If you are a Kpopmap reader, you would've noticed an ongoing weekly series called "Girl Crush" that explores women in the Korean industry that many admire and have a crush on.

Welcome to the forty-second article of our weekly series "Boy Crush"! This series will appreciate the men in K-Pop and K-Dramas that we have a crush on based on anything from their style, talent, personality, overall vibe, etc. We will learn more about the most crushable boys in the Korean industry and their incredible achievements.

Check out the previous articles featuring the boy crushes that have already been covered here!

Readers voted for Kim HyunJoong in our weekly poll to be featured this week.

Before starting this week's series, you can vote for who you want to be featured in next week's article. If you would like to see a different idol/actor (not mentioned in the poll) featured in the series, please leave their name in the comments and we will add them to the vote over time.

Important notice: the vote only decides who will be featured in the following article. Everyone in the poll will be featured in the series eventually. Suggestions will also be gradually added each week.

Back to this week's feature!

Let's get to know our crush, Kim HyunJoong!

Kim HyunJoong's Instagram

Kim HyunJoong is one of the veterans in the Korean entertainment industry that has made quite an impression on many fans internationally. He was nominated by his fans to be featured in this "Boy Crush" series. So, let's get to know all about this bright star today.

If you're new to Kim HyunJoong, here is some basic information about him. Kim HyunJoong was born on June 6, 1986, and has had a deep-rooted passion for the arts since he was young.

When he was a student, he was part of an indie band and played the bass guitar due to his interest in rock music. In fact, his initial dream was to debut as a member of a band. In order to pursue his dream, he went through a number of obstacles that were challenging and life-changing.

He debuted as the leader and main vocalist of SS501 in 2005. The group was one of the biggest boy groups during their generation of K-Pop. They were monster rookies and extremely popular in Korea, Japan, and other countries throughout their careers, too.

When it comes to his individual persona as an artist, Kim HyunJoong is known for being hardworking and versatile.

He has a special love and affinity for playing the guitar, too. This shows in the way that he performs and how it embodies his love for music.

Kim HyunJoong's Instagram

Currently, he is active as a solo singer. He has seen success through a series of international concerts and tours where fans have sung along to his songs and cheered him on, filling out venues with their green lightsticks swaying to his voice.

If you'd like to get a taste for his vocal color, you can check out this must-listen cover of 'Despacito' that he has posted.

On top of being a singer, he is also an actor. In fact, he is known as one of the representative actors who form part of the Hallyu wave.

Kim HyunJoong made his acting debut with a cameo role as himself in the Korean sitcom "Nonstop 5" (2004). Since then, he has evolved in his acting to the point of earning praise for the way that he has developed over the years.

Let's take a look at some of his most memorable acting roles.

His role as Yoon JiHoo in "Boys Over Flowers" (2009), which is debatably his most iconic role, established his title as many K-Drama fans' 'first-ever K-Drama crush', 'K-Drama first love', and many similar titles. The drama also earned him a world of popularity globally as it became one of the staple dramas to watch as a K-Drama fan.

Thereafter, his role in "Playful Kiss" (2010) as Baek SeungJo showed off his charisma and even more fans fell for his charms.

He also played the role of Shin JungTae in "Inspiring Generation" (2014) and the role set him apart as an actor. It was a challenging action role that displayed his stamina to pull off stunts and difficult fight scenes.

His role in "When Time Stopped" (2018) as JoonWoo showed his ability to accurately play the interpretation of his character and express their character arc well.

These are only a couple of the dramas in his filmography, make sure to check out the other productions that he has been in, too.

His acting has been praised for portraying convincing emotion and for his immersion into each character. He is also known as a method actor who will do whatever it takes for the role he is starring in.

He has learned a number of skillsets for his acting roles such as horse riding, martial arts, and has even trained his body to fit his character more (whether it is becoming muscular for a manly role or reducing his body fat for a role).

Kim HyunJoong seems like the quiet type but is known for having an easygoing and friendly personality. He is also known for his strong masculine vibe and unique sense of humor.

One of the other traits that he is most famous for is his handsome visuals. Kim HyunJoong only gets more handsome with age. He has been included in rankings for 'the best visual' since his debut, especially with his megawatt smile factored into the mix.

Kim HyunJoong's Instagram

Despite having gone through many difficulties in his life, Kim HyunJoong maintains a positive attitude about life.

If you'd like to know more about his personality, you can see it in his YouTube vlogs on his YouTube channel. Not only does his personality shine through the videos themselves, but his approach to having such a large platform is also refreshing.

Kim HyunJoong doesn't earn profit from his channel despite having over 1.12 million subscribers (as of December 26, 2022). The channel is simply for him to communicate with his fans and add cheer to the lives of others.

This says a lot about his mindset.

What do you think? Do you have a crush on Kim HyunJoong?

Check out the other celebrities who have been featured in this series here:

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