Park Hyung-sik was born on November 16, 1991, inGiheung District,Yongin, South Korea,[1] as the second of two sons.[2] His father is a member of theboard of directors atBMW Korea, and his mother is a piano teacher.[3] He was named Hyung-sik (형식;炯植) by aBuddhist monk, as his mother and grandmother areBuddhists.[2] Park joined his school's band as a vocalist in middle school.[2] They covered popular Korean contemporary artists such asBuzz andFlower.[2] During Yongin's Youth Music Contest, his last competition with the band, Park received severalbusiness cards from different entertainment agencies and decided to audition with the support of his parents.[2] He passed and began his training at the start of high school.[4] Park said that he liked singing but struggled with dancing.[4] After a year, Park followed his manager and joinedStar Empire Entertainment, where he continued to train for two more years.[4] Every day, Park attended school in Yongin, commuted by bus to the agency located in Seoul to train, and returned home in the middle of the night.[4]
As a trainee, Park featured in the music video of the 2009 single "Date" by labelmatesJewelry S[5] and modeled for a school uniform brand.[6] His first appearance as a member of Star Empire's boy groupZE:A was inMnet'sreality television seriesStar Empire, aired in April 2009.[7] The series told the "behind-the-scenes stories" of the entertainment industry, focusing on the lives of the company's staff, managers, and trainees.[8] In October 2009, Park appeared in a second Mnet series,Empire Kids Returns, documenting the group'sstreet performances across South Korea staged to prepare for their upcoming debut.[7]
2010–2014: ZE:A, acting debut, and rising popularity
Park performing at the Cyworld Dream Music Festival on July 23, 2011.
ZE:A debuted with their firstsingle albumNativity on January 7, 2010.[9] That year, he madecameo appearances in the television seriesProsecutor Princess,Marry Me, Please, andGloria.[10][better source needed] In 2011, Park began his theatrical career as a cast member alongsideSuper Junior'sRyeowook in the musicalTemptation of Wolves.[11] He began his acting career in 2012, starring inSBS' special dramaI Remember You.[12] The same year, he starred in SBS'Dummy Mommy, where he played a vocalist of an indie band.[13] The following year, Park had a role inKBS2's drama specialSirius (2013), where he played the adolescent version of twin brothers with starkly contrasting personalities.[14] It was also in early 2013 when Park participated in his second musical theatre production,Gwanghwamun Love Song, playing the role of Ji-Yong.[15] In March 2013, Park, along with his fellow ZE:A members Siwan, Kevin, Minwoo and Dongjun formed the group's first sub-unit calledZE:A Five.[16] He then featured in tvN's time-slip dramaNine as the younger version ofLee Jin-wook's character.[17] Park gained wider recognition after joiningReal Men in June 2013, where he was nicknamed "Baby Soldier" for his innocent, yet passionate image.[18]
In September 2013, Park was cast as Clyde in his third musical theatre production,Bonnie & Clyde.[19] He followed this with a role in hit teen dramaThe Heirs (2013). In early 2014, Park was cast for the role ofD'Artagnan in his fourth musical production,The Three Musketeers.[20] And in August of the same year, Park joined the main cast of the family dramaWhat's With This Family (2014) as Cha Dal-bong, the youngest child who is struggling with finding a stable job.[21][22]
In 2015, Park was part of the main cast in SBS's romance dramaHigh Society where he played the role of achaebol who falls for a part-timer at the gourmet supermarket he manages.[23][24] Park drew favorable reviews for his performance in the series, which led to increased popularity for the actor in Japan.[25][26] In the following year, Park was once again cast for the role ofD'Artagnan in the 2016 musical production ofThe Three Musketeers.[27] And in December 2016, he starred in the historical dramaHwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth, playing the role ofSammaekjong, a young and distrustful king.[28]
In February 2017, Park starred in his first leading role in cable networkJTBC'sStrong Girl Bong-soon, playing the CEO of a game company, Ainsoft.[29] The romantic-comedy withPark Bo-young was a critical and commercial success and became one of thehighest-rated Korean dramas in cable television history.[30][31] Park experienced a rise in popularity[32][33] and received increased endorsement offers.[31] In April 2017, Park officially signed with United Artists Agency (UAA) after deciding not to renew with his former agency, Star Empire Entertainment.[34] In December 2017, he starred in a romantic short film,Two Rays of Light alongsideHan Ji-min.[35]
Park in 2018
In April 2018, Park starred in theKorean remake of Americanlegal drama seriesSuits, portraying the Korean counterpart of Mike Ross.[36][37] Following this, in November 2018, Park returned to the musical scene, playing the role of Der Tod in the stage production ofElisabeth. In May 2019, Park made his feature film debut in the legal filmJuror 8.[38][39] This role won him the Best New Actor award at the 39thKorean Association of Film Critics Awards in November 2019.[40] The role also earned him nominations for Best New Actor (Film) at the 40thBlue Dragon Film Awards and 56thBaeksang Arts Awards.[41][42] Park began hismandatory military service on June 10, 2019. He entered the Nonsan Army Recruit Training Center inSouth Chungcheong Province to start his basic military training and completed the rest of his military duties in the military police department of the Capital Defense Command as an active duty soldier.[43][44] Park had earlier revealed that he was inspired to join the Capital Defense Command after he received positive feedback for his shooting skills while training for the variety showReal Man. The actor said that he wanted to put his skills to good use, and was excited to join the unit and be of service to his country.[45]
Following his military discharge in January 2021,[46] Park starred in the apocalyptic city thrillerHappiness as Jung Yi-hyun, an intelligent and honest violent crimes detective alongsideHan Hyo-joo.[47][48]Happiness recorded modest television ratings in South Korea at the time of airing, but became asleeper hit upon its global release on streaming services several months later. In particular, praise was given to his chemistry with co-star Han Hyo-joo, and the series reached number six on the Most Popular TV Shows ranking onNetflix worldwide.[49][unreliable source?]
The following year, Park starred in the four-episodemusical romanceSoundtrack #1.[50] Park accepted the role to work with director Kim Hee-won and co-starHan So-hee.[51] The actors' performances received mixed reviews;NME said that Park and Han "bring the lead characters to life with charming effortlessness"[52] andNewsen stated that "it is thanks to Park Hyung-sik and Han So-hee that we want to keep watching the obvious unrequited romance",[53] while theSouth China Morning Post considered that "neither of the stars can sell the romance".[54] Park also appeared in thereality television seriesIn the Soop: Friendcation with his group of celebrity friends, the "Wooga Squad", consisting ofPark Seo-joon,V,Choi Woo-shik, andPeakboy. Park first met Park Seo-joon and V on the set ofHwarang; the former later introduced him to Choi Woo-shik and Peakboy.[55] In February 2023, Park starred as Lee Hwan, a cursed crown prince, in the television seriesOur Blooming Youth oppositeJeon So-nee.[56]
In October 2021, Park established his own management agency, P&Studio, together with some of his long-time managers as a subsidiary of his former agency, UAA.[59] ActorSung Yoo-bin and part of UAA's staff moved to P&Studio along with Park.[59][60] In August 2022, Gong Ji-ho, former member of girl groupOh My Girl, signed with the agency.[61]
^abcdKim, Ji-yeong (September 14, 2015).[우먼 동아일보 & 여성동아] 우리가 미처 몰랐던 박형식 [[Woman Dong-A Ilbo & Women's Dong-A] Park Hyung-sik we didn't know].The Dong-A Ilbo (in Korean).Archived from the original on January 10, 2023. RetrievedJanuary 5, 2023.
^Moon, Yeon-bae (January 13, 2010).제국의 아이들, 멤버별 프로필 공개 '케빈·임시완·박형식' [ZE:A members reveal profiles of each member 'Kevin, Im Si-wan, Park Hyung-sik'].Asia Today (in Korean).Archived from the original on March 3, 2017. RetrievedApril 16, 2017.
^abLee, Su-hyeon (October 1, 2009).제국의 아이들, 거리공연으로 호된 데뷔 준비중 [Children of Empire, preparing for debut with a street performance].Star News (in Korean).Archived from the original on July 29, 2017. RetrievedApril 16, 2017 – viaNaver.
^Lee, Soo-hyun (December 28, 2009).제아·포커즈·CNBLUE...아이돌 열풍 이을 기대주들 [JeA·Focus·CNBLUE... Expectations to follow the idol frenzy].Star News (in Korean).Archived from the original on January 13, 2023. RetrievedJanuary 7, 2023.
^Hwang, Hye-jin (January 4, 2021).박형식, 오늘(4일) 수방사 헌병대 만기 전역...복귀작 검토 중 [Park Hyeong-sik, today (4th) discharged from the Subangsa Military Police Corps... Reviewing a comeback].Newsen (in Korean).Archived from the original on January 3, 2021. RetrievedMarch 4, 2021 – viaNaver.
^abJeon, Hyung-hwa (February 4, 2022).박형식x한소희 '사운드트랙 #1' 3월 디즈니플러스 공개 [Park Hyung-sik x Han So-heeSoundtrack #1 released on Disney Plus in March].Star News (in Korean).Archived from the original on February 4, 2022. RetrievedFebruary 4, 2022 – viaNaver.
^abHong, Se-young (December 27, 2022).박형식·전소니 '청춘월담' 출연확정, 2023년 2월 첫방 [공식] [Park Hyung-sik and Jeon So-ni confirmed to appear inOur Blooming Youth, first broadcast in February 2023 [Official]].Sports Dong-a (in Korean).Archived from the original on December 27, 2022. RetrievedDecember 27, 2022 – viaNaver.
^abWoo, Da-bin (October 12, 2021).박형식, UAA 실무진과 함께 새 소속사 성립...성유빈도 함께 이적 [Park Hyung-sik establishes a new agency with UAA executives... Seong Yu-bin also transferred].Hankook Ilbo (in Korean).Archived from the original on December 6, 2021. RetrievedOctober 12, 2021 – viaNaver.
^Hwang, Hye-jin (October 12, 2021).UAA 측 "박형식·성유빈 피앤드스튜디오 이적, 전략적 협력관계"(공식) [UAA side "Park Hyung-sik and Seong Yu-bin transferred to P&Studio, strategic partnership" (official)].Newsen (in Korean).Archived from the original on June 27, 2023. RetrievedJanuary 18, 2023 – viaNaver.
^Moon, Wan-shik (August 10, 2022)."달콤 실키 보이스" 방탄소년단 뷔 '인더숲' 타이틀곡 녹음기 '기대UP' ["Sweet Silky Voice" BTS V 'In the Forest' title song recorder 'Expectation UP'].Star News (in Korean).Archived from the original on August 10, 2022. RetrievedJanuary 17, 2022 – viaNaver.
^Park, Seo-yeon (March 14, 2023).출산 후 복귀' 박신혜, 박형식과 '닥터슬럼프' 출연...10년만 재회 [공식] [Return after childbirth' Park Shin-hye, Park Hyung-sik and 'Doctor Slump' appeared... Reunion after 10 years [Official]] (in Korean).MyDaily.Archived from the original on March 14, 2023. RetrievedMarch 14, 2023 – viaNaver.
^Kang, Seon-ae (September 13, 2024).'보물섬', 박형식X허준호 주인공 출연 확정...내년 SBS 방영 ['Treasure Island', Park Hyung-sik X Heo Jun-ho confirmed to star as main characters... Airing on SBS next year] (in Korean).SBS Entertainment. RetrievedSeptember 13, 2024 – viaNaver.
^Jo, Yoon-kyung (January 1, 2019)."[2018 KBS 연기대상] 최다니엘·장동건·백진희 미니시리즈 우수상 수상" [[2018 KBS Drama Awards] Daniel Choi, Donggun Jang, Jinhee Baek, Miniseries Excellence Award] (in Korean). Sports Donga.Archived from the original on October 8, 2022. RetrievedOctober 8, 2022 – viaNaver.
