Music / Idols

The SB Showdown: Kim Hyun Joong vs Jang Geun Suk

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Written by Subi On January 4, 2012

Since his appearance in the pop culture phenomenon known as Boys Before Flowers, Kim Hyun Joong has held the title of “Prince of Asia” for quite some time. And from his numerous endorsements, numerous appearances, and numerous activities, this Flower Boy has been sitting on his thrown happily and proudly, creating his own brand. But ever since another pop culture phenomenon, known as You’re Beautiful, Kim Hyun Joong has been receiving some challenges from @AsiaPrince_JKS, also known as Jang Geun Suk.

After his lead in You’re Beautiful, JGS has catapulted to fame, filling up our twitters, tumblrs, and feeds with his existence. From his looks, to his persona, to every ounce of JGS goodness, he has won over the hearts all over the globe. So much love that he has given himself the title of Prince of Asia.

Apparently no one has told him that the title is already taken and there can only be one Prince of Asia. But is Hyun Joong still sitting pretty on his throne? Or is Jang Geun Suk giving him a run for his money? Here and now, Seoulbeats, attempts to find out.

I. Round 1: Physicality

With his divinely long, silky tresses to his deliciously adorable smile, Jang Geun Suk is a cutie patootie and a half. When he laughs, doves take flight. When he winks, stars are born. And when he walks into a room, knees buckle, jaws drop, and hearts burst into a pile of unicorns, cupcakes, and butterflies.

But then there is Kim Hyun Joong.

From his kissable lips to his twinkling eyes to his perfectly cut face, Kim Hyun Joong is physical perfection. But what gives him the edge in this round, is that one minute, he’s the prince of pretty in Boys Before Flowers, the next minute, he’s the duke of dashing in SS501, and the next minute, he’s the sheik of sexy in Break Down. For giving us his physical best, regardless of the look he’s trying to pull off, Kim Hyun Joong wins the battle of physicality. After all, God himself must have carved this Adonis.

Winner: Kim Hyun Joong

II. Round 2: Personality

But you can’t judge a book by its cover, right?

While these two hotties with bodies have physical perfection, they also have the personalities to follow suit. Off screen, Jang Geun Seuk has managed to charm guys and gals with his outgoing, friendly, and need I mention, proud charisma. Catch him on any of the following variety shows, from Knee Drop Guru, SMAPxSMAP, and Super King and you’ll be in for plenty of smiles and laughs. And what’s his appeal? Well, even though he is so confident that it dangerously dances with the deadly sin of pride, people appreciate his confidence and if anything, his honesty.

But there is something about Hyun Joong’s 4D personality that has had K-Pop fans whipped. Ever since his appearance on We Got Married and practically every variety show since then, has had us giggling and ogling at his bizarre but adorably and charming his behavior. Whether he is in a rage over TOP’s kiss with Lee Hyori or he is imitating Kim Jaejoong’s ‘deflating balloon’ like voice, he has been on the variety scene for much longer, which regardless of whether it is fair or unfair, has given the public much longer time to get to know him and thus, grow to love him as well. After all, how could we resist him pole dancing with a tree? Or planning his future life as a lion? Or feeding his addiction to comics?

Good times, Hyun Joong, good times.

Winner: Kim Hyun Joong

III. Round 3 Marketability

But who has their existence plastered EVERYWHERE?!

Jang Geun Suk who has only recently been catching momentum has landed endorsements from LeSportsac, Coca Cola, Hyundai, Motorola, Samsung, and Etude House. Not too shabby for a guy who has only been catching the buzz since 2010.

Kim Hyun Joong got his start a year or so earlier and has quite the list himself. From Converse, to Lotte, to Samsung, and to The Face Shop, KHJ has racked in the attention from all companies.

But Jang Geun Suk is catching fire like that Sean Kingston song because he is everywhere and making bank. Remember the million dollars he donated to his college? Remember that multi million dollar piece of real estate that he owns? And we’re not talking Won; we’re talking USD.

He’s making bank off of these CFs and while I’m sure Kim Hyun Joong does as well, he’s not making enough to make it rain like Jang Geun Suk.

Winner: Jang Geun Suk

IV. Round 4: Ability

Kim Hyun Joong has done it all. He has done the whole idol group thing, as main dancer, lead rapper, and leader of SS501. He has done the whole acting thing, playing lead roles in top dramas such as Yoon Ji Hoo in Boys Before Flowers and as Baek Seung Jo in Playful Kiss. And let us not forget this Jack-of-all-Trade’s myriad variety show appearances, master of ceremony duties, and endorsement deals.

But being a Jack-of-all-Trades makes you a Master-of-None.

While Jang Geun Suk may not be a Jack-of-all-Trades, he is a Master-of-Something. And that something is acting. He made his acting debut back in 1997 in the drama Haengbokeul Pabmoda and his been acting since, landing lead roles in hit dramas such as, Yoon Gun Hee in Lovers in Prague, Kang Geon Woo in Beethoven Virus, and of course, Hwang Tae Kyung in You’re Beautiful. And not only has he done television dramas, he has also done films, which includes the leading role in the upcoming Korean remake of Japanese manga, You’re My Pet. As a method actor, he has often completely immersed himself in a role, having learned sign language for his film One Missed Call: Final and having gone on strict, regimented diets for his dramas You’re Beautiful and You’re My Pet. He is diligent in his occupation and he executes his work just as so. He still has a way to go but there is something about him, something that he has already demonstrated that allows him to connect with his audience. If he continues to dedicate as much time to acting, to the mastering of acting, as he is currently, then he has the diligence and the talent to really grow and blossom.

He may not do a lot of things but he does the one thing he wishes to do well with a foreseeable future of further improvement. Yes, KHJ does a lot, which is commendable in of itself, but I’m not sold on any one of his activities. His singing is ‘meh,’ his acting is ‘meh,’ and well, what more can I say about someone whose talents are ‘meh’? Not a whole lot.

Winner: Jang Geun Suk

V. Final Round

In the famous words of SHINee, “Eoteokhae?! Eoteokhae?!”

Like every competition, each side has its strengths and its weaknesses. But in what direction does this scale tip? Despite the fact that they’re even, I’m going to give it to sitting Prince of Asia, Kim Hyun Joong.

Jang Geun Suk is a star of potential. He has more talent than KHJ and he also has potential. With time and effort, there is not a doubt in my mind that he will surpass KHJ by leaps and bounds in that area. And while quality should always matter more than quantity, in this case, it definitely doesn’t. While I have compared them on the individual basis of physicality, personality, marketability, and ability, I’m not comparing them holistically as hotties, friends, models, or actors/singers. I am comparing them as stars and stardom is not dependent on quality. Why that is is a separate discussion, but either way, it is dependent on the je nais se quoi that in comparison to Hyun Joong, Geun Suk does not, at this moment in time, possess. Yes Geun Suk is popular. Very, very popular. But not as popular as Hyun Joong (in Korea) and that is why, despite his flaws and even his strength, Kim Hyun Joong is the winner of this showdown. Whether it is something as trivial as his looks, something as personal as his personality, or something as insightful as his “talent,” this boy has got something that has all of Asia livin’ la vida loca. And that is why he is the Prince of Asia.

But I will say this: JGS has got both going for him. Granted, it might not be enough to defeat the blinding, deafening, and dumbing popularity of Kim Hyun Joong, he has got it both. I previously mentioned that he had potential to do even better than he is doing now and I extend that to popularity. Who knows? Maybe one day, KHJ will be a thing of the past and JGS will be the thing of now. For the time being however, I suggest you change your twitter.

Winner: Kim Hyun Joong

Oh and just in case you folks were wondering, Lee Minho trumps both these mofos.

TAGS: Boys Before Flowers, Jang Geun-suk, Kim Hyun-joong, Playful Kiss, SS501, You're Beautiful

JGS/JJ/OS
Disagree. Big JGS fan here.
I also like KHJ, in an I can’t help it he’s aesthetically pleasing way (AND JJ’s his bff ), but you’re right KHJ is mediocre in everything -you should have stuck by that. Frankly LMH got all the credit from BOF, KHJ was drastically overshadowed. Even if he is now compared to BYJ, he is yet to lead a drama that would make him iconic, and he seems to be avoiding that path for now.
JGS may have missed with Mary, but his projects has directly involved: Ha Ji Won, Moon Geun Young and Kim Ha Yeul -to name a few. These ladies are testaments enough of how iconic he already is. And he can also do those mediocre stuff that KHJ can; singing, dancing, variety show whatevs. PLUS as already stated, he excels in he’s chosen craft: acting.

JGS/JJ/OS
…he excels in his chosen craft: acting.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Audrey-Kim/100000235349061 Audrey Kim
Yeah, I think its testaments enough to show iconic he is.. I mean those actresses are just iconic.. BOF had hardly any known actors..BOF had just 3 advertisers in 1st episode as no one wanted to invest in it but once the 1st episode was broadcast, the advertisers started pouring in and these unknown actors became superstars overnight.. PK had very unknown actors too.. The producers only invested in KHJ and he was carrying the entire burden on his shoulders.. I cant compare PK and BOF casts to these iconic stars.. Yet, its amazing how things can turn out, dont you think?
I love all the casts of BOF so if you think Lee Min Ho overshadowed KHJ, its ok. He is very popular too.

Hinata1098
He is Kim Hyun Joong after all XD. People love him in just about everything he does.

Legend_0f_l0vest0ry
Sukkie oppa!!!not KHJ
Legend_0f_l0vest0ry
Sukkie oppa!!!not KHJ
Capedeh
check this one first
RayRay
Ha! I love the Lee Minho comment at the end! Personally out of JGS and KHJ I pick Kim Hyun Joong he just seems like he’d be more laid back and fun to hang with

Anonymous
So true! :)

http://twitter.com/min_eel Mindy
I like JKS but i am not going to argue who deserves the title since everyone has his/her own bias.
I just want people to stop saying he is cocky. He is not. He is confident, yes, but he is never cocky. He calls himself Prince of Asia not because he is cocky, he had said many times, that he is not yet the Prince of Asia and still has a long way to go. He never said he is the 2nd BYJ. He calls himself POA just to remind himself that he has to work very hard to achieve this goal. Even if he fails eventually, he will have no regret as he has worked very hard to achieve his goals.
JKS is someone who set high goals for himself and he is committed because he was taught to work hard since young. He leads a hard life after his family went bankrupt when he was very young and he has to work nonstop to pay for the rent. He started modeling at the age of 5 and has been the main breadwinner of his family since then. In his documentary, you can see his regret when he said that he had no friends and no memories of his school life because he was working hard to support his family and had to miss school. He was even forced to be an underwear model at the age of 14 ( can’t rem exact age) and his friends even teased and bullied him because of that.
He is a brutally honest person and people may not like him because of that. However, eels love him the way he is. When he was very young, he had to learn to look at adult’s expression so as not to be scolded. On set, even when he was sleepy, he was hungry, he wanted to play, he wanted to cry, he cannot do that and he had to pretend to be happy and say what the adults want to hear so that he would not get scolded. It is because of this that now he tells himself he does not want to live such a life anymore. He is not a robot and he has his own feelings and he wants to speak how he feels. JKS may not be humble, but at least he is honest about being ambitious. People who enter the entertainment industry are all ambitious, this is a fact. Not many dare to tell others how they feel just because the society prefer people to be humble.
And for those who said he only cares about money clearly do not know anything about him. If so, he would have chosen BOF and not Beethoven Virus. He already knew BOF will be a hit but he still chose BV as he want to learn about acting from the veteran actors. Besides, although he earns a lot, he did donate a lot too. Before he was super popular in Japan, he was among the first to donate to Japan.
I find it sad that people who hated him spend very little time to find out more about him and knows very little about him but they are willing to spend so much time online to type why they hate him.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Audrey-Kim/100000235349061 Audrey Kim
Due to Asean financial crisis, our business was affected. We started a fashion business in Dongdaemun. We had to work until 11pm everyday. After getting off from work, I often went to the TGI restaurant which my son worked to secretly watch my son working for around 1 hour before returning home.
During winter, while waiting for my son to come back home, I kept looking out for him from the window. At around 1am, looking at my son making his way through the knee height snow with much difficulties, I felt pain in my heart. In spite of that, I didn’t want him to see my sorrow and always turned off the lights to pretend that everybody had fallen asleep.
After passing the trainee singer interview, my son would return home only when he was given time off. In order to be a trainee, his pocket money was always not enough. Often, he came back starving by public bus. There were many times, he didn’t even have the transportation fee and had to walk home. Despite that, Hyun Joong had never once asked for money from us.
But his love for his family members is extremely deep. When his brother who was studying in America decided to dropped off from his university due to lacking of school fees, Hyun Joong told his brother: “Brother, please read this book.” and gave him a novel as a present.
When his brother opened up the book to read, he found a 300 million won cheque hidden in the book. His brother gave his father a call mentioning that no matter how he counted he couldn’t believe the cheque amount. It was beyond our imagination that while being a trainee singer, he could still carefully save so much money. Ever since he enrolled into the university (Kyonggi University Digital Music faculty), we never worried about him.
Both of us always told him: “Pray before doing something”. Although Hyun Joong said: “Since now elder brother is serving in the army, you can rely on me. Therefore, in the future, don’t work in Dongdaemum anymore.” We hope that not only he can be a singer but also be able to form a family of his own and be responsible. With this, we have no other extravagant hopes.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Audrey-Kim/100000235349061 Audrey Kim
Due to Asean financial crisis, our business was affected. We started a fashion business in Dongdaemun. We had to work until 11pm everyday. After getting off from work, I often went to the TGI restaurant which my son worked to secretly watch my son working for around 1 hour before returning home.
During winter, while waiting for my son to come back home, I kept looking out for him from the window. At around 1am, looking at my son making his way through the knee height snow with much difficulties, I felt pain in my heart. In spite of that, I didn’t want him to see my sorrow and always turned off the lights to pretend that everybody had fallen asleep.
After passing the trainee singer interview, my son would return home only when he was given time off. In order to be a trainee, his pocket money was always not enough. Often, he came back starving by public bus. There were many times, he didn’t even have the transportation fee and had to walk home. Despite that, Hyun Joong had never once asked for money from us.
But his love for his family members is extremely deep. When his brother who was studying in America decided to dropped off from his university due to lacking of school fees, Hyun Joong told his brother: “Brother, please read this book.” and gave him a novel as a present.
When his brother opened up the book to read, he found a 300 million won cheque hidden in the book. His brother gave his father a call mentioning that no matter how he counted he couldn’t believe the cheque amount. It was beyond our imagination that while being a trainee singer, he could still carefully save so much money. Ever since he enrolled into the university (Kyonggi University Digital Music faculty), we never worried about him.
Both of us always told him: “Pray before doing something”. Although Hyun Joong said: “Since now elder brother is serving in the army, you can rely on me. Therefore, in the future, don’t work in Dongdaemum anymore.” We hope that not only he can be a singer but also be able to form a family of his own and be responsible. With this, we have no other extravagant hopes.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Audrey-Kim/100000235349061 Audrey Kim
Due to Asean financial crisis, our business was affected. We started a fashion business in Dongdaemun. We had to work until 11pm everyday. After getting off from work, I often went to the TGI restaurant which my son worked to secretly watched my son working for around 1 hour before returning home.
During winter, while waiting for my son to come back home, I kept looking out for him from the window. At around 1am, looking at my son making his way through the knee height snow with much difficulties, I felt very heart pain. In spite of that, I didn’t want him to see my sorrow look and always turned off the lights to pretend that everybody had fallen asleep.
After passing the trainee singer interview, my son would only return home only when he was given time off. In order to be a trainee, his pocket money was always not enough. Often, he came back starving by public bus. There were many times, he didn’t even have the transportation fee and had to walk home. Despite that, Hyun Joong had never once asked for money from us.
But his love to his family member is extremely deep. When his brother who was studying in Americas decided to dropped off from his university due to lacking of school fees, Hyun Joong told his brother: “Brother, please read this book.” and gave him a novel as present.
When his brother opened up the book to read, he found a 300 millions won cheque hidden in the book. His brother gave his father a rang mentioned that no matter how he counted he couldn’t believe the cheque amount. It was beyond our imagination that while being a trainee singer, he could still carefully saved so much money. Ever since he enrolled into the university (Kyonggi University Digital Music faculty), we had never worried about him.
Both of us always told him: “Pray before doing something”. Although Hyun Joong said: “Since now elder brother is serving in the army, you can rely me. Therefore, in future, don’t work in Dongdaemum anymore.” We hope that not only he can be a singer but also able to form a family of his own and be responsible. With this, we have no other extravagant hopes.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Audrey-Kim/100000235349061 Audrey Kim
Due to Asean financial crisis, our business was affected. We started a fashion business in Dongdaemun. We had to work until 11pm everyday. After getting off from work, I often went to the TGI restaurant which my son worked to secretly watch my son working for around 1 hour before returning home.During winter, while waiting for my son to come back home, I kept looking out for him from the window. At around 1am, looking at my son making his way through the knee height snow with much difficulties, I felt pain in my heart. In spite of that, I didn’t want him to see my sorrow and always turned off the lights to pretend that everybody had fallen asleep.After passing the trainee singer interview, my son would return home only when he was given time off. In order to be a trainee, his pocket money was always not enough. Often, he came back starving by public bus. There were many times, he didn’t even have the transportation fee and had to walk home. Despite that, Hyun Joong had never once asked for money from us.But his love for his family members is extremely deep. When his brother who was studying in America decided to dropped off from his university due to lacking of school fees, Hyun Joong told his brother: “Brother, please read this book.” and gave him a novel as a present.When his brother opened up the book to read, he found a 300 million won cheque hidden in the book. His brother gave his father a call mentioning that no matter how he counted he couldn’t believe the cheque amount. It was beyond our imagination that while being a trainee singer, he could still carefully save so much money. Ever since he enrolled into the university (Kyonggi University Digital Music faculty), we never worried about him.Both of us always told him: “Pray before doing something”. Although Hyun Joong said: “Since now elder brother is serving in the army, you can rely on me. Therefore, in the future, don’t work in Dongdaemum anymore.” We hope that not only he can be a singer but also be able to form a family of his own and be responsible. With this, we have no other extravagant hopes.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Audrey-Kim/100000235349061 Audrey Kim
Due to Asean
financial crisis, our business was affected. We started a fashion business in
Dongdaemun. We had to work until 11pm everyday. After getting off from work, I
often went to the TGI restaurant which my son worked to secretly watch my son
working for around 1 hour before returning home.
During
winter, while waiting for my son to come back home, I kept looking out for him
from the window. At around 1am, looking at my son making his way through the
knee height snow with much difficulties, I felt pain in my heart. In spite of
that, I didn’t want him to see my sorrow and always turned off the lights to
pretend that everybody had fallen asleep.
After
passing the trainee singer interview, my son would return home only when he was
given time off. In order to be a trainee, his pocket money was always not
enough. Often, he came back starving by public bus. There were many times, he
didn’t even have the transportation fee and had to walk home. Despite that,
Hyun Joong had never once asked for money from us.
But his love
for his family members is extremely deep. When his brother who was studying in
America decided to dropped off from his university due to lacking of school
fees, Hyun Joong told his brother: “Brother, please read this book.” and gave
him a novel as a present.
When his
brother opened up the book to read, he found a 300 million won cheque hidden in
the book. His brother gave his father a call mentioning that no matter how he
counted he couldn’t believe the cheque amount. It was beyond our imagination
that while being a trainee singer, he could still carefully save so much money.
Ever since he enrolled into the university (Kyonggi University Digital Music
faculty), we never worried about him.
Both of us
always told him: “Pray before doing something”. Although Hyun Joong said:
“Since now elder brother is serving in the army, you can rely on me. Therefore,
in the future, don’t work in Dongdaemum anymore.” We hope that not only he can
be a singer but also be able to form a family of his own and be responsible.
With this, we have no other extravagant hopes.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Audrey-Kim/100000235349061 Audrey Kim
Hyun Joong is his Mama’s boy.. He even went to hug her when he won the Baeksang popularity awards..
His Mom Smiling so proudly when his new restuarant was opened and his family is serving all the fans who came to wish him well.
Hyun Joong and his parents in Macau
Origana
check this first:
Best 7 actors who are liked by foreign fans [Showbiz Korea]by Korea Global TV Arirang
you will know, which position that Kim Hyun Joong and Jang Keun Suk achieve.

Hinata R10
Top 7 concerts foreign fans wan to watch..

Origana
Who is the Most Successful Hallyu Star?
http://www.enewsworld.com/enews/contents.asp?idx=2809

Hinata R10
Kim Hyun Joong???

http://www.facebook.com/people/Audrey-Kim/100000235349061 Audrey Kim
Hyun Joong’s beautiful ballad for his fans.. The song “Love” that made every fan fall in love with him again.. Beautiful voice, beautiful man..
Farah
I’ve never heard of kim hong jong. Sorry , I’m still a new Korean drama fan. But I wish him luck. I love JKS. I’m from the middle east and got to know him through my friends. He’s our prince. We wish him good luck. Jang keun suk oppa your Arab eels are waiting! You’re becoming the new hot topic here! So many new eels are joining everyday! We are waiting for you cri! This year we went to Korea just to see you. We felt we are in wonderland in Korea because we saw your face every where! The best vacation ever!
أنا أحبك جدا جدا جدا! ابتسامتك و حبك لنا و عملك الجاد! أنت الممثل المفضل لدي
Katssym
I agree that JGS has a talent and etc. but it’s ridiculous to compare him to Kim Hyun Joong. I don’t really know who you are keen on (i dont mean only both of them) but it’s obvious that he’s is not your favourite but that doesn’t allow you to compare two different persons and even say that Kim Hyun Joong has less potential and talent than JGS.. I still wonder where are you from ? Mars? Pluton?
jammysmoochie
jang geun suk all the way. he has more talent and appeal. sorry.
shygirl
KIM HYUN JOONG ALL THE WAY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Anonymous
This blog/comments is giving me a headache. I just stopped reading the mumbo/jumbo after 5 mins. Who cares who’s better than the other. They both are working hard to be the best in all their endeavors. Enough of the bickering and just say “Good Job” ”Fighting!” to both guys.
http://twitter.com/Yhana_Henecia Yhana_Henecia_TS
JGS may be talented, But
Hyun Joong is very popular, and CNN has stated that KHJ will be the
leader of the next hallyu star …,
other than that. debuted in Japan are also
able to beat the JGS and MBC will air today’s K-POP STAR and kim hyun
joong as the first star on the show …, and one of the critics in Japan
commented that kim hyun joong has initiated the establishment of a new
kingdom where hallyu Kim Hyun Joong as its
leader …,
and also, Hyun Joong has
managed to beat the JGS at YAHOO BUZZ ASIA AWARD 2010, by winning three
awards, while only 2 awards … JGS,
some time ago, one of the
tv stations kim hyun joong china introduced as THE KING OF ASIA …,
I admit that Jang geun
suk, Lee min hoo & Lee Seung Gi has an extraordinary talent … but
you must admit that none one of them is able to counter the popularity
of Hyun Joong, it is very real and we do not can deny it ….,
so, KIM HYUN JOONG … THE
ONLY ONE,
mila_a
I’m so late…but YES!
KING Hyun Joong all the way !
http://www.facebook.com/thess.tayco Thess Tayco
d article may hv a point on some matters but in terms of acting, n my opinion, i think khj stl hv a lot of learning to do.. and he may ask sm points to jgs hu acts a lot better dn hm.. i watchd both of dyr drama series & in ds department, jgs shines so well..