K-dramas have captivated an international audience in recent years with their compelling stories, fun characters and talented cast. While well-written stories, characterizations, and conflicts are important factors in creating a K-drama masterpiece, skilled actors are essential in bringing the words and emotions to life. From dark crime thrillers to touching romantic comedies, K-dramas are elevated by the cast’s portrayal of their characters and the chemistry between them.
The performances from the best K-drama stars can make or break the show. Several iconic K-dramas feature notable and compelling characters that only come to life when cast perfectly, making it impossible to imagine any other actor in the role. Excellent performances by actors can make emotional and dramatic scenes especially unforgettable. Perfectly cast K-dramas ensure that audiences can better enjoy incredible portrayals of beloved characters.
10
What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim (2018)
Park Min-young as Kim Mi-so
What’s wrong with Secretary Kim is a romantic comedy K-drama that follows narcissistic boss Lee Young-joon (Park Seo-joon) and his highly qualified secretary Kim Mi-so (Park Min-young), who unexpectedly quit after nine years of hard work. The office drama revolves around their growing relationship, and the dynamic is perfectly portrayed by Park Seo-joon and Park Min-young. Despite What’s wrong with Secretary Kim flaws, the romance between Young-joon and Mi-so, the undeniable chemistry between the actors and the comedic scenes made the show a success.
Park Min-young often serves as a foil to Park Seo-joon’s charming and hilarious personality, elevating the humorous aspects of the show. The on-screen chemistry of these K-drama couples is only possible because of the acting prowess of stars like Min-young and Seo-joon. Park Min-young perfectly portrays the long-suffering secretary of an irritating boss who isn’t afraid to stand up for herself. Although Mi-so is a dedicated employee and workaholic focused on maintaining her professional image, she is a surprisingly charismatic person. and fun character. Min-young managed to bring the serious character to life and turned her into a lovable protagonist.
9
A Korean Odyssey (2017)
Lee Seung-gi as Son Oh-gong
A Korean Odyssey is a fantasy romance K-drama that revolves around the immortal Son Oh-gong (Lee Seung-gi) and his savior Jin Seon-mi (Oh ​​Yeon-seo). Lee Seung-gi portrays a selfish and mischievous immortal who is desperate to reestablish his status as a powerful being. At first, the actor had a difficult task ahead of him, playing the selfish and duplicitous immortal being who is disconnected from humanity, Son Oh-gong, as a character the audience could root for.
Lee manages to bring a cheerful and captivating energy to his on-screen persona, making the immortal egoist a beloved character.
Lee perfectly highlights Oh-gong’s growth as he adapts to the human world and opens his heart to Seon-mi. When A Korean Odyssey Filled with plot twists, betrayals, and characters who engage in shady behavior, Son Oh-gong is central to the chaos that unfolds in the series. Lee manages to bring a cheerful and captivating energy to his on-screen persona, making the immortal egoist a beloved character.
8
Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo (2016)
Lee Sung-kyung as Kim Bok-joo
Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo is a hilarious K-drama with a beautifully moving story that follows Kim Bok-joo (Lee Sung-kyung), a young athlete working towards her goal of becoming a professional weightlifter while juggling her friendships and love life. The coming-of-age story follows Bok-joo’s journey as she pursues her dream while struggling with the difficulties of being an athlete and falling in love; it is Lee Sung-kyung’s expressive acting and facial expressions that show Kim Bok-joo’s strengths and fears.
Lee’s Bok-joo is a relatable character who deals with issues ranging from unrequited love to self-image issues elevated by a performance that makes her feel grounded and realistic. Lee manages to balance the light-hearted romantic comedy scenes with the heavy emotional scenes. The K-drama star’s performance emphasizes the difficulties of her quest to become an athlete despite the difficulties that get in her way. Lee can perfectly portray sweet and strong Bok-joo’s journey as she grows as a person and athlete.
7
Guardian: The Lonely and Great God (2016)
Gong Yoo as Goblin/Kim Shin
Guardian: The Lonely and Great God is a fantasy K-drama that follows Kim Shin (Gong Yoo), who is cursed to become an immortal goblin. After more than 900 long years of helping people and suffering from his past, Shin lives a lonely life and hopes for eternal rest, conveyed through Gong Yoo’s portrayal of his tragic existence. However, Gong plays Shin with charm and a deep weariness that slowly disappears as he falls in love.
No actor other than Gong could have encapsulated the exhaustion and isolation that Shin experiences as an immortal goblin. Shin’s growing desire to end his immortality after 900 years motivates him to find his bride, the only person who could break the curse. Gong Yoo has to portray Kim Shin’s inherent loneliness and death wish, while also showing Shin’s journey to find a reason to live again and fall in love with Ji Eun-tak (Kim Go-eun).
6
Vincent (2021)
Ok Taec-yeon as Jang Joon-woo/Jang Han-seok
Vincenzo is a K-drama crime thriller that follows a Korean-Italian mafia lawyer’s mission to take down a large corrupt company, the Babel Group. Ok Taec-yeon plays the role of the main antagonist of this K-drama, the mastermind behind the Babel Group’s illicit dealings. Vincenzo features the terrifying and charming villain Jang Han-seok as a dim-witted intern at the Wusang law firm, before the facade is dropped, and he reveals himself to be a narcissistic and sadistic criminal who happily tortures and kills anyone who gets in his way.
Most of the credit goes to Ok for making Han-seok a terrifying and formidable and therefore perfect K-drama villain. Ok effectively portrays Han-seok as the carefree and energetic intern before revealing the true dark and violent nature of the character. The actor’s skills make the audience root for the seemingly naive character before horrifying him with his abominable violence. Ok makes Jang Han-seok a charming villain despite his cruel behavior.
5
Strong Girl Bong-soon (2017)
Park Bo-young as well as Bong-soon
The action K-drama Strong girl Bong-soon follows Do Bong-soon (Park Bo-young), a woman who was born with superhuman strength and avoids using it. Behind Bong-soon’s sweet smile and gentle demeanor is a heroic and unfathomably strong woman. The popular K-drama actor Park Bo-young faithfully and realistically portrays Bong-soon’s growth from a woman who is ashamed and afraid of her super strength to someone who fully embraces her family’s unique heritage and abilities.
Park’s acting skill helps highlight how Bong-soon’s insecurities are slowly turned into strengths. The character really shines when the kidnapper who terrorizes the city’s women discovers her powers and makes her lose her superpower. Park’s depiction of Bong-soon’s sense of helplessness and panic here is moving to witness. However, Bong-soon is a strong and relatable character, with Park’s charming and adorable portrayal of the super-powered woman making her compelling.
4
Prison Handbook (2017)
Park Hae-Soo as Kim Je-hyuk
Prison Handbook is a unique and fascinating K-drama that revolves around the lives of convicts and staff at a prison. The drama focuses on Kim Je-hyeok (Park Hae-soo), a baseball star whose life is turned upside down after he ends up in prison for assault while protecting his sister from assault. Park Hae-soo plays the role of Kim Je-hyeok with a sense of charm; his kind nature, along with his willingness to be violent when protecting others, make him an endearing character.
Park perfectly portrays Je-hyeok’s struggle to adapt to prison, the loss of his bright future and his status as a fallen hero. Despite the dark setting, Park manages to bring life and joy to the show with his clueless yet captivating portrayal of the protagonist. It’s a difficult task to portray the lovable criminal Je-hyeok with a penchant for righteous violence and protection; however, Park’s performance is convincing.
Park Eun-bin as Woo Young-woo
THE moving and inspiring Woo Extraordinary Lawyer is one of the best legal K-dramas, following Woo Young-woo, played by Park Eun-bin, an autistic lawyer who is seen as strange and strange by her neurotypical colleagues. Although Young-woo faces challenges as the first autistic lawyer in South Korea, her undeniable intelligence and photographic memory solidify her as a talented lawyer.
It’s hard to imagine any actor other than Park playing the role of the rookie lawyer in the highly rated Woo Extraordinary Lawyer. Park expertly portrays Young-woo as she adapts to the world around her and the stressful world of working as a lawyer. Watching Young-woo overcome her colleagues’ and boss’s challenges and prejudice against her is rewarding and moving to witness, and Park’s electrifying portrayal of Young-woo is the K-drama’s highlight.
2
Hotel Del Luna (2019)
Lee Ji-eun as Jang Man-wol
Hotel Del Luna stars actor and singer Lee Ji-eun, also known by her stage name IU, who steals the show as Jang Man-wol. Lee magnificently plays a mysterious and powerful hotel owner condemned to this fate due to her forgotten past sins. No matter how complex the role, Lee effortlessly portrays the weary, 1,000-year-old Man-wol, shifting between detached, reserved and moody to show warm moments of vulnerability and carefree.
Jang Man-wol is a sophisticated, supernatural and powerful morally gray person, perfectly portrayed by Lee.
Jang Man-wol is a sophisticated, supernatural and powerful morally gray person, perfectly portrayed by Lee. Despite being an enigmatic multidimensional character full of contradictions, Lee manages to play her realistically. Lee’s subtle facial expressions and body language expertly reveal the mysterious Man-wol’s feelings and inner turmoil without having to say a word. Hotel Del Luna revolves around a fascinating modern perversion of a fairytale plot, with Man-wol gloriously at the center of it all as the weary witch or heroine.
1
It’s Okay Not to Be Okay (2020)
Oh Jung-Se as Moon Sang-Tae
It’s okay not to be okay is a heartwarming romantic comedy K-drama that follows two orphaned brothers and an antisocial children’s book author learning and healing together. Praised for its impeccable cast and the performances of this cast, Oh Jung-se’s performance as Moon Sang-tae is the highlight of the K-drama. Moon Sang-tae is Moon Gang-tae’s (Kim Soo-hyun) autistic older brother who is traumatized after witnessing his mother’s murder. Sang-tae is also an aspiring illustrator and a big fan of author Ko Moon-young (Seo Yea-ji).
This same author follows Gang-tae to the fictional city of Seongjin and forms an adorable bond with the brothers. Oh effortlessly demonstrates Sang-tae’s loving nature and kindness as he describes how his past trauma casts a shadow on his life. It’s moving to witness Sang-tae heal from his childhood trauma and grow as a person, becoming independent. Oh’s portrayal of Sang-tae makes it impossible not to fall in love with the character and K-drama show.