5 K-pop idols who started out as child actors: Astro’s Moonbin starred in a TVXQ music video, SF9’s Chani played a mini Song Joong-ki, and Exid’s Jeonghwa appeared in Three Wives
- Wanna One’s Park Ji-Hoon starred in Jumong, The King and I and Iljimae before his debut with the boy group, while Chani appeared in hit K-dramas like Sky Castle
- StayC’s Park Si-eun played younger versions of Park Min-young and Shin Haesun’s characters in dramas like Queen For Seven Days and Still 17
Here, we take a closer look at the stars who ended up turning their early K-drama fame into K-pop stardom …
Wanna One’s Park Ji-Hoon
Before his debut with Wanna One after ranking second in the competition show Produce 101 season two in 2017, Park has appeared on multiple shows since the age of seven. The 22-year-old star’s acting chops were noticed in K-dramas like Jumong, The King and I and Iljimae. Park still gets praise for his emotional crying scenes in the shows. But after Iljimae, although he appeared in musicals, fans didn’t see him in dramas for almost a decade. In 2019, Park returned to acting as the lead role in series Flower Crew: Joseon Marriage Agency.
In an interview with W Korea in June, Park explained that he became mesmerised with dancing during his time in school, sparking his K-pop idol dreams. He added that his years as a child actor taught him to appear confident in front of the cameras, since he’s used to it.
StayC’s Park Si-eun