Kang You-seok

Kang Shin-cheol (; born June 10, 1994), better known by the stage name Kang You-seok , is a South Korean actor. He began his career in 2018 with minor roles. He first gained attention for starring in the television series Light on Me, Payback: Money and Power (2023), and Black Knight (2023) before coming to wider recognition for dramas When Life Gives You Tangerines (2025) and Resident Playbook (2025).

Early life and education Born Kang Shin-cheol on June 10, 1994, in Gangneung, South Korea, as the second of four siblings, he has an older sister, a younger brother, and a younger sister. His aspiration to become an actor began in high school. His parents initially opposed his ambition, urging him to "just live an ordinary life" and questioning his prospects in acting. Despite their opposition, Kang persevered. After a year of preparation, he was admitted to the acting department of Korea National University of Arts as a 14th-batch student. Upon witnessing his son's acceptance to a prestigious acting college, his parents eventually became supportive.

Career

2018 to 2023: Beginnings Kang's journey into acting was challenging. He faced rejection at auditions for a year and a half before landing his first role. Despite the setbacks, he remained committed to acting.

He made his debut in the 2018 OCN drama God's Quiz: Reboot. From there, he took on minor and supporting roles in various series like The Hymn of Death (2018), Dr. Romantic 2 (2020), Start-Up (2020), and Beyond Evil (2021). Since his debut, he has actively sought diverse experiences, taking on roles regardless of their size or genre, including a role in the boys' love production Light on Me (2021). This open-minded approach has allowed him to steadily build his career.

2025 to present: Wider recognition

In 2025, Kang gained wider recognition with two dramas available to stream on Netflix: the Netflix original series When Life Gives You Tangerines and the drama Resident Playbook. In When Life Gives You Tangerines, Kang played the supporting role of Yang Eun-myeong, the son of the main characters Ae-sun (Moon So-ri) and Gwan-sik (Park Hae-joon), as well as younger brother of Geum-myeong (IU). His performance received positive reviews, earning him the 10th spot on Good Data Corporation's list of buzzworthy actors in the third week of March. He is also nominated as Best New Actor at the 2025 Blue Dragon Series Awards. To prepare for the role, Kang learned how to dance. His role placed him as high as fourth on Good Data Corporation's list of most buzzworthy actors. Despite a delay in airing, the drama's success led to Kang's first reward vacation to Bali with the cast and crew.

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Notes 2018 Moving 2020 The Interviewees 2021 Ghost Mansion Tae-hun Distant SummerSaebyokShort film 2022 The Flatterer Kang Dae-chi 2026 Final Interview Lee Hee-chan

Television series

Music video appearances Year Artist Title Notes 2017 Lee Min-hyuk (BtoB) "Summer Diary"(夏の日記) Japanese single 2025 Tomorrow X Together "When the Day Comes" Resident Playbook OST Bibi "Apocalypse" Eve: Romance

Discography Soundtrack appearances + List of soundtrack singles, showing year released and selected chart positions Title Year Peak chart positions Notes KOR "A Race" 2025 96 Resident Playbook OST

Awards and nominations + Name of the award ceremony, year presented, category, nominee of the award, and the result of the nomination Award ceremony Year Category Nominee / Work Result APAN Star Awards 2025 Best New Actor Resident Playbook, When Life Gives You Tangerines Asia Artist Awards 2025 Emotive Award – Actor Kang You-seok Blue Dragon Series Awards 2025 Best New Actor When Life Gives You Tangerines Fundex Awards 2025 Best Supporting Male Performer on OTT Global OTT Awards 2025 Best New Actor Resident Playbook SBS Drama Awards 2023Payback: Money and Power