You can find all of our “Bias Duality” articles in one place by clicking here! This week’s Bias Duality article is dedicated to the young genius who got the whole world convinced that he was their first love, Ong SeongWu. With 78.4% of the total votes cast by Kpopmap readers on the poll in our previous “Bias Duality” article, Ong SeongWu was chosen by an overwhelming majority of fans to appear on this series! To participate in choosing the artist who will be featured in our next “Bias Duality” article, you can vote for your favourite idol/actor below! If you would like to see a different idol/actor (one who is not mentioned in the poll) featured in the series, please leave their name in the comments section, and we will add them to the vote lineup next time! Now onto our bias!
Stealing Hearts At First Glance To Living Rent Free In Our Heads - Ong SeongWu’s Personal Duality & Evolution
Remember looking at the sky on a moving vehicle as a child and being pleasantly thrilled at seeing the moon following you all the way home? Ong SeongWu is like that moon, and his art is the dazzling guiding light that makes us feel loved and protected. One of the brightest artists in the Korean entertainment industry, hard-carrying the future of Hallyu, Ong SeongWu is the very definition of versatility. Not only is he a talented idol, actor, and entertainer, but he is also a drummer, a photographer, an emcee, and even the PR Ambassador of the Incheon Metropolitan City Office of Education! Such is his influence and goodwill that he is nationally recognized as a role model for the youth. In addition, he is also dedicated to philanthropy, which inspires his fans to do the same. Ong SeongWu is truly WELO’s pride and joy! Perhaps the first hint of Ong SeongWu’s duality became apparent when he joined season 2 of “Produce 101” as an acting trainee and finished as a member of one of the most beloved K-Pop boy groups of all time, WANNA ONE. Despite being trained in acting, he stole the hearts of millions with his musicality. His vocals were impressive and stable, and his background as a professional dancer in crews like 20th Century B-Boys gave him a solid advantage. It soon became clear that he was not only innately talented but also thoroughly skilled in technique and style. Now, that’s a complete package if we know one. Today, even as an established and lauded soloist, Ong SeongWu is constantly evolving and pushing his limits. He actively participates in writing and composing his own music, effectively creating an inimitable signature sonic aesthetic, prioritizes honesty in art, and just wants to tell his stories to the world. He is ambitious yet grounded, immensely successful yet humble, a master of his craft yet always a learner, and most importantly, deeply loved yet even more loving. As a matter of fact, his kindness, diligence, patience, and persistence leave such a lasting impression that they might as well be his autograph! When it comes to personality, Ong SeongWu is as golden as golden gets. Despite the arduous struggles he went through as a trainee, working a host of part-time jobs while running full-force ahead towards his dream, Ong SeongWu protected his passion ardently and never looked back. His relationship with WELO is so adorably close-knit and endearing, especially with the way he treats them like family, that it makes him a total stan magnet just because everyone wants to be admired like that. SeongWu is attentive to his fans, genuinely cares for them, showers them with love and affection, and knows exactly how to comfort them during difficult times. At the same time, he is also playful, sassy, and puppy-like. In other words, he is like the refreshing rain we crave in summer, the sunshine that brings love and light in spring, that one favorite sweater that keeps us cozy in fall, and the warm hug that melts our hearts in winter. Ong SeongWu is everything that dreams are made of! That’s not all! Ong SeongWu is charming without having to try, adding to his rockstar image, but his effortless sense of humor gives him the perfect boy-next-door vibe. He takes pride in being able to make someone swoon one moment and laugh their heart out the next. From co-stars to directors, members, and staff alike, anyone who has remotely spent any amount of time with SeongWu has vouched for his lively, bright, and considerate nature. Ong SeongWu has a captivating yet friendly aura that makes him approachable but also mysterious. If that wasn’t enough, he is also extremely intelligent and witty, credited for ending the mint chocolate debate by simply stating that mint chocolate does not taste like toothpaste, but rather, toothpaste is mint-flavored! It isn’t surprising, therefore, that he is such a sought-after variety star too! If you think this is amazing, let me remind you that this is just the tip of the iceberg that is Ong SeongWu’s duality.
A Celestial Affair - Ong SeongWu’s Duality As An Idol
One of the innumerable qualities that drew the world to Ong SeongWu was his stage presence. When Ong SeongWu goes on stage, he bets his all on his performance, owning his time and owning his place. Ong SeongWu has an inherent penchant for assuming the position of the centre of gravity, holding the performance together with elan. His facial expressions can go from sweet and angelic to devilishly handsome in no time, and he can still make it look chic and fluid. This is probably why he seems to be a perfect fit for any and all concepts, whether that be peppy high teen or dark and angsty. It is virtually impossible to take your eyes off of him because the stage is where SeongWu is in his element. In terms of singing, Ong SeongWu’s vocal colour is truly one of a kind. It is clear as a bell but can adopt a husky tone if a song so demands. Similarly, as confident as he is in his higher register, his lower notes are also spectacular. Ong SeongWu is as adept at vocal control and modulation as he is at letting his instinct guide him. This gives his music an authentic, raw, yet polished touch that is not only rare but also unique to Ong SeongWu. Moreover, the wide spectrum of emotions he can express with even the slightest quiver of his voice deserves a whole book written about it! Two live performances that perfectly capture the essence of Ong SeongWu’s vocal duality are ‘Guess Who’ from his first solo mini-album “Layers” on “Music Bank” and his collaboration track with Baek ZYoung titled ‘didn’t say anything’. While ‘Guess Who’ is ludic, alluring and flirtatious, alternating between teasing low-pitch whispers to full-throated high notes, ‘didn’t say nothing’ is soft and soaked in pain. The ballad truly allows his vocal range to shine and proves once and for all that his voice is one of his strongest suits. The riffs and runs he delivers in this masterpiece are otherworldly and stand testimony to his endless potential. Next, we come to dancing and in this respect, Ong SeongWu is jinjja, daebak, real, heol, unbeatable. From the moment he stepped into the limelight with “Produce 101”, Ong SeongWu left viewers in awe of his extraordinary talent in dance. Besides the fact that he specializes in an array of difference dance styles, what is truly awe-worthy is his knack for freestyling. The conviction, ease and certainty with which Ong SeongWu freestyles proves that he must have rhythm running in his veins. It is almost as if you can feel the music emanating from him, which has to be the peak of brilliance for a dancer. Ong SeongWu’s stage for ‘Gravity’ is quite possibly the very culmination of his stage duality. The choreography is a wonderful juxtaposition of sharp, detailed movements and softer, more delicate yet grand manoeuvres that convey the heart of the song elegantly. ‘Gravity’ also happens to be an outstanding illustration of SeongWu’s vocal duality, making the song the best of both worlds.
Bringing A Galaxy Of Emotions To Life - Ong SeongWu’s Screen Duality
2022 is the year of actor Ong SeongWu because he is booked & busy, and we are blessed. There is nothing more satisfying than going on an Ong SeongWu binge-watching session and ending up with tears, both from laughing and crying. Like artist, like fan, the duality is unreal. Ong SeongWu began his acting career with a short film titled “SeongWu Is Alright”, where he plays his namesake, SeongWu, an aspiring actor with eyes full of dreams who must appeal to an indifferent panel of judges at the end of a long day. The film draws its novelty from the meta-narrative, whereby the real SeongWu, an aspiring actor, has to play a fictional SeongWu who is also an aspiring actor going through experiences that the real SeongWu could possibly relate to. As such, SeongWu, the actor, has to teeter between reality and fiction, which is quite the herculean task for a rookie. However, he does it with such excellence that one would have been able to predict his luminous future in the acting industry from that single first role. He is never himself, yet never not himself as SeongWu. You definitely see a glimmer of truth peeking through, but you can never mistake it as the actor instead of the character. While Ong SeongWu has played way more complex characters in his illustrious career so far, I believe “SeongWu Is Alright” absolutely deserves special appreciation. Ong SeongWu’s foray into the K-Drama world was highly anticipated by fans worldwide. So, when he officially debuted as an actor with “At Eighteen” and bagged some of the most prestigious acting awards (“Rookie Actor Award” from Asia Artist Awards 2019, “Want To See Your Next Project Award” from DongA’s Pick 2019, “Best New Actor” and “Hallyu Star Award” from Korea Drama Awards 2019, “Most Promising Actor” from StarHub Night of Stars 2019) and nominations including the “Best New Actor – Television” and “TikTok Popularity Award – Male” from Baeksang Arts Awards 2020, fans couldn’t be more proud. In “At Eighteen”, Ong SeongWu plays Choi JunWoo, a misunderstood high-school student from a humble family who goes through the turbulence of stepping into adulthood while navigating love, friendship, identity, and responsibility. Ong SeongWu breathes life into this character that was once just ink on paper and, through him, creates an ideal that will always be undefeated. No matter who your first love is, after “At Eighteen”, it is now Choi JunWoo. Ong SeongWu reinstates his position as the official first love of WELO once again with “Life Is Beautiful” and “More Than Friends” where he plays Jung Woo and Lee Soo, respectively. However, he never allows his filmography to be saturated by a running theme. Soon after “More Than Friends”, Ong SeongWu took up a rather offbeat yet intriguing role In “Would You Like A Cup Of Coffee?” as the determined yet naive Kang GoBi. This drama was a meditative piece of art, and Kang GoBi, its primary voice. Before anything else, this drama showcased Ong SeongWu’s acting range at its finest, especially with how he constructed Kang GoBi with layers of meaning and motivations. In just a few episodes, Kang GoBi became a figure of persistence and learning, a voice for every lost soul on a journey to find themselves. Ong SeongWoo’s latest work, the Netflix original film “Seoul Vibe” is another example of his screen duality. He went from the calm JunWoo, the tsundere Lee Soo, the poetic GoBi, to the fresh and funky genius mechanic JoonGi and once again, we were left speechless. JoonGi is diametrically opposed to the characters SeongWu has played before, but he was nothing if not at one with him. Being the baby of the crew, he is coddled, but he is also the undisputed expert in his field, a key player in the ultimate plan of the team. As such, he goes back and forth between his sexy, cutie, lovely modes throughout the film, drawing us to his character more and more. Now, that’s duality if we’ve ever witnessed it. For the second half of 2022 and 2023, Ong SeongWu is working on “Starlight Is Falling”, “20th Century Girl” and “Jung Family’s Farm”, among films, and the awaited sequel of “Strong Woman Do BongSoon” titled “Strong Woman Kang NamSoon” among dramas. With such stellar works on the way, we could not be more excited for Actor Ong SeongWu’s comeback!
OngJa & OngVid’s Meet-Cute - Ong SeongWu’s Aesthetic Duality
If you thought we were done gushing over the splendor of Ong SeongWoo, we do not regret to tell you that you’re wrong. We could not possibly conclude without the treasure that is Ong SeongWu’s aesthetic duality. For those who might not know, two of SeongWu’s most popular nicknames are OngJa and OngVid, and his visual duality becomes amply evident through their meanings. OngJa is a combination of his last name “Ong” and “Wang-ja” meaning Prince in Korean. This refers to his princely panache and gentlemanly disposition. On the other hand, we have OngVid, which comes from “Ong” and “David”, alluding to David of Michaelangelo for his sculpted, statuesque, towering physique, machismo, and ethereal, flawless visuals. It is no wonder, therefore, that he is also supremely popular as a model because he can pull off any given style like nobody’s business, whether that be suits or hanboks, tees, hoodies, or even 80s-inspired permed hair! In fact, Ong SeongWu has been modeling as a part-time job for years, and all that experience is surely paying off! If you’d like to dive even deeper into Ong SeongWu’s aesthetic duality, look no further than his very own Instagram (@osw_onge), which, at the time of writing, has 3.5 million followers. From behind-the-scenes to pet pics, pictorials, b-cuts, and more, his feed is simply immaculate. You do not want to miss out on all this Onge goodness!
A post shared by 옹성우 ongseongwu (@osw_onge) At the end of the day, when it comes to Ong SeongWu, our first love is our last. The man is a true idol in every sense of the word and continues to inspire millions every day, just by virtue of his existence, perseverance, and sincerity. From stage to screen and everything in between, Ong SeongWu is absolutely incomparable, owing to both his immeasurable talent and the purity in his soul that births the most potent, sublime, and timeless art. The indelible legacy of Ong SeongWu is history in the making, and we cannot wait to see what he has in store for us next. Until then, We (will always) Eternally Love Ong SeongWu! What is your favorite thing about Ong SeongWu’s duality? Tell us in the comments section down below! If you’re looking for more content about Ong SeongWu on Kpopmap, here are some articles you might enjoy!
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