Kang-hyun Park (Korean: ë°Âê°ÂÃÂÂ) is a South Korean musical theater actor, singer, crossover artist and TV actor. He debuted in 2015 with the Korean original musical Liar Time, and has since played leading roles in various musicals in South Korea. He gained prominence by appearing on the JTBC audition program Phantom Singer Season 2 in 2017, where he reached the finals, and was part of the runner-up team Miraclass.' Park made his TV drama debut in 2023 with Heartbeat on KBS2,' and released the single album "Magic".
Kang-hyun Park, born on December 27, 1989, with a recognized birth date of February 27, 1990, attended Deokwon High School. He later graduated from Sungkyunkwan University with a Bachelor of Arts degree.
Kang-hyun Park made his debut in 2015 as the lead in the original Korean musical Liar Time.' In the subsequent production of ', he was cast due to his "captivating voice that impressed the creative team." Despite being a rookie, he was featured in an in-depth interview during the performance period. Since his debut, he has been actively performing in both Daehangno and major theaters in South Korea. Park played Benny in In the Heights,' Ash in Evil Dead, and King Gwanghae in Chilseo (Korean: ì¹ ìÂÂ) in 2017,' which led to his Best New Male Artist award at the 2017 Stagetalk Audience Choice Awards (SACA) in South Korea.
After his initial recognition, Park continued to expand his repertoire in both original Korean and replica musical productions, receiving several prestigious awards. In 2017, he performed as a young Myung Woo in Gwanghwamun Love Song (Korean: ê´ÂÃÂÂ문 ì°ê°Â),' an original Korean musical. He also joined Phantom Singer 2, a South Korean audition program aired on JTBC, aimed at forming a male crossover vocal quartet. Park sang "She Was There" from the musical The Scarlet Pimpernel as his first audition song, achieving the highest viewership rating per minute during this performance. His duet with , "As Flowers Bloom and Fall (Korean: ê½Âì´ Ã¼고ì§Âë¯ì´)," ranked first in the entire duet competition. Although he struggled in the trio and quartet team missions, he made it to the finals as one of the top 12 contestants. In the finals, based on his wishes and the team arrangement by the producers, he formed a quartet with Julian Jootaek Kim, Phillip Jeong, and named Miraclass. Miraclass finished as the runner-up among the three final teams. They released their debut album Romantica in 2018.
In 2018, Park played Charlie in Kinky Boots.' His role as Gwynplaine in The Man Who Laughs (Korean: ìÂÂë ë¨ìÂÂ), a Korean musical adaptation of Victor Hugo's novel, was noteworthy, with performances throughout 2018.' This performance earned him the 7th Yegreen Musical Awards for Best New Actor. In 2019, he portrayed Luigi Lucheni in Elisabeth,' which earned him the 13th DIMF Awards for Newcomer of the Year. Additionally, his roles in Xcalibur (as Lancelot) and Marie Antoinette earned him the SACA Best Musical Actor award for Best Male Supporting Actor. He was awarded the 4th Korea Musical Awards for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Xcalibur. In 2020, he returned as Gwynplaine in The Man Who Laughs. The 10th anniversary performance of Mozart! in South Korea, where he played the protagonist Wolfgang Mozart, was held at the main auditorium of the Sejong Center, and also aired online due to the special circumstances of the COVID-19 period.' In 2021, he performed as Anatole Kuragin in Korean replica production of Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 and returned to Phantom Singer All Stars with Miraclass.
Park played Orpheus in Hadestown from September 2021 to February 2022.' This role earned him the 6th Korea Musical Awards for Best Actor, and the 16th DIMF Awards for Star of the Year. In 2022, he returned to the role of Gwynplaine in The Man Who Laughs at the Sejong Center.' His role as Tony in West Side Story in the 2022/2023 season,' was followed by his portrayal of Huey in Memphis in 2023.'
Six years after competing as a contestant in Phantom Singer 2, Park returned as a producer for Phantom Singer 4. In Phantom Singer, producers assist contestants with team formation, song selection, and determining outcomes. Depending on the season, producers include experts in vocal music, popular music, instrumental music, composition, lyrics, and performing arts. Park was the first producer who previously participated as a contestant. He provided practical and valuable feedback on contestants' psychological states, microphone techniques, and team harmony.
Park starred as Evan Hansen in Dear Evan Hansen from March to July 2024,' and played Orpheus in Hadestown at the Charlotte Theater from July to October, 2024.' He was nominated for Best Actor for Memphis at the 8th Korea Musical Awards in 2024. Park played the protagonist, Aladdin, in the Korean replica premiere of the musical Aladdin.
Park has received acclaim for his "overwhelming vocal ability and clear enunciation" and "solid and unwavering vocal strength." His high notes are particularly noted for their comfort and steadiness. His nickname "the Simmons," inspired by the Simmons Bedding Company's slogan "unwavering comfort" used in the Korean market, highlights his ability to perform challenging musical numbers with ease, especially in higher registers. Park is regarded as a promising talent in the Korean musical theater scene, recognized for his wide vocal range and versatility, including operatic tones. Shin Youngsook praised his vocal skills, stating, "I love Kang-hyun Park's voice. He is destined to become a big star, and I am a fan watching him grow. His voice is characterized by comfort, clarity, and energy, which are his greatest strengths."
Park has also been recognized for his "excellent character interpretation," "displaying inner purity" and "an ability to convey the innocence of his characters in a beautiful way, becoming the character itself." In his role as Huey in Memphis, he depicted a "confident yet somewhat immature young man, showcasing a charming character with wit and vivacity." In Dear Evan Hansen, he received commendation for portraying a "fragile and anxious" character, "demonstrating perfect control over both chest and head voice, and effectively transforming into Evan Hansen with a nervous gaze and a hunched posture."
Since his debut in 2015, Park has consistently performed in one to four musical productions annually. He has achieved substantial growth, earning the Best New Actor award in 2017 and the Best Actor award in 2022. By 2024, he is recognized as a prominent and influential figure in the musical theater industry in South Korea, with strong ticket-selling power.
In the early stages of his career, Kang-hyun Park appeared in the play Our Bad Magnet, which is based on the book by Douglas Maxwell.
Park appeared in a film when he was an undergraduate student at Sungkyunkwan University.' He was also in another film, a director's cut of the live musical performance of The Man Who Laughs in 2019.'
Park performs in concerts with fellow musical actors, singing musical numbers. He also performs crossover music, which encompasses musical numbers, Italian canzones, Korean lyrical songs, opera arias, pop, and rock music, both as a member of Miraclass, and with other artists. In 2019, he held his own solo concert titled "MElody in Blue."
The following is a curated selection of his concerts.
Park has compilation albums of live performances from musicals, and the TV program Phantom Singer 2. His singles include the original soundtrack of his TV drama Heartbeat, and a project album by M SOUND CLOUD Project with producers including Pdogg. Due to his prolific musical work, Park has numerous music videos featuring key musical numbers from the stage musicals in which he has performed.
Kang-hyun Park received the Best New Actor award at the SACA Best Musical Actor Awards in 2017 for his performances in In the Heights, Evil Dead, and Chilseo. In 2018, he won the Best New Actor award at the Yegreen Musical Awards for his role as Gwynplaine in The Man Who Laughs. In 2019, he portrayed Lancelot in Xcalibur, earning the Best Supporting Actor award at the SACA Best Musical Actor Awards and the Korean Musical Awards in 2020. His performance as Orpheus in Hadestown in 2022 garnered him the Best Actor award at the 6th Korean Musical Awards, and the Star of the Year award at the 16th DIMF Awards. In 2024, he was nominated for the Best Actor award at the Korean Musical Awards for his role as Huey Calhoun in Memphis.