Also in 2016, Kim did two back-to-back plays with Aligator Theater Company. He reprised his role as Austin in Korean encore performance of playwright Sam Shepard's play True West Return. Then appeared in 2016 revival of the hit play Closer, by Patrick Marber, opposite Bae Seong-woo, Seo Hyun-woo, Kim So-jin, and Park So-dam. His explosive energy onstage earned him critical recognition. In November 2016, Kim joined Park Dong-wook's play Voice of Millenium. The play was produced by Space to Create, a theater company founded by Ahn Hyuk-won and Jeon Seok-ho. Directed by Park Seon-hee, it was performed from November 5 to December 31 at Dongsoong Art Center Dongsoong Small Theater.

2017–2019: Television debut


Kim made his screen debut at the beginning of 2017 in the KBS2 office drama Good Manager, after auditioning at the suggestion of producer who watched his performance in the play Closer. Kim's next project Strongest Deliveryman, for which he initially auditioned for a supporting role, marked his first appearance in a main role onscreen. Both roles earned him nomination for Best New Actor Award at the 2017 KBS Drama Awards.

Later in 2017, Kim starred opposite Jo Jung-suk and in MBC action comedy Two Cops as a sly conman. He originally auditioned for a supporting role, however the director upgraded him to second lead after re-watching his audition clip. For his performance, Kim earned two awards at the 2017 MBC Drama Awards. While the drama was still airing, he reprised his role onstage as Valentin in encore performance of Kiss of the Spider Woman.

In 2018, Kim portrayed the lead role of a painter in the drama special You Drive Me Crazy, which aired for four episodes in May. In April of the same year, he also starred in the historical drama 100 Days My Prince, as Jung Jae-yoon, a genius yangban with a lower status as the illegitimate son of a concubine. His character also suffered from prosopagnosia. This marked his first historical and preproduction drama, and the series became one of the highest-rated series in Korean cable television history. In September that year, Kim joined after the termination of his contract with Aligator Theater Company.

Moving on to 2019, in March, Kim played an aspiring singer in the JTBC comedy series Welcome to Waikiki 2. He joined the new cast members Shin Hyun-soo, Ahn So-hee, Moon Ga-young, and Kim Ye-won. Additionally, Lee Yi-kyung from the season 1 also joined the second season. Later in October 2019, Kim starred in the tvN investigative crime drama Catch the Ghost opposite veteran actress Moon Geun-young. This marked his second leading role in a full-length series following Welcome to Waikiki 2. On November 5, 2019, Kim joined the cast of the fourth season of the KBS2 reality show 2 Days & 1 Night; and received the Rookie Award at the 2020 KBS Entertainment Awards for his work on the show.

In his final project of 2019, Kim appeared in the play Memory in dream [sic]. Once again, he showcased his ticket-selling power as all tickets for the episodes he appeared in—the first, second, and third rounds—sold out within five minutes of the ticket window opening. Kim performed a total of 33 shows, attracting approximately 4,700 theater audiences.

2020–2022: Breakthrough, mainstream success, and back to the theater


Kim returned to the small screen in October 2020 through the tvN drama Start-Up. Kim's portrayal of Han Ji-pyeong, a start-up investor with a tragic past, was well-received by viewers. During the airing of Start-Up, Kim topped the monthly brand reputation ranking index by the Korean Business Research Institute and experienced a surge in popularity domestically and internationally. He received critical acclaim and won 2021 Baeksang Arts Award for Most Popular Actor and nomination for Best Supporting Actor – Television. Han Ji-pyeong was also selected as one of the 2021 Seoul Drama Awards' character of the year.

Kim's portrayal of Han Ji-pyeong was also praised for challenging stereotypes about aging out youth. The Beautiful Foundation expressed their appreciation by sending a personal letter and gift to Kim. In 2022, Han Ji-pyeong was awarded 2nd place in the foundation's Eighteen Adults Award, which honors the best aging-out youth character in Korean drama.

He made his comeback to theatre, in January 2021 in Jang Jin's two-hander play Ice, in which he played a detective trying to inculpate a young man in a murder case. The play performed at S Theater, Sejong Center for the Performing Arts. It was reported that at the same time as the ticket opening date, all of Kim Seon-ho's appearances were sold out.

Kim collaborated with to release the single "Reason" on May 8, 2021, which he sang and co-wrote, having previously appeared in the latter's music video. It was a surprise gift for Kim prepared for his fans, expressing his feelings through the lyric and music video. On May 16, 2021, Kim reprised his role as Detective Lee Jong-ryeol, opposite veteran actor Jung Woong-in, in special encore play Ice, as second performance of "2021 Play Ten Thousand Won Series", at Seongnam Arts Center. In August 2021, he starred in the tvN drama Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha alongside Shin Min-a, where he played an officially unemployed but all-around handyman in a seaside village of Gongjin. Aired on tvN and Netflix, the series was both a domestic and international hit with audience ratings peaking at 13.322% and went on to become one of the highest-rated television series in Korean cable television history. In September 2021, during Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha 's airing, Kim once again topped Korean Business Research Institute's brand reputation ranking index. According to Good Data Corporation, Kim topped actor category in TV Topicality from 3rd week of August to the 4th week of September, from 1st to 2nd week of October, and ranked second in the 5th week of September 2021. Good Data [TV Topic] Drama Ranking In December 2021, he ranked first place in Gallup Korea's Television Actor of the Year. He also started to film his first debut feature film, directed by Park Hoon-jung, The Childe. The first script reading was held on December 3, 2021 and principal photography began on December 10, 2021. Kim departed for Thailand on March 31, 2022, for the shooting of the film.
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Kim was announced to make a comeback to the theater in May 2022, participating in the third installment of The 9th Best Plays Festival, Touching the Void by David Greig. It is based on the true story of the survival of two British mountain climbers, Joe Simpson and Simon Yates. Kim was triple casts with Shin Sung-min and Lee Hwi-jong in the role of Joe Simpson. The Korean premiere, directed by Kim Dong-yeon, was performed at Art One Theater 2 in Daehangno from July 8 to September 18, 2022. According to reports from Interpark, tickets for Kim's performances in the 250-seat theater were completely sold out. In recognition of his performance, Kim received a nomination for Best Actor in a play at Interpark Golden Ticket Awards in April 2023. After finishing the performance, Kim donated the full amount of his theater fee to a disaster relief organization.

2023–present: Big screen debut, theater performance, and return to entertainment
Acemaker Movieworks, a film distributor, announced in January 2023 that the principal photography of neo-noir action film Tyrant had begun on January 2. This marks the second collaboration of Kim with Director Park Hoon-jung and actor Kim Kang-woo, and his first with actor Cha Seung-won.

In June 2023, Kim made a return to small screen acting by starring in a new series tentatively titled "Mangnaein" (translated literally as "Netizen"), directed by renowned director Kim Jee-woon. Press coverages indicated that the series had successfully concluded its script reading and was scheduled to commence filming by the end of June. Prior to this, at the 'Yong Film Night' event on December 7, 2022, it was announced that Kim Jee-woon will co-direct the OTT series with Park Bo-ram. The series is an adaptation of the crime novel 'Second Sister' by Hong Kong writer Chan Ho Kei. Yong Film is producing the series in collaboration with Anthology Studio and SK Global Entertainment.

Within the same month, the film The Childe was released theatrically in South Korea on June 21, 2023, as well as in Indonesia and Taiwan. Kim's portrayal of the nobleman in his debut film earned critical acclaim, leading to his win of the New Actor Award at the Buil Film Awards and the 59th Grand Bell Awards respectively. In December 2023, Kim was nominated in the New Actor Award category and also received the Chung Chung Won Popular Star Award at the 44th Blue Dragon Film Awards, alongside actors Zo In-sung, Song Joong-ki, and Park Bo-young. He also earned nominations in the Most Popular Actor and Best New Actor categories at the subsequent year 60th Baeksang Arts Awards.

Kim made a return to the stage in the production called Realise Happiness. The announcement of Kim's involvement in the play was made by on July 4, 2023. On October 20, 2023, Content Haap announced that Kim,, and Ahn Woo-yeon, were triple-cast in the roles of Kim Woo-jin, a character aspiring to become a photographer. Kim, formerly acted as Eden in the original rendition of the play named "Memory in Dream," became Kim Woo-jin when the play was localized to Korean. The cast also featured Kim Seul-gi and Kim Na-young as Lee Eun-soo; Im Chul-soo, Lee Si-hyung, and Choi Jeong-heon as Jeong Ji-yong; as well as Lee Ji-hae, and Oh Se-mi as Seo Tae-young. It was performed from December 5, 2023 to February 18, 2024. Kim once again showcased his box-office appeal as all the tickets for the episodes he appeared in were completely sold out.

On February 19, 2024, The Tyrant starring Kim was unveiled as Disney+ 2024 lineup. The series representative informed the press that although The Tyrant was initially intended for theatrical release, it was later converted into a four-part series during the editing process. The decision to expand it into an OTT Series was made to effectively showcase the individual charm of each character and highlight the directorial expertise of Park Hoon-jung through distinctive and impactful scenes. It will be released on Disney+ in the second half of this year.

On February 26, 2024, R&D Company (D-Label) announced that Daesung's single 'Falling Slowly' would be released in March. Kim and Moon Ga-young confirmed their participation in the music video directed by Hong Jong-chan. Teaser images featuring the actors were shared on Daesung's social media. The single was released on March 5 at 6 pm on various online music platforms.

On February 28, 2024, S.A.L.T. Entertainment revealed that Kim would appear as a guest on Season 2 of the Mukbo Bro. The show, hosted by Kim Jun-hyun and Moon Se-yoon, is a collaboration between E Channel (South Korea) and SBS Plus and premiered on March 25. Before the announcement, Kim and the show's hosts and crews were seen in Thailand. Kim guest-starred in the show's initial four episodes, exploring Chiang Mai and Chiang Dao. They enjoyed local cuisine, night markets, and donned traditional Thai attire while touring the palace. They also had the opportunity to meet Sangduen "Lek" Chailert and interacted with elephants in the Elephant Nature Park, which she co-founded. On their last day of the trip, Kim and Kim Jun-hyun had lunch together with Thai celebrities Mawin Thaweephon and Piyawadee Maleenont.

On April 8th, Kim made a surprise appearance at the Japan premiere, joining Korean culture journalist Masayuki Furuya for a stage greeting attended by around 600 people. Furthermore, an exhibition showcasing Kim's film costumes were held at Marunouchi Piccadilly in Shinjuku, Tokyo, and Namba Parks Cinema, Osaka. The exhibition begin on April 12th to coincide with the theatrical release of the film, which also started on the same day.

On April 30th, S.A.L.T. Entertainment announced that Kim would release a pop song "Miracle" on various online music platforms. The song's lyrics, expressing gratitude to fans, were co-written by Kim with lyricist Kim Ji-hyang. The song's composition was a collaboration between Seo Jeong-jin, Gold Doo-hyun, and Keeproots. Prior to the official release, Kim surprised his fans by performing the pre-released song "Miracle" during his "2024 Kim Seon-ho Asia Tour Color+Full" in Bangkok, Thailand on February 3, 2024. The song also received positive responses when performed in his next stops, Tokyo, Osaka, and Manila in April.

Endorsements
Following his rise in popularity in 2020, Kim Seon-ho has been chosen as the face of various brands in South Korea and Southeast Asia. His endorsements have included clothing, electronics, cosmetics, food, e-commerce and more. Some of the brands endorsed by Kim achieved record sales in 2021; this has been labelled "The Kim Seon-Ho Effect", attributed to his rapid rise in popularity both in South Korea and internationally.

In May 2021, Kim made an appearance in a special video for the "2021 P4G Seoul Summit," South Korea's first environment multi-lateral summit. In the video, he introduced a venture company's solar panel support project in Africa. The video was released on Naver TV, KakaoTV and YouTube Channel of Korea Blue House.

In fall 2022, Kim attended offline events for the brands he represents, including a fan signing event organized by Asiado Co., Ltd., the company behind the Miima Mask brand. The event took place at their Gangnam pop-up store on November 12, 2022, and aimed to show appreciation to customers who supported both Kim and the brand. Fans had the opportunity to apply through the official online shopping mall in October, and 100 winners were chosen randomly.

In April 2023, Kim was selected as the exclusive model for the Korean sports brand Ballop, which ran a campaign with him titled Always with me.

Shortly after in May, Kim signed an exclusive contract as a presenter for the Thai Kombucha brand, Teacha. The brand arranged a special event called "Teacha Exclusive Event with Kim Seon-ho" on May 5, 2023, in Bangkok, Thailand, where Kim had the opportunity to meet with both the press and his Thai fans.

In July of the same year, Philippine fashion brand Bench introduced Kim as one of its global ambassadors, joining a roster of other Asian superstars. This announcement coincided with the brand's 35th anniversary. Kim participated in an event organized by Bench, held on July 22 at the Araneta Coliseum in Manila. The event attracted more than 6,000 fans, and the clothing worn by Kim upon his arrival quickly sold out. The content related to Kim and the brand became a popular and trending topic on real-time social media platforms like SNS X in the Philippines.

In February 2024, reports emerged that NutriAsia's UFC, a Philippine food brand, would release a line of Korean-inspired meal mixes, with Kim as its endorser. Kim also collaborated with UFC for his Manila "Color+Full" Asia Tour, held on April 13, 2024, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena. In May 2024, Thai brand Dr. Pong appointed Kim as their first brand presenter to promote their skincare products. Kim's established fan base was a key factor in this decision. By leveraging Kim's popularity and influence, the brand aimed to increase visibility, drive sales, and build a strong brand image.

Public image
On October 17, 2021, a user who identified herself as the ex-girlfriend of "Actor K" (later revealed to be Kim) made allegations on a Korean internet forum that the actor had coerced her into getting an abortion while the two were dating. On October 20, 2021, in light of his ex-girlfriend's claims, Kim issued a public apology through his agency. As reports of the ex-girlfriend's claims spread, multiple advertisers halted campaigns that featured Kim, which according to Korea's Daily included popular international brands such as an American pizza restaurant chain and a Japanese camera brand. Kim stepped down from the permanent cast of the KBS variety show 2 Days & 1 Night, and subsequently withdrew from film projects Dog Days and Pretty Crazy.

On October 20, 2021, Kim's ex-girlfriend issued a new statement revealing that Kim had apologised to her personally; she also stated that there had been misunderstandings between them and expressed remorse at causing unintentional damage. On October 26, 2021, a South Korean media outlet published evidence challenging the accusations of Kim's ex-girlfriend, citing sources from close acquaintances of both parties; the report concluded that the decision to abort was mutual, that Kim had been supportive throughout the process, and that the pair had broken up the following year due to questionable circumstances involving the ex-girlfriend. Following the new reports, seven companies resumed advertisements featuring Kim. The production team of the film The Childe also announced their decision to retain Kim as a main cast member.

Philanthropy
On January 27, 2021, Kim's agency confirmed that he donated  (approximately $90,300) to the Korea Childhood Leukemia Foundation (KCLF). His agency stated, "In return for the support and love he received from many people, he donated with the hope that it might be even a bit of help for children and their families who are going through a hard time."

In September 2021, Kim partnered with Marco Rojo for the 'Happy Bean Special Funding Project' raising money for better residential conditions for the elderly. Three days after the opening of the fund on September 3, the fundraising surpassed ₩100 million, exceeding the target amount by 3600%.

In February 2022, it was reported that Kim donated ₩50 million to the KCLF in mid-December the previous year. The donation was initially undisclosed due to Kim's request. His agency stated, "We know it was done personally because he wanted to be of some help." In September 2022, through The Hope Bridge Korea Disaster Relief Association, Kim donated the full amount of his theater fee from play Touching the Void to help the victims of Typhoon Hinnamnor.

In December 2022, Kim held his first offline fan meeting, "2022 Kim Seon-ho Fan Meeting: One, Two, Three, Smile," at Daeyang Hall, Sejong University in Seoul on December 10 and 11. In May 2023, Chairman Shin Hee-young of the Korean Red Cross announced that Kim had donated from his fan meeting's proceeds to support aging out youth. This donation was made on May 8, 2023, coinciding with Kim's birthday and World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day. The funds were allocated based on a voting process among Kim's fans.

In the following year, Kim completed his first 2023 fan meeting, "2023 Kim Seon-ho Asia Tour: One, Two, Three, Smile," engaging with over 40,000 international fans. The tour included stops in Manila in January, Bangkok in February, Hong Kong in April, Tokyo and Taipei in May, Jakarta in June, Kuala Lumpur in August, and Singapore in September. On May 8, 2024, the Korean Red Cross announced that Kim donated from the proceeds from his 2023 Asia tour to help aging out youth. The funds were allocated based on a voting process among Kim's fans, "Seonhohada." The donation aims to support aging out youth in their preparations for self-reliance and the pursuit of new beginnings and dreams. Last year's ₩100 million donation was utilized by the Korean Red Cross to provide essential support to 146 aging out youth, including daily necessities, learning devices, exam fees, medical expenses, and improvements to their living environments. It also included a healing camp program to ensure their mental well-being. This year's donations will be allocated to areas such as economics, emotions, and health, providing practical assistance for their self-reliance preparations.