Since k-dramas often require flashbacks to show what happened to characters when they were children, this creates opportunities for child actors. Some of these child actors like Park Shin Hye, Moon Geun Young and Yoo Seung Ho have gone on to successful careers playing adult roles.
It's a great way to learn your craft. Park Shin Hye has likened growing up with other child actors to being in a large family. Your fellow child actors are siblings that you can have fun with. The older actors that you learn from are like they senior members of your family. These young actors had plenty of senior actors to learn from, since they played the younger version of so many stars.
In her debut drama "Stairway to Heaven" Park Shin Hye played the younger version of the character played by Choi Ji Woo.
Moon Geun Young, who is affectionately known as "the nation's little sister," played the young Empress Myeongseong, a role that was played a little older by Lee Mi Yeon and as an adult by Choi Myung Gil. Moon became a star by playing the young Eun Suh, a a character that Song Hye Kyo later played in the classic k-drama hit "Autumn In My Heart."
Yoo Sung Ho played the young Jo Hyun Jae in "Love Letter," the young Kim Ji Wan in "Sweet Buns," the child version of Kim Myung Min in "Immortal Admiral Yi Sun Shin" and then the young Kwon Sang Woo in "Sad Love Story." He had two more child roles after that before transitioning to older roles. One of them was playing the young Go Joo Won in "King and I" and the young Bae Yong Joon in "Damdoek."
Lee Hyun Woo also started his career as a child actor. He had a role as the young Lee Philip in "The Legend," played the young Song Il Gook in "Lobbyist" and the young Uhm Tae Woong in "Queen Seonduk." Two other actors he has played the kid versions of are Lee Seo Jin in "Gyebaek" and Uhm Tae Woong again in "Man from The Equator."
And there are more actors waiting in the wings. Those wings include child actors who are now playing younger versions of current stars and teen stars making a transition from those roles. Two teen actors who are currently making the transition to older roles are Kim Yoo Jung, who appears in "Angry Mom" and Yeo Jin Goo, who stars in "Orange Marmalade."
Kim Yoo Jung has acted as the younger versions of characters played by Yoon Eun Hye, Moon Geun Young, Park Ye Jin, Han Ga In and Han Ji Hye.
Yeo Jin Goo has played younger versions of Lee Jun Ki, Park Yoo Chun, Kim Soo Hyun and Ji Chang Wook.
As Park Shin Hye, Moon Geun Young, Yoo Seng Ho and Lee Hyun Woo did before them, both teen actors are smoothly making the transition to more adult roles.
