Rising stars are breaking in the industry with overwhelming success and popularity.
Lee Junho
“The Red Sleeve” was not expected to become a huge hit with a premiere rating of 5.7%, which is on a further decline after episode 2. Nonetheless, with extremely captivating and an emotional plot as well spotless acting performances coming from the lead actors, Lee Jun Ho included, the series turned the situation around and gradually built up its audience pool. The series ended on a satisfying figure of 17.4% viewership.
As the emperor-in-the-making Yi San from “The Red Sleeve”, Lee Jun Ho received the honorable “Best Actor” Award in the 2022 Baeksang Arts Award. Following his soaring fame, his media coverage and brand deals are off the roof. The actor revealed that after the series wrapped up, he had hundreds of acting offers to choose from.
His current success is definitely worth his effort and performance on screen. It is the choice of script and further acting development that the actor needs to carry on with in the future.
Ahn Hyo Seop
Making his debut in 2015, after 7 years of working, Ahn Hyo Seop has his career turning point with television rom-com “Business Proposal”. Previously, the 1995-born actor is often known for his hard-working characters who rise from the occasion. In ”Business Proposal”, he transformed into an arrogant “chaebol” son with a soft side. His seamless execution of the role and the comedic nature of ”Business Proposal” helped to boost his fame into a more desirable position.
After succeeding becoming prince charming in the hearts of his fans, Ahn Hyo Seop is preparing for a role in the web series “A Time Called You”, a time travel romance drama adapted from the sensational Tawainese show “Someday Or One Day”. He is paired with Jeon Yeo Bin in the series.
His career shows that Ahn Hyo Seop never limits himself in a box and always takes on new challenges with new and exciting roles.
Son Seok Gu
Few audiences believed that the Netflix series “My Liberation Notes” would catch attention, let alone a male actor in a sibling-centered story to garner the most attention. Yet, Son Seok Gu did the impossible. He appears in the love line with Yeom Mi Jung (played by Kim Ji Won) and performs the role complexly and captivatingly, making his character more attractive than ever. He even made the love line more appealing to the audience.
Son Seok Gu is among the “late bloomers” of the Korean film industry. It took the actor 8 years to lead a famous series, despite his previous works being invested with high quality plots and his acting performance top-tiered. After “My Liberation Notes”, Son Seok Gu’s schedule is more dense than ever with his three upcoming series, “Casino”, “D.P.” season 2 and “Murder Dieary”.
Nam Joo Hyuk
Prior to 2022, Nam Joo Hyuk received more mixed reactions than positive reviews for his acting. This makes his success as Baek Yi Jin in “Twenty Five, Twenty One” more prominent and resounding than ever.
As a talented highschooler who goes through a family financial crisis, Baek Yi Jin rises from the rock bottom to provide for himself, build his career and pursue his own passion. Such a role turns out to be a perfect fit for him. He suits the role perfectly, enlivening a loveable and charming character, from his lifestyle to expression of love and choice of letting go. Nam Joo Hyuk becomes the legendary “first love” for many drama enthusiasts.
Sadly, quickly after the success of ”Twenty Five, Twenty One”, Nam Joo Hyuk found himself circled by negative rumors. While the actor and his agency have already voiced up to prove his innocence, there is still no final result. The situation is more worrying when the time for Nam Joo Hyuk’s enlistment is around the corners.
Kang Tae Oh
The newest face in the most outstanding male K-drama stars of 2022 is Kang Tae Oh, the affectionate legal team employee in “Extraordinary Attorney Woo”. After many years of idleness in the up-and-running industry, Kang Tae Oh is finally known for his excellent performance as Lee Jun Ho, a warm and caring and gentle character in a successful drama, increasing his media coverage by a huge amount. Unfortunately, while he has just got the taste of success, Kang Tae Oh announces he will be joining the military after the series wraps up. After the ensuing two-year absence, hopefully Kang Tae Oh’s career can still prospect.
It seems 2022 is welcoming the successes of various male actors, making K-drama scene more vibrant and refreshing than ever. Hopefully these actors can further make use of their resources and current successes to make more leaps in the coming times.
