5 Korean celebrities who are also accomplished athletes

Known for her roles in K-dramas like the 2009 smash hit Boys Over Flowers and the wildly popular multi-season Sweet Home series, Lee Si-young is the perfect example of balancing strength and grace. Aside from acting, she’s also a competitive amateur boxer whose passion for the sport grew when she began boxing to prepare for a role as a female boxer.

Don’t miss: Interview: Lee Si-young on bringing her action A-game to ‘Grid’

She has participated in several amateur boxing matches and even won a national title in the 7th Annual Women’s Amateur Boxing Competition in 2010, several titles in the 48kg class, and the women’s 50kg category in the 10th KBI National Lifestyle Athletics Boxing Championship. She later became South Korea’s first mainstream entertainer or celebrity, male or female, to become a national team athlete for any sport. However, recurring injuries led her to announce her retirement from the sport in September 2015.

The son of well-known South Korean football coach Choi Yun-kyum, Shinee member Choi Min-ho inherited his father’s ability and showed off his football skills in shows like Our Town’s Physical Variety. The K-pop idol’s performance was so notable that it got him high praise from Lee Young-pro, a retired member of the South Korean national team. He also led his team to victory at the Idol Futsal World Cup Competition.

Read more: Tatler talks to Choi Min-ho, Chae Soo-bin, Park Hee-jung, and Lee Sang-woon

A fan of the sport with impressive skills to boot, Choi had originally wanted to pursue football professionally but was dissuaded by his father as his father didn’t think that his son had it in him to make it in the field. Instead of becoming a football player, Choi debuted as a K-pop idol after being discovered at the SM Casting System in 2006. He later studied and graduated as an arts and culture film major from Konkuk University.

One of South Korea’s most respected actors, Doctor Lawyer star So Ji-sub used to be a professional competitive swimmer. Since he was a child, he has been active as a swimming and water polo athlete, even training with the Korean national swimming team. He trained for 11 years and won a bronze medal at the Korean National Games. It was through training that he nurtured a strong work ethic and discipline.

See also: 32 exciting new Korean dramas to watch in 2024

So chanced upon the entertainment industry by chance as he needed money to become a swimmer. To earn good easy money, he started modelling despite having no interest in becoming a celebrity. This carved a career path for him and he eventually gave up swimming to pursue acting, landing his first lead role in the 2003 time travel historical K-drama, Thousand Years of Love.

My Daughter, Geum Sa-wol lead Yoon Hyun-min was a professional baseball player before making a name for himself as an actor. His athletic career started in high school where his pitching skills caught the attention of scouts. After graduating from Cheongwon High School, he played for the Hanhwa Eagles and the Doosan Bears, two of South Korea’s most prominent baseball teams.

Don’t miss: K-drama chic: How Korean television is reshaping street style

After years of playing professional baseball, he fell in love with the stage when he watched Finding Kim Jong-wook. In 2007, he decided to quit the sport to start his transition into acting, starring in the musical Spring Awakening. Yoon has since starred in popular K-dramas such as the 2017 legal K-drama Witch at Court and Netflix's science fiction romance series, My Holo Love.

NOW READ

Rising stars: The 11 new faces of Korean cinema

The subtle shift: How Korea’s top celebrities are embracing quiet luxury

A K-pop and K-drama fan’s ultimate guide to South Korea