If you’ve spent any time falling down the K-drama rabbit hole lately, you’ve definitely seen Kang Young-seok. You might not have known his name at first—he’s one of those "chameleon" actors who looks different in every single project—but once you spot him, he’s impossible to forget. Honestly, the guy has this weirdly impressive ability to go from playing a lovable best friend to a high-stakes corporate shark without breaking a sweat. It’s kinda wild.
Most people recognize him from the 2023 hit Welcome to Samdal-ri, where he played Bu Sang-do. You know, the rich friend who owned the famous restaurant and had that heartbreaking unrequited crush? Yeah, him. But his filmography actually goes way deeper than just being the "Second Lead Syndrome" king of Jeju Island.
From Daehakro Stages to the Small Screen
Kang Young-seok didn't just wake up one day and decide to be a TV star. He’s a classically trained theater nerd who spent years grinding in the Daehakro theater scene in Seoul. We’re talking heavy-duty musicals like Thrill Me and Mama Don’t Cry. If you’ve ever watched a theater actor transition to TV, you can usually tell by the way they use their eyes. Kang does this thing where he can tell an entire story just by shifting his gaze two inches to the left.
His transition to television started picking up steam around 2017 with Revolutionary Love, but he really started hitting his stride a few years later. He’s the kind of actor who doesn't mind taking smaller roles if the character is interesting. Basically, he’s building a "slow burn" career.
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The Gritty Side of Kang Young-seok Movies and TV Shows
If you only know him as Sang-do, you need to check out his darker stuff. Take the 2022 series Insider. He played Jang Seon-oh, a character that is about as far from a "nice guy" as you can get. He was sharp, dangerous, and carried this intense energy that made every scene feel like a ticking time bomb.
Then there’s The Kidnapping Day. He played Jayden, a cold-blooded investment manager. Honestly, the way he can switch off his "warmth" is sort of terrifying. It’s a complete 180 from his role in Poong, the Joseon Psychiatrist, where he played Jeon Kang-il, a rival doctor with a complex chip on his shoulder.
A Breakdown of Must-Watch Roles
You don't need to watch his entire 50-item filmography to get why he's trending, but there are a few essentials.
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- Welcome to Samdal-ri (2023): This is his most "human" role. He plays the son of a wealthy family who stays in his hometown while his friends go off to the big city. His chemistry with Ji Chang-wook and Shin Hye-sun was top-tier.
- Military Prosecutor Doberman (2022): He played Kang Ha-jun. It was a role that required a lot of tactical energy and technical dialogue. He nailed it.
- 100 Days My Prince (2018): A lot of fans actually forget he was in this! He played Gwon Hyeok. It’s a great example of his early work in saeguk (historical) dramas.
- Waiting for Rain (2021): On the movie side, his role as "Bookworm" was small but memorable. It’s a quiet, nostalgic film that fits his acting style perfectly.
Why He’s Everywhere in 2026
By now, in early 2026, Kang Young-seok has officially moved out of the "supporting actor" category and into the "mainstay" category. He’s recently been involved in projects like Queen Woo, showing he can handle the heavy weight of large-scale historical epics just as well as modern rom-coms.
One thing most people get wrong is thinking he’s a "new" actor. He’s been active since 2011. It just took the rest of the world a decade to catch up to what the theater kids in Seoul already knew.
What to Watch Next
If you’re looking to dive deeper into Kang Young-seok movies and tv shows, don't just stick to the Netflix Top 10. Go back and find his theater clips on YouTube—even if you don't speak Korean, his stage presence in Amadeus (where he played Mozart, by the way) is electric.
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Next Steps for Fans:
- Start with Welcome to Samdal-ri if you want something cozy.
- Switch to Insider if you want to see his range as a villain.
- Keep an eye on his 2025-2026 film festival circuit; he’s been leaning more into indie films lately which usually offer much meatier roles.
- Check out Cabriolet (2024), where he takes a more central role, showing he can carry a movie on his own shoulders.
The best way to support his career is to actually seek out these smaller projects. He’s clearly an actor who values the craft over the fame, and those are the ones who usually end up having the longest careers in the industry.