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Choi Ha Rin

Celebrities are a talented bunch … and not necessarily just when they’re acting on screen, dancing on stage or recording in the studio! While some of our favourite Korean actors and idols have degrees from top universities or high IQs, others have little-known talents that they even went as far as to get certified for.
Here are five K-stars with unique certificates that have almost nothing to do with why they’re famous.
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Seo Ye-ji: sex education, origami and balloon art

The It’s Okay to Not Be Okay star Seo Ye-ji, who you might also know for her recent scandals, holds eight different unique certifications in areas such as sex education, origami and balloon art.
During her appearance on SBS Power FM’s Park Sun Young’s Cine Town, the actress clarified that she got the certificate in sex education because she wanted to educate herself, and when she has children one day, she hopes she can teach them about sex in a healthy way.

According to Her World, Seo wanted to get a certificate in origami because it has been a hobby of hers since she was young. Whenever she feels stressed, she folds her troubles and worries into roses.
Mamamoo’s Solar: laughter therapy and recreation

The leader of Mamamoo, Solar has three different certificates that all have to do with bringing happiness to others: recreation and fun leadership, and laughter therapy. During her appearance on MBC’s My Little Television, Solar said the classes don’t take a long time and can be completed in just a few short hours.

We’re not surprised that the star also gave herself a score of 100 out of 100 for her leadership skills while on an episode of KBS 2TV’s Boss in the Mirror.
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Kim Tae-hee: scuba diving

While some celebrities might choose to obtain certification for hobbies or personal improvements, Kim Tae-hee’s reason for getting her scuba diving certificate was a little different.

According to TVN’s The List, Kim – the wife of K-pop legend Rain – developed a fear of water after falling in while filming in Guam. To help overcome her fear, One the Woman star Lee Hanee, who is also Kim’s close friend, suggested getting a scuba diving certification.
Lee Byung-hun: barista

It’s no secret that the G.I. Joe actor Lee Byung-hun is a huge coffee lover. According to Soompi, after his film I Saw the Devil in 2010, he took a break from acting and decided to take his love of coffee to the next level by becoming a certified barista.

Since then, Lee brews his own morning coffee every morning and makes sure to bring his home-made coffee in a tumbler when he goes out.
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Girl’s Day’s Minah: operating heavy machinery

Girls’ Day’s Minah obtained a licence to operate heavy machinery after getting cast in a house-building variety show, SBS’ Eco Village. By getting an excavator licence, she was able to use her skills to help build homes on the show.

굴삭기 자격증 인증!!!! pic.twitter.com/Ya3RefZaJd
— MiNA (@Girls_Day_Minah) August 30, 2014

While preparing for the excavator licence exam, she posted a picture of herself studying on Twitter, saying: “Ahhh! It feels like I’m back in school.”
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K-pop idols

5 Korean stars with weird certifications, from Seo Ye-ji’s sex education and balloon art qualifications to Mamamoo’s Solar fun and recreation leader titles

What can’t these Korean idols and actors do? Lee Byung-hun, Mamamoo’s Solar, Seo Ye-ji and Girl’s Day’s Minah all have unusual certifications. Photos: @byunghun0712, @yongsunyeba, @seoyeji_ig, @bbang_93/Instagram

Seo Ye-ji obtained a certification for her hobby of folding origami. Photo: @seoyeji_ig/Instagram

Seo Ye-ji played Go Moon-young in the hit drama series It’s Okay to Not Be Okay. Photo: @seoyeji_ig/Instagram

Solar’s certification of laughter therapy is certainly unique. Photo: @yongsunyeba/Instagram

Solar is the leader of popular girl group Mamamoo. Photo: @yongsunyeba/Instagram

Kim Tae-hee got her scuba diving certificate after wanting to overcome her fear of water. Photo: @frangipani_rose/Instagram

Kim Tae-hee obtained her certification during her off-time. Photo: @frangipani_rose/Instagram

Lee Byung-hun attending the 2021 Cannes Film Festival. Photo: @byunghun0712/Instagram

Lee Byung-hun sure does love his coffee – you can frequently see him at coffee trucks on filming sets. Photo: @byunghun0712/Instagram

Minah obtained her licence to operate heavy machinery after getting cast on a variety show. Photo: @bbang_93/Instagram

From BTS member RM’s discovery by rapper Sleepy, to Song Joong-ki getting friend Lee Hee-joon cast in Netflix’s Vincenzo: 4 K-stars who would be nothing without their celebrity mentors

Song Joong-ki recommended Lee Hye-jung to be in the smash Netflix K-drama Vincenzo and BTS’ RM made his debut thanks to rapper Sleepy’s support. Photos: @songjoongki.kg, @sweetyhye, @btsrm.offical, @sleepycamo/Instagram

Exo’s Suho and NCT’s Jaemin, who were discovered while doing volunteer work. Photo: @NouraL_Se, @NCTsmtown_Dream/Twitter

Song Joong-ki starred in Vincenzo, and roped in a few of his friends for the ride – much to their delight. Photo: @joongkisource/Twitter

Lee Hye-jung in a still from the K-drama Vincenzo. Photo: @do_ftoom/Twitter

RM from BTS has always had a talent for rapping, so perhaps it was only a matter of time before he made it to the big time. Photo: Handout

Sleepy posing beside a cut-out of BTS’ RM, the rapper he helped turn into a megastar. Photo: @BTS_BUZZ/Twitter

Lee Seung-gi is known for his soaring ballads, but he got noticed singing rock songs. Photo: @actorleeseungg/Instagram

Lee Seung-gi and Lee Sun-hee performing together on Yu Huiyeol’s Sketchbook. Photo: @ibhayoam/ Twitter

K-drama actress Han Ga-in was discovered in a truly unconventional way – but still has singer Lee Sang-woo to thank. Photo: @hgi.0202/Instagram

Little could Han Ga-in know that her brief appearance on KBS News would change her life. Photo: @jullia4823/Instagram

5 K-pop idols from China: from Exo’s Lay and  Aespa’s Ningning to (G)I-dle’s Yuqi and NCT’s Winwin and Chenle – what cities do they come from and how did they find fame?

Did you know that some of K-pop’s biggest groups have members from China, like Exo’s Lay, Aespa’s Ningning, NCT’s Winwin, (G)I-dle‘s Yuqi and NCT’s Chenle? Photos: @layzhang; @aespa_official; @wwiinn_7; @yuqisong.923; @chenlele_nct/Instagram

Outside Exo, Lay has proved a successful solo artist, producing songs in English and Mandarin. Photo: @layzhang/Instagram

Winwin is known for his skills in traditional Chinese dance. Photo: @wwiinn_7/Instagram

Even at a young age, Chenle was a talented singer. Photo: @chenlele_nct/Instagram

Ningning was introduced as an SM trainee in 2016 and also became a member of SM Rookies in the same year. Photo: @aespa_official/Instagram

Yuqi debuted with her solo album “A Page” in May 2021. Photo: @yuqisong.923/Instagram

Angelina Jolie racked up 1 million Instagram followers in just an hour … but which other celebrities and public figures hit the milestone, and how long did it take them?

Meghan Markle, Angelina Jolie and Daniel Kang are among celebrities who accrued one million followers on Instagram in a very short period of time. Photos: @archewell_hm, @daniel.k.here/Instagram, Handout

NCT’s Taeil smashed Instagram records by gaining seven digits’ worth of followers in just one hour and 45 minutes. Photo: @mo.on_air/Instagram 

Harry Potter star Rupert Grint shattered records in 2020 when he joined Instagram. Photo: EPA

Veteran British broadcaster Sir David Attenborough poses for photographers at Westminster Central Hall, London, in 2018. Photo: AP 

Jennifer Aniston gained one million followers in just five hours and 16 minutes when she launched her Instagram account with a grainy selfie with her Friends co-stars. Photo: AP 

Prince Harry poses with Meghan Markle. Photo: Apple TV

Daniel Kang attends the photo call of Korean Brand Customer Loyalty Award 2020 at The Shilla Seoul in June 2020. Photo: The Fact/Imazins via Getty Images)

Pope Francis leads a prayer on a day of reflection in Saint Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican on July 1. Photo: Reuters

Football superstar David Beckham. Photo: @loyaltyzeus/Instagram

Emma Watson at the premiere of Beauty and the Beast. Photo: Reuters

5 Korean stars who could have been Olympians? Song Joong-ki and Song Hye-kyo were both skaters, plus 3 more famous former athletes

Song Hye-kyo, Park Bo-gum and Song Joong-ki are just a few Korean stars who trained as athletes first. Photos: @kyo1122; @blossom_entertainment; @historydnc/Instagram

Song Joong-ki. Photo: @historydnc/Instagram

Song Hye-kyo. Photo: @kyo1122/Instagram

Park Bo-gum. Photo: @blossom_entertainment/Instagram

So Ji-sub. Photo: @nixkorea.official/Instagram

Kim Yo-han. Photo: @y_haa.n/Instagram

BTS’ Billboard chart takeover: are the fan Army playing fair? K-pop single Butter became 2021’s longest-running US No 1 thanks to three remixes, iTunes discounts, plus cassette and vinyl releases …

The success of BTS’ smash single Butter is unprecedented, but is the track’s Billboard chart placing entirely representative? Photo: @bts.bighitofficial/Instagram

BTS have plenty to smile about following their global breakthrough of the past 12 months. Photo: @btshelpsindia/Twitter

BTS fans wait outside the red carpet before the start of the Billboard Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, hosted in Las Vegas in 2018. Photo: AP

Fans of the Korean boy band group BTS pose with photos of their idols outside the 2017 American Music Awards, hosted at the Microsoft Theater at LA Live, in Los Angeles, California. Photo: AFP

K-pop group BTS members invade a subway station in Seoul, South Korea. Photo: AFP

BTS’ Permission to Dance video, reportedly filmed in Incheon, South Korea. Photo: Handout

A concept shoot in support of BTS’ global smash Butter. Photo: @bts.bighitofficial/Instagram

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Seo Ye-ji from Netflix K-drama It’s Okay to Not Be Okay has eight certificates while Kim Tae-hee, actress and wife of K-pop legend Rain, has one in scuba-diving
Girl’s Day’s Minah got a licence to operate heavy machinery for a house-building variety show – but what exactly does Solar do with her laughter therapy skills?



Scuba diving, an excavator licence and the ability to make Instagram-worthy latte art … these K-pop idols and K-drama actors are multitalented indeed
