Kim Seon-Ho

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 main role in Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha (2021), which led to him being selected as Gallup Korea's Actor of the Year in 2021.

Kim Seon-ho
Kim in May 2023
Born	(1986-05-08) May 8, 1986 (age 37) Seoul, South Korea
Alma mater	Seoul Institute of the Arts
Occupation	Actor
Years active	2009–present
Agent	S.A.L.T Entertainment
Korean name
Hangul	김선호
Hanja	金宣虎
Revised Romanization	Gim Seon-ho
McCune–Reischauer	Kim Sŏnho
Website	Official Website
Signature

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.

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 Theatrical Art Research Society [ko]. 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 10th season 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. Then, He was then recast for following season 11th and season 12th. 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 Lee Eun-jin [ko] 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.

I realized that he is a really, really good actor. He is humble, has a great sense, quick wit, and is a very talented actor with rich emotions. I can't help but think that he is an excellent actor. It feels like watching me when I was a rookie.
[On Kim Seon-ho's acting sense] They were very subtle things. While Kim Seon-ho is great in his overall acting, there are moments when he delivers bold lines but breaks down his breathing, allowing for detailed and engaging moments. Even if he goes thick with his lines, it can be boring or one-dimensional, but he breaks down the breath and throws it to others. Kim Seon-ho had that quality, and it seems like we had good chemistry as well.

— Jo Jung-suk on Kim Seon-ho's acting in Two Cops (2017), No Cut News Interview

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 S.A.L.T. Entertainment [ko] 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. His portrayal of a start-up investor with a tragic past was well-received by viewers and garnered him a nomination for the Baeksang Arts Award for Best Supporting Actor – Television. 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 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.

In stage acting, we can interact with the audience live, so we know their response right away. I think the audience contributes to the play as well because their laughter, or even the sound of their breathing instigates our next move or spurs us to do something more. That was an ecstatic feeling that I cannot forget.

— Kim Seon-ho on why he chose to comeback to theater, Elle Singapore Interview

Kim collaborated with Epitone Project [ko] 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.

I actively recommend my juniors to try a play. You have to try to perform on stage when you're still immature (unpolished), so you can do better later. If you look at Seon-ho, who chose to act on stage at a time when his value are through the roof, I think his mindset is excellent. I think he knows how it feels because he has been acting on the stage. I think it's good to act in stage a lot when you are still unknown. That way, you will have nothing to be afraid of.

— Jung Woong-in about his feelings about working together with Kim Seon-ho, Digital Chosun

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. The series garnered positive reviews from critiques.

Shin Min-a's leading role as Hye-jin and Kim Seon-ho's performance as Chief Hong is the glue that holds the series together. Their magnetic on-screen chemistry is akin to that of Julia Roberts and Richard Gere in Pretty Woman.

— Matt O'Neill

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.

In May 2022, it was announced that Kim will return to the theater with the third work of The 9th Best Plays Festival, play 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 [ko] and Lee Hwi-jong [ko] for 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. Interpark reported that tickets for Kim's performances in a 250-seat theater were sold out. Later, Kim donated the full amount of his theater fee. Kim received a nomination for Best Actor in a play in the Interpark Golden Ticket Awards for his performance in April 2023.

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 Tyrant had commenced on January 2. The movie is a neo-noir action film directed by Park Hoon-jung, and stars Kim alongside Cha Seung-won and Kim Kang-woo.

In June 2023, Kim made a return to the drama genre with a new series tentatively titled "Mangnaein" (translated literally as "Netizen"), directed by veteran director Kim Jee-woon. It has been reported that the series recently finished its script reading and is scheduled to begin filming at 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.

The film The Childe was released theatrically in South Korea on June 21, 2023, in South Korea, 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.

Kim was back on stage with play Realise Happiness staged at the TOM 2 Theater in Daehak-ro from December 5, 2023, to February 18, 2024. Prior to that on July 4, 2023, S.A.L.T. Entertainment [ko], announced that actor Kim Seon-ho would appear in the play. The cast lineup, unveiled on October 20, 2023, by Content Haap, included Kim Seon-ho, Lee Dong-ha [ko], and Ahn Woo-yeon, who were triple-cast in the roles of Kim Woo-jin, a character aspiring to become a photographer. The cast also featured Kim Seul-gi and Kim Na-young as Lee Eun-soo, along with 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. The play, originally titled "Memory in Dream," was adapted to a Korean setting. Kim as Kim Woo-jin, previously known as Eden in the original version, showcased his box-office appeal as all the tickets for the episodes he appeared in were completely sold out.

Kim Seon-ho kicked off his '2024 Kim Seon-ho Asia Tour Colour+Full' in Bangkok, Thailand on February 3, 2024. He appeared on stage singing his new song "Miracle," which had been prepared as a surprise gift for fans.

On February 19, 2024, The Tyrant starring Kim was unveiled as Disney+ 2024 lineup. A statement from a representative of the series informed the press that The Tyrant was originally created with theater release in mind, but after filming was completed, it was converted as 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.

In the same month Kim Seon-ho and Moon Ga-young officially confirmed their appearances in Daesung's music video. An announcement by R&D Company (D-Label) on February 26, 2024, confirmed that Daesung would release his single 'Falling Slowly' in March. Daesung also shared a teaser image through his official SNS channel on the same day. The release of 'Falling Slowly' was scheduled for 6 pm on March 5 on various online music sites. Notably, the music video was directed by television drama director Hong Jong-chan.

On February 28, 2024, S.A.L.T. Entertainment [ko] announced that Kim Seon-ho is scheduled to appear as a guest in Mukbo Bro [ko] Season 2. Earlier, Kim Seon-ho, Kim Jun-hyun, Moon Se-yoon, and filming crews were seen in Thailand. The season 2 of the show, co-produced by E Channel and SBS Plus, and hosted by Kim Jun-hyun and Moon Se-yoon, will premiere at 8 om on March 25.

Following his rise in popularity in 2020, Kim 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 the end of May 2021, Kim made an appearance in special video of the "2021 P4G Seoul Summit," which was South Korea's first environment multi-lateral summit. In the video, Kim introduces venture company's solar panel support project in Africa. The video was released on Naver TV, KakaoTV and YouTube Channel of Korea Blue House.

 

Starting in fall 2022, Kim actively participated in various offline events for the brands he represents. One of the events was organized by Asiado Co., Ltd., the company behind the Miima Mask brand, at their Gangnam pop-up store. The fan signing event, held on November 12, 2022, expressed gratitude to customers who supported both Kim and the brand. Fans applied through the official online shopping mall in October, and 100 winners were randomly selected.

In April 2023, Kim Seon-ho was selected as the model for the domestic sports brand Ballop, which is a Korean sports brand developed by GTS Global. The brand is currently running a campaign titled 'Always with me,' featuring Kim as its exclusive model.

In May, Kim signed an exclusive contract as a presenter for the Thai Kombucha brand, Teacha. To meet his Thai fans, a special event called "Teacha Exclusive Event with Kim Seon-ho" was organized on May 5, 2023, at True Icon Hall, Floor 7, Hall 1&2, in Icon Siam, Bangkok, Thailand.

In the same year, the Philippine fashion brand Bench unveiled Kim Seon-ho as one of its global ambassadors, adding him to a lineup that includes numerous 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, Philippines. Despite the heat, the event drew over 6,000 local fans, and the clothing Kim wore upon his arrival sold out immediately. The content related to Kim and the brand became top trending topic on real-time social media platforms like SNS X in the Philippines.

In February 2024, reports surfaced that NutriAsia's UFC, a Philippine food brand, is set to release a collection of Korean-inspired meal mixes. Notably, the brand has enlisted Kim Seon-ho as its endorser. Furthermore, Kim has partnered with UFC for his Manila "Color+Full" Asia Tour, which is slated to take place on April 13, 2024, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.

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.

On January 27, 2021, his agency S.A.L.T. Entertainment [ko] confirmed that he donated ₩100 million (approximately $90,300) to the Korea Childhood Leukemia Foundation. 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, he 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 December 2021, he quietly donated ₩50 million to the Korea Leukemia Children's Foundation. The donation was not disclosed, because of Kim's request. His agency also declined to comment and stated, "We know it was done personally because he wanted to be of some help."

In September 2022, Kim donated the full amount of his theater fee from play Touching the Void to help the victims of Typhoon Hinnamnor. Kim made the donation through The Hope Bridge Korea Disaster Relief Association.

On December 10 and 11, 2022, Kim held an offline fan meeting at Daeyang Hall, Sejong University in Seoul. The proceeds of the fan meeting were planned to be donated. Afterwards, Kim posted a message on his personal social media to express his gratitude to the fans. In May 2023, which happened to be Kim's birthday, Chairman Shin Hee-young of The Korean Red Cross announced that Kim had donated ₩100 million from the proceeds of his fan meeting to support young adults. This donation was made on May 8, Kim's birthday, which is also World Red Cross Day. Kim decided to allocate the funds to this cause through a fan vote.

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