Why 2017 Should Be The Year Of Park Bo-Gum
The year 2017 started off on a positive note for Park Bo-gum. According to a profiling website called Korea, the actor won the Special Korea Brand Award.
A few days ago, Park Bo-gum’s agency, Blossom Entertainment announced, that the actor has been offered a role in the upcoming movie Seobok. However, there has been no confirmation yet as to whether the actor has accepted the role. It looks like 2017 has a lot to offer for the young Hallyu star.
170107 #ParkBoGum & V of BTS went to BigBang concert today Cr. jymamy pic.twitter.com/kAUrw5kaRV
— Park BoGum Intl Fans (@ParkBoGum_Intl) January 7, 2017
The year 2016 turned out to be an eventful year for Park Bo-gum, the South Korean actor, who swayed his audience in the K-drama Moonlight Drawn By Clouds. The drama was both a domestic hit and an international victory. Moonlight achieved peak audience rating of 23.3 percent, according to Inquisitr.
The historical romance kicked off in August. After airing just three episodes, the drama surpassed a 20 percent viewership mark. Park Bo-gum’s portrayal of a playful Joseon era prince, his transformation as a thoughtful ruler, and the magical chemistry between Park Bo-gum and his leading lady, played by Kim Yoo-jung, had fans wanting for more.
The Moonlight Syndrome strengthened Park Bo-gum’s position as a versatile leading actor, who could sing, dance, and deliver the right punch lines. Park Bo-gum also released his first soundtrack for the drama’s original soundtrack titled “My Person.”
#SongJoongKi Cries During #ParkBoGum’s Tearful Speech After Win At 2016 KBS Drama Awardshttps://t.co/RBVOIp45zu pic.twitter.com/ucaEz3EGUe
— Soompi (@soompi) December 31, 2016
According to Soompi, the song topped Melon, Mnet, Bugs, Soribada, Genie, Naver, and Monkey3 charts upon its release and debuted at No. 3 on Gaon Music Chart.
In 2016, he bagged numerous awards. He won the Asia Star Award, Best Star Award, and the Asia Popular Artist Award, doled out by Yahoo!. He also won OSEN’s Star of the Year award. In December, besides hosting the KBS Drama Awards, the actor also bagged the Top Excellence Award, Best Couple Award, and the Best Kiss Award.
Park Bo-gum was also declared the Actor of the Year by research company Gallup Korea, according to a report by Manila Bulletin.
The 23-year-old star garnered 35.2 percent to top the year-end Gallup Korea poll, which asked 1,700 Koreans aged 13 and above to pick their top drama actors of the year.
Park Bo-gum was the most-searched entertainer on the internet this year in Korea, according to big data analysis by SK Telecom.
Park Bo-gum generated 792,560 mentions this year, a report by Chosun stated.
The Bo-gum Magic
Fans of the young actor have coined the term “Bo-gum magic,” a news report by Korea Times stated. In their opinion, once people catch a glimpse of Park Bo-gum, they wouldn’t be able take their eyes off him.
His fans also came up with another tagline “Park Bo-gum is love,” to express their affection for the actor.
According to Blossom Entertainment, the actor’s agency, Park’s popularity has translated into more business.
“He’s firmly established himself as a lead actor through this drama. We’re getting more than three times as many requests as before for his appearance in dramas,” said Seung Byeong-wook, a senior official at Park’s management agency Blossom Entertainment, according to a report by Inquisitr.
At a recent interview, when Soompi asked the actor about his soaring popularity, Park Bo-gum said the following.
“I didn’t feel it while the drama was airing, but it hit me during fan meetings afterwards. I was surprised to see more people than I expected. I greeted them because I was so thankful, but it became even more crowded. What I realized then was that other people could be harmed due to my actions and words.”
According to Park Bo-gum, practice makes a man perfect. Playing a mischievous character was quite a challenge, admits Park Bo-gum.
“I thought it was an unexpected character,” he said in an interview with Korea Herald. Frequent interaction with director Kim Sung-yoon also helped bring out the best in him, he said.
“Romancing Kim Yoon-jung was especially fun. The energy and connection between the two were palpable while acting. I felt like we would look into each other’s eyes and know what the other was feeling,” the actor said. His on-screen love interest, Hong Ra-on, who disguises herself as a eunuch and later reunites with the prince, held the audience in sway.
Fans are waiting for Park Bo-gum to officially announce his next big project.
[Featured Image by Ahn Young-joon/AP Images]
