Ahn Hyo-seop Profile: A Trusted Name Who Sees Constantly Rising Popularity (2024 Updated)

Who is Ahn Hyo-seop?

Actor Ahn Hyo-seop, also known as Paul Ahn, is a Canadian actor and singer based in South Korea. He was born on April 17, 1995, in Seoul, South Korea, but moved to Toronto, Canada with his family at the age of 7. 10 years later, Ahn Hyo-seop returned to Korea alone to pursue his passion for the arts.

He is the youngest child in a family of 3 siblings, and is known to have graduated from Kookmin University in the Department of International Business.

Trained to become an Idol with GOT7?

Before becoming an actor, Ahn Hyo-seop was an idol trainee under JYP Entertainment. According to the actor himself, he trained together with boy group GOT7, but ended up not making the debut line-up. 

Regarding the reason he did not debut, Ahn Hyo-seop confessed that his talent was still lacking, at the time, and that there was a significant height difference between him and other members.

Career

• 2015 – 2018: Debut in a band and acting debut

In 2015, Ahn Hyo-seop joined Starhaus Entertainment and debuted with the project band “One O One” on October 1. This band included Ahn Hyo-seop along with other actors under the company such as Kwak Si-yang, Song Won-sẹok, and Kwon Do-kyun. However, shortly after, the band did not have any new activities. Many speculated that the band disbanded since January 2019, although there was no official announcement.

Also in the same year 2015, Ahn Hyo-seop made his first appearance in the MBC drama “Splash Splash Love” and later became a regular member of the music program “Always Cantare.”

In 2016, Ahn Hyo-seop continuously appeared on television screens with three new projects, including “One More Happy Ending,” “Happy Home,” and “Entertainer.” In all three dramas, Ahn Hyo-seop played supporting roles.

• 2017-Present: Lead Roles, breakthroughs, and rise in popularity

In 2017, Ahn Hyo-seop was assigned his first lead role in “Queen of the Ring.” Here, Ahn Hyo-seop and Kim Seul-gi created an adorable couple on screen and impressed the audience. In the same year, Ahn Hyo-seop appeared in “My Father Is Strange” and received the Best New Actor award at the 2nd Asia Artist Awards, proving his rising popularity

In 2018, Ahn Hyo-seop received love from the public by playing the male lead in “Still 17” – a role which brought him the Best New Actor title at the 2018 SBS Drama Awards. He then continued to assume leading roles in “Top Management” and “Abyss”. 

In 2020, Ahn Hyo-seop confirmed his return to television with a role in the 2nd season of hit medical K-drama “Dr. Romantic”. It is no exaggeration to say that this drama elevated Ahn Hyo-seop’s career and name to a new level, and is deemed as the actor’s career breakthrough. 

After “Dr. Romantic”, Ahn Hyo-seob maintained his popularity with “Lovers of the Red Sky”.

In 2022, the actor starred in “Business Proposal”, which gained massive popularity worldwide and capitulated his career to yet a new level. Despite this new-found popularity, Ahn Hyo-seob still returns in the 3rd season of “Dr. Romantic” in 2023, and within the same year, starred in the webseries “A Time Called You”. 

Controversies & Rumors 

In 2023, Ahn Hyo-seop faced dating rumors with his “Dr. Romantic” co-star, Lee Sung-kyung. However, these were mere rumors, and the actor later cleared up allegations about his private life, saying that he has no girlfriends. 

In 2024, however, various alleged screenshots of Ahn Hyo-seop and the notorious trainee Han Seo-hee were spread, sparking rumors of the two being “sex partners”. These speculations have since been proven as groundless, as Han Seo-hee later mentioned that she fabricated the screenshots and was sued by Ahn Hyo-seop’s agency for defamation.