Kim Soo-hyun, idol no more

157 March 2, 2011March 2, 2011

by javabeans

Kim Soo-hyun was a hot property before Dream High, but after it, his star has positively skyrocketed. There’s no doubt that attempts to snag him for upcoming projects will be aggressive as everyone wants to claim the newly minted star for their own, whether it be new dramas, movies, or CF deals.

According to his management company Keyeast, Kim Soo-hyun is currently courting around ten offers for new roles. Of those, he’s got one movie and one drama that he’s seriously looking at, which are in the process of being negotiated.

One thing he won’t be doing, however, is pursuing singing, although he has been approached with multiple recording offers as well. His rep stated that he has decided to put those offers aside and focus on his acting for now, although the option is on the table to consider recording projects at a later date.

Singing is a talent he’d kept quiet until this latest project, and with which he astonished fans. (Honestly, at first I wondered if he’d been dubbed over by a pro, he was that good — better, even, than some of the cast’s idol singers, I thought.) And with his vocal chops, Kim Soo-hyun is one case where I don’t think attempting a side project in music would be off-base. A lot of times the actor-to-singer jump feels like a vanity project more than anything, but he’s got the pipes.

On the other hand, Kim’s also fiercely talented as an actor, and even before Dream High made him popular, he’d been gradually making a name for himself as one of the next generation’s brightest new talents. He had small roles in Jungle Fish and Kimchi Cheese Smile, then really made a splash playing Go Soo’s childhood counterpart in Will It Snow For Christmas, where he was absolutely riveting as an intense, smart, and pained youth.

He shone even brighter in the short drama Father’s House (opposite acting heavyweight Choi Min-soo), playing the beloved young son who was raised by a single dad, whose absent mother returns in his teen years. And Giant was the role that solidified his status as a Serious Actor in the making. This kid is IT. (Okay, technically he’s no kid at age 23, but he’s just so wonderful at conveying his characters’ youthful hopes and disappointments that it’s easy to forget he’s out of his teens.)

So given the choices, I’m certainly all for seeing him acting in another drama right away, and would much prefer that to an album or single. (Although imma be greedy and say that there’s no reason we can’t have both… Oh, all right, except for maybe the boy would like to sleep once in a while, I suppose. *sighs ungratefully*)

Kim Soo-hyun – “Dreaming” from the Dream High OST [ Download ]

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Via DongA

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Tags: Kim Soo-hyun

157

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1 Giselle

March 2, 2011 at 10:10 PM

Kim Soo Hyun, you're the next big thing. Watch out Lee Min Ho!

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no name

March 2, 2011 at 11:39 PM

agree. he's more than a pretty face. he's got talent (and vocal chops) to boot!

*cradle-snatching noona mode*

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P

March 3, 2011 at 3:20 AM

you're right! He is too talented. Lots of Love to KSH!

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yakunamojing

March 3, 2011 at 1:28 PM

oh me oh my!!!! sounds soooooooooo good !!! listening to it with eyes closed I breathe along with him......

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Rachel

June 16, 2011 at 6:00 AM

Yeah it's rare to find such a natural talent in both acting and singing. He's 3 years older than me, am I allowed to have a crush on him too? :D

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hmmm...

March 3, 2011 at 12:21 AM

Kim Soo Hyun has the advantage, or at least has a better idea on picking roles.

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kooriyuki

March 3, 2011 at 2:21 AM

he has already killed THIS noona with his noona-killing-chops.

i can't believe im going for guys that are getting younger AND younger (but legal).

gawd.

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biankoy

March 4, 2011 at 4:46 AM

I'm not a noona but I soooo wanna be slayed! noona-slayer!

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Marie

March 3, 2011 at 2:40 AM

He played his role in Giant (as the young Lee Sung Mo) with flying colors... thumbs up to his acting !!!

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e

March 3, 2011 at 7:44 PM

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-oxE7QbYl9bg/TWtaLGQesCI/AAAAAAAAAGY/6l8mubDTE0E/s1600/omg.jpg

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sheryl

June 1, 2012 at 11:52 PM

correct!!! :)

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2 yay

March 2, 2011 at 10:14 PM

oh hell yea!! I can't wait to see him in future projects!!!

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Haru

March 3, 2011 at 3:12 AM

He has such beautiful lips *-*
I prefer him acting over singing~ though I wouldn't mind seeing him on stage doing a musical!!!

Here is some math for all you Dramabeans:
Kim Soo Hyun > Lee Min Ho D;

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joeydragonlady

March 3, 2011 at 4:19 AM

I kinda like that he looks younger than Lee Min Ho, I like seeing him in the school uniform a lot. I hope he stays in boy mode for a bit longer.

Is there a lack of male actors of a certain age coz most of the young actors get paired up with Noonas a lot?

Like Yoo Seung Ho in Flames of Ambition...

Min Ho in Personal Preferance and Boys Before Flowers

Jang Geun Suk in almost all his dramas...

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yep

March 3, 2011 at 10:09 AM

The military snatches all the 27-31 ones up.

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3 ilikehim

March 2, 2011 at 10:15 PM

The irony is that he's better than Taecyeon, who's the real "singer".
I still think Wooyoung is better though.

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joicy

March 2, 2011 at 10:21 PM

Of course Woo Young is better.
About Taec and KSH, it's hard to say who is better. On stage of the final concert you can see that.

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red

March 2, 2011 at 10:58 PM

though woo young's voice is better technically i preferred kim soo hyun's, there was more emotion in it...guess that's where his acting came in

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Beng

March 3, 2011 at 5:31 AM

agree! woo young's technique stands out because he's been doing it for quite sometime already, while KSH just started doing singing extensively this past few months.

Though he prefers acting over singing, i hope he will not stop practicing and developing his technique so that we he do decide to pursue it, he will be so ready =)

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Ohwamm

March 5, 2011 at 1:43 AM

Taec's singing is a little painful lmao, Kim Soo Hyun is noticeably better

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park713

March 2, 2011 at 10:48 PM

that's why taec is the rapper...

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djeedjes

March 2, 2011 at 10:51 PM

I'd say Taec is not a better singer, even though I'm his fan.
But he's definitely improving from his debut time - especially with his mellow track "My Valentine".

Kim Soohyun's voice is good, he needs more polishing but he has the talent.

I'm happy he decides to pursue the acting career first!

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jyyjc

March 2, 2011 at 10:51 PM

well, taec was never a "singer" in the first place. He raps mostly.

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Moonie

March 2, 2011 at 10:55 PM

Actually, Kim Soo-hyun outshined WooYoung in the live Dream Special Concert. Kim Soo-Hyun was the only person who sounded a lot like he did in his OSTs. He obviously is a very talented singer.

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no name

March 2, 2011 at 11:41 PM

i noticed that too when they sang the dream high theme. everybody else's voice wavered (from all the dancing while singing, i guess) but his voice sounded pretty strong and solid.

and yes, a lot better than taec and wooyoung combined.

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dokutokunaneko

March 3, 2011 at 5:59 AM

no he (KSH) went flat a lot. I cringed every time he got a flat note :( but at the same time understand that he is no professional. The only person consistently in tune and stable in the concert was, of course, IU. There's a difference between being stable/steady and being in tune. The tone of his voice is gorgeous, though. He just needs some professional training :)
Wooyoung, on the other hand, was very stable, but his tone isn't anything special.

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mnstpdu08

March 3, 2011 at 6:20 AM

i cringed too. none of the casts, besides IU (and maybe JYP), did that well.

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L

March 3, 2011 at 4:02 PM

Yeah I was impressed with the OST track but when he sang at the concert... it made me cringe a little. I'm glad he decided to focus on acting.

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SaisMY

March 3, 2011 at 2:27 AM

aha i agree too. he does sound better than Taec. can't wait for another Lee Seung gi to be born. aha. he just needs variety skills. =D Kim Soo hyun. SOOO talented ^^

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biankoy

March 4, 2011 at 4:49 AM

Tae cyeon doesn't really sing right? he normally raps? so talentwise (I mean singing) the equation is

Kim Soo Hyun > Tae Cyeon

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4 ktb

March 2, 2011 at 10:18 PM

That's really him singing?!? That's pretty impressive...

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5 joicy

March 2, 2011 at 10:20 PM

I like his voice in Dream High OST but in the concert, his voice is not very high. He can't reach top note. He's good for an actor who sings in the drama but I agree that he should not pursue the path of being a singer. He's doing much better as an actor.

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anais

March 3, 2011 at 2:05 AM

In agreement.

Of course, with some training, he has the potential to be very good, even as a singer. But not right now. His phrasing needs to be more nuanced and definitely less forced. What gives away that he's not a singer proper is not that he can't reach the top note without straining (and for which he compensates by belting) but that he demonstrates limited dynamic range. Good singers make full use of the dynamic range and really good (ballad) singers use pianissimo to drive home the poignancy.

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6 Jasmin

March 2, 2011 at 10:22 PM

This Noona is definitely a fan of Kim Soo-hyun. He totally had me tearing up WISFC and I loved him even more in Dream High. Really looking forward to his future projects. And sorry to Taec fans but KSH totally pwned him in the singing department.

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7 Carinne

March 2, 2011 at 10:22 PM

Listen to the best, stick to acting and sweep all those honorary awards before you leap onto another career.

Wish KSH the best!

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8 swui

March 2, 2011 at 10:23 PM

Always a treat to see new stars coming into the limelight, especially if they deserve it.

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9 Dayan

March 2, 2011 at 10:26 PM

Amazing how some people seem to have it all! Congratulations KSH! And may you be able to choose roles thats best for you.

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10 Tess

March 2, 2011 at 10:30 PM

I was in such a grumpy mood yesterday because Dream High's finished... :( But Kim Soo-hyun lives on, so it's ok!! I might have to stalk him in all his previous projects now...

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11 Haj

March 2, 2011 at 10:33 PM

I love 2pm, but Kim Soohyun was definitely better than Taecyeon at singing. Not that I've ever had really high expectations for Taec as a vocalist...

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12 Jess

March 2, 2011 at 10:33 PM

Every time KSH sang I smiled like a total idiot. :)

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13 bbm

March 2, 2011 at 10:39 PM

i love this song, with the exact scene where he cried after singing, i often searched for his singing scene on ep 13 and play it over and over, it never failed to bring tears to my eyes... oh sam dong, how i will miss you...

well i hope that he will be playing more main roles, rather than being someone's child counderpart...

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14 pipao

March 2, 2011 at 10:39 PM

♥♥♥ KSH got me at hello.... lol

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mnstpdu08

March 4, 2011 at 7:37 PM

same here! even with his ridiculous hair. =)

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15 snow

March 2, 2011 at 10:41 PM

ahh he's so talented. i like his voice in "dreaming", if he'd worked on being a singer, he'd be awesome (though he's awesome already, haha). but yes, i think it's wise that he's gonna continue being an actor, build on his earlier work and hopefully he'll snare another juicy role soon so that we can see more kim soo hyun goodness.

would love to see him pair up with nam ji hyun again, they were so cute together in Will It Snow For Christmas.

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dee

March 3, 2011 at 5:52 PM

Oh yes, I agree with you.. They are a perfect couple! Where is Nam Ji Hyun btw? After QSD and WISFC, she is like nowhere.

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supah

March 4, 2011 at 5:42 AM

Nam Ji-hyun was in Giant as the young Park Jin-hee. She was freakin' fantastic!
She also did a short drama over the summer called Na Ya, Halmoni -- which was pretty cute.
Not seen her since the summer, I'm looking forward to her next project.

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16 Anri

March 2, 2011 at 10:42 PM

I agree! As much as I'd follow him if he became a singer.. I WANT TV!! I love the features on him nowadays btw. XD

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17 yunk

March 2, 2011 at 10:44 PM

Its not even one week since the end of Dream High. But I have already missed Kim Soo Hyun soooooooooooooo much...I hope he can have new project as soon as possible so I can see him again...I dont know if its just me, but he remind me of Kim Kang Woo (physically and his way of acting in drama), and i imagine that he will be like Kim Kang Woo in his 30..Really hope your best KSH...I LOVE U!!

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18 danna

March 2, 2011 at 10:48 PM

hell yea!!!...so we'llbe seeing him in a drama some time later this year??......cant wait.....i'm glad he's looking at his acting seriously for now... and I agree that he was even better than some of the resident idols on DH though I was worried his vocal chops would fall short when he was initially cast...he sorta reminds me of Jang Geun Suk minus the crazy wardrobe and slightly feminine looks

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19 red

March 2, 2011 at 10:49 PM

he so talented and i been basically praying to see him in a lead role and then he got dream high...i cant wait to see him fully flex out his acting prowness in a serious drama and meaty character

gah i love him and im so glad hes gaining more attention like he deserves .... i would say he is probably the most talented actor his age group with that much range ...i cant wait for his new projects

and with the singing i loved his voice...i thought his voice was being dubbed for the singing as well and i totally agree he sounded way better than some of the idol boys *cough 2pm

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20 mary

March 2, 2011 at 10:54 PM

He's 23???

Yes! He's still older than me!!!

(I'm smiling like an idiot right now)

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mary

March 2, 2011 at 10:55 PM

Noona-no-more :)

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Rens

March 2, 2011 at 11:21 PM

oppa!

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21 Htagged

March 2, 2011 at 10:58 PM

Yes I've been waiting for him to get more recognition ever since I saw him Giant. I can't wait to see him display more of his talent. Dramas, movies or singing I will take him anyway!

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22 Jam

March 2, 2011 at 11:04 PM

Yup he certainly is the next big thing, we'll just have to wait and see his upcoming prowess for the arts.

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23 toopai

March 2, 2011 at 11:23 PM

Theatre, musical. If he goes there and comes out even more fantastic than he already is..... whoa. Love his voice and love him!

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24 Jen Y.

March 2, 2011 at 11:28 PM

KSH is a perfect triple threat. Yerp. <3

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25 luna.tic

March 2, 2011 at 11:32 PM

Yea! Kim Soo Hyun! He just need to polish his hosting skills and he's set for life in the entertainment business. Just look at Lee Seunggi :) Singer, Actor & Host. SHINee Onew is paving the same way (but doing little on the drama-acting).

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mary

March 2, 2011 at 11:58 PM

And LSG isn't even as hot as KSH!

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Boohoo

June 14, 2012 at 8:19 AM

Pervert only goes for hot stuff. Lee seung gi is a professional multiple- talented celebrity. He does not need to be hot!

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26 sora

March 2, 2011 at 11:36 PM

i want it all. Give me more Soohyunnnn!!!

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27 Noypi

March 2, 2011 at 11:37 PM

He is a quadruple threat!! Looks, Acting, Singing, Dancing!! SO Talented!! Along with the rest of Dream High Cast, I'll be looking out for their future projects!!

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28 saranga

March 2, 2011 at 11:42 PM

i have a hard time reminding myself that he's just four months younger than i am, he looks so young! because i adore him in a very noona-like way... haha

but my thoughts are that he's wise to not pursue singing for the time being. maybe with more training he would develop a great voice, but from what he's shown so far i don't know that i sensed anything particularly special about it.

he's just so great as an actor, and pulled off the saturi really splendidly. i got so used to him speaking in saturi that it was extremely weird hearing him speak in his regular seoul accent at the concert. in fact, i think i like him better with saturi hahaha

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29 hpn88

March 2, 2011 at 11:44 PM

I've been noticing so many "younger" actors (Song Joong ki, Yoo Seung ho, Jang Geun Seuk, Yoo Ah In and now KSH) finally making it big these days. I guess its the cycle. Some go off to the army (bye bye Binnie) and others rise to take their spots.

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mary

March 2, 2011 at 11:59 PM

Plus we're getting older. While the industry's average age for casting actors doesn't change. :(

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saraha

March 3, 2011 at 3:15 AM

Agree! I was just thinking about this! It's not that they're getting younger, it's that the audience (us "noonas") who are getting older!

Imagine, Bi/Rain was 22-23 when he filmed Full House. That's like the same age of Kim Soo Hyun now! I just can't imagine... I'm really getting older. @_@

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30 punch

March 2, 2011 at 11:45 PM

i love him <3

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31 Jules

March 2, 2011 at 11:47 PM

I'm so glad he's getting more popular and I hope to see him in something (ANYTHING) soon, I love watching this guy act because he's actually REALLY good. I've been coming down on "Kim Soo Hyun fever" these past few weeks watching his past work and I don't think anyone could deny this guy had talent from the "get go." Here's to his bright future, but no singing, I do think he has the talent to pursue a music career with some vocal training, but his acting chops are his strong points and I'd rather have him on the big or small screen as soon as possible!!!

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32 Rossi

March 2, 2011 at 11:47 PM

Totally the next noona-killer! SO WANT!

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33 gustave154

March 2, 2011 at 11:49 PM

dreaming won cyworld song of the month so why not??
maybe we are being to tough on him xD

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34 SuziQ

March 2, 2011 at 11:55 PM

They said KSH trained singing for 3 months. Boy! He is fantastic. I enjoyed his singing very much. I thought he sang better than Taec whom I mostly heard before as a rapper. NO! He is not like Jang Geun Suk who is quirky, dresses feminine and wears weird makeup.
KSH is normal person.Saw KSH in his prior vehicles and he was good;however, in Dream High he is the STAR to watch in the future dramas. He did not disappoint.He is so talented and can do practically anything. Hope he is smart enough to choose his next right role.Love to see his next project.
Can't wait. Please let it be soon!

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mary

March 3, 2011 at 12:02 AM

LOL at implication that JGS is a not-so-normal person.

But yeah, Marry Me, Mary probably increased JGS's androgyny.

Now, why isn't there a kdrama where a guy dresses/pretends to be a girl? JGS would totally pwn that.

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EginEgin

March 3, 2011 at 12:16 AM

Agree...

JGS is too feminine (at least to my taste).

Nothing feminine in KSH, though I bet he can be one if acting required. He is a CHAMELEON.

Love his eyes the most...

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lulupony

March 3, 2011 at 12:48 AM

He was absolutely fabulous in Giant. My-goodness. The tension in his scenes with Jung Bo Suk just about killed me. Thank goodness his adult counterpart was just as good as an actor, or else I'd have been disappointed.

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35 alove

March 3, 2011 at 12:08 AM

I almost wish he were still an actor we were eagerly watching out for. Now with all this increasing fame, there's more women all around to adore him and that means more competition :( Lol. He definitely deserves the recognition he's getting though, and he's spectacular as an entertainer in many ways- I love being able to watch him grow. Oppa, come to the US soon please :)

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36 SpongeBob

March 3, 2011 at 12:31 AM

KSH will be the next BYJ, albeit he is far more talented than BYJ. LMH or even KHJ's acting or singing is mere Mickey and chipmunk comparing to KSH.

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saraha

March 3, 2011 at 3:11 AM

Not BYJ, I think he's the next Kang Dong Won or Won Bin...

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mary

March 3, 2011 at 3:29 PM

O_O

Not BYJ please. I don't want KSH to give me the creeps looking at his face 10 years from now...

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SpongeBob

March 3, 2011 at 6:45 PM

I meant the stardom, not BYJ's creepy look.

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SpongeBob

March 3, 2011 at 6:55 PM

Please no Won Bin. The shape of his chin has no good fen shui. This KSY's face has good fengshui to be the next Jackie Chan.

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Pat

March 3, 2011 at 4:09 PM

Keyeast is BYJ's company so I guess he thought the kid should be the next big thing himself. ( I personally think BYJ will retire from acting any month now if his co lets him stop raking in the $ from japan for "stuff") He said he wanted to help young actors, but real talent is hard to find........

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SpongeBob

March 3, 2011 at 6:50 PM

BYJ should just concentrate in finding new talent, and make more more for Keyeast, and stop appearing on screen, even as guest star. He makes the first four episodes of DH too tense!!

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37 k-soup

March 3, 2011 at 12:36 AM

I could see parallelism with Kim Soo-hyun and Jang Geun Suk

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lulupony

March 3, 2011 at 1:01 AM

I think that while their fame (with the recent rise of KSH), good looks, and singing talents are maybe comparable, they're very different actors. JGS is convincing as an actor and lovable at times. He is quirky and has a lot of personal charm. However, I don't really get drawn into his characters themselves, meaning I'm more drawn by his personal charm than his acting. In most of his characters, I feel like I'm watching different sides of JGS, but not necessarily different characters.

On the other hand, I feel like KSH is much more grounded in his acting. In real life, he seems like a normal guy and doesn't really have a distinct style or aura like JGS. However, every one of his characters that I've watched has been very memorable. Kang-Jin, Seung-Mo, and now Sam-Dong, are all very different, and I was drawn to their individual characters owing to KSH's fabulous acting. This boy as a way with this art form.

I'm so glad that he's serious about pursuing acting rather than singing. There's so much potential for him to be even more riveting. I'm conflicted at whether he should pick a serious drama (no makjang please) or a trendy... While the former might not push his popularity further, the latter might be a waste of talent...ahhh...

Hope he makes a wise choice. I'll definitely be keeping my eyes on him.

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38 mika163

March 3, 2011 at 12:46 AM

so that's him in giant! i did not recognise him in dh. he caught my eye with his part in giant. he looks young for someone aged 23

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39 maria

March 3, 2011 at 12:58 AM

ICOMYM, HOLLA!!

noonas, HYOON-ite!

/lame. :P

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come2noona

March 3, 2011 at 5:21 AM

Here! *raises hand*

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40 nelkk

March 3, 2011 at 1:08 AM

YAHOOOOOOO!! im sooo sooo glad for more kim soo hyun,

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41 Biru

March 3, 2011 at 1:14 AM

Isn't that he was a trainee in M-BOAT/YG before. I guess he skipped YG then.

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yongshin

March 3, 2011 at 6:37 AM

Yup, he was a trainee, I think 2007? I don't know how long he trained though. Maybe during that time he realized he's better off with acting than singing.

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42 ck1Oz

March 3, 2011 at 1:30 AM

When I was on MBC’s Kimchi Cheese Smile, I wasn’t worried about taking off my shirt when I heard about the swimming parts. But when we started filming, the other hyungs — phew — had ripped abs and built bodies, and I was shocked. In particular, (Jang) Ji-woo hyung was so built he was called a mannequin. I hear that when he served in the military, he got a special grade for his physical exam.

That was from JB's article on him last year.

Wait...what swimming scene?I didn't watch the series.