Seo Kang-joon is in the spotlight this week as one of the headliners of OCN’s weekend crime thriller Watcher. OCN is sure picking up some steady traction with their dramas of late — and so has Seo Kang-joon’s acting career.
Seo first debuted in 2013 as a part of the group 5urprise, which was originally as confusing to pronounce as it was to understand the purpose of. All the members were promoted as singers and actors, but really, the group seemed more like a way to add pizzazz and promotion to a bunch of rookie actors. Well, it worked, whether that was a merit of the marketing, or the talent of the members. Seo Kang-joon has been hands-down the most successful thus far, but Lee Tae-hwan (love), Gong Myung, and Kang Tae-ho (currently hilarious in My First, First Love) are pulling a close second. (The “leader” of 5urprise, Yoo Il, seems inactive of late.)
Putting some bit roles aside, Seo Kang-joon’s official drama debut was with a supporting role in the 2013 drama Suspicious Housekeeper. With a good number of side and supporting roles under his belt, and some success in variety as well, Seo Kang-joon gained recognition. His role in 2016’s Cheese in the Trap got him a lot of attention (for better or worse), and after that, his first starring role in Entourage. Since then he’s had several starring roles, and though I haven’t seen many of them, I’ve appreciated their diversity from afar. Watcher is another example of Seo Kang-joon stepping out of his comfort zone by trying out a new genre, so I might have to tune in at some point to see how it shakes out.
Here are some drama highlights from Seo Kang-joon, followed by his full filmography.
Sly and Single Again (2014)
I have had a fondness for Lee Min-jung ever since she monkey-climbed on Lee Min-ho’s back in Boys Over Flowers. In Sly and Single Again, she played a flighty divorcee with a revenge scheme against her ex, played by Joo Sang-wook. And because every K-drama rom-com needs a love triangle (and better yet throw in a nice noona romance element, too), Seo Kang-joon played the intern who falls for her, but is obviously destined for heartbreak. Like me, when I finally watched this drama. I didn’t catch it live, and I think it’s safe to say that Seo Kang-joon was a wee bit green at this point, but I’d rather have a green Seo Kang-joon than none at all.
Cheese in the Trap (2016)
Poor Cheese in the Trap had soooo much drama around it that the good parts of the drama were overshadowed by it. Among other issues that this webtoon adaptation faced, the biggest one was the sidelining of the male lead played by Park Hae-jin. While I agree with the disagreements on a story level, I was in the strange minority of loving Seo Kang-joon’s second lead character so much that I didn’t mind him taking over the plot. He brought this adorable, almost sloppy, emotion to the drama. Putting on blinders around the rest of the drama, I loved his interactions with the heroine (Kim Go-eun).
Watcher (2019)
There’s just too many dramas to keep up with these days, and unfortunately Watcher is one of those that I want to tune into, but ran out of waking hours and eye drops. It sounds like yet another drama of conspiracy and convergence — two of dramaland’s favorite things, especially lately! In the drama, Seo Kang-joon, Han Seok-kyu, and Kim Hyun-joo play our three protagonists. They’re from different backgrounds, but come together after a tragic event changes each of their lives. This is a crime thriller from OCN, though, so when we talk about tragic aftermath and grief, it won’t be heading in the Just Between Lovers direction (sadness). OCN already has a strong crime thriller going with Class of Lies, so why not add another one to the list!
Seo Kang-joon’s full filmography: