Kim Go-eun, Park Bo-young, now Kim You-jung: GOT7’s Jinyoung becomes K-drama’s ‘chemistry king’

First Kim Go-eun, then Park Bo-young and now, Kim You-jung.

GOT7’s Jinyoung is building a reputation as one of K-drama’s most reliable romantic leads, repeatedly winning viewers over with his chemistry opposite some of Korea’s best-known actresses.

Jinyoung is currently starring in tvN’s weekend drama “100 Days of Deception” as Sato Hideo, an elite interpreter working for the Japanese colonial government, who is also an ethnic Korean named Kim Tae-woong.

Hideo lives as a Japanese man while carrying his Korean roots and struggles with a complicated inner conflict. He longs for the approval of his adoptive father, Sato Shinichi, played by Jin Sun-kyu, while rarely allowing his true emotions to surface.

Jinyoung conveys both Hideo’s cold exterior and hidden wounds through restrained expressions and subtle changes in his gaze.

But around Lee Ga-gyeong, played by Kim You-jung, glimpses of tenderness emerge beneath his seemingly indifferent demeanor, creating a simmering romantic tension between the two.

In one scene, Hideo notices bruising on Ga-gyeong’s wrist and quietly brings her ointment, revealing a caring side beneath his blunt manner. His gradual emotional shift around her stands in contrast to the restraint he maintains in front of his adoptive father.

The relationship took another step forward in episode six, which aired Sunday, when Ga-gyeong broke down in Hideo’s arms after witnessing the death of Geum Seok-jung, played by Kam Woo-sung.

The drama itself is gaining momentum. The sixth episode recorded an average nationwide rating of 9.5 percent among paid-platform households and peaked at 10.4 percent, according to Nielsen Korea, marking a new series high.

For Jinyoung, praise for his chemistry with a co-star is hardly new.

Jinyoung previously won over romance fans as Yoo Babi in “Yumi’s Cells.”

After appearing in the first season in 2021, his character became a central romantic interest for Yumi, played by Kim Go-eun, in the second season the following year.

Warm, attentive and considerate, Yoo Babi became one of Jinyoung’s signature roles. The pair portrayed everything from the excitement of falling in love to the conflicts of a more realistic relationship.

The series also proved a hit. According to Korean streaming platform Tving, “Yumi’s Cells 2” ranked No. 1 among its original dramas at the time in terms of the number of paid subscriptions generated during its first week. The figure was about four times that recorded when the first season premiered.

Jinyoung followed that with another memorable romance opposite Park Bo-young in tvN’s “Our Unwritten Seoul” last year.

He played Lee Ho-su, a lawyer at a major law firm whose cool exterior concealed emotional scars.

Opposite Park, who took on dual roles, Jinyoung portrayed a quieter romance built around two people recognizing and comforting each other’s pain.

The drama opened with a nationwide rating of 3.6 percent and climbed to a series high of 8.4 percent for its finale, according to Nielsen Korea.

Their chemistry did not end when the cameras stopped rolling.

Affectionate couple photos and a photo booth shoot released after the drama ended generated buzz for looking strikingly like pictures of a real-life couple. The response became intense enough to spark dating speculation around the two actors.

With “100 Days of Deception,” Jinyoung is creating a different kind of romance with Kim You-jung.

Unlike the warmth he displayed in his contemporary dramas, his latest role operates within a period setting filled with secrets and restrictions. Hideo cannot readily reveal what he feels, leaving Jinyoung to convey shifts in the relationship through lingering looks, brief silences and small gestures.

With Kim Go-eun, he portrayed the ups and downs of a realistic relationship. With Park Bo-young, it was a romance about comfort and healing. With Kim You-jung, he is navigating attraction amid the tension of a historical drama.

The three projects are markedly different in tone, but they share one quality: Jinyoung manages to blend naturally with his co-stars without allowing his own character to disappear.

Jinyoung’s growing reputation as an actor has also brought renewed attention to the other half of his career.

He began acting in KBS 2TV’s “Dream High 2” in 2012 and made his music debut the same year as part of JJ Project. He later debuted as a member of GOT7 in 2014, building an international fan base with the group.

While continuing his idol career, Jinyoung steadily expanded his acting résumé through projects including “He Is Psychometric,” “The Devil Judge,” “Yumi’s Cells,” “The Witch” and “Our Unwritten Seoul.”

For drama viewers less immersed in K-pop, discovering that the actor is also a member of GOT7 has itself become a reminder of how successfully he has established a separate identity on screen.

And romance is not his only challenge in “100 Days of Deception.”

Playing an interpreter who speaks Japanese, English and Korean required extensive preparation. At the drama’s press conference, Jinyoung said there was no shortcut to performing in foreign languages.

“Practice was the only answer,” he said.

From Yoo Babi in “Yumi’s Cells” to Lee Ho-su in “Our Unwritten Seoul” and now Sato Hideo in “100 Days of Lies,” Jinyoung continues to add distinctive characters to his résumé — while repeatedly finding new chemistry with his leading ladies.

Having started as a singer and steadily carved out a place for himself as an actor, the question now is which co-star Jinyoung will click with next.

This article from Xportsnews was adapted by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.