He became a household name in 2011, playing a country bumpkin who turns out to be a musical genius in the teen drama Dream High. The only young actor in the main cast with no K-pop experience, Kim "studied song and dance for three months at JYP Entertainment so he could pull off the required scenes in the drama. He lived no differently from other trainees at JYP. He learned singing and dancing for hours every day" according to the production company. He recorded two songs for Dream High's soundtrack, his solo "Dreaming" as well the title track "Dream High" sang by the rest of the cast. He appeared in several music programs and concerts after the drama's completion and also made a cameo in the pilot episode of its second season.
His popularity skyrocketed when he starred in hit period drama Moon Embracing the Sun, which was number one in its time slot and at its peak recorded viewer ratings of 42.2 percent. He again contributed his vocals to the soundtrack, the traditional ballad "Only You" which topped digital music charts, and the more modern in composition "Another Way" released as a "Secret Version" single. He later won Best Drama Actor at the 2012 Baeksang Arts Awards, a win which was hotly debated as he was the youngest and newest actor among the nominees in his category, beating heavyweight veterans such as Han Suk-kyu, Shin Ha-kyun and Cha Seung-won. Upon receiving the trophy, Kim said, "I am very grateful for this moment, but I am ashamed as well. It’s like getting a lot of homework. I’ll keep trying to become a better actor in order to remain worthy of this award."
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