Lim Seul-ong (Hangul: 임슬옹; born 11 May 1987), also known by the mononym Seulong, is a South Korean singer and actor.[3] He debuted as a singer in 2008 as a member of the K-pop boyband 2AM.[4] He made his acting debut in 2010 in the Korean drama, Personal Taste.[5]
Early life and education
Lim began studying film and acting at Daejin University's Department of Theatre and Visual Arts in 2010. 2AM member Jeong Jinwoon is also an alumnus of the university.[6][7] Lim later was a student of Kyunghee University Graduate School of Business's Department of Culture & Arts Management while an active member of 2AM.[8][9]
Career
Pre-debut
Lim in 2008
In 2008, Seulong took part in Mnet's "Hot Blood". The program showed the intense physical training that thirteen male trainees had to go through to compete for the opportunity to debut in either a 4-member ballad group or a 7-member dance group under the label JYP Entertainment.[10] After going through several elimination processes, Seulong was chosen to become a member of the 4-member ballad group 2AM, co-managed by JYP Entertainment and Big Hit Entertainment.
On a talk show, SBS "Night After Night", in 2009, Seulong revealed that he had turned down an initial offer from his current agency JYP Entertainment (JYPE) to join YG Entertainment.[11] But he ended up not making it into YG and got another call from JYP.
2AM's first single "This Song" was released on 21 July 2008. It debuted on 11 July 2008, performing "이 노래" ("This Song").[12] In March 2015, Seulong decided to switch agencies, joining SidusHQ.[13] Fellow 2AM member Jinwoon also signed to another management agency while the remaining members remained with JYP Entertainment. JYP Entertainment assured that the departures did not imply that 2AM was going to be disbanded. However, the scenario has put 2AM on temporary break from any group activities at the moment.[14]
Television and collaboration
In 2009, Seulong and Jo Kwon were part of "Dirty Eyed Girls" on an episode of 2PM's variety show "Wild Bunny", performing a parody of popular Brown Eyed Girls song Abracadabra. The music video became extremely popular.[15]
In 2010, he collaborated with IU for the song "Nagging" for TV show We Got Married, which reached No.1 on several online music charts. They won an award for "Nagging" on SBS Inkigayo and KBS Music Bank K-Chart respectively. Seulong and Jinwoon make regular appearances as commentators for We Got Married Season II.
While preparing for 2AM's 2013 comeback on 5 March, Seulong was confirmed on 25 February 2013 that he would be one of the emcees for the new season XTM Homme. XTM Homme is Korea's first male style variety show, providing latest fashion trend information and tech news. It is currently in its 5th season. XTM Homme 5.0 was scheduled to broadcast on 15 April 2013.
[16][17]
In 2012, Seulong was cast in the film 26 Years, in which he played a policeman who wants to assassinate a former president. 26 Years was released through crowdfunding, with 15,000 people contributing to its ₩26 billion (US$23,897,068) budget. For his role in the film, Seulong became the third idol group member to win a rookie award for his or her film debut, following Big Bang's T.O.P and Miss A's Bae Suzy. He won Best New Actor at the opening ceremony of the Marie Claire Film & Music Festival in 2013.[18] He received a nomination at the 49thBaeksang Arts Awards.
In 2013, he took on the role of the Crown Prince in The Fugitive of Joseon, in which a doctor struggles to save his daughter from a terminal illness.[19] Later that year, Seulong and Kim Seul-gi were cast in the leading roles in a remake of the webtoon series Infinite Power. It was released online on Naver and Samsung smart phones.[20]
Seulong was cast in Hotel King (2014), where he played a hotelier with a positive attitude and a loud personality who falls for the hotel heiress.[21]
On 2 January 2015, Seulong's agency announced that he had been confirmed for new tvN's upcoming drama Hogu's Love. He will be acting as lawyer Byun Kang Chul, who has never experienced failure in his life. Byun Kang Chul is a perfect man who grew up in the top 1 percent of Korea. He has been superior since birth to the point where he doesn't need dating skills. "Hogu's Love" is a drama based on the original webtoon series with the same title by writer Yoo Hyun Sook, who wrote the original webtoon series of tvN's Flower Boys Next Door.[22]
Seulong has been cast as the lead for the upcoming movie, Horror Stories 3.[23]Horror Stories is a horror movie series in omnibus format. Horror Stories 3 plays a role as a bridge between the first and second sequels, thus talks about past, present as well as future. The story of the third sequel is delivered in a unique setting borrowing the scientific fiction genre.
In September 2017, Lim returned to Korean cinema with the comedy film The Star Next Door. He played an idol who gets caught up in a scandal with an actress (Han Chae-young) who has a teenage daughter (Jin Ji-hee) that has a crush on him.[24]
Music
2013: Solo
Seulong collaborates with Swedish DJ Avicii for a Korean remake of the hit song "Levels". For the newest version with Seulong, James's vocals are replaced with an autotuned verse in Korean. According to a spokesman for Universal Music Korea, Avicii's agency decided on Seulong for the Korean version "after monitoring various artists because they found his voice the most suitable and beautiful." The single named "Levels with Seulong from 2AM" was released on 9 May 2013.[25]
The latest version with Seulong was second place on the Daily Pop Chart of Korea's biggest online music website MelOn's Top 100 Chart.[26]
Seulong teamed up with Epitone Project for a song to close off the summer season, titled "Summer, Night". The song was created in an effort to return the favor, Epitone Project had performed for 2AM when they wrote and composed one of the songs on 2AM's previous album, "One Spring Day". The release of the digital single was on 17 September 2013.[27]
2014: Collaborations and first self-composed song "U Don't Know"
In May, Seulong lent his voice for Yoon Jong Shin's "New You" as part of his monthly new single project. A ballad song titled "New You", a song about cherishing the current moment and the present love a couple may have for one another, without thinking about the past or worrying about the future.[28]
On 4 August, Swings teamed up with female soloist G.NA, 2AM's Seulong, and producer/singer Yoon Jong Shin to release Summer Song "Pool Party".[29]
In the same month at "2014 JYP NATION ONE MIC" concerts in Korea, Seulong and 2 pm member's Taecyeon's collaboration stage, they performed an unreleased new song titled "U Don't Know", which was co-written by both of them, for the first time. The live recording of this song, together with a studio version, was later released in the live album featuring the recording from the concert in November.[30]
Singer-songwriter Shim Hyun Bo released his fourth album with a new single "It's Cold" in collaboration with Seulong on 2 February 2015. It is one of two title songs from Shin Hyun Bo's new album.[31]
Mnet "Unpretty Rapstar" released Track 2 "Good Start 2015″ featuring AOA's Jimin and Seulong on 27 February 2015. Within just nine hours of its release, the track reached the top spot on major charts including Mnet, Melon, Daum, Genie, Olleh Music, Bugs, Soribada, Monkey3, Cyworld and Naver Music.[32]
Ambassador roles
Seulong was selected as ambassador for the 2012 Jecheon International Music & Film Festival along with actress Son Eun-seo. In 2012, Seulong and Jinwoon were selected as Brand Ambassadors for Galaxy Note Day held in Busan and Gwangju.[33]
On 15 July 2013, JIMFF announced that Seulong and Korean actress Nam Bo-ra were appointed to be honorary ambassadors for the 9th Jecheon International Music & Film Festival. The festival began on 14 August and continued until 19 August. This is Seulong's second appointment as ambassador for film festival.[34]
Personal life
Military enlistment
Lim's agency announced that he will begin his mandatory military service on 28 November 2017.[35][36] Lim entered the third division recruit training centre in Cherowon County of Gangwon Province.[37]
On 6 April 2018 Lim's agency announced that Lim will no longer be an active-duty soldier. Back in 2011, Lim was diagnosed with myofascial pain syndrome, internal disc disruption, facet joint syndrome, irregular chest pain, and chronic pain which are symptoms of '12th rib syndrome' which is a rare disorder that requires continuous medication and he had received treatment up until the enlistment. However, the symptoms have worsened during military training and he was moved from active duty to "reservist" status where he waits for a draft notice to complete his rest of the mandatory duties.[38]
Business
Lim opened his first bar, Nerd on Earth, in 2016[39] and second one, Odd Bar, a few months before he was enlisted for the military in November 2017. Both bars feature rooftops and have panoramic views of Itaewon.
Car crash
At 11:50 p.m. on 1 August 2020, Lim hit a pedestrian while driving a SUV on a road in Eunpyeong-gu, Seoul. It was reported that the road was slippery due to torrential downpour. According to Korean news outlets, the victim was jaywalking a red pedestrian crossing light. The victim died on the way to the hospital.[40]
^Kim Ji-soo (28 January 2022). "박진영 '대낮에 한 이별', 15년 만에 리메이크…선예·임슬옹 듀엣" [Park Jin-young's 'Goodbye in broad daylight' remake after 15 years... Sunye and Im Seulong duet] (in Korean). The Fact. Retrieved 29 January 2022 – via Naver.
^Seon, Mi-kyung (1 March 2024). 임슬옹X이성경, '환승연애3' 과몰입 부른다 [Lim Seulong x Lee Sungkyung, 'Exchange 3' Calls for over-immersion]. Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). Retrieved 4 March 2024.
^Bae Soo-jung (3 September 2021). "[종합] '펜트하우스' 윤종훈, 임슬옹 도움…김소연은 윤종훈 살해-이지아 절벽 밀어 사망 엔딩?" [[Comprehensive] ‘Penthouse’ Jonghoon Yoon, Seulong Lim help… Kim So-yeon killed Jong-hoon Yoon - Ending of death by pushing Lee Ji-ah off a cliff?]. topstarnews (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
^Kim Hye-jeong (21 April 2022). "임슬옹 '사랑의 안단테' 주연 발탁[공식]" [Seulong Im selected as the lead in ‘Andante of Love’ [Official]] (in Korean). Sports Kyunghyang. Retrieved 21 April 2022 – via Naver.
^(Korean)대화가 필요한 개냥, movie.naver.com, 12 September 2017.
^Gong Mi-na (15 November 2021). "[단독]왓챠 '더블 트러블', 임슬옹·블락비 태일·위아이 김동한 합류" [[Exclusive] Watcha 'Double Trouble' joins Im Seulong, Block B's Taeil, and We.I's Kim Donghan] (in Korean). Star News. Retrieved 16 November 2021 – via Naver.
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