At this point, there is nothing the Korean entertainment industry will do that will surprise me anymore. I am just past that ‘wow’ stage because I can’t have my mouth ripping from exclaiming from surprises all the time.

I mean, time and time again, Korean actors have proven their dedication to their craft by going to unimaginable lengths to bring their characters to life. It’s not just about memorizing lines or wearing fancy costumes; it’s about becoming the character’s mind, body, and soul, and amazingly, they will mostly never flop.

There have been many of them who went out of their way to embody their character by doing things that are not part of their daily lives, and I am just about to prove that to you.

Let’s talk about Korean actors and actresses who went to great extents to bring their roles to life.

Park Min Young in Marry My Husband- Shedding Weight

Another chance to defend why Park Min Young is and will remain my favorite actress (as long as she’s serving us delicious meals). We were given the news of Marry My Husband’s 2024 release in late 2023, and right there in the media; I saw that Park Min Young had to shed some weight to perfectly portray the role of a sick person with stomach cancer. This she confirmed in her subsequent interviews and showed how physically demanding the role was and how she had to maintain a strict diet to shed weight to look leaner and sickly for the role. This claim was also backed up by comments on social media, so who says she doesn't deserve all the accolades she gets? Well, I am sure, no one!

Song Joong Ki in Vincenzo- Learning Italian

If you thought Song Joong Ki could actually speak Italian before his Vincenzo role, then you are wrong. For his role as the Italian-speaking lawyer and mafia consigliere, he made an incredible effort to learn Italian. In his interviews and behind the scene videos, he showed how he spent hours with language experts and a tutor to master the basics of speaking Italian fluently to avoid flops in his character, and I can’t be the only one who loved every scene where he spoke Italian; I mean, the whole charisma just gets me every time.  

Chae Soo-bin in When the Phone Rings- Learning Korean Sign Language

This is probably the most difficult one on the list. Like how does someone who can speak (not mute in real life) play the role of a mute person so perfectly? Let’s not even talk about how she had to learn sign languages just for that role. In interviews, she mentioned how she spent months learning sign language to ensure her performance was respectful and authentic. She worked with sign language instructors and practiced regularly to ensure she could deliver her lines naturally. Chase Soo-bin definitely knows her onions because that characterization was just topnotch.

Ji Chang-wook in the K2- Intense physical training

There’s no way you think most of the actions in the action series are genuine, right? I mean, we know of stuntmen and all who can fill in the gap for actors. However, some actors prefer to embody their role themselves and make little to no use of stuntmen, and one of them is Ji Chang-wook. One of the reasons he is known as one of Korea’s top action stars is his flawless portrayal in K2. He underwent intense physical training for his role because the drama required him to master various combat techniques and stunts, including hand-to-hand combat and weapon handling. Therefore, the next time you mention this Oppa’s name, put some respect on it.

In conclusion, Korean celebrities have consistently shown their dedication to their craft by going above and beyond to accurately portray their characters, right? They often undergo intense physical training, learning new skills, and immersing themselves in their roles and even serving us beyond the meals we requested for!