Gateway to Fame

[Anchor Lead]

Many Korean celebrities have a few things in common when it comes to their road to fame. Let’s take a look at how some of your favorite Korean stars got their start in showbiz.

[Pkg]

In Korea's entertainment sector, there are a variety of so-called "gateways" to stardom. One of them is being a host of a music show.

[Soundbite] "I'm the new host of Music Bank, SeoHyo-rim."

[Soundbite] "I'm Song Joong-ki."

Actor Song Joong-ki, who is all the rage these days, hosted Music Bank when he was just starting his acting career. He then showed off impressive acting skills in the TV show "Sungkyunkwan Scandal" and the movie "A Werewolf Boy" before shooting to stardom across Asia for his appearance in the hit TV series "Descendants of the Sun." Actor Park Bo-gum, whose popularity has soared since his appearance in the TV show "Love in the Moonlight," also used to host Music Bank.

[Soundbite] "Live show Music Bank! Hello, everyone. I'm Park Bo-gum."

[Soundbite] "Hello. I'm Irene."

After hosting Music Bank for one year, Park Bo-gum demonstrated his acting talent to the fullest in "Love in the Moonlight," joining the ranks of top celebrities. Such a "tradition" in the show business sector has led many believe that Music Bank hosts have a high chance of becoming big stars. Another gateway to stardom is playing the role of the younger sibling of a big star. Park Bo-gum did that, too. He played the younger brother of lead actress Kim Haneul in his debut film "Blind." Seol-hyun of girl group AOA, who is also an actress, played the younger sister of top star Lee Min-ho in her debut movie. Since then, she has appeared in countless productions and TV commercials, proving that it does help to play the role of a top star's younger sibling to become a big star. Acting as a school uniform model is also considered to be a gateway to stardom. Actress Song Hye-kyo and many idol stars like BTS and Twice -- all appeared as school uniform models. These top stars became who they are today thanks to their hard work and good luck. In time, many more aspiring celebrities will walk through these gateways to fame.