This article was first published on 16 September 2021.
Have you heard? Your favourite oppas have formed a group. Meet Wooga Squad, which consists of V of BTS (a.k.a. Kim Tae Hyung), Park Hyung Sik of ZE:A, indie artist Peakboy (a.k.a. Kwon Sung-hwan), K-drama star Park Seo Joon and Parasite movie actor Choi Woo Shik.
The K-pop fandom isn’t a stranger to celebrity friendship squads. There’s the ‘92 Liners, the Parka Squad and many more. But the reason why Wooga Squad members are getting more than the usual buzz lately is because of Peakboy’s star-studded Gyopo Hairstyle music video that featured all of them.
But it’s not the first time the Wooga Squad came together publicly to support a member’s endeavour. They show up for each other at award ceremonies, movie premieres and concerts. Wooga Squad members treat each other like family and, in fact, the name of their group is rooted in that idea. V revealed in an interview that “Wooga” is actually a shortened version of the phrase,”Woori-ga gajok-inga?” which translates to “Are we family?”
It’s such a fitting name for a group whose members treat each other as brothers. Their bond was most recently highlighted in the four-episode travel reality TV show In The Soop: Friendcation where they take an impromptu road trip to unwind.
This 24 February 2023, BTS V, Park Seo-Jun, and Choi Woo-Shik will star in a variety TV show about Korean street food, titled Seojin's Korean Street Food. The show is hosted by esteemed Korean actor Lee Seojin.
Teaser for In The Soop: Friendcation.
Want to know more about the Wooga Squad members? Keep reading.
Park Seo Joon, the leader
Considered to be the leader of the gang, K-drama star Park Seo Joon is the one that started it all. The Wooga Squad began when he struck a friendship with ZE:A’s Park Hyung-sik and BTS’ V on the set of Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth, a historical K-drama about a group of friends living in the Silla Kingdom.
The trio started hanging out outside of work and Park Seo Joon’s longtime friend Peakboy and Parasite co-star Choi Woo Shik eventually joined in.
Park Seo Joon has been a staple in the K-drama industry for quite some time now so it’s no surprise that he has made a lot of connections, professional and personal ones alike.
He made his debut as an entertainer in 2011 and landed his breakthrough role four years later in She Was Pretty. The success of coming-of-age K-drama Fight For My Way where he played a former Taekwondo star who’s struggling to make a living cemented his household name status. And by 2019, he has become a certified heartthrob as he continues to land leading man roles in multiple K-dramas.
Park Seo-Joon will soon star in Gyeongseong Creature, a new fantasy drama where he will be joined by Nevertheless star Han So-Hee. He is also confirmed to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe in The Marvels, to be released in 2023.
V, the maknae
As the maknae (youngest) of the group, V is famous for his antics towards the older Wooga Squad members. One time, he even requested that the squad send him a coffee cart because he got jealous when he saw his bandmate Jungkook and Hotel De Luna actor Yeo Jin Goo exchanging surprises including sending a coffee truck and some snacks to each other while filming.
내가 핫도그 좋아하는 건 또 어떻게 알고
— 방탄소년단 (@BTS_twt) June 16, 2019
고마워 잘 먹었어 :)#ㅈㄱㅈㄱ pic.twitter.com/ZMKwnB4wIL
Of course, the Wooga Squad members obliged and V got his super cute coffee cart complete with personalised snacks. One of the banners even says “from your brothers”. Well, now we’re jealous too!
Even though this 1995 baby is the youngest in the group, his achievements are definitely on par with the rest of the squad’s. He is famed for his deep, husky voice and is one of the BTS members that has released solo songs. Aside from his singing, he’s also known for his songwriting and was actually the one who wrote and composed his first solo track Scenery.
Fans are now looking forward to the release of his first solo 'mixtape' album, temporarily called KTH1 (in reference to V's real name Kim Tae-Hyung).
Park Hyung Sik, the multihypenate
Although Park Hyung Sik is best known for his work with K-pop group ZE:A, he’s also making strides as a drama and theatre actor. He landed his first leading role in Strong Girl Bong Soon after starring in Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth alongside Wooga Squad members Park Seo Joon and V. His first stint as a leading man opposite actress Park Bo Young garnered praise and his talent as an actor soon got as much recognition as his work as a K-pop idol.
However, his career took a pause when he enlisted for mandatory military service; he was only discharged in January 2021. While he was away, his Wooga Squad brothers photoshopped his photos on vacations so he can “virtually join” them.
wooga👍🏻 pic.twitter.com/JW9Gk5fxa4
— 방탄소년단 (@BTS_twt) August 29, 2019
After his mandatory military enlistment ended, he starred in Happiness as a detective in an apocalyptic city. In February 2023, he started charming K-drama viewers again as Scholar Park in the historical drama Our Blooming Youth where he co-stars with Jeon So-Nee.
Choi Woo Shik, the movie star
Some actors are blockbuster-magnets and Choi Woo Shik is one of them. He made a name by starring in back-to-back hits like Train To Busan and Okja. But you may know him best as Kevin in Parasite, the mastermind who hatched the idea of conning a rich household so that his family can score jobs that they don’t necessarily have qualifications for. For this performance, he won the Screen Actors Guild Awards (SAG) for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture.
V gave him a shoutout and congratulated him for the award in a tweet that shows the two Wooga Squad members hanging out in sunny California.
우식씨 SAG 상 축하해 pic.twitter.com/KO6sRElRTb
— 방탄소년단 (@BTS_twt) January 20, 2020
Choi Woo Shik finally made his rom-com lead role debut in Our Beloved Summer, where he co-starred with Itaewon Class' Park Da Mi.
His latest project is a thriller drama titled Murder DIEary with veteran Korean actors Son Suk Ku and Lee Hee Joon.
Peakboy, the indie musician making waves
Peakboy is known for his smooth voice and found success through hit singles like Birthday, Kelly and Walk. With V, he released a song called Snowflower which quickly became popular among fans.
You can always spot the Wooga Squad members supporting Peakboy. Aside from starring in the Gyopo Hairstyle music video, they’re also constantly cheering him on during TV appearances.
Aside from his music, Peakboy is also recognised for his unique fashion sense. He even landed a feature in ELLE Korea. He’s definitely one to watch out for.
[KOREA] Peakboy for ELLE Korea Magazine #magzCO #Photoshoot pic.twitter.com/E0qOQJxePP
— Magazine Collection (@MagzCollection) October 18, 2020
(Cover photo from: @bn_sj2013)
Love K-dramas? Here’s the highest-rated K-dramas to add to your watchlist.
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