Seo Kang Joon Profile 2026: Bio, Age, Career, Dramas & 5urprise
Seo Kang Joon has taken an unusual route through the Korean entertainment industry. He did not begin as a conventional idol who later moved into acting. Instead, he entered the industry through an actor-focused project, became one of the members of 5urprise, and gradually established himself as a leading television actor.
Born Lee Seung Hwan on October 12, 1993, in Gunpo, Gyeonggi Province, Seo Kang Joon is 32 years old as of September 2026. He is now best known for dramas such as Cheese in the Trap, Are You Human?, Watcher, When the Weather Is Fine, Grid, and Undercover High School. His latest drama, A Love Other Than Yours, began airing on KBS2 in September 2026.
Seo Kang Joon Quick Facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Stage Name | Seo Kang Joon |
| Korean Name | 서강준 |
| Birth Name | Lee Seung Hwan |
| Birthday | October 12, 1993 |
| Age | 32 as of September 2026 |
| Birthplace | Gunpo, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea |
| Height | 183 cm |
| Education | Dong Seoul University |
| Profession | Actor; former member of 5urprise |
| Former Group | 5urprise |
| Agency | Man of Creation |
| Debut Era | 2013 |
| Current Drama | A Love Other Than Yours |
| Major 2025 Award | MBC Drama Awards Daesang |
The official Japanese fan club profile lists his birthday as October 12, 1993, height as 183 cm and confirms his drama and film credits. Man of Creation became his agency after he and several former 5urprise members left Fantagio in 2020.
Table of Contents
Early Life and Education
Seo Kang Joon was born Lee Seung Hwan in Gunpo. Before entering the entertainment industry, he spent time studying in Malaysia during his school years. Public biographies also record that he later studied performing arts at Dong Seoul University.
His early interests were not limited to acting. He also learned piano, an ability that later became particularly useful when he played characters connected to music. His interest in performance eventually led him toward professional entertainment work.
Rather than immediately entering the industry as a solo actor, he auditioned through Fantagio’s actor-development system. This became the starting point for a career that would combine acting, singing and variety appearances.
How Seo Kang Joon Entered Entertainment
Before his major television success, Seo Kang Joon worked as a part-time model and trained through Fantagio’s Actor’s League. The program was designed to find and develop young actors, and Seo eventually became part of the five-member project known as 5urprise.
The group consisted of Seo Kang Joon, Gong Myung, Kang Tae Oh, Lee Tae Hwan and Yoo Il. Unlike a traditional idol group, 5urprise was created around actors, with members receiving training in acting as well as singing and dance.
5urprise made its entertainment debut in 2013 through the web drama After School: Lucky or Not. This unusual beginning helped establish the group’s identity as an actor group rather than a standard K-pop act.
Seo Kang Joon and 5urprise
Seo Kang Joon’s association with 5urprise is an important part of his early career. In 2014, the group expanded further into music and released its debut single album, “From My Heart.” Fantagio also announced plans for an Asia tour around the group’s music activities.
This is why Seo Kang Joon can accurately be described as a former singer as well as an actor. His musical career was closely connected to 5urprise rather than being built around a long-term solo singing career.
The members eventually moved on from Fantagio. On March 31, 2020, their exclusive contracts with the company ended. Seo Kang Joon, Kang Tae Oh, Lee Tae Hwan and Yoo Il subsequently joined Man of Creation, while Gong Myung signed with Saram Entertainment.
Acting Career
Seo Kang Joon steadily built his acting résumé after his early web and television appearances. His work includes romance, melodrama, science fiction, mystery, thriller and action projects.
One of his major early breakthroughs came with Cunning Single Lady, after which he appeared in projects including What Happens to My Family? and Hwajung. He later gained much wider recognition as Baek In Ho in Cheese in the Trap.
Cheese in the Trap
His role as Baek In Ho in tvN’s Cheese in the Trap became an important turning point. The character was significantly different from Seo’s real personality, something the actor discussed during interviews at the time. He described himself as more timid and introverted than the character he played.
The role also brought considerable public attention and helped move Seo Kang Joon from a promising young performer toward leading-man territory.
Are You Human?
In 2018, Seo Kang Joon took on the technically demanding double role of Nam Shin and the artificial-intelligence android Nam Shin III in KBS2‘s Are You Human?.
His performance was recognized at the 2018 KBS Drama Awards, where he won Best Actor in a Medium-Length Drama. He also received the Best Couple Award alongside Gong Seung Yeon.
Watcher
Seo Kang Joon later moved into darker material with OCN’s Watcher in 2019. The project demonstrated that his appeal was not limited to romantic or youthful characters and allowed him to work in a serious crime-thriller setting.
When the Weather Is Fine
In JTBC’s When the Weather Is Fine, Seo Kang Joon played Im Eun Seob, a quiet bookstore owner whose gentle personality became central to the drama’s emotional tone. The series remains one of his best-known melodramatic roles and appears on his official fan-club filmography.
Grid
After his military service, Seo Kang Joon returned to screen work with Disney+’s science-fiction thriller Grid, released in 2022. The project gave him another opportunity to work outside conventional romance.
Undercover High School
His major post-military comeback came with MBC’s Undercover High School in 2025. Seo played Jeong Hae Seong, an elite National Intelligence Service agent who disguises himself as a high school student while investigating missing gold linked to Emperor Gojong.
For the role, Seo said he trained at an action school to prepare for the drama’s action sequences.
The drama proved to be a major career milestone. At the 2025 MBC Drama Awards, Seo Kang Joon won the Daesang (Grand Prize) for Undercover High School, while the drama itself received the Drama of the Year award.
Military Service
Seo Kang Joon began his mandatory military service on November 23, 2021, serving as an active-duty soldier. His agency confirmed the enlistment at the time and did not disclose his location for privacy and safety reasons.
He was discharged in May 2023. Undercover High School later became his first acting project following military service, making the drama an especially significant return to television.
Seo Kang Joon’s Latest Drama in 2026
As of September 2026, Seo Kang Joon is starring in KBS2‘s A Love Other Than Yours opposite Ahn Eun Jin.
The realistic romance follows a couple who have been together for 10 years. Seo plays Namgoong Ho, an assistant manager at Hunmin Confectionery who has long imagined a future with Lee Mi Do, played by Ahn Eun Jin.
The drama premiered on September 12, 2026, at 9:20 p.m. KST. Recent interviews and promotional material have focused on Seo’s return to the romance genre and the subtle emotional changes required for the role.
Seo Kang Joon’s Awards and Achievements
His awards show how his career has developed from newcomer roles into major lead performances.
Notable achievements include:
- 2014 Korea Drama Awards – Best New Actor for Cunning Single Lady
- 2015 Korea Drama Awards – Hot Star Award
- 2016 Asia Artist Awards – Best Entertainer
- 2017 Asia Artist Awards – Best Icon
- 2018 KBS Drama Awards – Best Actor in a Medium-Length Drama
- 2018 KBS Drama Awards – Best Couple
- 2025 MBC Drama Awards – Daesang for Undercover High School
The 2025 Daesang stands out as his biggest publicly documented acting award to date and came in his first major drama after military service.
Seo Kang Joon’s Personality and Interests
Older interviews offer a useful glimpse into the person behind the actor without relying on unsupported celebrity trivia. In a Nylon interview, Seo described himself as shy and said that he preferred preparing carefully for roles rather than improvising without preparation.
He has also spoken about reading novels and visiting large bookstores during his free time. In a 2020 GQ interview, he explained that browsing books was one of the ways he spent his free time and that he generally enjoyed reading novels.
These details are more reliable than many online lists that attribute specific daily routines, diets, luxury purchases or private habits to him without a verifiable source.
Fitness, Diet and Skincare: What Is Confirmed?
Fans frequently search for Seo Kang Joon’s workout routine, diet plan and skincare routine, but these subjects need careful treatment.
There is no sufficiently detailed, consistently documented public routine from Seo Kang Joon that would justify publishing a fixed weekly workout plan, calorie target or personal diet as fact. Likewise, a detailed private skincare regimen has not been established through a reliable primary source.
His preparation for Undercover High School is different: Seo publicly discussed training at an action school for the drama’s action scenes. That is a confirmed role-preparation detail, not evidence of a permanent personal workout routine.
Plastic Surgery: Fact Check
There is no reliable primary-source evidence establishing that Seo Kang Joon has undergone specific cosmetic surgery procedures.
Photos from different years can look different because of hairstyle, makeup, styling, lighting, photography, age and body composition. Those changes should not be presented as proof of surgery.
For that reason, claims about specific procedures should be treated as unconfirmed unless Seo Kang Joon or an authorized source publicly addresses them.
Family and Personal Life
Publicly available profiles mention that Seo Kang Joon has an older sister, but he has generally kept his private family life away from the center of his public career.
Information about relationships, a private home, personal vehicles, private phone models or other lifestyle details should not be treated as fact merely because they appear on fan pages or social media posts.
What Makes Seo Kang Joon’s Career Different?
Seo Kang Joon’s career stands out because he developed from an actor-training system into a member of an actor-singer group and then built a substantial solo acting career.
His path also shows considerable range. From the youthful romance of Cunning Single Lady and Cheese in the Trap to the dual role in Are You Human?, the thriller Watcher, the melodrama When the Weather Is Fine, the science-fiction drama Grid, and the action-comedy Undercover High School, his projects have covered very different genres.
His 2025 MBC Daesang further marked a new stage in that progression. Now, his 2026 romance drama gives him another opportunity to show a quieter side of his acting.
Career Timeline
| Year | Career Highlight |
|---|---|
| 2013 | Debuted through the actor group 5urprise |
| 2014 | 5urprise released From My Heart |
| 2014 | Gained recognition through Cunning Single Lady |
| 2015 | Appeared in Hwajung and The Beauty Inside |
| 2016 | Breakthrough attention from Cheese in the Trap |
| 2018 | Starred in Are You Human? |
| 2018 | Won KBS Drama Awards Best Actor and Best Couple |
| 2019 | Starred in Watcher |
| 2020 | Appeared in When the Weather Is Fine and moved to Man of Creation |
| 2021–2023 | Completed mandatory military service |
| 2022 | Appeared in Disney+’s Grid |
| 2025 | Returned with Undercover High School |
| 2025 | Won MBC Drama Awards Daesang |
| 2026 | Stars in A Love Other Than Yours |
FAQs Anout Seo Kang Joon
1. What is Seo Kang Joon’s real name?
Seo Kang Joon’s real name is Lee Seung Hwan (이승환).
2. How old is Seo Kang Joon?
Seo Kang Joon was born on October 12, 1993. He is 32 years old as of September 2026.
3. When is Seo Kang Joon’s birthday?
His birthday is October 12, 1993.
4. Where was Seo Kang Joon born?
He was born in Gunpo, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea.
5. How tall is Seo Kang Joon?
His official Japanese fan-club profile lists his height as 183 cm.
6. Is Seo Kang Joon a K-pop idol?
Not in the conventional sense. He was a member of 5urprise, an actor group that also pursued music activities.
7. Was Seo Kang Joon a singer?
Yes. He performed as a member of 5urprise, which released music including the 2014 single album From My Heart.
8. Is Seo Kang Joon still in 5urprise?
No. The group’s members left Fantagio after their contracts ended in March 2020, ending that chapter of their careers.
9. Which agency represents Seo Kang Joon?
Seo Kang Joon is represented by Man of Creation (M.O.C.). The agency became his home after he left Fantagio in 2020.
10. What did Seo Kang Joon study?
Public profiles identify Dong Seoul University and performing arts/acting studies as part of his educational background.
11. What was Seo Kang Joon’s breakthrough drama?
Cheese in the Trap is widely regarded as one of his major breakthrough projects, particularly for his role as Baek In Ho.
12. What is Seo Kang Joon’s most famous drama?
There is no single officially designated “most famous” drama, but Cheese in the Trap, Are You Human?, Watcher, When the Weather Is Fine, and Undercover High School are among his best-known works.
13. What award did Seo Kang Joon win for Undercover High School?
He won the Daesang (Grand Prize) at the 2025 MBC Drama Awards for Undercover High School.
14. When did Seo Kang Joon complete military service?
He enlisted on November 23, 2021, and completed his mandatory service in 2023.
15. What was Seo Kang Joon’s first drama after military service?
His first acting project after military discharge was Undercover High School.
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