Park Bo-gum

Park Bo-gum is a South Korean actor and singer recognized for his work across television, film, and theater, as well as his prominent role in the Korean Wave. He is the youngest performer to twice be named Gallup Korea's Television Actor of the Year and the first actor to top the Forbes Korea Power Celebrity list.

Born on June 16, 1993, in Mok-dong, Seoul, Park is the youngest of three siblings. His name, meaning "precious sword," was chosen by a pastor. After losing his mother in the fourth grade, he maintained an interest in music that began with piano lessons in kindergarten. Following his 2012 graduation from Shinmok High School, he studied musical theatre at Myongji University, graduating in 2018. He later earned a master's degree in New Media Music at Sangmyung University.

As a high school sophomore, Park sent performance clips to major agencies, receiving interest from multiple entertainment companies. Guided by an agent to pursue acting rather than his original goal of being a singer-songwriter, he signed with an acting agency and debuted in the 2011 thriller film Blind. He then appeared in minor roles and television series such as Wonderful Mama, Wonderful Days, and Naeil's Cantabile. Park drew wider attention for his supporting turn in the 2015 crime drama Hello Monster and his role in the film Coin Locker Girl.

From May 2015 to June 2016, Park co-hosted the television show Music Bank. He achieved widespread popularity playing a professional baduk player in Reply 1988, followed by his first lead role as Crown Prince Lee Young in the 2016 historical drama Love in the Moonlight. After taking a brief hiatus to focus on his education, he starred in the drama Encounter, partially filmed in Cuba, and later headlined Record of Youth in 2020.

Park enlisted in the Republic of Korea Navy in August 2020, serving in its military band and honor guard while earning a barber's license prior to his release in February 2022. He concluded his ten-year tenure with Blossom Entertainment in December 2022 and joined The Black Label in January 2023. Later that year, he made his theatrical debut in the musical Let Me Fly, performing in sold-out shows.

In 2024, Park hosted the MAMA Awards in Los Angeles. The following year, he starred in the Netflix series When Life Gives You Tangerines and played a former Olympic boxer turned police officer in Good Boy. He also hosted the music talk show The Seasons: Park Bo-gum's Cantabile, winning multiple broadcasting accolades. In December 2025, he earned his second Gallup Korea Television Actor of the Year award.

Throughout his career, Park has served as a prominent brand ambassador, with marketing analysts citing his consumer reach as the "Park Bo-gum Effect." Named a torchbearer for the 2018 Winter Olympics, he was later chosen to represent the 2025 Hanbok Wave Initiative by South Korea's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.