A boy group member who dropped out of high school is establishing himself as a next-generation “acting idol”.
Recently, the 6-episode OTT drama “Finnish Papa”, which revolves about people who have been hurt by their families and eventually became a “found family” at a cafe called “Finland Papa”, is announced. The series is also expected to show a healing romance between the cafe’s anonymous owner and a girl in her 20s who lost her grandmother, drawing attention.
In “Finnish Papa” (working title), Kim Woo Seok will assume the role of Baek Woo Hyun, the cafe owner, and will form a heartfelt romance with Lee Yoo Ri (Kim Bo Ra), who often visits the cafe.
“Finnish Papa” is scheduled to air within the first half of 2023, and has been widely discussed due to the appearance of Kim Woo Seok and Kim Bo Ra.
On the other hand, Kim Woo Seok first debuted in the music industry in September 2015 as a member of boy group UP10TION. Before debut, he dreamed of becoming a barista, and so to pursue this passion, he dropped out of high school and took the GED.
Afterwards, he started a part-time job of handing out flyers to gain work experience, but thanks to his tall stature and decent visuals, Kim Woo Seok was cast on the street by his current agency, and has since walked the path of an idol.
Previously on the MBC talk show “Radio Star”, Kim Woo Seok discussed his school days, his passion to become a barista, and the moment he decided to join the entertainment industry.
In particular, the idol-actor said, “Being a celebrity wasn’t my dream. I dropped out of high school after dreaming of becoming a barista. I thought I would have to work part-time to gain work experience, but while handing out flyers, I got casted by an agency.”
Then, he confessed, “I received many love calls from JYP and other major agencies. At the time, my parents were extremely worried since I dropped out of high school. My mother told me to audition only once, so I headed to Seoul.”
Kim Woo Seok continued, “I couldn’t dance and sing at all at the JYP audition, so they asked me to see them again in a month. I also auditioned for my current agency, where I passed and debuted with the group UP10TION.”
Regarding the reason why he dreamed of becoming a barista, Kim Woo Seok disclosed, “Honestly, I thought of becoming a barista because I heard that you can make a lot of money by working in the food & beverage industry. My dream was to open a franchise coffee shop at the age of 40.”
Hearing about such aspirations, fans showed their excitement and left comments such as, “If Kim Woo Seok was a barista, I would always go to that cafe”, “How can he think of living quietly as a barista with such a handsome face?”, and “I crave coffee when Kim Woo Seok said he dreamt of becoming a barista in the future.”
After putting aside his dream of being a barista for a while, Kim Woo Seok was active as a member in the boy group UP10TION. Then, in May 2019, he participated in the Mnet survival program “Produce X 101”, where he gained a lot of attention for his outstanding visuals.
In addition, using solid skills accumulated throughout his 4 years as an idol, Kim Woo Seok showed good performances in every performance and received great love from viewers. He eventually ranked 2nd in the finale, and successfully re-debuted as a member of the boy group X1.
X1, which received huge public attention, recorded a first week sales of 524,007 copies for their debut album, setting a new record for Kpop debut albums at the time. The group is also expected to lead the 4th generation of Kpop with their astounding potential.
Unfortunately, due to the “vote manipulation” controversy surrounding the “Produce 101” franchise, X1 ended up disbanding early and halting activities after less than a year.
Since then, Kim Woo Seok has challenged solo activities and received great love from fans. He also appeared in several web dramas and TV dramas, showing impressive acting skills. In particular, he proved his potential as an actor and captivated viewers with immersive acting in the tvN drama “Bulgasal: Immortal Souls”.
Attention is being paid to Kim Woo Seok, who is solidifying his position as a next-generation “acting idol” by simultaneously working as a singer and actor, as well as his upcoming project, “Finnish Papa”.
Source: Daum
