At the age of 32, Park Seo-joon can be listed as one of the most accomplished South Korean actors to grace our television and movie screens.
Born Park Yong-kyu on December 16, 1988, in Seoul, South Korea, he began his career in 2011 by appearing in the music video of Bang Yong-guk's single 'I Remember.' He later appeared in other television dramas such as 'Dream High 2' and 'Pots of Gold' and hosted the popular music show 'Music Bank' from 2013 until 2015.
He gained popularity in 2015 with the drama 'She Was Pretty' alongside Super Junior member Siwon Choi. The same year he was featured in his first thriller film, 'The Chronicles of Evil.'
From then on, Park Seo-joon's rise to stardom continued to go upward as many fans continued to swoon over the handsome actor. From 'Fight for My Way' to 'What's Wrong with Secretary Kim,' many of his projects became major hits not only in Korea but also abroad.
But what is it that makes this Korean oppa appeal to many?
Many fans say that it comes from his many different layers -- from his versatility as an actor to his approachable personality seen on his YouTube vlogs.
It's also worth taking note that Park Seo-joon looks immaculate in all of his clothing, all thanks to his 6'1” frame that he can rock anything from sweatshirts and even a bowler cut (have you seen 'Itaewon Class' yet?).
While we can go on and on about what makes Park Seo-joon the “ultimate oppa,” getting to where he is now is undeniably a long journey for the actor. Let's take a look at how he evolved from a baby to his 32-year-old self in this gallery.
Park Seo-joon was born Park Yong-kyu on December 16, 1988.
Baby Seo-joon had already nailed his killer smile way before he made his debut on screen.
If Park Seo-joon were ever part of our class, we would've listed him as a class cutie in a heartbeat.
In one of his interviews, Park Seo-joon said he was timid during his youth to the point that he can't even bring himself to order food at a restaurant.
To get out of his comfort zone, Park Seo-joon began joining acting classes in high school. In an interview with T Singapore, he revealed he's thought of little else apart from improving his craft. He believed it was too late for him to go for his dreams but still pursued theater in university.
By the time he hit his 20s, Park Seo-joon immediately enlisted to finish two years of South Korea's mandatory military service. This little “sacrifice” to his career proved to be beneficial for Park Seo-joon (and us) because we won't be seeing him leave the limelight any time soon!
In 2011, Seo-joon made his official debut in the world by appearing in Bang Yong-guk's music video “I Remember.” Even though this is his first gig, one could immediately see his potential as an actor at first glance!
Great actors all had to start somewhere, and Park Seo-joon is no exception. In 2012, Park Seo-joon starred in 'Dream High 2' alongside idols like GOT7's JB and Jinyoung, and SISTAR's Hyolyn.
Following his small roles, he also acted in different dramas, including 'One Warm World', where he was nominated as “Best New Actor” at the 50th Baeksang Awards. He also scooped up more awards in the following years for his acting gigs in 'Kill Me, Heal Me' and 'She Was Pretty.'
In 2016, Park Seo-joon starred in the historical drama 'Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth' alongside Go A-ra, Park Hyung-sik, and Kim Taehyung. The actors were able to form a close bond together that even up to this day, Seo-joon, Hyung-sik, and V remain good friends.
The year 2017 was a great turning point for Park Seo-joon as he starred in the youth romance drama series 'Fight for My Way' alongside Kim Ji-won. The series was a major hit in Korea and still loved up to this day.
Another big accolade for Park Seo-joon is his first big-screen leading role in 'Midnight Runners' in 2017, where he won the Best New Actor Award in the Grand Bell Awards and the Korean Association of Film Critics Awards.
The following year, he was dubbed as the “master of the romantic comedy” by the Korean Press after appearing in the romantic comedy-drama series 'What's Wrong with Secretary Kim.'
Park Seo-joon celebrated his 30s by appearing in pivotal roles in different South Korean films like 'The Divine Fury' and 'Parasite.' Also, can we mention abs?
Early this year, Park Seo-joon graced us with the character Park Sae-royi in the JTBC series 'Itaewon Class.' The drama was such a success and was praised for its interesting story development and colorful performances.
In the coming year, Park Seo-joon is slated to appear in the movie 'Dream' alongside singer-actress IU.
As the years go by, Park Seo-joon only continues to become more handsome and talented. We wonder, what else could be up to his sleeve in the coming years ahead?
In October 2020, Park Seo-joon joined Hyun Bin and Son Ye-jin as endorsers of Smart Communications Inc.
In his commercial, Park Seo-joon is seen comforting a girl as he moves on from a recent breakup and speaks in Tagalog, "K lang 'yan."
On May 15, 2021, Park Seo-joon held an online fan meeting titled "Park Seo-joon, Comma" to mark his 10th debut anniversary.
In an interview with W Korea, Park Seo-joon shared, "Already 10 years? Seeing that I'm still doing it, I figure that I'm doing well. When I was in my twenties, I was just happy to be able to work. Now, I think that I have to expand a bit more from there. I began thinking that being good at just one field of work is not the end."
On September 3, Awesome ENT confirmed that Park Seo-joon would be part of a new Marvel Studios film.
With his new project, Park Seo-joon will be the third Korean actor to star in a Marvel film following Claudia Kim who appeared in 'Avengers: Age of Ultron' and Ma Dong-Seok who is set to star on 'Eternals.'
Park Seo-joon's having a good golf day.
He was on the cover of Marie Claire Korea's 2021 issue.
Park Seo-joon got infected with COVID-19 in February 2022 despite being fully vaccinated. Though he reportedly didn't experience severe symptoms, his fans worried about him and wished him good health on his social media.
Imagine going on a bike ride with Park Seo-joon.
Just like a rainbow, Park Seo-joon has many different shades and traits in his personality.