Can This Love Be Translated? is Netflix's first must-see Korean drama of 2026. The romance series follows Joo Ho-jin (Kim Seon-ho), a multi-lingual interpreter at the top of his field, and Cha Mu-hee (Moving’s Go Youn-jung), an actress who is thrust into the global spotlight overnight. When the two are paired professionally for a TV show, a deep intimacy begins to grow. K-drama fans have long anticipated the series, as it marks the return of both the legendary writers, the Hong sisters, following the success of fantasy-romance Alchemy of Souls, as well as actor Kim Seon-ho in his first romantic lead role since Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha.
All 12 episodes of Can This Love Be Translated? dropped on Netflix on January 16th, drawing viewers into a love story that takes place across Korea, Japan, Canada, and Italy. Kim’s steady performance as a polyglot interpreter who values his comfortable routine over taking chances grounds the globetrotting romance, especially in comparison to the much more effusive and unpredictable Mu-hee. For anyone unfamiliar with the leading man’s rich filmography or personal background, read on to learn more about Kim Seon-ho and how Can This Love Be Translated? fits into his life so far.
Cha Mu-hee (Go Youn-jung) and Joo Ho-jin (Kim Seon-ho) in Can This Love Be Translated?.
Kim Seon-ho’s nickname is "theater idol" because of his start on the stage.
Kim Seon-ho, 39, was a stage actor before he made a name for himself onscreen. Born in Seoul in 1986, he grew up as an introverted kid in the capital’s Gwanak district. Though he started acting as a way to work through lingering childhood trauma following a home robbery, it would eventually turn into a vocation. He studied theater at Seoul Institute of the Arts and made his professional stage debut in a 2009 adaptation of the French play New Boeing Boeing. His time as a theater actor would earn him the nickname “theater idol” following his transition to the screen.
Kim made his TV debut in 2017’s Good Manager, but his turn in 2020’s Start-Up is considered his breakout role. In the tvN romantic dramedy set in “Korea’s Silicon Valley,” Kim stars as second male lead Han Ji-pyeong, an orphan who uses his determination and brain to earn his reputation as “the Gordon Ramsay of investments.” Though Ji-pyeong didn’t get the girl in the end, Kim’s on-screen charisma had many viewers hoping he would.
Hong Du-sik (Kim Seon-ho) shows Yoon Hye-jin his many credentials in Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha.
Kim Seon-ho stepped into the international spotlight with 'Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha.'
For many international K-drama fans, 2021’s Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha was where they first fell in love with a Kim Seon-ho performance. One of the highest-rated dramas in Korean history, the tvN series was distributed by Netflix internationally and became one of the streamer’s most-watched international shows of the year.
Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha follows Shin Min-a as uptight dentist Yoon Hye-jin, who decides to open a dental office in the fictional seaside town of Gong-jin only to almost immediately get on the wrong side of the local community. Kim plays Hong Du-sik, a low-key jack-of-all-trades who grew up in Gong-jin and takes pity on Hye-jin. The two, of course, fall in love in a classic tale of opposites attracting. For his performance as Du-sik, Kim was named Gallup Korea's Television Actor of the Year.
Kim in a scene from Can This Love Be Translated?.
A personal "scandal" almost ended Kim Seon-ho's career.
Shortly following the finale of Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha, Kim’s career was temporarily derailed when an ex-girlfriend posted on the internet alleging that the actor was emotionally abusive and had threatened her during their relationship. Kim issued a public apology and stepped down from his permanent role on the variety show 2 Days & 1 Night, as well as his upcoming roles in the films Dog Days and Pretty Crazy. His advertising campaigns were also halted.
However, public opinion soon shifted when Korean celebrity gossip outlet Dispatch published KakaoTalk conversations between Kim and his ex-girlfriend, differing drastically from initial characterizations of Kim’s behavior and of the couple’s relationship and breakup more generally. Kim’s ex-girlfriend also apologized publicly for the “misunderstanding,” and Kim has since continued his career.
Chung-seop (Kim Seon-ho) and Geum-myeong (IU) share a meal, in a scene from When Life Gives You Tangerines.
Kim Seon-ho played IU's love interest in 'When Life Gives You Tangerines.'
In 2025, Kim made a surprise Netflix comeback as a romantic interest to IU’s Geum-myeong in the slice-of-life epic When Life Gives You Tangerines. In the celebrated drama, Kim plays Park Chung-seop, an artist who helps Geum-myeong get a part-time job at the Seoul movie theater where he paints movie posters. The two start as friends, eventually becoming something more.
Kim told W Korea that he took the When Life Gives You Tangerines role because of director Kim Won-seok, who previously helmed dramas Misaeng and My Mister, but became a fan of scriptwriter Kim Lim Sang-choon after coming on board. “I've never shed so many tears while reading a script,” Kim said. “Even before filming began, I said, ‘I have no regrets about taking part in this project.’”
Kim Seon-ho speaks four languages in 'Can This Love Be Translated?'
To play Joo Ho-jin in Can This Love Be Translated?, Kim speaks Korean, English, Japanese, and Italian. “It wasn't as easy as I thought,” he told W Korea of acting in multiple languages. “I conveyed the nuances of my acting in Korean, while my teachers meticulously taught me the pronunciation and vocalization details of each country. It was almost like training.” He joked that co-star Go Youn-jung said she wouldn’t have been able to do it.
“I spent a lot of time with the language teachers, going through thick and thin, and became close with them,” continued Kim. “The moment filming was over, I felt a sense of accomplishment and pride, my tension melting away, and my legs gave out. I thought, ‘This is the kind of acting I want to do.’”