Rising Star Moon Sang-min Reflects on His Growing Popularity and Future Aspirations

"I actually felt more recognized when I was in college. At that time, I was filming a web drama, and since many young people watched it, the response was immediate. Now that I'm not attending school, I don't really feel that kind of popularity."

Last month, a round interview with Moon Sang-min, the male lead of 'Beloved Bandit', took place at a cafe in Gangnam, Seoul. When asked if he feels his recent popularity, he responded as such. Standing at 191cm with striking visuals and stable acting skills, Moon Sang-min is gaining love and steadily increasing popularity with his roles in 'Beloved Bandit' and 'Pavane'.

He has been confirmed as the lead in 'Beauty in the Beast' and has been offered a special appearance in the new drama 'The Miracles of the Namiya General Store'. As one of the most notable rising stars among Gen Z actors in their 20s, he graduated from Hanlim Multi Art School's Fashion Model Department and was accepted into Sungkyunkwan University's Acting Arts Department, overcoming a 89:1 competition ratio. This department has seen many celebrities like Cha Eun-woo and Shin Ye-eun as predecessors.

Born in 2000, Moon Sang-min began his acting career in late 2019 with the web drama 'Four Reasons I Hate Christmas'. In 2022, he gained public attention by playing the role of Grand Prince Seongnam, Kim Hye-soo's son, in 'Under the Queen's Umbrella'. He was then cast as the male lead in 'Wedding Impossible' and 'Cinderella at 2 AM', sharing romantic chemistry with Jeon Jong-seo (1994) and Shin Hyun-bin (1986), respectively. This year, he showcased a romantic chemistry with Nam Ji-hyun, who is five years his senior.

Premiering on January 3, KBS2's 'Beloved Bandit' tells the story of a woman who becomes the greatest thief and a grand prince of Joseon who chases her, with their souls swapping and ultimately saving each other and the people. Moon Sang-min plays the role of Grand Prince Lee Yeol, engaging in a historical romance with Nam Ji-hyun's character, Hong Eun-jo. The drama, which provided a turning point for KBS with its ratings stuck in the 1% range until the end of last year, succeeded in achieving a peak rating of 7.7% nationwide according to Nielsen Korea.

Having debuted seven years ago, Moon Sang-min made his first foray into a terrestrial drama with 'Beloved Bandit'. He stated, "After 'Beloved Bandit' aired, many people started asking, 'Who is that person? Who is the actor playing Lee Yeol?' This means there are still many people who are not familiar with me and are seeing me for the first time. Therefore, I think it's most important to show various sides of myself in the future." He added, "Within the scope of what I can handle, I want to work harder and explore various fields if given the opportunity."

"I believe I have a long way to go. I need to target my peers, especially viewers in their 20s and 30s. Thanks to 'Beloved Bandit', I've gained some recognition among mothers, but there are still many who don't know me. So, I think I need to work much harder."

Despite the continuous casting news drawing industry attention, he emphasizes that he doesn't feel the popularity and acknowledges he has a long way to go. Moon Sang-min expressed, "While I do feel the joy of acting, I still don't know myself well. However, as I act, I feel like I'm gradually finding my identity, which is very satisfying. It's fascinating and interesting to see a new side of Moon Sang-min in each project."

"Discovering things like 'Did I have this kind of face?', 'This side of me is actually not bad', and 'Even the parts I wasn't confident about can be quite okay' is intriguing. Being able to challenge various things through different projects and find my own image in the process is a blessing, and I think it's the greatest charm of this job."

Lee So-jung, Ten Asia Reporter forusojung@tenasia.co.kr