Some celebrities are vocal about their struggles to become actors and actresses. However, these stars catapult to fame after one K-drama.
From rookie actors to rising stars or even sought-after male and female leads, these five celebrities worked their way up through determination and a little bit of luck.
Song Kang
The K-drama heartthrob rose to fame after landing the lead role of Hwang Sun Oh in the rom-com series "Love Alarm" alongside Kim So Hyun and Jung Ga Ram.
The Netflix series gained an overwhelming response from the viewers and released its second season in 2021.
Interestingly, as obtained by South China Morning Post, Song Kang revealed that he was able to beat 900 people who auditioned for the same role in "Love Alarm," which means that playing Hwang Sun Oh is definitely for him.
READ MORE: Song Kang Effect: Actor Denies Visiting a Restaurant After It Went Viral
With the success of the K-drama, he landed another Netflix series, "Sweet Home," headlining alongside Lee Ji Wook, Lee Do Hyun and more.
He was then dubbed as the "son of Netflix" after starring in a back-to-back series under the streaming giant.
Han So Hee
From a small stint in SHINee's music video back in 2016 to supporting roles, Han So Hee's claim to fame was the revenge K-drama "The World of the Married," where she played mistress Yeo Da Kyung.
Since then, fans couldn't get their eyes off her beauty and talent. From being the antagonist, she landed a lead role for the webtoon-based K-drama "Nevertheless" with Song Kang.
Proving her versatility as an actress, the 27-year-old star went all out and headlined the action-packed K-drama "My Name" with Ahn Bo Hyun and Park Hee Soon.
Kim Seon Ho
While Kim Seon Ho had few lead roles since his debut, it was the tvN K-drama "Start-Up" that put his name on the map of rising stars.
Interestingly, this is also where he earned the moniker K-drama's "good boy."
From "Start-Up," Kim Seon Ho starred in another blockbuster series, "Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha," with Shin Min Ah.
Despite the controversy that almost killed his career, the 35-year-old star managed to bounce back and gear up for his debut movie "Sad Tropical."
Jeon Mi Do
Being an award-winning theater actress, Jeon Mi Do mesmerized fans with her interesting character in "Hospital Playlist."
For two seasons, the South Korean beauty entertained viewers with her role as neurosurgeon Chae Song Hwa and her budding romance with Lee Ik Jun, played by Jo Jung Suk.
After the medical drama's season 2, fans get to see Jeon Mi Do alongside sought-after female leads Son ye Jin and Kim Ji Hyun in "Thirty-Nine."
Jung Ho Yeon
Of course, the list would be complete without Jung Ho Yeon.
From runways to the small screen, the rookie actress proved that she has what it takes to become a rising star after perfectly playing the role of North Korean defector Kang Sae Byeok in "Squid Game."
With the massive craze created by the Netflix series, she gained worldwide popularity and earned her first-ever Best Actress trophy at the 2022 SAG Awards alongside co-star Lee Jung Jae.
