You can find all of our “Bias Duality” articles in one place by clicking here! This week’s “Bias Duality” article is dedicated to a goddess of a woman with otherworldly beauty, extraordinary talent, and the warmest heart, Kim SeJeong. With 180,120 votes, making for 54.6% of the total votes cast by Kpopmap readers on the poll in our previous “Bias Duality” article, SeJeong was chosen by an overwhelming majority of fans to appear on this series! To participate in choosing the artist who will be featured in our next “Bias Duality” article, you can vote for your favourite idol/actor below! If you would like to see a different idol/actor (one who is not mentioned in the poll) featured in the series, please leave their name in the comments section, and we will add them to the vote lineup next time! Now onto our bias!
Waltzing Her Way Into More Than A Million Hearts: Kim SeJeong’s Personal Duality & Evolution
The one and only, Kim SeJeong, is a dazzling deity of talent, visuals, perseverence and realness. Not only does she shine like the most brilliant diamond but just like its prismatic nature, absorbs the love and light that is showered on her to create the most spectacular art. An artist in the truest sense of the word, Kim SeJeong is a master of her craft, whether that be in the field of music, acting, theatre, variety shows, vlogging, MCing, sports or quite literally anything under the sky. The moment SeJeong stepped into the entertainment industry, the world saw a star being born as she emerged like the birth of Venus. In only a short time, SeJeong was in full bloom, giving glorious expression to her creative prowess. It didn’t take long for the world to acknowledge her greatness as she was soon dubbed “God SeJeong” during her appearance in “Produce 101” and went on to receive immense praise for her performance on the show. However, anyone who has stuck by SeJeong from the start knows that this perfection came as a fruit of endless effort, and her improvement from “K-Pop Star 2” to “Produce 101” was extraordinary, to say the least. Today, SeJeong is an award-winning soloist singer-songwriter, composer, producer, a beloved actress, a renowned thespian, a booked and busy CF star, a role model for the youth and an inspiring public figure who gives back to the community with as much generosity as she has received. The woman is a philanthropist through and through and her kindness is beyond measure. She supports numerous causes financially and is proactive in spreading awareness about the same. Her altruism has repeatedly set a ripple effect into motion, whereby SESANG, her fans, have followed in her footsteps and donated to important causes. If that’s not the most precious fan-idol relationship, we don’t know what is! Besides being a multi-tainer, SeJeong is also a gem of a human being. Despite growing up in adverse circumstances, she took her difficulties in her stride and became even more determined for better days. Owing to her family situation, she became reserved and withdrawn, naturally leading to loneliness because she couldn’t express her feelings. Years later, she is one of the most expressive actresses in the global entertainment industry. Even her first song as a soloist ‘Flower Way’, which gave her a music show win within a week, is dedicated to her mother. SeJeong shouted her out when she won first place in “Produce 101” during the first elimination round, saying that “I will only let you walk on the flower road from now on”. Needless to say, she kept that promise. When it comes to appreciating SeJeong’s personality, even a hundred pages would fall short, but we must attempt nonetheless! The wonder girl of South Korea, the one with a thousand faces, human vitamin bubbling with sunshine, Kim SeJeong is also a focused, diligent, humble Queen. She brightens up our day just by the virtue of her existence, and a Kim SeJeong comeback/drama feels like Christmas came early. Her sense of humor, which alters between Dad jokes, dark humor, physical comedy, high comedy, and deadpan, is truly a thing of wonder. After all, who can forget that one time a fan asked her when she started acting and she replied by saying that it was when she told her mother she had finished all her homework? With such wit and presence of mind, it isn’t surprising that SeJeong is called the “variety cheat key” because her very appearance ensures a hit. SeJeong’s range too, is no joke at all. Her duality as she goes in and out of character is enough to leave us speechless. One second, she could be bawling her eyes out in a scene, and the next, she’s making a silly face to lighten the mood. It almost feels as though SeJeong is the laughter fairy of this world, and it is her mission to spread happiness and joy wherever she goes. Even during her stint on “K-Pop Star 2” and later on “Produce 101”, SeJeong was one of the most optimistic, helpful, bright, and uplifting contestants. She constantly hyped her fellow contestants up and celebrated their victories like her own even when she herself was struggling. She makes people want to open up to her even if she can’t, and there is something just so hauntingly beautiful about it. Thankfully, SeJeong has her SESANG beside her to comfort and “pick her up” at all such times. SeJeong always has an endearing grin on her face, which, when paired with her eye smile, makes for a killer combination. As a part of I.O.I and Gugudan too, SeJeong was a pillar of strength and support for the members throughout. This energy now translates onto SeJeong’s co-actors, who cannot help but dote on her. SeJeong’s presence is like a shot of serotonin, and before you know it, you’re addicted. It is no wonder, therefore, that all her coworkers fall in love with her charms, whether that be Yoo JaeSuk and Park MinYoung or Ahn HyoSeop and Seor InA. Even Kim JongKook called SeJeong a “born athlete”! Now, we might not know much, but we sure know what it takes to impress the fitness god Kim JongKook himself, and it is nothing short of perfection. SeJeong is also a talented painter and cartoonist with a very distinct style that also displays her knack for storytelling and character-building. If she wanted to, SeJeong could very well have become an iconic manhwa artist too, and we never know, it might happen in the near future! In addition, SeJeong owns aegyo like nobody’s business, making us swoon and roll over laughing all at once. The iconic clip of her doing aegyo and then bursting into a hearty laugh is exactly what her duality is all about. She can be unbelievably adorable but also fatally alluring, and that switch is the stuff of dreams, really. Another quality that makes SeJeong so fascinating is the way she doesn’t hesitate to show her real self to the world. With SeJeong, what you see is what you get. Like her co-star Ahn HyoSeop once said, “she’s the same on the outside and inside”. Not only is this refreshing, especially coming from an idol/actor in an industry where the pressure to be picture-perfect is colossal, but it is also rebellious in a way, which makes her all the more attractive. Winning comes second nature to SeJeong, and ambition runs in her veins, so when she puts her mind to something, she sees it through until the very happy end. She wanted to be a triple threat in the industry, and now, she’s a decuple talent missile! Kim SeJeong has always been a woman of the world, and now, she’s holding it upon a string.
Lightning In A Bottle - SeJeong’s Duality As An Idol
Have you ever listened to a song that made you imagine a whole movie in your head? That’s what listening to SeJeong’s discography feels like. Blessed with an angelic voice, SeJeong made it her biggest strength by cultivating her talent as a vocalist to an ideal that is, quite literally, unreachable. That’s not all! Besides being technically masterful, SeJeong has a unique penchant for emoting her lyrics in a way that makes her sound like the protagonist of her own musical story. Kim SeJeong is an actor even when she’s singing, and that is truly a rare feat. As a matter of fact, this is exactly why she’s such an excellent musical theatre actress! The duality of Kim SeJeong as a vocalist manifests itself most clearly in the wide array of concepts she can undertake. Be it a dreamy OST or a mellow ballad, a peppy pop song, or a rock banger, SeJeong dominates her genres like it’s a cakewalk. At the same time, her duality also lies in the way the texture and tone of her voice can go from quiet and whispery to emphatic and resounding. When she sings in a low pitch and takes it all the way to the highest note, complete with the most intricate melismas, we feel it in our bones! Furthermore, SeJeong is so deft at ad-libs and improvisations that it shows how proficient she is at vocal control. In fact, SeJeong’s cadence and vibrato have a fanbase of their own! Some songs that perfectly capture the wonders of SeJeong’s vocal duality include ‘Flower Way’, where her falsetto is enough to give us goosebumps, ‘Tunnel’, where she employs a soft, raspy tone with warmth, ‘Plant’, where SeJeong’s vocal colouring is at its finest, ‘Skyline’ where she takes our breath away by belting that high note and ‘Warning’, where we get a glimpse of rapper SeJeong. SeJeong’s cover songs, which she cleverly titles “[CLEAN_ver.]”, display her ability to reinvent a song and make it her own. Out of all the incredible covers SeJeong has gifted us, the [CLEAN_ver.] of ‘Alcohol-Free’ by TWICE is arguably the best of the best. Similarly, SeJeong’s duality also comes through in her stage presence. Even though she’ll tell you that she hates dancing, SeJeong is an extremely talented dancer. Her skills are so polished, her flow so immaculate, and her execution so flawless that she makes music move rather than moving to music. On stage too, SeJeong can switch between concepts seamlessly. She goes from her innocent and pure image to scintillating confidence and it is easily one of the finer things to witness in this world. We can only imagine what it feels like to be this talented.
Talent That Comes Around Once In A Lifetime - SeJeong’s Screen Duality
What do you call someone who makes you experience a depth of emotions with their art that you never even thought you were capable of? A magician, is what. Kim SeJeong is not just an actress - she is a conjurer of charisma, an enchantress who transports us into her world, welcomes us with her characters, and gives us the sweet escape we so desperately seek in the world of K-Dramas. Being with any of Kim SeJeong’s characters and spending time with them allows us to understand the world and ourselves a little better as we find a sense of identity, catharsis, and meaning in her creative expression. SeJeong might be called “the Emma Stone of Korea”, but to us, she is singularly incomparable. Kim SeJeong made her first major venture into acting with a leading role in the youth drama “School 2017”, enshrining her name in the indelible legacy of the “School” series. She played Ra EunHo, a fiesty and spirited high school girl who dreams of becoming a webtoon artist. Now, Kim SeJeong has come full circle, starring in “Today’s Webtoon” as a webtoon producer. In this short time, SeJeong has created an exceptional filmography for herself with diverse roles and genres that truly allowed her space to grow as an actor. Her screen duality shines in every role she takes on, which is why she is such a highly sought-after actress today. For instance, as Ra EunHo, a young girl with dreams in her eyes, SeJeong portrays a cheerful and lively personality. However, Ra EunHo is also faced with crises of identity, purpose, and love, which mould her character at each turn. SeJeong depicts this gradual yet essential change with such conviction that the viewer becomes invested in EunHo’s life like she were their friend. With “School 2017”, SeJeong firmly established herself as a rising star in the television industry and soon took on another romantic comedy, “I Wanna Hear Your Song”. In “I Wanna Hear Your Song”, SeJeong plays Hong YiYoung, a timpanist who suffers from insomnia after a particularly traumatic incident leaves her memory impaired. Her mind may not remember this trauma but her body does, leading her to suffer from terrifying nightmares. This is quite possibly one of the most complicated predicaments one could be in because YiYoung is in pain without having the slightest clue as to why and SeJeong brought out this complexity with impressive maturity. YiYoung is someone who is forced to move on in life when her own timeline is stuck in the past. SeJeong takes this premise and runs with it, giving us a nuanced performance that earned her many accolades. Then came a turning point in SeJeong’s acting career that launched her into global stardom - “The Uncanny Counter”. If you thought Hong YiYoung would be a difficult character to play, Do HaNa comes in to kick it up a hundred notches. The drama itself embodied duality, making us sob one second and smile the next, and Do HaNa was a huge part of this charm. She is a gentle, vulnerable, affectionate character hiding behind a tough, independent, no-nonsense one. That, in itself, is a duality that we just can’t get enough of. Continuing her streak of success came Shin HaRi in “Business Proposal” - the ultimate rom-com heroine who quietly creeps into your heart and makes a little place for herself there. This is a character that is simply irresistible - you cannot help but be obsessed with her! Birthing some of the most iconic memes and scenes of 2022, Shin HaRi will always be unforgettable. Finally, we have the queen of our hearts - On MaEum from “Today’s Webtoon”. It is worth noting here that “Today’s Webtoon” is an adaptation of the classic J-Drama “Sleepeeer Hit!”. However, On MaEum is wholly a person of her own rather than an imitation of her corresponding Japanese character Kurosawa Kokoro. This is where SeJeong’s merit lies. SeJeong makes On MaEum unique, breathes life into her with quirks and idiosyncracies, and gives her a heart full of love. She appears overly positive and doe-eyed, but the catch is that she is! MaEum doesn’t hide behind a persona. She learns and grows more mature but holds on to her childlike innocence, and no one could have portrayed this better than Kim SeJeong.
Baby Haribo Meets Supermodel - SeJeong’s Aesthetic Duality
Finally, we couldn’t simply conclude without bringing due attention to the astounding duality in Kim SeJeong’s aesthetic. She has the aura of everyone’s first love but can also turn into a chic chimera who’s here to break hearts and take names. SeJeong is the very epitome of splendour, grace, and elegance but can also be the girl next door that you love and adore. Her fashion is directly influenced by this duality too! She can go from Princess to Queen in the blink of an eye, and the distinction is elite. Just like on stage, the spectrum of SeJeong’s style is also diverse and well-defined. She looks just as splendid in an oversized hoodie as she does in a couture gown! There’s simply no look that she doesn’t pull off like a pro! Whether it be cottage-core or street style, e-girl, or grunge, trust SeJeong to blow your mind. After all, before becoming a world star, Kim SeJeong used to work in the modeling industry, and clearly, it shows! Another special mention is due for SeJeong’s bare-faced beauty that we often see in her vlogs or on Instagram. If the clean girl aesthetic had an ambassador, it would definitely be SeJeong, and for more reasons than one (SeJeong’s name means ‘clean’ in Korean). We could go on and on about SeJeong’s tryst with fashion, but you can revel in the same yourself by joining the 8.5M people who currently follow her on Instagram (@clean_0828). At the end of the day, the overwhelming love that SeJeong receives from SESANG is returned manifold by the artist, whether that be through her stellar performances as an idol, her captivating characters on TV, her iconic personality in variety shows, or simply by her breathtaking smile. The affection she has for SESANG shines in her work and finds expression in her sincerity. Kim SeJeong is like panacea for the aching soul, and her art is nothing if not healing, which is what she intends it to be. A legend of this era and those to come, Kim SeJeong will always be celebrated with euphoria. What is your favorite thing about Kim SeJeong’s duality? Tell us in the comments section down below! If you’re looking for more content about Kim SeJeong on Kpopmap, here are some articles you might enjoy!
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