Park Yoochun, We Are Already Curious To See What His Fifth Project Will Be

2010 ‘SungKyunKwan Scandal’
KBS Drama Awards, Baeksang Arts Awards, Seoul Drama Awards Best Newcomer Award

2011 ‘Miss Ripley’
MBC Drama Awards Best Newcomer Award
Baeksang Arts Awards Most Popular Actor Award

2012 ‘Rooftop Prince’
Seoul Drama Awards Hallyu Drama Actor Award, Netizen Popularity Award

2012 ‘I Miss You’

Park Yoochun is not only an actor who is loved by the masses. He is also one who is loved and cared for by the actors he worked with, as well as the reporters he’s met. When Park Yoochun first said that he would take up acting, it’s true that he felt more like a ‘star’ than an ‘actor’. It wasn’t easy for him to escape the misconceptions surrounding the title of ‘idol’ that had already been placed upon his head. But he broke out of those confinements and is being recognized as an ‘actor’, not an ‘acting idol’.

At first, the public was not keen to see Park Yoochun, who had entered the entertainment industry as a singer in 2003, in the acting business. This is because most thought that he had claimed his spot as the leading role through his status as a ‘Hallyu star’. But Park Yoochun has approached both the masses and his acting career with a sincerity that leaves us wondering and waiting for what his next project will be.

Park Yoochun made his successful debut as an actor through KBS2′s ‘SungKyunKwan Scandal’ as Lee Seon Joon, and solidified his career as the thoughtful and well-mannered Song Yoo Hyun in MBC’s ‘Miss Ripley’, catching both recognition for his acting skills and viewer ratings in one go. He then widened his scope as an actor by perfectly portraying the two roles of Crown Prince Lee Gak and chaebol Yong Tae Yong in ‘Rooftop Prince’, showing both a charismatic and comical side that hadn’t been seen in his previous works. Park Yoochun has become a true actor, bringing on a ‘rediscovery of Park Yoochun’ as he can easily juggle comical, serious and melodramatic roles.
And now he is creating a pandemic of ‘Yoochun Ache’ (T/N: Longing for Yoochun constantly) through his role as Han Jung Woo in his fourth drama, MBC’s ‘I Miss You’.

Actor Park Yoochun, the blank canvas. We look back on his acting career and marvel at his ability to completely embody his characters, painting in red if he needs red, and blue if he needs blue.

#SungKyunKwan Scandal – Recognized for his potential as an actor
Park Yoochun chose a fusion historical drama for his first acting production. It was a wise choice. A fusion historical drama was more than enough to change the public’s perception of him from an ‘Idol Actor’ to just an ‘Actor’. Though the character wouldn’t have held up as well had it not been for Park Yoochun’s exceptional acting skills.

Making his acting debut through SungKyunKwan Scandal as the Joseon Dynasty’s representative haughty man Lee Seon Joon, Park Yoochun pulled at the heartstrings of women dressed in blue uniforms and hanbok. His acting was loved by many for bringing back past memories of a beautiful youth.

Through ‘SungKyunKwan Scandal’, Park Yoochun secured both acting skills and an appeal to the masses, proving his potential as an actor and grabbing a complete landslide win of Best Newcomer Awards at the KBS Drama Awards, the Baeksang Arts Awards and the Seoul Drama Awards.

#Miss Ripley – A Wise Decision with a Different Meaning
Park Yoochun successfully made his mark in the acting industry through ‘SungKyunKwan Scandal’. Many expected his follow-up project to be of the ‘romantic comedy’ genre. But that assumption completely missed the mark. As he had surprisingly chosen a fusion historical drama for his first project, he surprised many by picking the melodramatic drama ‘Miss Ripley’.

Though many were left worrying about whether he would be able to succeed in his endeavor, Park Yoochun proved yet again just how strong he can be as an actor by becoming the focal point of the drama, leaving many saying, “Only Park Yoochun survived in that drama.”

In MBC’s ‘Miss Ripley’, Park Yoochun took on the role of Song Yoo Hyun, a successful businessman with soft charisma who gave his heart-wrenching love to one woman. He was praised for his work and won the Best Newcomer Award at the MBC Drama Awards, as well as the Most Popular Actor Award at the Baeksang Arts Awards.

#Rooftop Prince – From a Diamond in the Rough with Endless Potential and Talent To a Sparkling Gem
Park Yoochun chose ‘Rooftop Prince’ for his third project. SBS handed over the key to resurrecting their stagnating Wednesday-Thursday dramas, and was confidant that he would be the one to revive their spot in the time slot.
In ‘Rooftop Prince’, Park Yoochun took on two roles of Crown Prince Lee Gak and chaebol Yong Tae Yong. The responsibility on Park Yoochun’s shoulders was immense as, unlike ‘SungKyunKwan Scandal’ and ‘Miss Ripley’, he was in charge of leading the whole drama from the beginning. Though there were concerns before the drama began that Lee Seon Joon of ‘SungKyunKwan Scandal’ and Lee Gak of ‘Rooftop Prince’, as well as Song Yoo Hyun of ‘Miss Ripley’ and Yong Tae Yong of ‘Rooftop Prince’ had overlapping characteristics, Park Yoochun was able to perfectly portray his new characters as unique individuals.

Park Yoochun widened his acting scope by perfectly portraying both Lee Gak and Yong Tae Yong, balancing charisma and comedy at the same time. He was able to perfectly show the emotions running through the ups and downs of Lee Gak’s experiences. Park Yoochun kept our eyes glued to the screen as he cried over the loss of his beloved princess in one scene, and switched to a comical representation of a man out of his time in the next.
Most of all, Park Yoochun made it impossible to imagine anyone else playing the role of Lee Gak. ‘Rooftop Prince’ gave Park Yoochun the chance to show off his wide spectrum of abilities as he proved that he was able to successfully juggle comedic, serious and melodramatic roles. This won him a Most Popular Actor Award at the Baeksang Arts Awards, as well as the Netizen Award and Best Hallyu Drama Actor Award at the Seoul Drama Awards.

This popularity has carried over to other countries, with Park Yoochun’s individual fanclub reaching well over 120,000 members in China and his drama becoming the most watched Korean Drama since 2011 in Taiwan. Park Yoochun was also chosen as ‘The Actor Foreigners Believe is the Best Representative Icon of Seoul’.
Also, Park Yoochun held four fan-meets in his ’2012 Asia Tour Fan-meet’ in Shanghai, Shenzhen, Taiwan and Thailand. He set a record of selling out tickets for all his fan-meets on the day that ticketing began, and he successfully completed his tour, met with his fans’ undying support and the flurry of reporters’ interest wherever he went.

#I Miss You – Thank Goodness It’s Park Yoochun
Park Yoochun currently plays the role of Detective Han Jung Woo in MBC’s Wednesday-Thursday drama ‘I Miss You’, and has successfully transformed into a man who desperately hunts for the killer of his long-lost love. He is being praised for his ability to portray sincere emotions and for his superb acting skills.

In the drama, Han Jung Woo is a bright and brazen detective who holds the nickname of ‘Crazed Rabbit’ as his longing for one woman becomes his driving force to find a murderer. He is a detective who goes off his head if he sees injustice and searches for his long-lost love with eyes open wide.

‘Crazed Rabbit’ Han Jung Woo has already soaked into Park Yoochun completely. Making the transformation as a detective who fits the nickname of ‘Crazed Rabbit’ well, Park Yoochun has perfected a multi-dimensional character through his strong presence and skilled talents as an actor, leaving ‘Han Jung Woo’ burned into the minds of viewers.

When watching Park Yoochun act, we begin to wonder about and wait for his next project. Park Yoochun is an actor who has a strange power and charm that entrances people. That is why we can’t wait to see what character he takes on next.

#Even the Advertisement Industry has ‘Yoochun Ache’… His Value Skyrockets with the Success of His Drama
Park Yoochun, who has made his mark as an actor who can go from a cute boy-next-door to a masculine lover, is rising as a ‘Blue chip’ of the advertisement industry and has become the center of attention in the CF market.
Park Yoochun is currently working as the CF model of ice tea TiO, Ottogi Giseu Noodles, Nintendo, Black Smith and Save the Children. Including the advertisements he’s worked on with the other members of JYJ, it has become easier to see Park Yoochun on TV often.

The reason why Park Yoochun is appearing on so many commercials is because his effect on products is phenomenal. A representative of Ottogi stated, “Not only were Park Yoochun’s domestic and foreign fans excited about Park Yoochun’s endorsement, but ramen enthusiasts were also awaiting his appearance as well,” and “This naturally led to sales spiking and the effect he’s had on the product is amazing.”

As so, Park Yoochun’s value in the advertisement industry is already a recognized fact, and his appearance in his most recent drama has drawn his popularity to a whole new level as he has gripped the heartstrings of women everywhere. Representatives of the industry have stated that Park Yoochun’s warm and soft image creates a sense of trust amongst consumers and they are busy playing a game of ‘Catch Park Yoochun’.

One advertisement agency representative stated, “Park Yoochun is receiving the full support of the advertisement industry for his good looks, approachability and trustworthy image created by his well-mannered and dandy drama roles,” and “I believe the industry’s love for Park Yoochun will continue to grow as he has a large, active fandom that will directly lead to an increase in sales.”

Meanwhile, recognition for Park Yoochun’s acting skills and popularity has made him the most sought after actor in the industry and it keeps us wondering about and waiting for Park Yoochun’s fifth project.