Get To Know Park Bo-gum, A Top Hallyu Star Who Just Enlisted For The Military

The universe had other plans for Park Bo-gum, who never wanted to be an actor in the beginning. Though always a creative and artistic person, he always thought he was destined for a life in singing or theater. It was only when he was in high school that he tried out acting, found that he enjoyed the art form, and eventually turned it into a career at 18-years-old.

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And because Bogummy (the adorable nickname bestowed upon him by adoring fans) originally wanted to get into music, that means that yes, he can most definitely carry a tune and play an instrument. He's an incredibly gifted piano player and stage actor, so much so that he majored in musical theater and directed a couple of onstage performances in the early days of his acting career. Music has been a part of his life since he was little (he'd begun playing in kindergarten!), and from time to time, still indulges his supporters with musical performances.

Photo Credit: Image from G9

Although his life appears to be glowing and free from problems, Park Bo-gum didn't get the easiest start in this world. His mother became pregnant with him at a later age when she was not expecting a child, and reportedly mistakenly took medication during her pregnancy that could have caused severe birth defects in her unborn baby. When Park Bo-gum was born healthy, it would not be the end of his parents' ordeal; there was a time when he had cried so hard that he needed to be brought to the ER and according to his parents, it was a near-death experience for their baby boy. He's since been in a better physical state, and hasn't suffered from any medical complications. (His mother passed away when he was in the 4th grade, so mostly lived his childhood in a single-parent home).

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He's an active member of his church, too. Given what he and his parents had experienced in his infancy, they discovered faith at that point in their lives and Park Bo-gum has kept close ties with his church and his pastor.

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He juggled his passion for the performing arts with academics when he was a university student. He managed to excel in both, and was even chosen to represent his school, Myongji University, during one of its cultural exchange programs in Europe. He graduated from college in 2018. He officially began his acting career with management Blossom Entertainment in 2012, and he's been with them ever since.

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He would be part of four films before landing his first leading role in 2013 when he was 21. The four films include thriller 'Blind,' action-comedy 'Runaway Cop,' drama 'Still Picture,' and period piece 'Bridal Mask.' He'd impressed critics and steadily gained fans for his supporting roles for these projects before landing the lead role in K-drama'Wonderful Mama.'

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Park Bo-Gum didn't star in just one, but two films that made it to the Cannes Film Festival. The was 2014's 'A Hard Day,' and the second was 2015's 'Coin Locker Girl.' Both films were commercial and critical successes, cementing his spot in the industry as rising superstar.

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Right around the same time, two of his projects also broke records. 'The Admiral: Roaring Currents' went on to be Korea's top grossing film of all time and still holds that record until today, whereas K-Drama 'Reply 1988,' released in 2015, became the year's highest rated Korean drama in cable history. (It's currently at the 4th spot as of 2020). Both roles are considered his breakout roles and what catapulted him to national fame.

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His succeeding projects are some of the K-Drama and Korean film world's most recognizable: 'Love in The Moonlight,' 'Encounter, and most recently cameos in 'Itaewon Class' and a role in the upcoming 'Record of Youth.' Alongside his growing popularity as an actor, other organizations took notice of his success; Forbes Korea awarded him the number one spot on its Korea Power Celebrity list in 2017 and and was declared as the country's number one celebrity endorser by the Korean Business Research Institute in the same year. By 2018, he'd begun to receive international attention and even becoming the torchbearer for Korea during the 2018 Winter Olympics.

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His hosting skills have received praise, too. He's had 15 hosting gigs to date, but it was his time in music-centric show 'Music Bank' from 2015-2016 that his fans consider the most memorable of this aspect of his career.

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To mark his ninth year anniversary in the industry and as a simple thank you for his fans that have supported him all throughout, he released a song in August this year, two weeks before his enlistment. The song is titled "All My Love." The song is not his first official music release, however. He came out with his first solo album called 'blue bird' in March of this year.

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Park Bo-gum announced that he would be joining the military in June. On August 31, things became official and he began his duty in the Korean Navy (he's reportedly going to be part of the Navy band as a cultural promotion officer). He's expected to finish his service on April 22 and make his acting comeback in the same year.

Photo Credit: Image from Eider