K-actor Kim Seon-ho’s second act after scandal, silence and scepticism

SEOUL – Kim Seon-ho holds an unusual position in today’s K-drama industry. His trajectory is a rare study in breakneck stardom, a front-page derailment and a subsequent resurgent commercial rebound.

After a late-bloom television debut, the South Korean actor ascended the industry ranks with a wave of hits that sealed his status as a bankable leading man. However, that momentum was abruptly halted by a highly publicised personal controversy involving a former girlfriend.

In a rare pivot for the South Korean industry – where scandal often means a permanent exit – Kim’s career did not just stabilise once the allegations were debunked – it also surged.

Since his return, the 39-year-old has pivoted towards tentpole streaming projects to solidify his comeback. He recently anchored the Disney+ action-thriller The Tyrant (2024) and joined the ensemble of Netflix’s internationally successful When Life Gives You Tangerines (2025).

His upcoming slate remains equally prestigious, including a lead role in the Disney+ series Portraits Of Delusion (2026), alongside Bae Suzy.

Collectively, the bookings suggest a renewed phase in his career.

His most recent project is Netflix’s 2026 first-half tentpole Can This Love Be Translated?, which pairs him with Hallyu sensation Go Youn-jung. Kim plays Ho-jin, a disciplined yet sympathetic interpreter who develops a relationship with Moo-hee (Go), a global celebrity he works alongside.

The series marks his return to romantic comedy, the genre that cemented his A-list status, and his first romcom appearance in five years since Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha (2021).

Despite the pressure of revisiting the genre most closely associated with his rise for the first time since the scandal involving his former partner broke out, Kim said the decision did not weigh heavily on him.

“I didn’t approach it with a sense of pressure,” he said during an interview held in Seoul on Jan 22. “I was more concerned with how to honour the script and how to shape the performance. The genre itself wasn’t something I focused on.”

That approach, he noted, reflects his general attitude towards acting. “I’m strict with myself,” Kim said. “I concentrate on what needs improvement rather than on external expectations.”

Asked about portraying romance, Kim emphasised accessibility over sentimentality. “Love and romance are experiences everyone understands in some form,” he said. “Eliciting empathy can be challenging, but romance has to feel broadly relatable. I spend a lot of time thinking about how to create that connection.”

Can This Love Be Translated? is built on a familiar truth, expressed articulately: Everyone communicates in his or her own “language” and that love is rooted in the effort to understand how another person expresses himself or herself.

Kim said that concept played a key role in his decision to join the series. “Even though it’s fundamentally a romance, the idea that everyone has his or her own ‘language’ really resonated with me,” he added.

“People can use the same words and still fail to understand one another. It made me reflect on how often that happens. Beyond the love story, I think it’s compelling to watch how misunderstandings form, how distance grows, and how those gaps are eventually closed,” said Kim.

The role has influenced him personally as well. “I’ve been trying to slow down and allow more time,” Kim said. “When communication doesn’t come easily, I want to be more patient and make a genuine effort to understand. Language isn’t just verbal. It can come through actions or physical expression. I think I’m still learning that myself.”

Some viewers have commented that the repeated miscommunications between the protagonists can feel drawn out, affecting the pace of the story. Kim acknowledged the feedback, while suggesting it reflects the show’s thematic focus.

“Because the story centres on differing personal languages, it may take time for viewers to connect with it fully. For me, I understood Ho-jin’s perspective and approached the character with that in mind.” THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK