'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAGAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFQABAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAgb/2gAIAQEAAAAAEF//xAAUAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD/9oACAECEAAAAD//xAAUAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD/9oACAEDEAAAAE//xAAfEAABBAEFAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAEAQIDBREABhIiUiH/2gAIAQEAAT8AI3AZuWhsxnySCQilyxkMGkViFpKnPg/OenfUlZW2EjjXizK4lVmXJHr751//xAAYEQACAwAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAgADEv/aAAgBAgEBPwCljthP/8QAGBEAAwEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQIDABH/2gAIAQMBAT8AtNSo6N//2Q=='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
2022 is a big year for K-Drama, with several stars stepping into what many consider to be the best phase of one’s life - their thirties! Aging is inevitable, but doing so with grace and wisdom is an acquired skill, and no one knows it better than actors in South Korea.
In this list, we have a 900-year-old gumiho and a Joseon Dynasty king (who is a woman in disguise), among others. These five iconic K-Drama actors have already accomplished a lot during their twenties, and going forward, one expects only better things from them.
Incidentally, despite 2022 being the year they actually turn 30, most of them are already considered that old, going by their Korean age, which adds a year.
Which K-Drama actors will turn 30 in 2022?
1. Woo Do Hwan
Kicking off the thirties brigade is actor Woo Do Hwan. Born on July 2, 1992, the star made his debut in 2011, in MBN’s Come, Come, Absolutely Come. While it was a cameo, Woo Do Hwan wasted no time in taking on meatier roles, including that of Suk Dong Chul in the 2017 K-Drama Save Me and of Kwon Shi Hyun in Tempted. He also bagged Best New Actor for his role in Mad Dog at the 2017 KBS Drama Awards.
The star’s last appearance was in The King: Eternal Monarch, as Jo Yeong.
2. Jang Ki Yong
Jang Ki Yong has had a fruitful 2021, with not one but two successful K-dramas, including My Roommate Is a Gumiho and the ongoing Now, We Are Breaking Up. The handsome star will look to keep the momentum going as he turns 30 on August 7, 2022.
Well known for his role in the 2018 K-drama, Search: WWW, Jang Ki Yong made his debut with a guest appearance on 2014's It’s Okay, That’s Love. His first-ever lead role was in the 2018 melodrama Come and Hug Me, where he played a rookie detective.
The actor will be celebrating his 30th birthday in the army, as he signed up for compulsory military service in August 2021.
3. Park Eun Bin
The Hello, My Twenties! actress has been in the K-drama industry for many years now, having made her debut at the tender age of five. All eyes will be on her as Park Eun Bin turns 30 on September 4, 2022.
Park Eun Bin’s first lead role was in Operation Proposal in 2012. Hot Stove League, her most successful K-drama so far, pushed her into the limelight, winning Best Drama at the 56th Baeksang Arts Awards.
Her role as the cross-dressing Lee Hwi in the recently concluded King’s Affection has viewers around the world raving about her performance.
4. Kim Ji Won
One of the most popular names on the list, Kim Ji Won turns 30 on October 19, 2022. The talented actress has played several iconic characters in her career so far, including that of a heiress in her breakthrough role in cult classic The Heirs, for which she won Best New Star at the SBS Drama Awards.
Kim Ji Won also shined in her roles in Fight for My Way, alongside Park Seo Joon, and the hit K-drama Descendents of the Sun. While her characters in each of those two shows were starkly different, the star more than did justice to both.
At the start of 2021, Kim Ji Won starred alongside heartthrob Ji Chang Wook in the the experimental K-drama Lovestruck in the City.
5. Yang Se Jong
Talented actor and model Yang Se Jong steps into his thirties on December 23, 2022. Labeled “monster rookie” by the press, he has not played too many lead parts yet, but all his roles have been critically acclaimed.
The actor made his debut in Dr. Romantic, where he grabbed eyes as the lead Yoo Yeon Seok’s rival. Since then, he has starred in the sageuk K-drama Saimdang, Memoir of Colors, sci-fi thriller Duel, and the romance series Temperature of Love, for which he won Best New Actor at three different prestigious award ceremonies.
Yang Se Jong also bagged the Excellence Award at the SBS Drama Awards for his role in Still 17.
