At only 23 years old, Park Bo Gum (박보검) is arguably one of the best young K-Drama actors in recent times. After debuting as Kim Ha Neul’s little brother in 2011’s crime-thriller film, “Blind”, the actor was dubbed the “National Man of Good Influence” by local media outlets due to his courteous and polite behaviour.
Although his portrayal of Crown Prince Lee Yeong in “Moonlight Drawn by Clouds” (aka “Love in the Moonlight”, 구르미 그린 달빛) was well-received by fans and critics, he is lauded for his diversity in acting – be it a genius cellist in “Cantabile Tomorrow” (2014), a psychopathic lawyer in “Hello Monster” (2015), or a pro Go (a type of board game) player in “Reply 1998” (2015).
Luckily for us, the South Korean heartthrob is set to visit Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on 10th December as part of his Asian tour. To amp you up for the fan meeting, here are some little known facts about the new Crown Prince of K-Drama:
1. His mom passed away when he was little
Park Bo Gum, which means “precious sword” in Korean, is the youngest of 3 siblings. He was born on 16th June 1993 in Seoul and his mother passed away when he was in the 4th grade. In an episode of “Youth Over Flowers: Africa”, the actor revealed that he does not possess a proper family photo with his mother in it. He said, “I don’t have a family photo. After growing up, I realised that my family never dressed up and went to the photo studio to take a photo together”. The touching episode also showed Park’s tearful audition clip for “Reply 1998” where he had to leave a voice message for the character’s mother.
2. He dreamt of becoming a singer-songwriter
Aside from acting, Park is also a skilled pianist. He took piano lessons when he was 5 years old and was a choir member in his church. During his 2nd year in high school, he sent a video of himself singing and playing the piano to several agencies. Despite receiving many offers, he eventually chose to become an actor after someone told him that he would do good in acting. “Before I debuted (as an actor), I dreamt of becoming a singer and went on auditions. I’ve always loved music,” he said in an interview with Naver.
Who knows, maybe he’ll sing at the upcoming fan meeting 😉
3. In 2014, he declared bankruptcy
According to Park’s label, Blossom Entertainment, the actor went bankrupt in 2014 due to “poor financial decisions”. Fortunately, the issue was resolved in 2015. Korean news outlet Chosun Daily reported that the real reason behind the financial crisis was the large sum of money his father loaned for a business that closed down. The loan sharks demanded for Park, who was the loan’s co-guarantor at the time, to pay them back when he first started acting. As he couldn’t afford the huge sum of money, he decided to file for bankruptcy instead.
4. He loves taking the subway
The actor is more down to earth than he seems. When asked if there was anything he could never give up, Park chose public transportation, revealing that he often uses the subway because “it’s always on time and it only costs 1,300 won (RM4.50) to go anywhere in Seoul”. However, due to his rising popularity, he may not be able to wander anywhere alone in public anymore. “I didn’t feel it while the drama was airing, but it hit me during fan meetings afterwards (…) Now I don’t think I can ride the subway anymore either,” said the star sadly.
5. He is a bad kisser?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxjvnl5fjLY
In a behind-the-scene footage for “Moonlight Drawn by Clouds”, Park can be seen messing up his first onscreen kiss scene with his co-star, 17-year-old actress Kim Yoo Jung. Afterwards, he said jokingly, “I’m not very good at this.” Don’t worry Bo Gum, Gummies (as Park’s fans are lovingly called) would gladly practice it with you 😉
6. He emceed on “Music Bank” for a year
From May 2015 to June 2016, Park hosted KBS’ “Music Bank” alongside Red Velvet’s Irene and thanks to their great chemistry, the 2 stars gained praises from both local and international K-Pop fans. Local media dubbed the duo as one of the best partnerships in the show’s 18-year history and he was awarded the “Best Newcomer Award” at the 2015 KBS Entertainment Awards. When asked about his experience, he said, “The show was an unforgettable experience. It was a time when I could communicate with fans. The concept of a work commute was also refreshing.” He also added that he isn’t close to Irene and that he doesn’t even know her number, much to fans’ dismay.
7. He has many celebrity friends
#구르미그린달빛
흔들린 우정👥 pic.twitter.com/lken5r1YR2— 박보검 (@BOGUMMY) September 20, 2016
Known for his easygoing manner and friendly attitude, Park is friends with many popular Hallyu stars such as BTS member V (real name Kim Tae Hyung), label mate Song Joong Ki (of “Descendants of the Sun” fame), actor Go Pyung Ko, as well as B1A4 member and “Moonlight Brawn By Clouds” co-star Jinyoung.
8. His ideal type
In speaking to Elle Magazine about his ideal type, Park revealed, “I want someone easy to be with, like a friend, but someone that can take care of me like a mother.” In other interviews, he also said that he likes short-haired girls with a bright smile, can cook well, is kind-hearted, and polite. Wow, those are high requirements.
We certainly hope that we didn’t make you fall even more in love with him than you already are ?
Details for Park Bo Gum’s Malaysian Fan Meeting are as follows:
- Date: 10th December (Saturday)
- Time: 7:30pm
- Venue: KLCC Plenary Hall
- Ticketing Details: RM 690 (VIP), RM 590 (Cat 1), RM 490 (Cat 2), RM 390 (Cat 3)
To stalk him, follow him on Twitter. Meanwhile, for more info and updates on the event, hit up IME Asia’s Facebook page!
Sources: Soompi (1) (2), One Hallyu, Inquisitr, Koreaboo.
