Seo Hyun-jin is a South Korean actress and singer. Seo debuted as the main vocalist of South Koreangirl group, M.I.L.K in 2001 and continued until the group disbanded in 2003. She contributed songs as a solo artist after the group disbandment before she transitioned into acting in 2006. Seo made her acting debut in the musical The Sound of Music then followed by appearances in several television series and film. She is best known for her leading roles as Oh Hae-young in the romantic comedy TV seriesAnother Miss Oh, which gained her wider recognition, medical melodrama Dr. Romantic and romance dramas Temperature of Love and The Beauty Inside.
Life and career
1985–2005: Early life and music career
Seo was born on February 27, 1985 in Dobong District, Seoul, South Korea. She was scouted by S.M. Entertainment and later debuted as the main vocalist of South Korean girl group, M.I.L.K in 2001, under the label subsidiary, SM Entertainment. However, the group soon fell by the wayside due to fierce competition among manufactured bands, which led to one of the members quitting before they completely disbanded in 2003. After M.I.L.K. was dissolved, Seo attended Dongduk Women's University, where she majored in applied musicology to keep her dream of singing career alive. Seo contributed songs to a few soundtracks and SM Town compilations as a solo artist.
2006-2014: Acting debut and further roles
Seo had the chance to perform in her first musical, The Sound of Music in 2006, which she saw as the turning point in her acting career. Supporting roles followed in the period drama Hwang Jini, TV police procedural H.I.T, and the queer filmAshamed. Seo first drew attention for her subtler performance in The Duo, as a neighborhood tomboy who later becomes a gisaeng. She played her first villain in Feast of the Gods, as an overly ambitious chef caught in a rivalry. Seo was then cast in leading roles for two historical dramas The King's Daughter, Soo Baek-hyang and The Three Musketeers. Seo has also frequently appeared in projects directed by her best friend, actress Ku Hye-sun, notably in the short filmThe Madonna and in the feature filmMagic, in which she had her first leading role.
2015–present: Rising popularity
Seo said the character that most resembled her real-life personality was the foodie freelance writer in Let's Eat 2, adding that she "didn't realize how much fun shooting a lively and comical drama could be." The drama was Seo's first attempt at romantic-comedy genre, in which she got good reviews and it became her career's turning point. Her popularity grew rapidly after the hit romance comedy drama Another Miss Oh, which she starred alongside Eric Mun. She was praised for her portrayal of such an ordinary and relatable character, and won the Baeksang Arts Award for Best Actress. Later in the same year, she starred in SBS hit medical dramaDr. Romantic alongside Han Suk-kyu and Yoo Yeon-seok. In 2017, Seo starred in the romance television series Temperature of Love penned by Ha Myung-hee. In 2018, Seo was cast in the fantasy melodrama The Beauty Inside which is based on the 2015 romantic comedy film of the same name. She plays an actress who spends a week out of each month living in someone else's body. In 2019, she is set to star in the high school television series .
