I was never really interested in Korean series or music. But earlier this year, I started watching Itaewon Class. Many of my friends were talking about it, and even some of my favorite artists mentioned it. In the last episode, Park Bo-gum made a surprise cameo as a chef. I remember thinking, who is this guy? He’s so cute.

I did a little research. Of course, I had heard his name before, but I didn’t really know much about him.

A few months later, Netflix announced the premiere of Record of Youth, where he plays the main character. After watching the first two episodes, I decided to start Love in the Moonlight. That was it. I was completely starstruck.

I ended up watching most of his previous series. Then I discovered that he can sing too. One evening, I sat down and listened to all of his songs on Spotify. I was honestly surprised by how much I liked them. I’m quite picky about the kind of music I listen to, so this was unexpected.

He sings beautifully in Korean, Japanese, and even English. Of course, I looked up the meanings of his Korean and Japanese lyrics. I even ordered some of his CDs from Japan, including his first Japanese solo album Blue Bird and his ballad single All My Love.

My absolute favorite song from Blue Bird is “Dear My Friend.” I love everything about it. The melody, the lyrics, the feeling. It’s so heartwarming that I almost want to hug the people who worked on it. Other favorites include “Guiding Star,” “Best Love Song,” and “Come on & Join Us.”

Aside from the emotional ballad All My Love, he also played piano in “Bloomin’,” which was his first Japanese single. And last year, he released a cheerful Christmas song called “Happy Merry Christmas.”

I’ve heard that he wants to grow as an artist and songwriter, and I think he’s doing a wonderful job so far. I’m looking forward to seeing what he does after completing his military service. I’m also excited to watch more of his acting projects.

If you’re curious, you can check out his music on Spotify. And his movie Seobok is set to be released later this year.