Seo In-guk

Seo In-guk
Background information
Also known as	Seo In-gook
Born	(1987-10-23) 23 October 1987 Ulsan, South Korea
Genres	Pop, Ballad, K-pop, R&B, J-pop, dance
Occupations	Singer, actor, model, dancer
Years active	2009-present
Labels	Jellyfish Entertainment/CJ E&M (South Korea) Irving Entertainment/Nippon Crown (Japan)
Website	Official Korean website Official Japanese website

Seo In-guk (born October 23, 1987) is a South Korean singer and actor. He launched his singing career after winning the talent reality show Superstar K in 2009, and made his acting breakthrough in the 2012 cable series Reply 1997.

Early life

Seo In-guk came from a poor family in Ulsan who collected recyclables for a living.^[1] He started dreaming of becoming a singer when he was 10, after listening to rocker Kim Jung-min. Being a timid boy, the young Seo discovered his talent by standing on stage at family gatherings and school events. He studied Applied Music at Daebul University, and eventually started to audition at some of the biggest entertainment agencies.^[2] After being repeatedly rejected and told to lose weight, Seo struggled with bulimia but the vomiting only damaged his vocal cords temporarily.^[3][4] In the TV show Mamma Mia attended by both In-guk and his mom, it was surprisingly revealed that In-guk was conceived immediately after his parents met each other in December 1986. In-guk's father did not even know In-guk's mother was seven years older than him until after In-guk was born and they went to register their wedding and pick up In-guk's birth certificate.^[5]

Career

2009: Superstar K

Despite the setbacks, he never gave up completely and in 2009 he joined Mnet's talent reality show Superstar K. He was declared the music program's season 1 winner.

The spotlight came with a hectic schedule of recordings, photo shoots, interviews and television broadcasts, followed by chart-topping singles and albums.^[6] But Seo also had to deal with the negative consequences of fame, including plastic surgery rumors, cold-shoulder treatment from the three major networks for cable stars like him, and the unfair label of being an "instant star."^[7][8]

2012: Acting Debut and Reply 1997

In 2012 Seo became part of the cast of homegrown jukebox musical Gwanghwamun Love Song.^[9] He then made his onscreen acting debut with a supporting role in KBS's Love Rain.^[10][11][12] Aiming to expand his career in Japan, he also signed with Japanese agency Irving Entertainment.^[13][14][15]

He landed his first leading role later that year, in cable channel tvN's '90s nostalgic hit drama Reply 1997. Seo's portrayal of a teenage boy in unrequited love with his childhood best friend won praise from both audiences and critics.^{[16][17][18][19][20][21]}

Shortly after, he appeared in MBC's The Sons (also known as Rascal Sons), saying he chose the 50-episode weekend family drama because he wanted to watch and learn from his senior colleagues in the ensemble cast.^{[22][23][24][25][26]}

2013: Return to Singing and First Film

Seo joined the newly launched reality/variety show I Live Alone in January 2013 (he later took a break from the show six months later in June, due to work commitments).^[27] He was also cast in the romantic comedy film Police Family, about a girl from a family of policemen who marries a young man from a family of criminals.^[28]

But more significantly, Seo returned to the music scene in April 2013 with the single With Laughter or with Tears. The title song is the first time he sang a soulful ballad, and actress Ku Hye-sun appeared in the music video, which depicts the agony after a break up.^[29][30][31] Ku also composed the music and lyrics for the track Were We Happy.^[32][33] This was followed several weeks later by his Japanese debut, with the release of the single Fly Away.^[34][35]

In June 2013, he was cast in Master's Sun, a horror-romantic comedy TV series written by the Hong Sisters, playing a former soldier who served in the Zaytun Division and after his discharge becomes the head of security of a shopping mall company.^[36][37] In October 2013, he starred in his first big-screen leading role in No Breathing, a coming-of-age film about two swimming rivals.^[38][39]

Seo then played a dual role in Another Parting, a five-episode miniseries about a man and a woman who meet in the final moment of their lives and spend one special day together. Produced by LOEN Entertainment, the drama premiered on February 17, 2014 on Taekwang Group-owned cable channel Dramacube (also airing on BTV and YouTube).^[40]

Filmography

Television

Film

Music Video appearance

Musical theatre

Discography

Awards and nominations

Music programs

Seo In-guk's wins on Korea's televised music shows. M! Countdown and Music Triangle are aired on Korean cable channels Mnet and KM, respectively.

M! Countdown

Music Triangle

References

External links

• http://www.seoinguk.co.kr/ (Korean)
• http://www.seoinguk.jp/ (Japanese)
• Seo In-guk on Twitter
• Seo In-guk on Me2day
• Seo In-guk on Facebook
• Seo In-guk at Cyworld
• Seo In-guk at Jellyfish Entertainment
• Seo In-guk at HanCinema
• Seo In-guk at the Internet Movie Database