This “Yeo Jin Goo’s lookalike” used to be an all-rounder trainee with impressive rap and dance skills

Before becoming an actor, Kim Min Jae spent a long time as an idol trainee.

Actor Kim Min Jae’s unexpected past recently became a hot topic again. He is known to have been a trainee for 4 years before becoming an actor. After passing a CJ E&M audition at the age of 17, Kim Min Jae is said to have been the leader of the group of trainees that included actor Kim Min Seok, SF9 Young Bin, A.C.E members Jun & Dong Hoon & Wow, and Dreamcatcher Su Ah.

Kim Min Jae was not really good at dancing at first. However, after seeing the message that his trainer left in his record book, saying “It would be a miracle if Kim Min Jae danced well”, he began to work hard to improve his dancing skills. After taking tremendous efforts, Kim Min Jae successfully became an all-round trainee.

He stood out among the trainees and later made an unexpected acting debut. Kim Min Jae started his career as an actor in Mnet’s drama “Persevere, Goo Hae Ra” in 2015. He made use of his trainee experience and perfectly portrayed Sa Ki Joon, the leader of the popular idol group Impact.

Kim Min Jae, who became a hot topic for his low-pitched voice and uncanny resemblance with Yeo Jin Goo, has built up his acting skills and recognition by appearing in K-dramas such as “The Producers”, “Second 20s”, “Because This Is My First Life”, and “Goblin”. 

In 2016, he assumed the role of Park Eun Tak, a male nurse at Doldam Hospital, in the SBS drama “Dr. Romantic”, and delivered a harmonious portrayal alongside actor Han Suk Kyu.  

Thanks to the popularity of the first season, he confirmed his appearance in “Dr. Romantic 2”, and added fun to the series by showing a fresh romance with the emergency medicine major Yoon Ah Reum (So Joo Yeon). This special chemistry is expected to continue in “Dr. Romantic 3”, receiving high anticipations from viewers. 

After various supporting roles, Kim Min Jae proved his potential as a leading actor in several projects, one of them being “Do You Like Brahms?”,  where he starred alongside Park Eun Bin. Here, the actor transforms into a genius pianist who has his own personal wounds that later get healed with love. The series ended up receiving favorable reviews for causing excitement and sympathy even in the rare genre of classical music and romance.

Afterwards, he assumed the role of Yoo Se Poong, a genius doctor who couldn’t sleep in “Poong, the Joseon Psychiatrist”. In the end, the drama was showered with pleasant and warm responses, and thus was confirmed for a 2nd season. 

Scheduled to be broadcast for the first time on January 11, 2023, season 2 of “Poong, the Joseon Psychiatrist” is attracting a lot of attention. Unlike the 1st season, the trailer for season 2 focus on Kim Min Jae’s romantic chemistry with co-star Kim Hyang Gi, raising expectations. Many viewers also express curiosity about where Kim Min Jae’s confession in Season 1 will reach Kim Hyang Gi this time around.  

Currently, attention is being focused on whether Kim Min Jae, who will be starring in highly-anticipated projects “Dr. Romantic 3” and “Poong, the Joseon Psychiatrist 2”, will be able to see further rises in popularity and attain his much-deserved recognition. 

Source: daum