South Korea is famous for its ever-growing entertainment industry. Korean celebrities are popular for acting, singing, dancing, etc. But usually, Korean Celebrities, both Idols, and actors, are portrayed and ridiculed for being cute and sweet all the time. Well, they are cute, but not just that. Many of the beloved Korean Celebrities are trained well in Martial Arts like Taekwondo, Kung Fu, Jujutsu, etc. The reason behind this might be the Southeast Asian community’s inclination towards martial arts and some nations being the place of origin for such martial arts themselves. Here is the list of 10 Korean Celebrities who are well-trained in martial arts.
1. Jungkook
Jeon Jungkook, known as Jungkook, is a South Korean singer and dancer and a member of the K-pop Boy band BTS (Bangtan Sonyeondan). Born on September 1, 1997, Jungkook is known for his versatility in vocals and dancing skills. He is known as ‘Golden Maknae’ (Golden Younger person) for his talents in many fields. Brought up in Busan, Jungkook has a Red-Black belt in Taekwondo. He began his training in Taekwondo at the age of 12 and trained for eight years. Apart from Taekwondo, Jungkook has also been practicing boxing and doing sparring sessions.
2. Moon Geun-Young
Moon Geun-Young, also known as “Nation’s Little sister,” is a South Korean actress. Born on May 6, 1987, she debuted as an actress in 1999. She gained further recognition in 2004 after starring in My Little Bride. Geun-Young trained in Taekwondo as a child and has a black belt. Her background in taekwondo has helped her in physically demanding scenes in her television series like The Village: Achiara’s Secret and Cinderella's Stepsister.
3. Park Hyung Sik
Born on November 16, 1991, Park Hyung-Sik is a South Korean actor, singer, and dancer. Hyung-Sik began his acting career in 2012 and is very popular for his roles in K-dramas like The Heirs, Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth, Happiness, and Soundtrack #1. In terms of Martial arts, he has learned Gumdo, a modern Korean martial art derived from the Japanese Kendo, for seven years. His skills in Gumdo have helped him execute his roles in Hwarang and Happiness efficiently.
4. Ha Ji-Won
Born on June 28, 1978, Jeon Hae-Rim, known popularly by her stage name Ha Ji-Won, is a South Korean actress. She is known for her roles in dramas such as Damo, Empress Ki, Secret Garden, and Hospital Ship. She is South Korea’s one of the most acclaimed actresses, and she is known for her versatile acting skills. Ji-Won has trained in various martial arts such as Kendo, Boxing, and the Korean Buddhist Martial art Sunmudo. Her background in martial arts is visible in her role in the K-drama The King 2Hearts.
5. Jimin
Born on October 13, 1995, Park Ji-min, or Jimin, is a South Korean singer and dancer. He is a member of the K-pop group BTS (Bangtan Sonyeondan). The 27-year-old K-pop idol is known for his unique vocals and training in contemporary dance. Jimin is known among the ARMY (BTS fandom) for his charming and kind personality. Jimin has a black belt in Taekwondo and has trained in Kendo for several years. He mentioned that he took up Kendo because of his love for the One Piece character Zoro. He has also trained in martial arts like Hapkido, Gumdo, and Chinese Martial arts.
6. Lee Jong-Suk
Lee Jong-Suk is a South Korean actor and model. Born on September 14, 1989, Jong-Suk is known for his roles in K-dramas like I Can Hear Your Voice, Doctor Stranger, While You Were Sleeping, W, and Big Mouth. He debuted as an actor in 2010 and is South Korea’s one of the most popular actors. Jong-Suk is trained in Taekwondo and has a Black belt in it. His martial arts skills are visible in his role in the K-drama W.
7. Chorong
Park Cho-Rong, also known as Chorong, is a South Korean singer and actress. She is the leader of the K-pop group Apink. Born on March 3, 1991, Chorong made her singing debut and acting debut in 2011. Being the daughter of a Hapkido master, Chorong trained in Hapkido for nine years and has a 3rd-degree black belt in the same. She revealed her Hapkido skills in a 2015 episode of KBS2’s ‘Our Neighbourhood Arts and Physical Education.’
8. The8
Xu Minghao, widely known as The8, is a Chinese singer and dancer in South Korea. The8 is a member of the K-pop boy band Seventeen and its subunit Performance Team. Born on November 7, 1997, The8 debuted in 2015 as a member of Seventeen, and as a soloist, he debuted in 2019. The8 grew up in Anshan, China, and trained in martial arts like Kung Fu and Wushu since the age of 5. He participated in the National Children’s Martial Arts competition and won first prize.
9. Bomi
Born on August 13, 1993, Yoon Bo-Mi, also known as Bomi, is a South Korean singer and actress. She is known popularly as a member of the K-pop Group Apink. Bomi debuted in 2011 as an idol and as an actress in 2012 by starring in Reply 1997. Bomi has also hosted and appeared as a cast in various South Korean Variety shows. She began training in Taekwondo when she was five and has a third-degree black belt. Bomi flaunted her Taekwondo skills in the South Korean Variety show ‘Running Man.’
10. Somi
Ennik Somi Douma, professionally known as Jeon Somi, is a South Korean-Canadian singer, rapper, and dancer. Born on March 9, 2001, she made her official debut as a member of the project girls group I.O.I in 2015 and later continued her musical career as a soloist. She gained worldwide fame for her song ‘Dumb Dumb’ in her 2021 studio album XOXO. Somi has been trained in Taekwondo and is certified as a fourth-degree Black belt holder. She also appeared in the Children’s Day Special of KBS2’s variety program Let’s Go! Dream Team Season 2 as a part of Seoul Midong Elementary School’s Taekwondo demonstration team.
