Meet Jirisan’s Oh Jung-se – after Netflix hit It’s Okay to Not Be Okay, the star appears in TVN’s upcoming big-budget K-drama alongside Jun Ji-hyun and Ju Ji-hoon
- His performances in Camellia Blooms and It’s Okay were so striking that he bagged best supporting actor awards at the Baeksang Arts Awards twice in a row
- Oh has also done commercials for McDonalds and Ridi Books in Korea, and is set to appear in Uncle and The Good Detective 2 next
With over a decade in the Korean entertainment industry, it seems impossible for anyone not to recognise Oh Jung-se’s face. The veteran actor has appeared in Korean films and TV shows since the early 2000s, as well as a string of commercials for brands like McDonalds and Ridi Books in South Korea.
But what else do we know about the well-respected thespian?
He didn’t work for three years
Starting out as a theatre actor, Oh transitioned into television in a minor role in Someday in 2006 and landed his first main role in the 2014 K-drama Plus Nine Boys as a washed-up production director. However, in his early career the actor saw days without pay cheques. Speaking to Allure Korea, he said, “Honestly, I was really happy even when I only had bit parts. And when I didn’t have a project for three years, even though I was struggling to survive, I also had a lot of fun during that time.”
Dubbed “one of the key actors for Korean cinema” by the Korean Film Council, Oh is known for his roles in hit TV shows like Vampire Detective (2016), When the Camellia Blooms (2019), Hot Stove League (2019) and It’s Okay to Not Be Okay (2020). “I’ve done projects that made me upset, disappointing projects and dramas that earned zero per cent ratings,” he continued, “but these days, every project I do has been receiving a lot of love. I’m grateful, and I’m really enjoying it,” he shared in the same interview with Allure Korea.
He also earned praise for his film performances such as his role as a sleazy reporter in The Unjust (2010) and in flicks like How to Use Guys with Secret Tips (2013) and Extreme Job (2019).