Park Bo-gum (박보검)

There is just something about Bogummy that is so irresistibly charming that the only sane response is to fall in love.

Birthday: June 16, 1993

Instagram: bogummy

YouTube: @bogummy

Park Bo-gum is the breed of celebrity cut from textbook Hallyu cloth: he’s an accomplished working actor, a successful model, a musical theater graduate, and a devoted son. Yet it is what lies beyond his unusually striking features that make him truly fascinating. His calm personality, effusive warmth, and enviable friendliness all converge to create a squeaky-clean image that in the hands of other celebrities would simply be disingenuous and exceedingly difficult to maintain. At a time where Insta-celebs and young stars try to go viral by inciting one scandalous gig after another, Bogummy has remained true to his wholesome, boy-next-door charm without struggle or compromise, and has succeeded wildly because of it.

With his kind eyes, lean build, and a jawline that cuts through glass, one would think that he would be pigeonholed into easy, “good-looking” roles.

Yet his beginnings in k-dramaland could not be more different. Taking on interesting starter roles such as a cello prodigy in Naeil’s Cantabile (2014), and a teenage psychopath in Hello Monster (2015) has set him up to be the kind of actor that can go beyond the mere pretty. His early work in the movies -- as a youth enmeshed in war (The Admiral) and as a boy caught in a gang vendetta (Coin Locker Girl) -- have also taught him to pay the difficult dues demanded from an actor, and ingrained a work ethic in him that has been lauded by peers and movie veterans alike.

In 2015, he became a household name when he played the genius Go player Choi Taek in Reply 1988, which earned him the moniker of “Nation’s Little Brother.” He then quickly moved on to become the “Nation’s Crown Prince” when he starred in the runaway historical hit Love in the Moonlight in 2016.

Since then, he has become a sought-after leading man, co-starring opposite Song Hye-kyo in the noona romance Encounter (2018), and leading the slice-of-life drama Record of Youth (2020) before carrying out his mandatory military service.

Park Bo-gum is also highly in-demand as a host, having served as emcee of Music Bank for several years, as well as such prestigious entertainment industry award ceremonies as the Mnet Asian Music Awards and Baeksang Arts Awards, among others.

Yet among his many labels, it is the title of a real “good guy” that he is proudest of, bestowed on him by his closest friends (most notably BTS’ V and the gang from Reply 1988). Despite the ever-growing glare of the spotlight and the screaming legions of fans, he still remains true to form: eternally unbothered, always amiable, and incredibly polite. Bogummy is indeed precious proof that good guys don’t finish last. The good guys actually win, and win big.