Park Jihoon of Wanna One and Kang Mina of I.O.I are carving out their acting careers in very different ways. Both gained massive public recognition through Mnet’s ‘Produce 101’ series, and since then, they have built their success as actors through different choices and directions.
Park Jihoon debuted with the project group Wanna One through ‘Produce 101 Season 2’ in 2017. Since then, he has expanded his filmography by balancing his activities as a solo singer and actor. In particular, his lead role in the movie ‘The Man Living with the King’ drew 16.8 million viewers, ranking as the second most-watched Korean film of all time and leaving a strong impression of him as an actor.
Playing the role of King Danjong, Park Jihoon earned the nickname ‘Danjong Oppa’ and received recognition for both his acting skills and star power. He achieved a rare level of commercial success for an idol-turned-actor in his 20s, earning the title of ’10-million viewer actor’.
Currently, Park Jihoon is reuniting with his Wanna One members through the Mnet reality show ‘WANNA ONE GO : Back to Base’, showing off his charms outside of the stage and screen. It is reported that his appearance was confirmed before the release of ‘The Man Living with the King’, and interest in the program has surged following the movie’s hit success.
He is also continuing his activities as a solo singer. Park Jihoon resumed his music career by releasing his first single album on the 29th of last month. By moving between music, acting, and variety shows, he is expanding his position as a ‘multi-player’.
On top of that, Park Jihoon will meet viewers in the TVING original series ‘Becoming a Legend as a Cook’, set to be released on the 11th. During a production presentation on the 6th, when asked about the pressure of his next project, he said, “I’m not the type to feel pressured. I was more concerned about what I could express within the work.” ‘Becoming a Legend as a Cook’ is a military cooking fantasy drama, and Park Jihoon takes on a new challenge as Private Kang Seong-jae.
Kang Mina took a different path. After debuting with I.O.I through ‘Produce 101’ in 2016, she balanced singing and acting. However, when news of I.O.I’s 10th anniversary reunion broke last year, she officially stated that she would not participate in order to focus on acting.
While several members, including Jeon Somi, Kim Sejeong, Kim Sohye, Jung Chae-yeon, and Kim Do-yeon, balance acting with other activities, Kang Mina chose to concentrate solely on the field of acting. This move led to success through the Netflix series ‘Kirigo’.
‘Kirigo’ marks Kang Mina’s first challenge in the horror genre. Since its release, she has been praised for leaving a strong impression despite her limited screen time. Having started her acting career in 2017, she showed significant growth in emotional expression and immersion through this work.
‘Kirigo’ is especially meaningful to Kang Mina as it is the project she chose instead of the I.O.I reunion activities. Rather than returning to the familiar world of idol activities, she chose to expand as an actress and added persuasion to her choice through her performance.
The paths of the two are clearly contrasted. While Park Jihoon is pursuing an ‘expansion-style career’ that encompasses singing, acting, and variety, Kang Mina is increasing the density of her filmography by focusing on the single field of acting. Although their directions differ, they are both creating meaningful results in their respective positions.
Having started from the same line at ‘Produce 101’, the two are now engraving their names in different ways. Park Jihoon is broadening his public reach through wide-ranging activities, while Kang Mina continues her growth as an actress through selection and focus. Moving beyond the label of ‘Produce alumni’, interest is high in the next choices of these two as they solidify their acting careers in their own ways.
