IU: IU, the princess of K-pop, has a well-decorated acting career. She debuted as an idol in 2008. Through the drama Dream High, she came out as an actress in 2011. She had a supporting role in this drama. After that, there were ups and downs in her career, but she never stopped. Her acting breakthrough was the drama Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo. IU was the main lead of this drama. In the following years, she proved herself as a seasoned actress through several acting projects, such as My Mister, which she did with Lee Sun Kyun, and the recently aired drama When Life Gives You Tangerines.
She won the Baeksang Arts Award for Most Popular Actress in 2023 and 2019.
Do Kyungsoo: Do Kyungsoo, aka D.O., is the main vocalist of K-pop powerhouse EXO. Apart from being an idol, D.O. has an equally established acting career. He debuted as an EXO member in 2012 and made his acting debut in 2014. The movie Cart was his debut project. D.O. has expressed his equal love for acting and singing many times. While many idol-actors focus more on dramas, D.O. prioritizes movies over dramas. He has been a part of a bunch of movies like Pure Love, My Annoying Brother, Room No. 7, Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds, The Moon, and Secret. He showcased an excellent performance in the movie Swing Kids, which brought him the Baeksang Arts Award for Most Popular Actor in 2019. He also grabbed the Best Actor award for the drama 100 Days My Prince. D.O. is now working on his next acting project, the drama Manipulated City with Ji Chang Wook.
Kim Se Jeong: Kim Se Jeong debuted as an idol in 2016, first as a member of girl groups I.O.I and Gugudan. However, her idol career didn’t last long, as I.O.I disbanded in 2017 and Gugudan in 2020. Kim Se Jeong found success in acting instead of singing. Her first acting project was School 2017. Her breakthrough drama was Business Proposal in 2022. She was the main lead of the drama. As of today, her acting career is going stronger than ever.
Park Jin-young: Park Jin-young, known as Jinyoung, is a member of the boy group GOT7. He debuted as an actor with the drama Dream High 2 in 2012. Ever since, he has done many acting projects in both dramas and films, such as Yumi’s Cells, The Devil Judge, and recently acted in the film Christmas Carol. Jinyoung won the Baeksang Arts Award in the Best New Actor category for Christmas Carol.
Im Yoon-ah: Im Yoon-ah, aka Yoona, debuted as a member of the K-pop group Girls’ Generation in 2007. She started her acting career the same year in You Are My Destiny, her debut lead acting project. Through the years, she has done numerous acting projects such as Confidential Assignment, Exit, Big Mouth, The K2, and King the Land, which was a recent hit drama from her career. She won several major acting awards for her performances.
Cha Eun-woo: Cha Eun-woo debuted as a member of the K-pop boy group ASTRO in 2016. Surprisingly, Eun-woo started his acting career before that. His first acting project was the film My Brilliant Life in 2014. He did many dramas throughout the years, but the drama My ID is GANGNAM Beauty caught people’s attention. True Beauty is another hit drama from his career. Many criticize his acting ability, but he continues to prove them wrong by grabbing major roles and showcasing his talent. As of today, his acting career is going stronger than his singing.
Yook Sung-jae: Yook Sung-jae, also known as Sungjae, is a member of BTOB. In 2016, he acted in the drama Goblin: The Lonely and Great God. He played the role of Yoo Deok Hwa and received a lot of love from all over the world. Sungjae’s acting debut was with the K-drama MONSTAR in 2013. He has done many dramas and movies since then. His drama Haunted Palace is currently airing.
Lee Jun-ho: Lee Jun-ho debuted as an idol in 2008 as a member of the boy group 2PM. He debuted as an actor in 2013. Since then, he has acted in many projects such as Good Manager, Confession, The Red Sleeve, Rain and Shine, King the Land, etc.
There are idols who take acting passionately—EXO leader Suho, 2PM’s Ok Taec-yeon, Bae Suzy, Lee Hye-ri, BLACKPINK’s Jisoo, and many more to be named.
