Who is Hong Seung-beom?

Hong Seung-beom is a rookie actor in Korea who recently won the survival reality show 'Casting 1147km'. He is an economics major who accelerated his U.S. degree and then pivoted to acting, leveraging his bilingual skills to build a steady acting career since 2016.

What is 'Casting 1147km'?

'Casting 1147km' is a survival reality show in Korea that Hong Seung-beom won, beating out a six-contestant field under the watchful eyes of director-producer judges.

How did Hong Seung-beom's background help him in his acting career?

Hong Seung-beom's background as an economics major who studied in the U.S. and interned at Naver gave him a unique perspective. He was able to leverage his bilingual skills, honed through debate club and English drills, to take on roles that can cross borders without subtitles.

Home / Arts and Entertainment / Economics Major Turned Actor Wins Survival Reality Show

Economics Major Turned Actor Wins Survival Reality Show

18 Oct

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Summary

Rookie actor Hong Seung-beom, born in 1991, wins survival reality show 'Casting 1147km'
Accelerated his U.S. degree, interned at Naver, then pivoted to acting in Korea
Leveraging bilingual skills, building steady acting career since 2016

Economics Major Turned Actor Wins Survival Reality Show

As of October 18th, 2025, rookie actor Hong Seung-beom has emerged as a rising star in the Korean entertainment industry. The 34-year-old, born in 1991, recently won the survival reality show 'Casting 1147km', beating out a six-contestant field under the watchful eyes of director-producer judges.

Hong's path to success reads like a drama pilot. An economics major, he blitzed through a U.S. degree, then interned at the tech giant Naver. However, the "what if" of acting became too strong to ignore, and Hong pivoted hard to pursue his passion. Leveraging his bilingual skills, honed through debate club immersion, no-Korean zones, and daily English drills, Hong has been steadily building his acting resume since 2016.

In the years leading up to his big win, Hong has appeared in a number of notable projects, including 'Revenge Returns', 'Kkondae Intern', 'Sacred Children', and 'Delightfully Deceitful'. His performance on '1147km' impressed the judges, who tested his range with line reads and self-expression missions. Hong's final turn on the show sparked whispers of him being "the next Byun Woo-seok", a rising star in the Korean entertainment scene.