The Actor 'Saved' in the Hearts of Ten Million Audiences, TMI of Park Ji-hoon from A to Z

The charming man has been 'saved' in the hearts of ten million audiences. It has been a month since the release of 〈The Man Who Lives with the King〉, yet it continues to achieve remarkable box office success. Now, it is said that the popularity has spread beyond the theaters to the filming location in Yeongwol, Gangwon Province, which gives an idea of its popularity. At the center of this popularity are the perfectly matched actors, especially the presence of Park Ji-hoon, who played the young king Lee Hong-wi. Park Ji-hoon made countless audiences reflect on the tragedy of Danjong, and we have compiled his TMI from A to Z. For the few letters that remain unfilled, let’s fill them in from our own hearts as we get to know Park Ji-hoon (if you have the right answers, please leave a comment).

Actor

Park Ji-hoon, who established himself as a star through his activities in 〈Produce 101 Season 2〉. Perhaps that’s why he often receives compliments like, “He’s an idol, but he acts well.” However, in reality, he is originally an actor. He has been active as an actor since his childhood, and being an idol is more like a small 'deviation' for him. In fact, he mentioned in an interview with Cineplay that he started his trainee life while getting lost in dance, pondering how he could feel freedom in acting.

Brother

Park Ji-hoon has one older brother. He once wrote 'hyung' in his Wanna One official fan club kit profile, which became a small topic of discussion. There were speculations that there might be a significant age difference because he referred to him as 'hyung', but it’s just a common expression used in his hometown of Gyeongsang-do, and in reality, they are only two years apart. Recently, Park Ji-hoon mentioned his brother on a variety show, saying they are close enough to enjoy games together and that his brother is smart and focused on studying. He also conveyed his brother's thoughts, saying he enjoyed watching 〈The Man Who Lives with the King〉 but wished the tiger CGI had been better.

Cute

One cannot talk about Park Ji-hoon without mentioning his cuteness, represented by the phrase “Saved in my heart.” He is a charm machine who perfectly executes aegyo like flower petals, cheek pokes, winks, and other cute expressions that are hard for most celebrities to pull off.

Dog

He is a devoted pet owner. Park Ji-hoon diligently reads books by trainer Kang Hyung-wook and makes dog cakes for his pet dog Max, pouring his love into him. In an interview with a media outlet, he revealed that the first thing he does when he wakes up in the morning is go to see Max. As a pet owner, he is often caught on camera being adorably excited when filming content featuring dogs.

Eat

Unlike his appearances in various works, Park Ji-hoon is known as a big eater. He once confessed on Wanna One's own variety show that he ate eight meals a day, but when he took on the role of Lee Hong-wi in 〈The Man Who Lives with the King〉, he reportedly survived on just one apple throughout the filming. This was a drastic measure to achieve a look that matched the expression 'looking emaciated', and he perfectly transformed into Lee Hong-wi in the movie by losing 15 kg in just two and a half months.

FPS

Park Ji-hoon enjoys and excels at FPS games, to the point where he describes it as “more of a skill than a hobby.” He won a gold medal in the game 'Battlegrounds', also known as 'PUBG', during the 2020 broadcast of 〈Idol Star Athletics Championships〉, and his serious immersion in the game became a hot topic. In a later interview, he mentioned that he enjoys playing a large-scale FPS called 'Hell Let Loose', which deals with the battles between the Allied forces and the German army during World War II.

Grandmother

Recently, Park Ji-hoon shared memories of his grandmother on a broadcast. While filming his first leading role in 〈The World is a Very Pretty Audrey〉, his grandmother was suffering from dementia, just like the mother in the movie, and he acted while thinking of her. He expressed regret that his grandmother passed away the day after the movie premiere and couldn’t see it. He also added that he still longs for the chicken feet his grandmother used to make.

Ice Americano

Park Ji-hoon is famous for being an 'Ice Americano' lover, even in winter. He is often caught on camera drinking iced Americanos during the winter season. Sometimes he adds three or four shots, yet he reassured fans that he sleeps well.

Jumong

Park Ji-hoon's official debut work is known to be the MBC drama 〈Jumong〉, which aired in 2006. At that time, he was seven years old and played the son of a salt merchant. After he gained significant popularity, his scenes from that drama naturally became a topic of discussion.

King

He is now inseparable from Park Ji-hoon. The king. Lee Hong-wi, the tragic king who remains in Joseon history as the most tragic king, has been summoned to 2026 Korea through Park Ji-hoon's face. Director Jang Hang-jun's conviction that “You must be Danjong” led Park Ji-hoon to decide to appear in 〈The Man Who Lives with the King〉, and Jang Hang-jun's insight was spot on. For reference, while it’s Park Ji-hoon’s first time playing a king, he has portrayed royalty before in the drama 〈Fantasy Romance〉 as the crown prince 'Sajo Hyun' (and his other persona).

L.O.V.E

‘L.O.V.E’ is the title track of Park Ji-hoon's first solo mini album released in 2019. With this song, he achieved his first solo 1st place on 〈Music Bank〉.

MBTI

Park Ji-hoon's current MBTI is INFP. He used to be ENFP, but according to him, he realized the value of being alone as he transitioned from group activities to solo activities and acting, and he feels that his personality has gradually changed since then.

Next work

After 〈The Man Who Lives with the King〉, Park Ji-hoon's next project will be the drama 〈The Legend of the Cook Soldier〉. Based on the web novel of the same name, it depicts the process of Kang Sung-jae becoming a legend as a cook while completing various quests. Although it is set in the Republic of Korea Army, it can be seen as a game fantasy as it portrays events that occur when he gains superpowers related to cooking. In this drama, he will work with Yoon Kyung-ho, Han Dong-hee, and Lee Hong-nae.

OTT

Park Ji-hoon has conquered both Tving and Netflix with the 〈Weak Hero〉 series. 〈Weak Hero Class 1〉 was released as a Wavve original, but after Netflix took over production, the follow-up season 〈Weak Hero Class 2〉 was released on Netflix. When season 1 was released on Wavve, it ranked first in paid subscriber acquisition and buzz, and when season 2 was released on Netflix, it achieved a remarkable comeback, reaching global 2nd place in the non-English TV show category. Season 2 also achieved global 1st place in the non-English TV show category on Netflix upon release, with a total view count exceeding 20 million in the first half of the year.

Popping

Park Ji-hoon's dance specialty is popping. This dance genre, which gives a feeling of bouncing by momentarily tightening and releasing muscles, is the first dance genre that Park Ji-hoon got into. He mentioned in a recent interview that he still keeps up with popping dance videos. Footage of his dance battles from his school days before his debut has also been rediscovered.

Rabbit

If there is an animal that has a special connection with Park Ji-hoon, it is undoubtedly the rabbit. He was born in 1999, the year of the rabbit, and his birth flower is also clover. He has never thought he resembles a rabbit, but as fans actively promoted the nickname 'rabbit', he has shown various fan services such as wearing rabbit headbands and using rabbit photo filters.

Solo

Park Ji-hoon has been consistently pursuing solo activities since the release of his first solo mini album in 2019. By February 2026, he has released seven mini albums and one full album, and he is expected to make a comeback with a new album around April 2026.

Tears

When talking about actor Park Ji-hoon, most people would first mention his gaze. His always moist eyes are particularly suited for roles that evoke sympathy, and in 〈The Man Who Lives with the King〉, his gaze accentuates the frustration felt by Lee Hong-wi. In an interview, there was even a mention of artificial tears, but Park Ji-hoon stated that he did not receive any help from artificial tears. He has been good at crying since his child actor days, having delivered a passionate performance on 〈Star King〉.

Wanna One

Park Ji-hoon was undoubtedly one of the most popular trainees until the end of 〈Produce 101 Season 2〉. After ranking first in the first vote, he never fell below third place until the end, showcasing a solid fandom. The final voting result placed him second. Wanna One concluded their activities in January 2019, but recently the members have come together to film a new reality show, which is scheduled to air in April 2026.

X-mas

Every year during the Christmas season, Park Ji-hoon tends to release videos, including dance videos with Christmas-themed fashion, and sometimes unique concept videos to entertain his fans. In 2020, he uploaded a video of decorating a Christmas tree, and in 2024, he made a video about 'snacks for an alien party that I imagine'. Unfortunately, in 2025, he only sent Christmas greetings through photos instead of a video.

Yeon Si-eun

Park Ji-hoon's representative character, Yeon Si-eun. He is the protagonist of the 〈Weak Hero〉 series, who wants to study but gets caught up in various fights because those around him won’t leave him alone. This role allowed fans to discover not only Park Ji-hoon's charm of aegyo and boyishness but also a sense of lonely masculinity. Park Ji-hoon said that Yeon Si-eun is a character that always stays in his heart, and just thinking about him brings tears to his eyes. Therefore, after filming the ending scene of 〈Weak Hero Class 2〉, he shed tears, feeling grateful that Yeon Si-eun met good friends.