Doh Kyung-soo (Korean: ; born January 12, 1993) is a South Korean singer and actor best known as a member of the South Korean-Chinese boy group Exo. D.O. has appeared in a number of television dramas and films, including Pure Love (2016), My Annoying Brother (2016), Positive Physique (2016), Room No.7 (2017), 100 Days My Prince (2018), Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds, Swing Kids (2018), and Bad Prosecutor (2018). (2022). Empathy, his first extended play, debuted as a soloist in 2021. Furthermore, D.O. was chosen by the Korean Film Council as one of the 200 Korean actors who best represent the present and future of Korea's film industry.
Life and work
1993–2015: Beginnings in life and in a career
Also see: Exo
D.O. was born in Nonhyeon-dong of Gangnam District, Seoul, South Korea, on January 12, 1993, and grew up in Ilsandong-gu of Goyang, Gyeonggi Province. He attended Goyang Poongsan Elementary, Baekshin Middle, and Baekseok High Schools. He has an older brother who is three years his senior. D.O. began singing in primary school and competed in local singing contests throughout his high school career. He was advised to audition for SM Entertainment after winning one of the competitions. At his audition, he sang "Anticipation" by Na Yoon-kwon and "My Story" by Brown Eyed Soul. D.O. went on to become a trainee during his final two years of high school.
On January 30, 2012, D.O. was formally introduced as the eighth member of Exo with the release of the Korean version of the single "What Is Love," sung by D.O. and Baekhyun. The group made their debut on April 8th with the extended play Mama. He appeared in the song "Goodbye Summer" from f(xsecond )'s studio album Pink Tape in July 2013. D.O. made his acting debut in September 2014, playing a high school student and the son of a grocery store worker and union member in the film Cart (played by Yum Jung-ah). The film had its world premiere at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival. He also created an original soundtrack for the film, titled "Crying Out."
Later that year, D.O. made his small-screen debut in the SBS drama It's Okay, That's Love, alongside Gong Hyo-jin and Jo In-sung. D.O.'s performance in the series was praised by film critic Heo Ji-woong, and he was later nominated for Best New Actor at the 51st Baeksang Arts Awards. D.O. appeared as a psychopath in the KBS drama Hello Monster in June 2015. D.O. was nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the 52nd Grand Bell Awards in November 2015 for his role as Tae-young in Cart.
2016-2020: Leadership positions, recognition, and military service
D.O. was announced as one of the voice actors for the feature-length animated film Underdog, which will premiere in 2019. Moongchi, a stray dog who has been separated from his owner, was voiced by him. In February 2016, he recorded a duet for SM Station called "Tell Me (What Is Love)" with Yoo Young-jin. He had previously performed a short version of the song solo as part of Exo's first concert tour. Later that month, D.O. co-starred in the romantic film Pure Love with actress Kim So-hyun as the male lead. D.O. co-starred in the web drama Be Positive with Chae Seo-jin in October 2016. The series quickly became the most popular Korean web drama of all time. D.O. appeared in the film My Annoying Brother in November 2016, alongside Jo Jung-suk and Park Shin-hye, as a national level Judo athlete. D.O. and Jo Jung-suk also recorded the film's ending theme song, "Don't Worry." D.O. was named Best New Actor at the Blue Dragon Film Awards a year later for his performance in the film.
D.O. at a Room No.7 press conference in November 2017.
D.O. appeared in the comedy thriller film Room No.7 in 2017. The same year, he appeared as a supporting actor in Kim Yong-film hwa's Along With the Gods: The Two Worlds, a blockbuster adaptation of the webtoon of the same name about an afterlife court where the deceased face multiple trials over the course of 49 days. As a Korean public relations ambassador, D.O. attended the Macau International Film Festival in December 2017 alongside director Choi Dong-hoon. D.O. appeared in Swing Kids, a film set in a South Korean prison camp during the Korean War, in 2018. In the midst of the chaos, he plays a North Korean soldier who falls in love with tap dancing. Later that year, he was cast as a crown prince in 100 Days My Prince, his first small-screen leading role. The series was a commercial success, becoming the fifth highest-rated Korean drama in cable television history, and in 2020, it became the first CJ ENM drama to be broadcast on NHK General TV, Japan's public television channel.
Service in the Military
To the surprise of many, D.O. was reported to be among the conscripted soldiers for July later in May. Shortly after the news broke, he posted a handwritten letter on EXO's official fan club confirming and announcing his upcoming military service in South Korea. On July 1, 2019, he enlisted as an active duty soldier. On the same day, he released the single "That's Okay," a song he co-wrote, as a gift to his fans via the SM Station project. He served as a food handler in the Capital Mechanized Infantry Division (Fierce Tiger Division) after completing his training (kitchen police).
D.O. took part in the Taegeukgi (Korean Flag) Campaign for the 70th anniversary of the Korean War in 2020 and was cast in a commemorative rerun of the original military musical Return: The Promise of the Day as young Seungho, making his musical theatre debut. On June 10, 2020, a special run of the musical was broadcast live on Naver TV. Due to COVID-19 protocols, in-person performances have been cancelled and will be broadcast online between September 24 and 26, 2020.
Doh Kyung-soo also took part in the Military Manpower Administration's "I Am Proud" campaign while serving. He was also chosen for the Ministry of Justice of South Korea's awareness campaign against "Digital Sexual Exploitation."
D.O. was officially discharged on January 25, 2021, after taking his final military holiday leave in December 2020 without returning to his base in accordance with the army's protocols regarding the COVID-19 pandemic.
2021-present: Acting comeback and solo debut
Prior to his release in October 2020, he was announced to be cast in Kim Yong-next hwa's film, The Moon, as Hwang Seon-woo, an astronaut left in space due to an unforeseen accident. The production began in June 2021 and ended on October 12, 2021. The film is currently in post-production and is scheduled to hit theatres in 2023.
He was announced in February 2021 as the male lead in Secret, a South Korean remake of the 2007 Taiwanese film of the same name. In the film, he plays a student who plays the piano. Filming began in November 2021 and accelerated in January 2022.
Kyung-soo was chosen by the Korean Film Council (KOFIC) in March 2021 as one of 200 actors to represent the past and present of Korean cinema in the "The Actor is Present" campaign. In May 2021, his profile was revealed.
SM Entertainment announced on June 25, 2021, that D.O. would release his first solo album at the end of July 2021. Empathy, his first extended play, was released on July 26th, along with the lead single "Rose." D.O. helped write the lyrics to his first two singles, "Rose" and "I'm Fine." The album debuted at the top of the Gaon Album Chart.
Doh Kyung-soo was announced as the next actor to appear in Discovery Channel Korea's 2-episode travel show, Off The Grid, in 2022, where he took a 3-day, 2-night solo roadtrip to Namhae and the southern side of South Korea. His episodes will air in May 2022.
D.O. returned to the small screen in October 2022 with KBS2's Wed-Thurs drama series, Bad Prosecutor, in which he played the lead role of Jin Jeong, a delinquent prosecutor who fights for justice. For his performance, he received the Top Excellence Award (Actor) at the 2022 KBS Drama Award.
D.O. will appear in SBS's No Math School Trip, directed by former Running Man director Choi Bo-pil, in 2023, alongside Zico, Crush, Choi Jung-hoon, Lee Yong-jin, and Yang Se-chan.
For D.O.'s works with Exo, see Exo discography.
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | Sales | Certifications | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KOR [63] | JPN Oricon [69] | JPN Hot [70] | ||||
| Empathy |
| 1 | 4 | 10 |
|
|
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Sales (DL) | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KOR Circle [75] | KOR Hot [76] | US World [77] | |||||
| As lead artist | |||||||
| "That's Okay" | 2019 | 12 | 19 | 11 | N/A | SM Station Season 3 | |
| "Rose" | 2021 | 33 | 91 | 16 | Empathy | ||
| Collaborations | |||||||
| "Tell Me (What Is Love)" (with Yoo Young-jin) | 2016 | 12 | N/A | 2 |
| S.M. Station Season 1 | |
| As featured artist | |||||||
| "Goodbye Summer" (f(x) featuring D.O.) | 2013 | 7 | 26 | — |
| Pink Tape | |
| Soundtrack appearances | |||||||
| "Dear My Family" (with SM Town) | 2012 | — | — | — | N/A | I AM. OST | |
| "Scream" | 2014 | 22 | N/A | — |
| Cart OST | |
| "Don't Worry" (with Jo Jung-suk) | 2016 | 100 | — |
| My Annoying Brother OST | ||
| "Bite" | 2022 | — | — | N/A | Bad Prosecutor OST | ||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that region. Note: K-pop Hot 100 was introduced in August 2011, discontinued in July 2014 and was re-established on December 30, 2017. | |||||||
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Sales (DL) | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KOR Gaon [75] | KOR Hot [76] | ||||
| "Tell Me What Is Love" | 2014 | 44 | — |
| Exology Chapter 1: The Lost Planet |
| "For Life" (English version) | 2019 | — | — | N/A | Exo Planet 4 - The EℓyXiOn (dot) |
| "I'm Gonna Love You" (featuring Wonstein) | 2021 | 99 | 79 | Empathy | |
| "My Love" | 117 | — | |||
| "It's Love" (다시, 사랑이야) | 127 | — | |||
| "I'm Fine" | 129 | — | |||
| "Dad" (나의 아버지) | 139 | — | |||
| "Rose" (English version) | 196 | — | |||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory | |||||
All credits are adapted from KOMCA's database, unless cited otherwise.
| Song | Year | Artist | Album | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| "That's Okay" | 2019 | D.O. | SM Station Season 3 | Co-writer |
| "Rose" | 2021 | Empathy | ||
| "I'm Fine" |
See also: Exo videography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Cart | Choi Tae-young | |
| 2016 | Pure Love | Park Hyeong-jun (Beom-sil) | |
| My Annoying Brother | Go Doo-young | ||
| 2017 | Room No.7 | Lee Tae-jung | |
| Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds | Private Won Dong-yeon | ||
| 2018 | Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days | ||
| Swing Kids | Roh Ki-soo | ||
| 2019 | Underdog | Moong-chi | Voice |
| TBA | The Moon | Hwang Seon-woo | |
| Secret: Untold Melody | Yoo-joon |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | To the Beautiful You | Himself | Cameo (Episode 2) |
| 2014 | It's Okay, That's Love | Han Kang-woo | |
| 2015 | Hello Monster | teenage Lee Joon-young | |
| 2018 | 100 Days My Prince | Na Won-deuk / Lee Yul | |
| 2019 | Dear My Room | Cameo (Episode 11) | |
| 2022 | Bad Prosecutor | Jin Jung |
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Off The Grid | Cast member |
| 2023 | No Math School Trip |
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Exo Next Door | Fictionalised version of himself |
| 2016 | Be Positive | Kim Hwan-dong |
| Year | Title |
|---|---|
| 2012 | "Dear My Family" (as part of SM Town) |
| 2014 | "I'm Your Girl" (Remake) |
| "Scream" | |
| 2016 | "Tell Me (What is Love)" |
| "Don't Worry" with Jo Jung-suk | |
| 2017 | "Dear My Family (Live Concert Ver.)" (as part of SM Town) |
| 2021 | "Rose" |
| 2023 | "Hope from Kwangya" (as part of SM Town) |
| Title | Year | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Return: The Promise of the Day | Kim Seung-ho | Army musical |
See also: List of awards and nominations received by Exo
| Award ceremony | Year | Category | Nominee/work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| APAN Star Awards | 2014 | Best New Actor | It's Okay, That's Love | Won |
| Asia Artist Awards | 2017 | Popularity Award – Actor | Doh Kyung-soo | Won |
| Asian Film Awards | 2015 | Best Newcomer | Cart | Nominated |
| Asian Pop Music Awards[a] | 2021 | Best Male Artist (Overseas) | D.O. | Nominated |
| People's Choice Awards (Overseas) | Empathy | 4th Place | ||
| 2022 | People's Choice Award (Overseas) | "Bite" | 3rd place | |
| Baeksang Arts Awards | 2015 | Best New Actor – Television | It's Okay, That's Love | Nominated |
| 2016 | Most Popular Actor – Film | Pure Love | Won | |
| 2017 | Best New Actor – Film | My Annoying Brother | Nominated | |
| Most Popular Actor – Film | Won | |||
| 2019 | Most Popular Actor | 100 Days My Prince | Won | |
| Blue Dragon Film Awards | 2017 | Best New Actor | My Annoying Brother | Won |
| Brand of the Year Award | 2019 | Best Male Acting Idol | Doh Kyung-soo | Won |
| Buil Film Awards | 2018 | Popular Star Award | Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days | Won |
| 2019 | Swing Kids | Won | ||
| Dong-A.com's Pick | 2018 | Next Generation Noteworthy Actor | Doh Kyung-soo | Won |
| Director's Cut Awards | 2018 | Best New Actor | Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days | Won |
| Gaon Chart Music Awards | 2021 | Mubeat Global Choice Award | D.O. | Nominated |
| Golden Disc Awards | 2022 | Album Bonsang | Empathy | Nominated |
| Most Popular Artist Award | D.O. | Nominated | ||
| Grand Bell Awards | 2015 | Best Supporting Actor | Cart | Nominated |
| Popularity Award | Nominated | |||
| Hanteo Music Awards | 2021 | Artist Award - Male Solo | D.O. | Won |
| Indonesian Hallyu Fans Choice Awards | 2021 | Solo Song of the Year | "Rose" | Won |
| JIMFF Awards | 2017 | Star Award | My Annoying Brother | Won |
| KBS Drama Awards | 2022 | Best Couple Award | Doh Kyung-soo (with Lee Se-hee) Bad Prosecutor | Won |
| Popularity Award, Actor | Bad Prosecutor | Won | ||
| Top Excellence Award, Actor | Won | |||
| Korean Film Shining Star Awards | 2017 | Newcomer Award (Film) | My Annoying Brother | Won |
| Max Movie Awards | 2015 | Best New Actor | Cart | Nominated |
| 2016 | Rising Star Award | Doh Kyung-soo | Won | |
| Mnet Asian Music Awards | 2021 | Best Male Artist | D.O. | Nominated |
| The Seoul Awards | 2018 | Popularity Actor Award | Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days | Won |
| Seoul International Youth Film Festival | 2014 | Best Young Actor | It's Okay, That's Love | Won |
| Seoul Music Awards | 2022 | Bonsang Award | Empathy | Nominated |
| K-wave Special Award | D.O. | Nominated | ||
| Popularity Award | Nominated | |||
| Soompi Awards | 2019 | Actor of the Year | 100 Days My Prince | Won |
