Do Kyung-soo is a well-known South Korean singer and actor in the “K-pop” and “R&B” genres. He is easily recognized by his stage name, D.O. After being formally admitted into the Korean-Chinese all-boy band “EXO,” based in Seoul, he rose to national prominence. He solidified his status over time by joining this K-pop group as one of the lead vocalists. In addition to becoming well-known as a singer, Kyung-soo has made appearances in a number of TV shows and movies, both small and large screens. When he was younger, D.O. participated in the singing events at his elementary school, demonstrating his love for singing. Throughout his academic career, he took part in singing competitions both locally and regionally. When D.O. was seventeen years old, he participated in a neighborhood singing competition and won. After that, he was invited to an audition hosted by S.M. Entertainment. After a highly successful audition at S.M. Entertainment, where he sang two songs, he was hired as a trainee by the South Korean entertainment company. Following his graduation from high school and his internship at S.M. Entertainment, D.O. successfully applied to be an EXO vocalist.
Early Life & Childhood of Do Kyung-soo
On January 12, 1993, Do Kyung-soo was born in Goyang, which is a city in the Gyeonggi Province of South Korea. Do Seungsoo, his brother, is three years older than he is.
He went to Goyang Poongsan Elementary School, Baekshin Middle School, and Baekseok High School for his upper secondary education. He showed a predilection for singing at a young age and developed his crooning technique during his time in school.
Not only did he engage in singing meets in elementary school, but he continued to compete consistently throughout his time in high school. It was his intention to participate in zonal musical meets with pRT as well.
Leaving Your Mark as an Actor and Singer
Do Kyung-soo tried out for S.M. Entertainment in 2010 after winning a singing competition at the district level. S.M. Entertainment is a South Korean “chaebol” with interests in “production,” “retail,” and “travel” in addition to its primary business of entertainment.
For his audition at S.M. Entertainment’s studio, D.O. sang a cover of “My Story” by “Brown Eyed Soul” and “Anticipation” by Na Yoon-kwon. He was selected as a trainee based on his performance, and during his whole tenure with S.M. Entertainment, he painstakingly improved his singing.
On January 30, 2012, Kyung-Soo formally joined the South Korean-Chinese all-boys band “EXO” as one of the eight members. EXO’s debut single, “What is Love,” was released commercially on that same day.
In 2014, D.O. sang the main song “What is Love” for the album “Exology: Chapter 1: The Lost Planet.” Later, in 2016, he collaborated with Yoo Young-Jin on the digital music project “S.M. Station Season 1.”
On April 8, 2012, EXO released their first group single, “Mama.” Their first EP, bearing the same title, was released after it. Together with “Krystal,” “Amber,” and “Luna” from the all-girl K-pop group f(x), Kyung-soo contributed vocals to the song “Goodbye Summer” from their second album, “Pink Tape.”
Kyung-soo sang the lead song from EXO’s second EP, “Miracles in December,” which was formally released on December 9, 2013, alongside fellow band members Chen and Baekhyun.
In September 2014, D.O. made his big screen debut in the ensemble drama film “Cart,” where he played a high school student named “Choi Tae-Young.” Two of his songs, “Scream” and “Crying Out,” were on the original soundtrack of the film.
In addition to its 2014 Toronto Film Festival premiere, “Cart” was screened at the 34th Hawaii International Film Festival and the 19th Busan International Film Festival.
Before Kyung-soo starred in a film, he made his tiny screen debut. He played himself in a brief cameo in the 2012 season of “To the Beautiful You,” a show on the SBS Network.
His first significant TV role was as “Han Kang-woo” in the SBS-endorsed drama “It’s Okay, That’s Love,” where he costarred with well-known South Korean actors Jo In-Sung and Gong-Hyo-jin.
Despite having a supporting role in “It’s Okay That’s Love,” D.O. received positive reviews and praise for his work in the serial. Later, at the 51st Baeksang Arts Awards event, he won the “Best New Actor” Award for his work in the TV series.
Kyung-soo was selected by critics in 2015 as the top performer out of the 40 most well-known K-pop stars who appeared in drama-themed feature films and television shows in 2014. Critics and influential figures in the entertainment business hailed his powerful performance as a juvenile psychopath named “Lee Joon-young” in KBS2’s drama series “Hello Monster.”
At the 52nd staging of the Grand Bell Awards in November 2015, D.O. was nominated for a Grand Bell Award in the Best Supporting Actor category for the movie Cart.
He was chosen to play the lead role in the love film “Pure Love” in February 2015, sharing screen time with Kim So-hyun. He starred in the movie “Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds” in April of the following year. The movie was an adaptation of the same-titled South Korean webtoon.
The proceedings at the hereafter court, where the deceased must appear in hearings that last for several days, are central to the story of “Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds.” The film went on to become a big financial success and a blockbuster.
In the web series “Be Positive,” alongside Lee David and Chae Seo-jin, Kyung-soo got a role to perform. In just two weeks after its October 31, 2016 premiere, the Samsung-sponsored web drama amassed over 30 million views, making it the most watched web series ever.
In May 2017, S.M. Entertainment declared that Kyung-soo would play the lead role in the film “Swing Kids.” The movie is set against the backdrop of a North Korean gulag or concentration camp at some point during the Korean War. Kyung-soo plays a soldier who finds solace in tap dancing, which he takes to be a passion.
Honors & Awards of Do Kyung-soo
For the television series “It’s Okay, That’s Love,” he received two awards in 2014: the third APAN Star Award in the Best New Actor category and the Best Young Actor award from the Seoul International Youth Film Festival.
He was the recipient of the 11th Max Movie Awards’ Rising Star Award in 2016. ‘Pure Love’ was the film for which he won the 52nd Baeksang Arts Awards’ Most Popular Actor (Film) category that same year.
His film ‘My Annoying Brother’ brought him numerous accolades in 2017. These include the following: Best New Actor at the 38th Blue Dragon Film Awards, Star Award at the 13th JIMFF Awards, Newcomer Award (Film) at the Korean Film Shining Star Awards, Most Popular Actor (Film) at the 53rd Baeksang Arts Awards, and Popularity Award – Actor at the 2nd Asia Artist Awards.
Individual Life of Do Kyung-soo
D.O.’s mother worked as a hairdresser, and his father was a professional painter. In addition to his family name, D.O., which is also his most well-known alias, he is also known by the nicknames “Pororo,” “The Pop Out Eyes,” “Orchestra Boy,” “Umma,” and “Heenjabuja.”
“Yoo Young Jim,” the composer, is someone he looks up to.
Random Facts of Do Kyung-soo
His best friend in the EXO is K Kai.
He has an obsession with neatness and organization.
He prepares meals and assists the other members of the EXO band in taking care of themselves, acting as a protector to them.
He has stated on record that he would have been a chef if he had not become a singer.
He speaks several languages well, including English, and he pronounces words in the language flawlessly.
When he gets nervous or anxious, he often forgets things and misplaces them.
Net worth of Do Kyung-soo
The estimated net worth of Do Kyung-soo is about $1 million.