Biography of Kim Seon-ho

Kim Seon-ho is a South Korean actor, model, and stage performer born on 8 May 1986. He began his acting career by acting in plays and later made his miniscreen debut in 2017. He has received numerous prestigious awards for his excellent acting in versatile roles. His famous dramas are ‘100 Days My Prince’ (2018), ‘Welcome to Waikiki 2’ (2019), ‘Start-Up‘ (2020), and ‘Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha‘ (2021).

Early Life and Education

Kim Seon-ho was born in a place called Bongcheon-dong near Seoul. He is a single child to his parents. He became introverted after witnessing a robber stabbing his mother in the back while robbing his house. He escaped from the robber by hiding under the bed out of fear.

It was acting, which helped him come out of his fear. He joined an acting academy while he was in high school, and after high school he enrolled in Seoul Institute of the Arts. He graduated from the Department of Broadcasting and Entertainment. During his days at the Seoul Institute of the Arts, Seon-ho joined the Theatrical Art Research Society, the campus theater club, and acted in various plays, including ‘My Town’, ‘Chunpung’s Wife’, and ‘The Seagull’.

Career

2009 – 2016

Kim Seon-ho made his theatrical debut in 2009 in the Korean adaptation of the French drama ‘New Boeing Boeing’. Later in 2013, he reprised his role in the drama.

In 2012, he played the role of Dr. Watson in the drama ‘Sherlock Holmes’.

With the experience gained from the college theater club, Seon-ho auditioned for a play in 2013. He got a chance to play the lead role in the drama ‘Words I Couldn’t Say for 7 Years’. In 2014, he resumed his role at the Figaro Art Hall. In the same year, he appeared in a triple-cast role in ‘Rooftop House Cat’, a play by Aligator Theater Company. Later, he was seen as the lead character in ‘Purpose of Love’ by the same theater company.

He showcased his versatility by performing negative roles as well. In 2015, he played an important role in the Korean restoration of the popular drama ‘True West’ written by the American playwright Sam Shepard. The play was theatrically performed from 13 August to 1 November and was a success. Later, he appeared as Valentin in the Korean adaptation of the play ‘Kiss of the Spider Woman’ written by the Argentine writer Manuel Puig.

His flexibility in handling different roles gained him the title ‘theater idol’.

In 2016, he participated in various auditions. Seon-ho appeared in the play ‘Almost Maine’ and later reprised as Austin in the play ‘True West Return’ by Sam Shepard. Afterwards, he joined the cast of ‘Closer’, the play directed by Roh Deok. In November, he appeared in ‘Voice of Millenium’, the play produced by the theater company Space to Create.

2017-2019

Kim Seon-ho made his mini-screen debut in 2017 in the drama ‘Good Manager’ streamed by KBS2. He got the opportunity at the recommendation of Lee Eun-jin (producer) after watching his performance in the drama ‘Closer’. The same year, he appeared in his second drama, ‘Strongest Deliveryman,’ as Oh Jin-kyu. The role marked his first main role in the miniscreen as a supporting actor. Later, he starred alongside Jo Jung-suk and Lee Hye-ri in the MBC drama ‘Two Cops’.

In 2018, he starred in the four-episode drama ‘You Drive Me Crazy’ directed by Hyun Sol-ip. He starred along with Lee Yoo-young and Kim Sung-joo in the role of a painter.

He appeared in his first historical drama ‘100 Days My Prince’ alongside Doh Kyung-soo, Nam Ji-hyun, Jo Sung-ha, Han So-hee, and Kim Jae-young. In the show, Seon-ho appeared as Jung Jae-yoon, an illegitimate son of a concubine. Also, in 2018, his contract with the Aligator Theater Company expired, and he joined S.A.L.T. Entertainment.

At the beginning of 2019, he appeared in the JTBC drama ‘Welcome to Waikiki 2’ as Cha Woo-sik, who wishes to become an aspiring musician. He played the lead role along with Shin Hyun-soo, Ahn So-hee, Kim Ye-won, Moon Ga-young, and Lee Yi-kyung. In October, he starred in ‘Catch the Ghost’, a crime thriller drama streamed by tvN. He appeared opposite Moon Geun-young as Go Ji-seok, a famous police officer. In November 2019, he participated in the fourth season of the reality show ‘2 Days & 1 Night’ streamed by KBS2.

He wrapped up his 2019 by performing in the play ‘Memory in dream’. The show was a success, and it was seen by 4,700 audiences. Seon-ho appeared in 33 shows, and his presence in the drama made the tickets sell in five minutes.

2020-2022

In 2020, he played the role of Han Ji-pyeong, an investor in a start-up company with a bitter past, in the drama ‘Start-up‘ streamed by tvN. It was during the streaming of the drama that his fame as an actor grew significantly, gaining him more global recognition. His popularity made him the top artist in the monthly brand reputation in the survey by the Korean Business Research Institute.

In 2021, Seon-ho appeared in the play ‘Ice’. It was a two-hander (having only two main characters) play written and directed by Jang Jin. Due to Seon-ho’s popularity as a theater artist, the tickets for the play were sold immediately after the ticket window opened. The performance of the play occurred at the S Theater in the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts.

In 2021 Seon-ho prepared a surprise for his fans. He released his single video song ‘Reason’ by collaborating with Epitone Project. In addition to singing the song, he joined in writing the lyrics, expressing his sincere gratitude to the fans. The song was released on 8 May 2021. Soon after the release of the single on 16 May, Seon-ho appeared as Detective Lee Jong-ryeol in the play ‘Ice’ in the ‘2021 Play Ten Thousand Won Series’ that happened at the Seongnam Arts Center.

He played his breakthrough role in the miniscreen in the drama ‘Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha‘. In the show, he appeared opposite Shin Min-a as Hong Du-sik, an unemployed young man who is always available for help.

The drama was available on tvN and Netflix. It became the highest-rated South Korean K-drama in the history of Korean cable television. The successful streaming of the drama lifted the popularity of Seon-ho, and once again he topped the brand reputation ranking index of the Korean Business Research Institute.

Additionally, according to the rating chart of the Good Data Corporation, Seon-ho lead the rankings in TV Topicality from the third week of August to the second week of October (but in the 5th week of September, he was ranked second).

In December of the same year, he topped the Television Actor of the Year by Gallup Korea. Also, that month occurred the first script reading of his debut film ‘The Childe’, directed by Park Hoon-jung. Later the same month, Gallup Korea’s Television Actor of the Year listed him in the first place after its year-end survey. On 3 December 2021, occurred the script reading of his debut film ‘The Childe’ and on 31 March 2022, he travelled to Thailand for shooting. Later, the movie was released on 21 June 2023.

2023

In January 2023 came the announcement about the filming news of the neo-noir movie ‘Tyrant’. In the film, Seon-ho teamed with Park Hoon-jung (director), Kim Kang-woo, and Cha Seung-won.

In June came the news of the new K-drama that Seon-ho will be appearing soon. The drama is tentatively titled ‘Mangnaein’ (literal translation: ‘In the Net), where Seon-ho will be appearing as N, a mysterious man. The drama is adapted from the crime thriller novel ‘Second Sister’ and it will be produced by Yong Film, SK Global Entertainment, and Anthology Studio.

On 4 July 2023, S.A.L.T. Entertainment announced Seon-ho’s return to the theater in the production named Realise Happiness. Afterwards, in October, Content Haap announced his triple-cast role with Lee Dong-ha and Ahn Woo-yeon as an aspiring photographer. He performed in the drama ‘Memory in dream’ from 5 December 2023 to 18 February 2024 alongside the cast members Kim Seul-gi, Kim Na-young, Im Chul-soo, Lee Si-hyun, and Choi Jeong-heon.

2024

On 19 February 2024 came the announcement regarding the release of the four-episode drama ‘The Tyrant’. Also, the authority disclosed that the drama was initially decided to be presented as a play. However, later it was confirmed to be aired as a drama to signify the artistic talent of the director Park Hoon-jung.

On 5 March 2024, Seon-ho released his single ‘Falling Slowly’ directed by Hong Jong-chan.

Seon-ho appeared in the reality show Mukbro Bro season 2, produced in collaboration with the E channel and SBS Plus, which started streaming on 25 March.

He made a surprise visit on 8 April 2024 during the Japanese premiere of ‘The Childe’.

He performed his original pop song ‘Miracle’ in Bangkok, Thailand, Osaka, Tokyo, and Manila during his ‘2024 Kim Seon-ho Asia Tour Color+Full’ tour. The lyrics of the song were written by him and Kim Ji-hyang, which express his gratitude to the fans.

Seon-ho was seen in “When Life Gives You Tangerines” as Park Cheong-seob alongside IU and Park Bo-gum.

Seon-ho confirmed his role in the upcoming K-drama ‘Can This Love Be Translated’ directed by Yoo Young-eun. The script for the show is written by the famous Hong sisters and is expected to stream on Netflix in 2025. In the drama, Seon-ho will appear opposite Go Youn-jung.

Achievements

Kim Seon-ho is a prominent actor and model in South Korea. He has collaborated with numerous prestigious brands and has participated in their campaigns. The sales raised due to his collaboration with the brands were termed ‘The Kim Seon-ho Effect’.

He was seen in the special video of South Korea’s first environmental multilateral summit that occurred in May 2021. Miima Mask Brand’s company organised a fan signing of Seon-ho to express their gratitude towards their fans in 2022. He became the exclusive model for Ballop, the South Korean sports brand, in April 2023, and in May he became the official presenter for Teacha (the Thai kombucha brand).

In July, he signed the global ambassadorship contract for Bench (a Philippine fashion brand) during the time of the brand’s 35th anniversary. He collaborated with the food brand UFC in the beginning of 2024.

Afterwards, in May 2024, he became the brand ambassador for the skincare Thai brand Dr. Pong. Also, he became the ambassador for the Mr. Muscle campaign and its related brand, Duck.

Military Life

In 2007, Kim Seon-ho enlisted for his mandatory military service before making his acting debut. In the military, he handled the role of an assistant instructor at the Nonsan Army Training Center but later changed to the job of a public service worker. His service in the military helped him widen his view of the world.

Personal Life

Seon-ho actively engages in charitable activities.

An unforeseen damage happened to his career due to an unpleasing revelation of his ex-girlfriend on 17 October 2021. According to her claim, he forced her for an abortion while they were in a relationship. It caused many companies to pause the projects with which he collaborated.

Seon-ho made an open apology regarding the girl’s claim on 20 October 2021, and on the same day, his ex-girlfriend released a new statement conveying her regret for causing unexpected damage to his career. Also, she added Seon-ho has apologised to her personally.

However, on 26 October 2021, a media outlet in South Korea came up with evidence showing the decision about abortion was mutual.

Net Worth and Lifestyle

In an interview, Kim Seon-ho shared his experience of earning less and living with that money when he started his acting career. His parents were a great support to him and gave him the courage to pursue his dreams.

However, according to the estimation of recent records, Kim Seon-ho lives a comfortable life. The majority of his income is generated from acting, modelling, and collaborating with various brands. His net worth ranges between 1 million USD and 5 million USD.

Awards

Interesting Facts about Kim Seon-ho

1. Taurus is the zodiac sign of Kim Seon-ho.
2. He is a fanboy of Iron Man.
3. Kim Seon-ho is a single child to his parents.
4. Tteokbokki is his comfort food.
5. He rode an aeroplane at the age of 32.
6. Before making his drama debut, Kim Seon-ho was actively engaged in theatrical performances since 2009.
7. Kim Seon-ho likes drawing. He has attended classes for oil painting. He says he would have become a painter if he had not chosen acting as his career.
8. Kim Seon-ho joined the theater group during his college days.
9. Initially, Kim Seon-ho was cast in for a supporting role in the drama ‘Two Cops’, but after re-watching his audition, director Oh Hyun-jong gave him the second lead role.
10. Kim Seon-ho’s performance as the character Han Ji-pyeong in the drama ‘Start-Up‘ was recognised by Beautiful Foundation, and they sent him a letter of appreciation and a gift. Also, he received the award in the category of the best aging-out youth character for his role.
11. In an interview, Kim Seon-ho disclosed his liking for acting in theater. He said the interaction with the audience and their live reactions to the scenes gave him the energy to act more.

FAQs

1. When does Kim Seon-ho celebrates his birthday?
   Kim Seon-ho celebrates his birthday on 8 May.
2. How old is Kim Seon-ho?
   As of 2025, Kim Seon-ho is 39 years old.
3. Which are the famous K-dramas of Kim Seon-ho?
   Some of the famous K-dramas of Kim Seon-ho are ‘Two Cops’, ‘You Drive Me Crazy’, ‘Welcome to Waikiki 2’, ‘Catch the Ghost’, ‘Find Me in Your Memory’, ‘Start-Up‘, and ‘Hometown Cha, Cha, Cha’.
   
4. What is the Instagram ID of Kim Seon-ho?
   @seonho__kim.