| Actress Ryu Hwa-young, a former member of Korean girl group T-ara, stars in the KBS insurance scam-fighting drama "Mad Dog." / Courtesy of KBS |
By Park Jin-hai
| Seohyun, from girl group Girls' Generation, is seen in MBC's "Bad Thief, Good Thief." / Courtesy of MBC |
Not limited to only certain members of K-pop bands, almost all band members pursue a second career in acting early on, aiming to extend the limited career span of K-pop bands, mostly comprised of teen members and those in their 20s.
Recently, actress Ryu Hwa-young, starring in the KBS insurance scam-fighting drama "Mad Dog," made headlines. The former member of Korean girl group T-ara, who left the group in 2012 to pursue an acting career, made a strong impression on viewers. She stars as a former gymnast-turned investigative agent.
Almost every day, viewers now see those singer-turned actors and actresses in various drama series.
MBC's "Bad Thief, Good Thief" has Seohyun, from girl group Girls' Generation; Sooyoung from the same girl band stars in "Man in the Kitchen;" Hahm Eun-jung, from T-ara, and Jooyeon, from After School, appear in "Sisters-in-Law;" and K-pop boy band CNBLUE's Kang Min-hyuk and girl band AOA's Mina also perform in "Hospital Ship."
Jung Ryeo-won, lead actress of ongoing KBS romantic comedy "Witch's Court," is a former member of now-defunct girl group Chakra, while Seo Hyun-jin, who is making a mark with outstanding acting performance in SBS' popular drama "Temperature of Love," is also a former member of now disbanded girl group M.I.L.K.
"In the past, singers took some limited roles and their acting performance caused some controversy. But now there are less such cases," said culture critic Jung Duk-hyun.
Kim Young-il, CEO of Yuleum Entertainment, recently said to local media, "Idols of today know that they cannot live forever as idols. Unlike former K-pop idols in the past, idol stars these days try both singing and acting simultaneously after their debut, thinking that they might turn into acting career."
K-pop idols of today have more opportunities to debut as actors, because the number of drama broadcasters has soared compared with the past and they prefer idols with an existing fan base over those who are unknown.
Following the success of K-pop and those big label K-pop talent agencies siphoning off young talents, even those who want to be actors go to such agencies.
But, industry insiders say that although their entry into the industry is relatively easy, that doesn't guarantee their success. Many actors with strong fan bases but poor acting skills come and go easily.
Among the first generation K-pop idols of the late 1990s who pursued acting careers, only a small number, including S.E.S. member Eugene, Fin.K.L's Sung Yu-ri, and Shinhwa's Eric Mun, made it through to become actors and actresses bagging title roles. The rest of the members attempted acting as well but failed to make a name for themselves as actors. Fin.K.L' Lee Hyo-ri has been said to be such a case. "It seems that Lee was not as desperate as others and did not take acting seriously. With all that fame, if they are not eager to act, they are bound to fail," said a TV producer.