Nam Joo-hyuk to Lee Jong-suk – 5 Korean actors who started off as fashion models before hitting the K-drama big time

Nov 9 , 2020

Lee Jong-suk, Lee Soo-hyuk, Nam Joo-hyuk, Kim Woo-bin and Kim Young-kwang – five South Korean actors who started out as professional models. Photo: @jongsuk_woobin @StyleShare_twt @bignam_china @kwb_useless/Twitter, @kyk_gloryid18/Instagram

If the latest K-drama hunk struts like a seasoned supermodel, your intuition might not be too far from the truth. Many popular Korean actors start out as runway models before making the shift into acting. Don’t believe us? Here are five established actors that once prowled the catwalk.

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Kim Woo-bin

Although he has been on a long hiatus since 2017 due to a battle with cancer, Kim Woo-bin is remembered for his hit roles in The Heirs and Uncontrollably Fond. Previous to that, he first came to public attention as a model in 2009 at Seoul Fashion Week, before making his small screen debut in 2011’s White Christmas. AM Entertainment has announced that Kim will be returning to the big screen in the upcoming sci-fi film, Alien.

Nam Joo-hyuk

Originally a basketball player, Nam shelved his dreams of playing for the national team when he tore his ligament in middle school. After moving to Seoul, he scored an official contract with an agency after winning a modelling contest. He debuted with Songzio’s spring/summer collection in 2013 at the age of 19 – but is now best known as the star of seasonal K-drama smash Start-Up , opposite the inimitable Bae Suzy.

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Lee Jong-suk

Lee has been best buds with fellow model-turned-actor Kim Woo-bin since their runway days. He debuted in 2005 as the youngest model to walk at Seoul Fashion Week – at just 16 years old. He had a small role in 2010 Hallyu hit, Secret Garden, but his main claim to fame is 2013’s I Can Hear Your Voice. He is currently completing his compulsory military service.

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Kim Young-kwang

The first Asian model to walk for Dior Homme, Kim’s impressive resume also includes work with Alexander McQueen and Vivienne Westwood. You might remember him in romcom tear-jerker, On Your Wedding Day, as he played a boy who loved his high school crush all the way until her marriage to another man.

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Lee Soo-hyuk

Lee has been walking runways and shooting covers for big names including GQ, Elle and Vogue since 2006. But he truly made a splash with his turn in 2015’s spooky historical romance The Scholar Who Walks the Night with Lee Joon-gi. In 2020, he made a comeback after military service with the drama, Born Again.

While none of these five stars are still active on the runway, fans can continue to watch them grow in their roles as actors, using the confidence and poise they learned in their modelling days.

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South Korean celebrities

Lee Soo-hyuk, Kim Woo-bin and Kim Young-kwang also made our list of dreamy South Korean stars who began strutting on the catwalk before going on to star in hit series including Secret Garden, The Heirs, Uncontrollably Fond and I Can Hear Your Voice