Not Every Korean Actor Can Sing and Dance — It Just Feels Like It Sometimes

By Jae-Ha Kim
Substack
July 1, 2025

The past few days have been disgustingly hot (and humid). None of that dry heat for us in Chicago. So…it just felt like the right time to share a short, fun, refreshing newsletter today, highlighting some of my favorite Korean actors and idols singing, dancing, and having a lot of fun.

While certainly not every Korean actor can sing and dance — it just feels like it sometimes! — the ones who do aren’t cringe-inducing like so many western actors living out their rock star dreams with their so-so music. (But with that said, good for them. I commend anyone who takes advantage of opportunities to do what they want to do.)

But Jae, you might be saying, What about…this??

Touché.

But, all kidding aside, Park Jin-young could’ve been a huge K-pop star if he had fit the aesthetics of what a Korean pop star is supposed to look like. So instead, the singer-songwriter-producer had to settle for being the founder of JYP Entertainment, one of South Korea’s biggest labels.

Anyhow, without further ado, here we go with some of my favorite performances (from actors and singers).

AKMU’s Lee Su-hyun and EXO’s D.O. (who is also a phenomenal actor — check him out in “It’s Okay, That’s Love”) singing “Rewrite the Stars” (from The Greatest Showman) on “The Seasons – AKMU’s Last Goodbye.” 🔻

ENHYPEN covering Imagine Dragons’ “Demons” on “The Seasons: Cantabile of Park Bo-gum.” I am obsessed with their rendition.🔻

Actress Kim Go-eun (“Goblin”) and Henry (“Oh My Venus”) singing Lady Gaga’s “I’ll Never Love Again” (from A Star is Born) on “Being Again 3.” 🔻

And from the same episode, here’s Lee Su-hyun at a practice session. 🔻

AKMU’s Lee Su-hyun and Lee Dong-wook (“A Shop for Killers”) singing “City of Stars” (from La La Land) on the reality series “Sea of Hope.” 🔻

Actor Lee Jong-suk (“While You Were Sleeping”) adorkably dancing to PSY’s “New Face” at his 2017 fan meet, “Lee Jong-suk Private Stage Dreamlike in Seoul.” The fancam video has over 25 million views! 🔻

Actors Seo In-guk (“Reply 1997”) and Park Bo-gum (“When Life Gives You Tangerines”) singing “Couple” on “The Seasons: Cantabile of Park Bo-gum.” 🔻

Seo In-guk co-starred in “Reply 1997” with Apink singer and actress Jung Eun-ji. Here’s their version of “Couple ,” which they sang on “M Countdown.” 🔻

And speaking of Jung Eun-ji (“That Winter, The Wind Blows”), here she is singing with former U-KISS singer and actor Lee Jun-young (“When Life Gives You Tangerines,” “Weak Hero Class 2”) on “The Seasons: Cantabile of Park Bo-gum.” 🔻

Park Bo-gum (“Encounter”) singing “The Western Sky” and “Good Person” on “Yu Hui-yeol’s Sketchbook.” 🔻

EXO’s Baekhyun and ATEEZ’s Jongho sang Stephen Sanchez’s “Until I Found You” on “Secret Duet.” 🔻

Ta da! That’s it for now. Leave a comment and let me know which of these (or any other song/performance) is your favorite.

Stay cool, and be well.

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