Updated: July 11, 2024
Can you recall the enthusiastic moments you went fangirling or fanboying over a Korean actor for his striking visuals and performance in a Korean drama?
It is undeniable that the South Korean entertainment has produced popular Korean actors who are well-received by millions across the globe, becoming ultimate drama hearthrobs for audiences of all ages. Whether they played a crown prince, soldier, CEO, chaebol heir, goblin, or investor, these Korean stars made our hearts flutter and stan them like crazy.
Who among the list is your ultimate bias? In random order.
LEE MINHO
Lee Minho’s fame is exceptional — being widely known as one of the biggest Hallyu actors and ultimate heartthrobs in South Korea and the world, he is certainly every girl’s first Korean crush. From his roles in KBS’ popular series, Boys Over Flowers (2009) to the American series, Pachinko (2022-24), he has been a bewitching presence on screen for more than a decade now. Referred to as “The King of Social Media”, he is followed by 35.1 million fans on Instagram as of writing and was the first Korean celebrity to garner 20 million followers on the said platform including Facebook.
KIM SOO HYUN
Multi-awarded actor Kim Soo-hyun not only wows the audience with his visual and performances on screen, he is also widely known as one of the highest paid Korean actors and regarded as “the King of product endorsements”. His most notable works include Moon Embracing The Sun (2012), My Love From The Star (2013), The Producers (2015), It’s Okay To Not Be Okay (2020), and Queen of Tears (2024). So far, he has achieved 62 wins out of 88 nominations, including five Grand Prize (Daesang) awards. It was only in 2020 that he launched his official Instagram and as of writing, it is being followed by 20 million fans.
PARK BOGUM
Park Bogum is more than just a handsome face whose good heart and talent are worth the admiration — a great pianist, singer, actor, and good role model who carries himself well into the world, certainly a complete package for a heartthrob. His charisma was evident in tvN’s Reply 1988 (2015), KBS2’s Love In The Moonlight (2016), and tvN’s Record Of Youth (2020). Notably, he became the youngest Korean actor to be named Gallup Korea’s Television Actor of the Year in 2016 and the first actor to be placed number one in Forbes’ Korea Power Celebrity in 2017. He is also set to bring his newest charms on the small screen through Netflix’s romance drama, When Life Gives You Tangerines (2025).
HYUN BIN
Hyun Bin, also known as Kim Tae-pyung, is a prominent film and television actor who gained more international fans when he played Captain Ri in the mega hit series, Crash Landing On You (2019), making him Asia’s heartthrob. Whether he plays roles for rom-com series or action films, he effortlessly makes hearts swoon with his unique visuals, height, charming dimples, and impressive performances. Some of his popular shows include My Lovely Sam Soon (2005), Secret Garden (2010), Confidential Assignment 1 & 2 (2017 & 2022), The Negotiation (2018), and Memories Of The Alhambra (2018). In 2022, he married actress Son Ye-jin and became a father the same year.
SONG JOONG KI
Song Joong-ki has always proven through his works that he is a phenomenal actor-heartthrob who makes his dramas popular and his characters iconic. The pretty face rose to Hallyu stardom in the mega hit series, Descendants of the Sun (2016), which earned him multiple awards and advertisement deals. He impressed more people with his versatility as an actor in Arthdal Chronicles (2019), Vincenzo (2021), and Reborn Rich (2022). So far, he has achieved 33 wins out of 54 nominations including three Grand Prize (Daesang) awards. He was listed six times in Forbes Korea Power Celebrity and named twice as Gallup Korea’s Actor of the Year. It was only in 2021 that he launched his personal Instagram account, drawing 12.1 million followers so far. In 2023, he married the British actress, Katy Louise Saunders and also became a father the same year.
KIM SEONHO
From his outstanding role as Han Ji-pyeong in tvN’s Start-Up (2020) to captivating Hong Dusik in tvN’s Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha (2021), Kim Seonho became a powerhouse Hallyu actor in less than a year — gaining a huge fan base and attracting brands across Asia. Besides his charming visuals, the “dimple prince” made fans swoon over his striking performances, built from years of hardwork in theater. So far, he has achieved 23 wins out of 33 nominations, was named Gallup Korea’s TV Actor of the Year in 2021, and listed in Forbes Korea Power Celebrity in the same year. After a successful acting debut in the movie, The Childe (2022), we will see him back on the small screen this August through Disney’s The Tyrant (2024) and Netflix’s Can This Love Be Translated? (2025).
LEE JUNHO
Besides being an ultimate heartthrob in the music scene, idol-actor Lee Junho also made a mark as an awesome actor to stan in the world of Korean dramas. He captured people’s hearts with his alluring visuals and excellent portrayal of Crown Prince Yi-san in MBC’s The Red Sleeve (2021) and chaebol heir Guwon in JTBC’s King The Land (2023). Remarkably, these iconic roles earned him multiple awards, including four Grand Prize (Daesang) wins. He is also known for his works in Good Manager (2017), Rain Or Shine (2017), and Wok Of Love (2018). He was listed in Forbes Korea Power Celebrity for two consecutive years, from 2023 to 2024.
AHN HYO SEOP
Widely known for his iconic role as Kang Tae-moo in Business Proposal (2022), Ahn Hyo-seop became one of the swoonworthy Korean actors, gaining more fans not just in South Korea but also across Asia. He also made hearts flutter in Dr. Romantic series (2020-23), Lovers Of The Red Sky (2021), and A Time Called You (2023). So far, he has achieved 15 wins out of 26 nominations, was listed for two consecutive years in Forbes Korea Power Celebrity. His Instagram shows a huge count of 13.7 million followers.
BYEON WOO SEOK
Move over, here comes the newest ultimate heartthrob of the year, Byeon Woo-seok, who wowed the audiences for his astonishing visuals and portrayal of Ryu Sun Jae in tvN’s Lovely Runner (2024). With his notable fame, his Instagram following instantly multiplied and continues to rise with a current count of 10.4 million fans. He has been in the acting industry for a long time and has played roles in Live Up to Your Name (2017), Flower Crew: Joseon Marriage Agency (2019), Search: WWW (2019), Record of Youth (2020), Moonshine (2021-22), 20th Century Girl (2022), and Soulmate (2023). He also gained attention for his outstanding villain role in Strong Girl Nam Soon (2023).
PARK SEO JOON
Heartthrob Park Seo-joon is one of the most followed Korean actors on Instagram with 25.9 million followers as well as one of the most bankable Korean celebrities demanded by many brands. Remarkably, he became the first Korean actor to attain the Gold Play Button after hitting a million subscribers on his YouTube channel. He was also labeled the “Master of Romantic Comedy” after he impressed the audiences with his onscreen visuals and performances in KBS2’s Fight for My Way (2017) and tvN’s What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim (2018). He also showed versatility as an actor in MBC’s Kill Me, Heal Me (2015), KBS2’s Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth (2016), JTBC’s Itaewon Class (2020), and Gyeongseong Creature (2023), gaining massive popularity not just in South Korea but also across Asia.
CHA EUN WOO
With his handsome looks and talent, it’s hard to resist admiring the idol-actor, Cha Eun-woo, whose immense popularity is shown through his Instagram with a huge count of 45.6 million followers, the most followed account among the Korean actors, as of writing. Besides his irresistible charms in the music scene, he is also known for his drama works including Gangnam Beauty (2018), Rookie Historian Goo Hae-ryung (2019), True Beauty (2020), Island (2022-23), A Good Day To Be A Dog (2023), and Wonderful World (2024). He has been listed twice in Forbes Korea Power Celebrity and once in Forbes 30 Under 30.
SONG KANG
Who wouldn’t stan this handsome guy whose striking visuals on screen is irresistible? Song Kang has played various roles in dramas including Love Alarm (2019), Sweet Home (2020-24), Navillera (2021), Nevertheless (2021), and Forecasting Love And Weather (2022). He is currently serving in the military and his last drama, My Demon (2023), gained him more popularity across the globe. So far, he has attracted 22 million followers on Instagram.
JI CHANG WOOK
Ji Chang-wook, the certified dashing heartthrob, is certainly one of the most handsome faces and multi-talented actors in Korean entertainment. He began his career in musical theater before appearing on television and films, and is best known for his works in Empress Ki (2013), Healer (2014), The K2 (2016), Suspicious Partner (2017), Backstreet Rookie (2020), Lovestruck In The City (2020), The Sound Of Magic (2022), If You Wish Upon Me (2022), The Worst of Evil (2023), and Welcome To Samdal-ri (2023). His Instagram shows a huge following of 27.2 million fans.
NAM JOO HYUK
Recognized for his attractive height and striking visuals on screen, Model-actor Nam Joo-hyuk is also known for his captivating roles in Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo (2016), The Light In Your Eyes (2019), The School Nurse Files (2020), Start-Up (2020), and Twenty-Five Twenty-One (2022). Nam Joo-hyuk is certainly one of the ultimate Korean heartthrobs with a huge count of 19 million followers on Instagram.
JUNG HAE IN
Following his roles in While You Were Sleeping (2017), Prison Playbook (2017), Something In The Rain (2018), D.P. (2021-23), and Snowdrop (2022), Jung Hae-in rose to stardom and became one of the most followed heartthrobs on Instagram with 11.3 million followers. He has been listed twice in Forbes Korea Power Celebrity, from 2019 to 2020. We will him see back on the small screen soon in a romance drama, Love Next Door (2024).
LEE JAE WOOK
Lee Jae-wook is best known for his onscreen charms and swoonworthy role as Jang Uk in Alchemy of Souls (2022-23), which made him gain more fans and followers across the globe. He also impressed in Memories Of The Alhambra (2018-19), Search: WWW (2019), Extraordinary You (2019), When The Weather Is Fine (2020), Do Do Sol Sol La La Sol (2022), Death’s Game (2023), and The Impossible Heir (2024).
LEE JONG SUK
Lee Jong-suk is one of the Korean drama heartthrobs who makes hearts swoon with his boy-next-door visuals and onscreen charms. His Instagram shows 26.6 million followers, so popular that a wax figure of him was displayed in a Hongkong post by Madame Tussauds, following the success of his first Chinese drama, Jade Lovers. He is also known as the youngest actor to receive the “Best Actor” award at the 2014 Grimae Awards for his performance in SBS’ hit series, Pinocchio (2014). So far, he has earned three Grand Prize (Daesang) awards and has been listed twice in Forbes Korea Power Celebrity.
GONG YOO
Known for his roles in MBC’s Coffee Prince (2007), Train To Busan (2016), and tvN’s Guardian: The Great And Lonely God (2016), Gong Yoo became one of the most notable Korean actor-heartthrobs across Asia. So far, he has achieved one Grand Prize (Daesang) award, and been listed twice in Forbes Korea Power Celebrity, from 2017-2018. We will see him back in two Netflix original series, Squid Game Season 2 (2024) and The Trunk (2024).
LEE JOON GI
Singer-actor Lee Joon-gi attracted audiences with his multiple talents, good looks, and versatility as an actor. Besides singing and dancing, he is also known to be skilled at taekwondo and other forms of martial arts that he often displays during action scenes in some of his dramas. Some of his notable works include The King and the Clown (2005), Moon Lovers Scarlet Heart Ryeo (2016), Lawless Lawyer (2018), Flower Of Evil (2020), Again My Life (2022), and Arthdal Chronicles Season 2 (2023). So far, he has achieved one Grand Prize (Daesang) Award in his career.
LEE DONG WOOK
Model-actor Lee Dong-wok doesnt only steal your heart with his outstanding visuals and personality, but he can also make you swoon with his extraordinary performances. He is widely known for his roles in Guardian: The Lonely and Great God (2016-17), Tale of the Nine Tailed (2020-23), Bad and Crazy (2021), and A Shop For Killers (2024). So far, he has achieved two Grand Prize (Daesang) awards in his career including the Grand Prize for Cultural Diplomacy at the 2011 South Korea-Japan Culture Awards.
LEE SEUNG GI
Heartthrob Lee Seung-gi is known as a multi-talented Korean artist — a soulful singer whose voice can magically calm your mind — a variety entertainer and host who engages well with the audience — a versatile actor who can perform a variety of roles. He is known for his drama works in Brilliant Works (2009), My Girlfriend Is A Gumiho (2010), The King 2 Hearts (2012), Vagabond (2019), Mouse (2021), and The Law Cafe (2022). So far, he has achieved three Grand Prize (Daesang) awards and has been amazingly listed thirteen times in Forbes Korea Power Celebrity, from 2010 to 2024.
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