Park Bo-gum
South Korean actor (born 1993) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Park Bo-gum (Korean: 박보검; born June 16, 1993) is a South Korean actor, singer, and musician. A prominent Korean Wave figure, Park is the youngest artist to be named Gallup Korea's Television Actor of the Year and the first and only actor to ever top Forbes Korea Power Celebrity list. He is also the recipient of several accolades including two Baeksang Arts Awards. Through his performances and public image, he has been named "Nation's Boyfriend," "Nation's Son-in-Law," and "Nation's Crown Prince" by several Korean media outlets.
Park Bo-gum | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Park in 2018 | |
| Born | June 16, 1993 |
| Alma mater | Myongji University (BA) Sangmyung University (MA) |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 2011–present |
| Agent | The Black Label |
| Works | Full list |
| Musical career | |
| Instruments |
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| Labels | |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul | 박보검 |
| Hanja | 朴寶劍 |
| Revised Romanization | Bak Bogeom |
| McCune–Reischauer | Pak Pogŏm |
| Signature | |
 | |
Park first gained wide recognition for starring in the television series Reply 1988 (2015–16) before coming to international prominence for the series Love in the Moonlight (2016), Encounter (2018–19), Record of Youth (2020), When Life Gives You Tangerines (2025), and the film Seo Bok (2021). In 2020, he released his debut studio album titled Blue Bird in Japan under Pony Canyon. He debuted on stage in 2023 with the musical Let Me Fly.
Early life and education
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Born in Mok-dong, Yangcheon District, Seoul, South Korea on June 16, 1993,[1] Park is the youngest of three siblings. "Bo-gum" (寶劍) means 'precious sword'.[2] His mother died when he was in fourth grade.[3] He started learning to play the piano when he was in kindergarten and was a pianist and choir member at church.[4][5] He was also on the varsity swimming team of Seoul Mokdong Middle School.[6]
During Park's sophomore year of high school he sent a video of himself singing and playing the piano to prominent talent management agencies which led to several offers.[7] Park, who initially wanted to be a singer-songwriter, later changed his career path after a suggestion that he would do well acting.[8][9] He graduated from Shinmok High School in 2012, and enrolled at Myongji University as a Musical Theater undergraduate in March 2014.[10][11] Despite his acting career, he maintained an active collegiate life and represented his university's cultural overseas exchange program in Europe.[12] Park has also directed a one-act play based on Anton Chekov's works,[13] and served as music director in his graduating class's production of Hairspray.[14] He received his baccalaureate in February 2018.[15] He earned a master's degree in New Media Music at the Graduate School of Sangmyung University.[16][17]
Career
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2011–2013: Beginnings
Park debuted as an actor under Sidus HQ, playing a supporting role in the thriller film Blind (2011).[18] He then joined Blossom Entertainment and featured in the action-comedy film Runway Cop (2012), one-off KBS drama special Still Picture (2012) and the period drama Bridal Mask (2012).[19] In 2013, he landed his first major role in the weekend drama Wonderful Mama playing the playboy son of Bae Jong-ok's character.[20]
2014–2015: Rising popularity and breakthrough
In 2014, Park played the teenage version of Lee Seo-jin's character in the melodrama Wonderful Days and played a prodigy cellist in the KBS2'S Naeil's Cantabile, an adaptation of the Japanese manga Nodame Cantabile.[21][22] The roles earned Park Best New Actor nominations in both the KBS Drama Awards and APAN Star Awards.[23][24] He next featured in box-office hits A Hard Day (2014) which also screened at Cannes Film Festival and The Admiral: Roaring Currents (2014) which became the highest grossing Korean film at the time.[25][26]
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In May 2015, Park joined Music Bank as a co-host alongside Red Velvet's Irene. They both gained attention for their chemistry as well as singing and hosting skills.[27] The press called them one of the best partnerships in the show's history, and Park was awarded the Best Newcomer Award at the KBS Entertainment Awards.[28][29]
A departure from his previous roles and public image, Park gained rave reviews from audience and critics with his scene-stealing role in crime drama Hello Monster (2015).[30] The portrayal won him the Popularity and Best Supporting Actor awards at the year-end KBS Drama Awards.[31] The same year, he featured in Coin Locker Girl which screened at Cannes Film Festival.[32] The role earned him a nomination for Best New Actor in Film at the Baeksang Arts Awards and won him a Rising Star Award at the 11th MaxMovie Awards.[33][34]
He then starred as one of the leads in the third installment of the Reply series where he played the genius Go-player Choi Taek in Reply 1988 (2015).[35] The show was a hit with audience ratings peaking at 18.8% making it the highest rated Korean drama in cable television history that year, and earned Park the nickname "Nation's Little Brother".[36] The role catapulted him to fame in Korea and made him known as an emerging Korean Wave star, with the Top Chinese Music Awards presenting him with Best International Artist Award, the American-based DramaFever Awards giving him the Best Rising Star Award and tvN10 awarding him Asia Star Award.[37][38][39][40]
2016–2021: International recognition
In February 2016, Park featured in tvN's travel program Youth Over Flowers: Africa.[41][42] After more than a year as Music Bank host, he left the show in June 2016.[43] In August 2016, he starred in KBS2's historical drama Love in the Moonlight alongside Kim Yoo-jung.[44][45][46] A domestic and overseas hit, Moonlight achieved peak audience rating of 23.3%.[47][48][49] Its popularity was called "Moonlight Syndrome", and solidified Park's status as a versatile leading actor.[50][51][52][53] He received several accolades for the role including a Best Actor nomination and Popularity Award at the 53rd Baeksang Arts Awards, as well as the Top Excellence Award at the 30th KBS Drama Awards.[54] Park also released his first soundtrack for Moonlight's OST entitled "My Person" which topped Melon, Mnet, Bugs, olleh, Soribada, Genie, Naver and Monkey3 charts upon its release and debuted at #3 on Gaon Music Chart.[55][56][57]
He embarked on his first Asia-wide fan meeting tour in the tail-end of 2016, visiting eight cities and meeting more than 30,000 fans in the continent's East and Southeast regions until March 2017.[58][59][60] After a two-year hiatus, he returned in the small screen with romantic-melodrama Encounter (2018) alongside Song Hye-kyo. He plays a freewheeling, ordinary young man who finds joy in the simplest things.[61][62][63][64][65] In 2019, Park released his first Japanese single, "Bloomin".[66]
On March 14, 2020, Park Bo-gum released official MV for the title track "Dear My Friend", from his first Japanese album, Blue Bird. On March 18, 2020, Park released his first Japanese album, Blue Bird,[67] with 11 tracks including the single "Bloomin" from 2019.[68] The same year, he was cast in the youth drama Record of Youth as a model who is shifting to an acting career.[69] On June 16, 2020, Park Bo-gum's agency Blossom Entertainment revealed through Instagram that the actor will be releasing a new song produced by Sam Kim. Park Bo-gum prepared the song "All My Love" as a gift filled with his feelings for his fans. Singer-songwriter Sam Kim wrote the lyrics, composed, and produced "All My Love", and it is a song with a sentimental melody in which actor Park Bo-gum's uniquely sweet voice shines through. Aligning with his debut anniversary, the song was released through music services all over the world on August 10, and the single album was released on August 12 in Korea and Japan simultaneously.[70][71] On August 10, 2020, Park released his new single All My Love to celebrate the 9th anniversary of his debut. His single album for All My Love was released on August 12, 2020.[72] In 2021, Park starred in the science fiction thriller film Seo Bok in the title role, his return to the big screen in six years.[73][74]
2022–present: Continued success
In 2022, Park reunited with the director and cast members of Love in the Moonlight (2016) in the travel entertainment program Young Actors' Retreat, which was released on TVING.[75] He also appeared in JTBC and Disney+'s reality show My Name is Gabriel which saw him living the life of an Irishman for 72 hours.[76] In December 2022, Park ended his contract with Blossom Entertainment after being with the company for a decade.[77] The following month, he signed with new agency The Black Label – an affiliate of YG Entertainment.[78]
In 2023, he debuted on stage with a starring role in the musical Let Me Fly and was nominated at the Korean Musical Awards for Best New Actor.[79][80][81] He hosted the 2024 MAMA Awards in Los Angeles, the first ceremony held outside Asia.[82] On March 2025, Park became the host for the seventh season of KBS' late-night music talk show The Seasons: Park Bo-gum's Cantabile.[83]
Park starred in the Netflix television series When Life Gives You Tangerines (2025) written by Lim Sang-choon and directed by Kim Won-seok. The series topped the platform's Non-English shows for several weeks,[84][85] and his performance garnered widespread praise by audience and critics.[86][87][88] His portrayal of Gwan-sik was widely popular leading to media outlets calling it "Gwan-sickness".[89][90][91] It also started a viral challenge on social media called "My Own Gwan-sik" where fans post about their partners, husbands, and fathers behaving like his character.[92][93] He will next star in JTBC's action-drama Good Boy (2025).[94][95]
Public image and impact
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![Thumb](#/media/File:Park_Bo-gum_@_"When_Life_Gives_You_Tangerines"_press-con,_5_March_2025_03.png)
A top star in Korea and a prominent hallyu star internationally,[96][97][98][99] Park is "widely beloved for his wholesome and upright image" per Yonhap News.[87] His "soft looks and easy smile made him popular, but it is his expressive performances and acting talent that have made him a star" according to South China Morning Post.[100] In 2016, at the age of 23, Park became the youngest artist to be named Gallup Korea's Television Actor of the Year.[101][102] In 2017, he topped Forbes magazine's Korea Power Celebrity list, making him the first and only actor to do so.[103][104]
Through his performances and public image, he has been nicknamed "Nation's Little Brother,"[105] "Nation's Boyfriend,"[106][107] "Nation's Son-In-Law,"[108][109] "Nation's Crown Prince,"[110] and "Nation's Husband"[111] by several Korean media outlets.
Park is an endorser and ambassador for a wide range of brands inside and outside South Korea.[112][113] The "Park Bo-gum Effect", coined by the Korean Business Research Institute, refers to his consistent high brand reputation ranking indicating his effectiveness as an endorser across different demographics.[114] He was voted by marketing executives as Top Celebrity Endorser of 2017.[115] Park was torchbearer of the 2018 Winter Olympics as "Korea's Representative Actor" and endorser of Coca-Cola.[116][117] In 2022, after his discharge from mandatory military service, Park became the first ever actor to be the global ambassador of the French luxury brand Celine.[118][119]
Park has been recognized by his home country with several state honors including a Prime Minister's Commendation by the Financial Services Commission in 2022 for "actively participating in orphanage volunteer work, coal briquette volunteer work, and comfort women support events, working to expand his positive influence as a public figure".[120] In 2025, he was appointed by Korea's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism as the first male "Hallyu Cultural Artist" to promote the country's traditional costume and hanbok-themed content globally.[121][122]
Personal life
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In 2020, it was revealed that Park had been privately volunteering at Myeongjin Flower Love Village’s orphanage since 2013 after the institution thanked and wished him well on his military enlistment through their social media account.[123]
On August 31, 2020, Park enlisted as an active soldier serving the Military Band and Honor Guard Cultural Promotion Corps of the Republic of Korea Navy as part of his compulsory military service. He was promoted to a sergeant in November 2021. Park was originally scheduled to be discharged on April 30, 2022,[124] but was released early on February 21, 2022 after using up his remaining personal and pre-discharge leave in accordance with the Ministry of Defense COVID-19 guidelines.[125][126][127] During his military service, Park obtained a barber's license.[128][129]
Filmography
Park has acted in several productions including the television series Naeil's Cantabile (2014), Hello Monster (2015), Reply 1988 (2015–16), Love in the Moonlight (2016), Encounter (2018–19), Record of Youth (2020), When Life Gives You Tangerines (2025), the upcoming Good Boy (2025), and the films Coin Locker Girl (2015), Seo Bok (2021), and Wonderland (2024).
Discography
Studio albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Sales |
|---|---|---|---|
| JPN [130] | |||
| Blue Bird |
|
8 |
|
Singles
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Sales | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KOR [132] |
JPN [133] | ||||
| Singles | |||||
| "My Person" (내 사람) | 2016 | 3 | — |
|
Love in the Moonlight OST |
| "Bloomin" | 2019 | — | 3 |
|
Blue Bird |
| "Dear My Friend" | 2020 | — | — | ||
| "All My Love" | —[a] | 11 | Non-album single | ||
| Promotional singles | |||||
| "Let's Go See The Stars" (별 보러 가자)[139] | 2018 | —[b] | — | Eider 18 F/W CF | |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that region. | |||||
Accolades
| Award ceremony | Year | Category | Nominee / Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| APAN Star Awards | 2015 | Best New Actor | Naeil's Cantabile, Hello Monster | Nominated | |
| 2016 | Reply 1988 | Won | [141] | ||
| 2021 | Excellence Award, Actor in a Miniseries | Record of Youth | Nominated | [142] | |
| Popular Star Award, Actor | Nominated | [143] | |||
| Asia Artist Awards | 2016 | Popularity Award, Actor | Park Bo-gum | Nominated | |
| Asia Star Award, Actor | Won | [144] | |||
| Best Star Award, Actor | Reply 1988, Love in the Moonlight | Won | [145] | ||
| 2017 | Popularity Award, Actor | Park Bo-gum | Nominated | ||
| Baeksang Arts Awards | 2016 | Best New Actor – Film | Coin Locker Girl | Nominated | [146] |
| InStyle Fashion Award | Park Bo-gum | Won | [147] | ||
| 2017 | Best Actor – Television | Love in the Moonlight | Nominated | [148] | |
| Most Popular Actor – Television | Won | [149] | |||
| 2025 | Best Actor – Television | When Life Gives You Tangerines | Nominated | [150] | |
| DramaFever Awards | 2016 | Best Rising Star | Reply 1988 | Won | [151] |
| Best Kiss | Park Bo-gum (with Lee Hye-ri) Reply 1988 |
Won | |||
| Fashionista Awards | 2016 | Best Dresser of the Year | Park Bo-gum | Won | [152] |
| 2017 | Best Fashionista (Red Carpet Category) | Won | [153] | ||
| Golden Cinematography Awards | 2021 | Best New Actor | Seo Bok | Won | [154][unreliable source?] |
| InStyle Icons: Next Generation | 2016 | New Generation Actor Award | Park Bo-gum | Won | [155] |
| KBS Drama Awards | 2014 | Best New Actor | Naeil's Cantabile, Wonderful Days | Nominated | |
| 2015 | Best Supporting Actor | Hello Monster | Won | [156] | |
| Popularity Award, Actor | Won | ||||
| 2016 | Grand Prize | Love in the Moonlight | Nominated | [157][158][159] | |
| Top Excellence, Actor | Won | ||||
| Excellence Award, Actor in a Mid-length Drama | Nominated | ||||
| Netizen Award | Won | ||||
| Best Couple | Park Bo-gum (with Kim Yoo-jung) Love in the Moonlight |
Won | |||
| KBS Entertainment Awards | 2015 | Best Newcomer Award | Music Bank | Won | [160] |
| Korea Assembly Grand Award | 2017 | Acting Award | Park Bo-gum | Won | [161] |
| Korea Brand Awards | 2017 | Special Award | Won | [162] | |
| Korea Drama Awards | 2016 | Excellence Award, Actor | Reply 1988 | Nominated | |
| 2017 | Top Excellence Award, Actor | Love in the Moonlight | Nominated | [163] | |
| Korea Musical Awards | 2024 | New Actor Award | Let Me Fly | Nominated | [79] |
| Max Movie Awards | 2016 | Rising Star Award | Coin Locker Girl | Won | [164] |
| Melodi Awards | Most Influential Korean Drama Personality | Park Bo-gum | Won | [165] | |
| OSEN Awards | Star of the Year | Won | [166] | ||
| SBS Cult Two Show Awards | Most Mentioned | Won | [167] | ||
| Seoul International Drama Awards | 2017 | Outstanding Korean Actor | Love in the Moonlight | Won | [168] |
| Soompi Awards | 2019 | Best Couple Award | Park Bo-gum (with Song Hye-kyo) Encounter |
Nominated | |
| Style Icon Asia | 2016 | Style Icon | Park Bo-gum | Won | [169] |
| Top Chinese Music Awards | Best International Artist | Won | [170] | ||
| tvN10 Awards | Made in tvN Actor, Drama | Reply 1988 | Nominated | [171] | |
| Best Kiss | Park Bo-gum (with Lee Hye-ri) Reply 1988 |
Nominated | |||
| Asia Star Award | Reply 1988 | Won | |||
| Yahoo! Asia Buzz Awards | Asia Popular Artist Award | Park Bo-gum | Nominated | [172] |
State honors
| Country | Organization | Year | Award | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Korea | Financial Services Commission[c] | 2022 | Prime Minister's Commendation | [174] |
| Korea Tourism Organization | 2017 | Special Achievement Award | [175] | |
| Korean Popular Culture and Arts Awards[d] | 2017 | Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Commendation | [179] |
Listicles
| Publisher | Year | Listicle | Placement | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cine21 | 2024 | "Korean Film NEXT 50" – Actors | Placed | [180] |
| Forbes | 2017 | Korea Power Celebrity 40 | 1st | [181] |
| 2018 | 8th | [182] | ||
| 2019 | 18th | [183] | ||
| 2020 | 37th | [184] | ||
| 2022 | 40th | [185] | ||
| Gallup Korea | 2019 | Koreans' Favorite Talent | 3rd | [186] |
| 2016 | Gallup Korea's Actor of the Year | 1st | [187] | |
| 2017 | 4th | [188] | ||
| 2018 | 4th | [189] | ||
| 2019 | 4th | [190] | ||
| 2020 | 2nd | [191] |
Notes
- "All My Love" did not enter the Circle Digital Chart, but the physical version of the single peaked at number 11 on the Circle Album Chart.[136]
- "Let's Go See The Stars" did not enter the Circle Digital Chart, but it peaked at number 85 on the component Download Chart.[140]
- Honors are given at the Financial Day ceremony.[173]
- Honors are given at the Korean Popular Culture and Arts Awards, arranged by the Korea Creative Content Agency and hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.[176][177] They are awarded to those who have contributed to the arts and South Korea's pop culture.[178]
References
External links
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