section_path: Career/2019–present: Return to acting
section_name: 2019–present: Return to acting
paragraph_text: 2019–present: Return to acting
  
  Kim made headlines in news when he returned to his acting career through his special appearances on dramas Hotel del Luna and Crash Landing on You. In December 2019, reports surfaced that Kim would be leaving KeyEast to form a new agency with his cousin. In January 2020, Kim signed with newly formed entertainment agency Gold Medalist.
  
  In 2020, Kim took on the role of Moon Gang-tae, an orphaned psychiatric aide in the tvN broadcast romantic comedy It's Okay to Not Be Okay. The series was Kim's first small screen appearance in a lead role after a five-year gap. In comparison to his previous series, it recorded lesser TV viewership ratings. However, it was the most popular show of 2020 on Netflix in South Korea in romance genre. The New York Times named It's Okay to Not Be Okay one of "The Best International Shows of 2020", while La Tercera called it "one of the most popular Asian dramas" of 2020. S. Poorvaja of The Hindu said of Kim's acting that he brought "Gang-tae alive on screen perfectly — someone whose silent world weariness slowly but steadily progressed to sparkling eyes, smiles and enthusiasm." He won the Daesang (or "Grand Prize") at the 5th Asia Artist Awards in the television category.
  
  In 2021, Kim starred in Coupang Play 's television series One Ordinary Day, based on the British television series Criminal Justice, played the role of Kim Hyun-soo, a normal college student whose life turns upside down when he unexpectedly becomes the key suspect of the murder case. On December 21, 2021, Gold Medalist announced that it will produce and promote actor Kim Soo-hyun's digital human together with EVR Studio. That has an appearance like a real person and can use facial expressions and plans to be used in a variety of industries including entertainment, metaverse, movies, and advertising in the future.
  
  In 2022, Studio Dragon confirmed Kim's participation in the romantic comedy series Queen of Tears written by Park Ji-eun, with whom Kim had previously collaborated on My Love from the Star and The Producers. Kim also recorded the song "Way Home" (Korean: 청혼) for the soundtrack of the series; it was the first time in 10 years since he had participated in a series' soundtrack. The series premiered on March 9, 2024, and was a success both domestically and internationally. It recorded a peak national viewership rating of 24.850% for its finale, becoming the highest-rated tvN series and remained on Netflix's Global Top 10 Non-English TV series rankings for 15 consecutive weeks from its initial release. He was nominated for Best Drama Actor for a fourth time and won Most Popular Actor for a third time at the 60th Baeksang Arts Awards.
  
  In 2024, Kim was confirmed to star as Kim Sung-joon, who goes from being an ordinary office worker to becoming the king of the global fake market in Disney+ black comedy series Knock-Off.
  
  Kim made headlines in news when he returned to his acting career through his special appearances on dramas Hotel del Luna and Crash Landing on You. In December 2019, reports surfaced that Kim would be leaving KeyEast to form a new agency with his cousin. In January 2020, Kim signed with newly formed entertainment agency Gold Medalist.
  
  In 2020, Kim took on the role of Moon Gang-tae, an orphaned psychiatric aide in the tvN broadcast romantic comedy It's Okay to Not Be Okay. The series was Kim's first small screen appearance in a lead role after a five-year gap. In comparison to his previous series, it recorded lesser TV viewership ratings. However, it was the most popular show of 2020 on Netflix in South Korea in romance genre. The New York Times named It's Okay to Not Be Okay one of "The Best International Shows of 2020", while La Tercera called it "one of the most popular Asian dramas" of 2020. S. Poorvaja of The Hindu said of Kim's acting that he brought "Gang-tae alive on screen perfectly — someone whose silent world weariness slowly but steadily progressed to sparkling eyes, smiles and enthusiasm." He won the Daesang (or "Grand Prize") at the 5th Asia Artist Awards in the television category.
  
  In 2021, Kim starred in Coupang Play 's television series One Ordinary Day, based on the British television series Criminal Justice, played the role of Kim Hyun-soo, a normal college student whose life turns upside down when he unexpectedly becomes the key suspect of the murder case. On December 21, 2021, Gold Medalist announced that it will produce and promote actor Kim Soo-hyun's digital human together with EVR Studio. That has an appearance like a real person and can use facial expressions and plans to be used in a variety of industries including entertainment, metaverse, movies, and advertising in the future.
  
  In 2022, Studio Dragon confirmed Kim's participation in the romantic comedy series Queen of Tears written by Park Ji-eun, with whom Kim had previously collaborated on My Love from the Star and The Producers. Kim also recorded the song "Way Home" (Korean: 청혼) for the soundtrack of the series; it was the first time in 10 years since he had participated in a series' soundtrack. The series premiered on March 9, 2024, and was a success both domestically and internationally. It recorded a peak national viewership rating of 24.850% for its finale, becoming the highest-rated tvN series and remained on Netflix's Global Top 10 Non-English TV series rankings for 15 consecutive weeks from its initial release. He was nominated for Best Drama Actor for a fourth time and won Most Popular Actor for a third time at the 60th Baeksang Arts Awards.
  
  In 2024, Kim was confirmed to star as Kim Sung-joon, who goes from being an ordinary office worker to becoming the king of the global fake market in Disney+ black comedy series Knock-Off.