'Produce 101' stars Park Ji Hoon and Kang Mi Na take different paths

Park Ji Hoon debuted in the project group Wanna One through the TV show 'Produce 101 Season 2' in 2017. Since then, he has built a strong career as both a solo singer and an actor. His movie 'The King's Warden' was a massive success, bringing in 16.8 million viewers! It became the second most-watched movie in Korean history. People loved his acting so much that he earned the nickname "Danjong Oppa" and the proud title of a "Ten Million Actor."

He is very busy showing off all his talents. He recently released his first solo single album on the 29th of last month. He is also starring in the Mnet reality show 'WANNA ONE GO: Back to Base', where he gets to reunite and have fun with his Wanna One members. On May 11, he will meet fans again in a new TVING fantasy drama called 'The Legend of Kitchen Soldier'. At a press event, he shared that he does not feel too much pressure. Instead, he just focuses hard on how to play his new character, Private Kang Sung Jae.

Kang Mi Na debuted in the group I.O.I through the first season of 'Produce 101' in 2016. While many of her group members—like Jeon Somi and Kim Se Jeong—work as both singers and actors, Kang Mi Na chose a different direction. When I.O.I announced their 10-year reunion last year, she officially shared that she would not join so she could focus entirely on acting.

Her choice brought great results. She recently acted in her very first horror project, the Netflix series 'Girigo'. Even though her part was short, viewers praised her powerful acting and deep emotions. Because she chose this drama over the familiar idol reunion, 'Girigo' is a very meaningful project for her. It proved that she has grown a lot as an actress since she first started in 2017.

Both stars started on the same 'Produce 101' stage, but they are growing in their own unique ways. Park Ji Hoon is doing a little bit of everything to reach more people, while Kang Mi Na is putting all her energy into becoming a top actress. Even though their paths are different, both are achieving wonderful results.

* This news is from Lee So Jung's "You Know What" article in Ten Asia.