Seo In-guk is a South Korean actor, singer, and reality show star. After winning a singing reality competition in 2009, he garnered rapid and widespread fame. For this gifted boy, there has been no turning back since then. He was soon featured in films and television shows. Since then, Seo’s career graph has only shifted northwards. A career in the entertainment industry that has lasted less than a decade is hardly a sign of greatness, but if the quality of Seo’s work and his popularity are any clue, he will eventually reach that level. Seo stands out from the rest because of his immense talent and youthful simplicity. Given his appearance and ancestry, one might assume that his celebrity is limited to his home state, yet that would be an understatement. Seo has achieved global celebrity at a young age, and it appears that it will continue to rise with time.
Childhood and Adolescence
Seo In-guk was born on October 23, 1987, in Ulsan, South Korea. Seo In-guk is his Korean name, which he changed to Seo In-guk following Romanization.
Seo’s parents were not wealthy when he was growing up. His father was a welder, while his mother was a recycling collector. Seo is the elder of the couple’s two children. He is the younger brother of a younger sister.
He had a natural talent for wrestling and other contact sports like boxing and mixed martial arts from an early age. All of these disciplines were taught to him. He is a professional ssireum wrestler, boxer, and mixed martial artist. He is a dan Hapkido fighter as well.
He did, however, eventually discover his true calling. He had a strong interest in music and wanted to pursue a career as a singer. Kim Jung-Min, a fellow Korean rock legend, was his greatest inspiration.
He went to Daebul University to study Applied Music after graduating from high school. He also auditioned for a lot of shows during that time but was turned down.
The Career of Seo
The year 2009 marked a watershed moment in Seo’s career. He was just out of college when he went to the ‘Superstar K’ audition, expecting yet another rejection. Eventually, chance shined on him, and he was chosen as a competitor on a music reality program that was still in its infancy. He went on to win the show and, in the process, made history by being the first winner of the competition.
Almost immediately, I was recognized. Everyone was talking about him all of a sudden and offers for music albums and other items began to pour in. He recorded a number of songs, both singles, and albums. He also did non-musical things like picture sessions and television interviews, which helped him gain even more popularity.
However, things were not always that bright and sunny for Seo at the start of his career. With the huge amount of attention he received overnight, came a flood of criticism and rumors. He was rumored to have undergone plastic surgery, although this was never confirmed.
In 2012, Seo made his acting debut in KBS’ ‘Love Rain,’ in which he played a supporting part. The picture was a huge success, especially in other countries. It became the most expensive Korean film ever pre-sold in Japan. Seo was a minor character in a two-generation love story, yet he was pivotal. The audience applauded his performance.
Soon after, in the second half of 2012, Seo was given the opportunity to play the lead in ‘Reply 1997,’ a nostalgic television series that heralded Seo’s arrival on the big screen. The show followed the lives of six friends in two stages: when they were all young and when they were 18 years old.
The series was a big hit, with the season finale bringing in the greatest ratings for a Korean cable drama. Seo performed admirably and received tremendous accolades from both the general public and reviewers.
One of his most famous works is his portrayal of a teenage kid who is in love with his closest friend but can’t tell her. He also starred in a drama series named ‘The Sons’ (also known as ‘Rascal Sons’) later that year.
With the release of two singles for the ‘Reply 1997’ album, his musical career was also on the rise. Both of them were romantic duets, with one of them, ‘All For You,’ reaching number one on the Goan Single Chart in 2012.
He signed a contract with Irving Entertainment, a Japanese talent management firm, in 2012. They aided him in his attempts to break into the Japanese entertainment industry. In the middle of 2013, he released a single called ‘Fly Away,’ which was his first foray into the Japanese market.
Seo previously appeared in the reality show ‘I Live Alone in 2013. From January to June of 2013, the show aired. Seo was hired by the Hong Kong Sisters to play the chief of security for a private corporation in their horror-drama series, ‘Master’s Sun,’ as soon as it concluded.
With ‘No Breathing,’ he made his debut appearance on the big screen later that year. In this coming-of-age film, he was one of the protagonists alongside Lee Jong-suk and Kwon Yuri.
Seo began 2014 by portraying the male protagonist in the television mini-series ‘Another Parting.’ The five-episode series follows a man and a woman as they approach the end of their lives. In the same year, he starred in another rom-com series called ‘High School King of Savvy.’ In this series, he portrays both a high school hockey star and an IT executive.
With ‘The King’s Face,’ Seo made his debut appearance in a period drama. It was an intense drama in which he portrays an illegitimate crown prince who becomes a challenger for both his father’s and his queen’s crowns.
Seo also launched his debut solo album in 2014. ‘Everlasting’ was the title of the album, which included some of his previous singles as well as some new ones. The 12-track album charted well on most of the country’s music charts.
Seo debuted in the realm of SBS’s ‘Law of the Jungle’ in 2015. Seo made the most of his role in the multi-starrer drama, which was already a hit. Following that, he starred in ‘Hello Monster,’ in which he was cast as a genius police profiler. The following season, he returned to the ‘Law of the Jungle.’
In 2016, he was cast as a professional con artist in OCN’s office drama, ’38 Revenue Collection Unit.’ Seo’s role was especially well-liked, and he received a special prize for it. He also starred in the film ‘Shopaholic Louis,’ a romantic comedy.
Achievements & Awards
Seo has won best actor awards from SBS and Korea Drama, as well as the Japan Gold Disc Award and Mnet Asian Music Award for his songs.
Other accolades he has received include the Cyworld Digital Music Award and the Asian TV Conference Award, to name a few.
Seo’s Personal Experiences
Seo has managed to keep his personal life private and away from the spotlight. Sunny, a member of the ‘Girls Generation,’ was rumored to be dating him. The appropriate agencies of both of them, however, denied it.
Estimated Net worth
Seo In-guk is one of the wealthiest Pop Singers and one of the most well-known Pop Singers. Seo In-net guk’s worth is estimated to be at $4 million, according to Wikipedia, Forbes, and Business Insider.