From movies to dramas, here are some of the Korean actors who played title characters and made them iconic by their visuals and performances, in random order:
Bae Suzy
Bae Suzy impressed the audiences by playing a complex character, Lee Yumi becoming Lee Anna in Coupang Play’s Anna (2022), a psychological-thriller series that depicts a life of lies and deceit motivated by a strong desire for success that ends up in a collapse. Envious of someone’s wealth and social status, Yumi begins to fantasize about becoming one with high class people, and steals that person’s elegant way of life and her name, Anna. Bae Suzy in her titular role won the Best Actress at the 2023 Director’s Cut Awards.
Park Eun-bin
Park Eun-bin stole people’s hearts through her title character, Woo Young Woo, in ENA’s Extraordinary Attorney Woo (2022), a heartfelt legal drama that explores a wide range of courtroom cases handled by a brilliant lawyer who has Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The show has become one of the biggest Korean drama hits on Netflix of all time. Park Eun-bin also won the Grand Prize (Daesang) title at the 59th Baeksang Arts Awards.
Kim Seonho
Kim Seonho showed versatility by playing a nobleman or gwigonga (childe) in his movie debut The Childe (2023), an action noir film by Park Hoon-jung that highlights the mad pursuit of an aspiring Korean-Filipino (Kopino) boxer by a strange nobleman and other mysterious forces whose unknown mission is but to chase him and make his life a mess. Kim Seonho received praises from domestic and international critics and audiences for his killer performance.
Song Joong-ki
Song Joong-ki played Vincenzo Cassano, a Korean-Italian mafia lawyer who visits his motherland to recover 1.5 tons of gold and give a conglomerate a taste of its own medicine with a side of justice in tvN’s Vincenzo (2021), a crime black-comedy drama that highlights the fight between Babel and Geumga. Song Joong-ki earned the Grand Prize (Daesang) trophy at the 8th APAN Star Awards.
Kim Tae-ri
Kim Tae-ri played Nam Sook-hee, an orphaned pickpocket who gets hired as a handmaiden to a young Japanese heiress on a secret mission with a Korean con man to defraud the woman in the award-winning film, The Handmaiden (2016). Kim Tae-ri earned the Best New Actress title at several award ceremonies including Blue Dragon, Buil Film, Director’s Cut, and more.
Gong Yoo
Gong Yoo played an immortal yet lonely goblin who encounters a grim reaper and a student with a tragic past in his quest for a bride to break his immortal curse in tvN’s Guardian: The Lonely And Great God (2016). The fantasy-romance drama is one of the most awarded and highest-rated dramas in the history of Korean cable television. Gong Yoo also received three wins for Best Actor at various award ceremonies.
Joo Won
Joo Won played Carter Lee, a man who suddenly wakes up not knowing his identity and is given a mission to rescue an infected girl in Netflix’s film, Carter (2022). The action-thriller film has become one of the Korean movie hits on Netflix of all time. Joo Won also received praise for his intense action performance.
Uhm Jung-hwa
Uhm Jung-hwa played Cha Jeong-suk, a doctor who gives up her medical career to focus on her family as a full time housewife, only to find herself getting back on medical school as a resident student after 20 years in JTBC’s Doctor Cha (2023). The medical drama was a hit, garnering one of the highest ratings in Korean dramas and attracting audiences globally on Netflix. Uhm Jung-hwa also received praises for her outstanding performance.
Kim Nam-gil
Kim Nam-gil played an NIS agent turned priest who has anger management issues and attempts to take down criminals in SBS’ The Fiery Priest (2019). The crime-comedy drama was a hit and Kim Nam-gil won the Grand Prize (Daesang) trophy at the 2019 SBS Drama Awards.
Lee Je-hoon
Lee Je-hoon played Kim Do-gi, a special forces soldier turned taxi driver who helps victims of injustice through a secret organization that fronts as a taxi company in SBS’ Taxi Driver (2021-23). The crime-revenge drama achieved one of the highest ratings in Korean drama history. Lee Je-hoon also received praises for his incredible performance.
Namgoong Min
Namgoong Min played Chun Ji-hoon, a lawyer who has the best skills but whose commission fee is one dollar only, confronting blindfolded justice to defend his clients in SBS’ One Dollar Lawyer (2022). The legal-comedy drama is one of the most popular Korean titles in 2022 with praises for Namgoong Min’s performance.
Kim Hee-ae
Kim Hee-ae played Hwang Do-hee, a powerful fixer turned campaign manager who uses her skills to transform a human rights lawyer into the next mayor in Netflix’s Queenmaker (2023). The gripping political drama achieved global popularity on the streaming giant and Kim Hee-ae was praised for her phenomenal performance.
Lee Byung-hun
Lee Byung-hun played Eugene Choi, a Joseon slave turned American US Marine Corps officer who returns to Korea on a diplomatic mission and falls for a noblewoman in tvN’s Mr. Sunshine (2018). The historical-war drama is one of the highest-rated shows in the history of Korean cable television. Lee Byung-hun also achieved two Grand Prize (Daesang) awards for his performance.
Song Kang-ho
Song Kang-ho played a widowed taxi driver who is uninterested in politics but unexpectedly finds himself entangled with student protesters and the military in Gwangju in a film that is based on a real-life story, A Taxi Driver (2017). The historical-action movie is one of the highest grossing films in South Korea and Song Kang-ho achieved five Best Actor trophies at various award ceremonies.
Son Hye-jin
Son Hye-jin played Princess Deokhye, the last princess of the Joseon Dynasty who was forced to move to Japan at the age of 13 and makes several attemps to return to Korea in The Last Princess (2016). The period-drama film received positive reviews from critics and Son Hye-jin earned four wins for Best Actress at various award ceremonies including Grand Bell and Baeksang.
Kim You-jung
Kim You-jung played Na Bora, a highschool student who navigates love and friendship in the year 1999 in Netflix’s film, 20th Century Girl (2022). The movie is one of the most popular Korean titles on the streaming giant of all time and Kim You-jung was praised for her on-screen charms and performance.
Jeon Do-yeon
Jeon Do-yeon played Gil Bok-soon, a single mother who is known as a renowned assassin by her peers in Netflix’s film, Kill Boksoon (2023). So far, the crime-action film is the longest Korean movie to stay in the global charts on Netflix. Jeon Do-yeon also received praises for her action performance.
Lee Sung-kyung
Lee Sung-kyung played Kim Bok-joo, a gifted weighlifter who navigates love, friendship, and dreams in MBC’s Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo (2016-17). The coming-of-age sports drama was a hit among young viewers and Lee Sung-kyung achieved an Excellence Award at the 35th MBC Drama Awards.
Shin Hae-sun
Shin Hae-sun played the Queen of Joseon who has the soul of a modern-day man inside her body in tvN’s Mr. Queen (2020-21). The historical-romance drama garnered one of the highest ratings in Korean television. Shin Hae-sun was also praised for her outstanding performance.
Ahn Bo-hyun
Ahn Bo-hyun played Do Bae-man, a military prosecutor who was a lapdog to a powerful man but transforms into the fierce hunter, exposing political-military crimes in tvN’s Military Prosecutor Doberman (2022). The military-legal drama attained high viewership ratings and Ahn Bo-hyun was praised for his versatility as an actor.
Cho Seung-woo
Cho Seung-woo played Shin Sung-han, a music professor turned lawyer who navigates the complex world of divorce in JTBC’s Divorce Attorney Shin (2023). The legal drama hit the global charts on Netflix for three weeks and Cho Seung-woo was praised for his top-notch performance.
Kim Hyun-joo
Kim Hyun-joo played Yun Jung-yi, a war hero whose brain data was cloned and used to develop JUNG_E, an advanced combat AI in Netflix’s Jung_E (2023). The sci-fi movie is one of the most popular Korean titles on the streaming giant of all time and Kim Hyun-joo was praised for her performance.
Han Suk-kyu
Han Suk-kyu played Kim Sabu, also known as Master Kim and Doctor Romantic, a triple-board certified surgeon who leaves a top medical center in Seoul and ends up at a small hospital in the countryside, mentoring young doctors in SBS’ Dr. Romantic (2016-2023). The medical drama is one of the most popular Korean titles of all time and Han Su-kkyu also achieved the Grand Prize (Daesang) trophy at the 2016 SBS Drama Awards.
Yoo Inna
Yoo Inna played Deborah, a best-selling author for romance novels and popular coach for dating who gets tested by her personal love life in ENA’s Bora! Deborah (2023). The rom-com drama is one of the most popular Korean titles on Amazon Prime Video and Yoo Inna was praised for her charming performance.
Doh Kyung-soo
Doh Kyung-soo played Jin Jung, a prosecutor who is armed with bad manners and delinquency yet stands on the side of the underprivileged and punishes corrupt powers in KBS’ Bad Prosecutor (2022). Doh Kyung-soo was nominated for Best Actor at the 2nd Blue Dragon Series Awards.
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