Annyeong! And that is the only Korean word I have learnt after obsessively watching Korean dramas and movies for years. My clandestine affair with Korean TV shows and movies began at the age of 16 when I was still in school and there were no ‘legal’ streaming websites that had such diverse content.
Not everybody finds the idea of watching TV shows or movies while reading the subtitles pleasing, but trust me, once you start watching them, it becomes a habit. And that’s how my fascination with Korean dramas began, with adorable story lines (seriously, all of them are fairy tales) and breathtakingly handsome men. Here is a list of my favourite Korean actors and the shows starring them. You should be watching these this weekend!
1. Lee Min-ho
Source: Korea Portal
This 31-year-old singer and actor started his career with Boys Over Flowers, the most popular Korean show which was the first to make its way to the west in 2009. His TV career was short lived as he jumped into the movie industry. He already has two successful action films to his name, Gangnam Blues and Bounty Hunters. His most recent TV show is called Legend of the Blue Sea, a fantasy love story in which he plays a fisherman who falls in love with a mermaid he had captured.
2. Park Seo-joon
Source: Soompi
You might remember him from Netflix’s recent Korean drama titled What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim. He has been dubbed the master of romantic comedy for his roles in What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim and She Is Pretty, both of which were a huge success in the South Korean Drama industry.
3. Daniel Henney
Source: Instagram
Born to a Korean mother and an Irish father, Daniel Henney has the best of both worlds. 18-year-old me fell head over heels in love with his character in the Korean movie, Seducing Mr. Perfect, in which he played a sarcastic yet lovable guy who decides to teach his secretary the inner workings of the dating world, till he falls for her. How typical! Daniel kick-started his Hollywood career by becoming a permanent cast member of Criminal Minds Quantico and then went on to bag big budget films like X-Men Origins: Wolverine and Big Hero 6.
4. Seo Kang-joon
Source: Soompi
He’s a singer, an actor and a part of Korea’s first-ever acting group called 5urprise. He got his big break in the form of the TV drama, Cunning Single Lady in which he played a husband who is trying to get back together with his ex-wife. If you haven’t watched any of his shows yet, catch him in the Korean version of the American TV show, Entourage of the same name.
5. Lee Dong-min
Source: Instagram
Better known by his stage name, Cha Eun-woo, he is a singer, actor and a model, phew, is there anything he can’t do? He stole my heart with his role in the drama My ID Is Gangnam Beauty, in which he plays a university student who falls in love with his high school classmate. Yes, they are all love stories, Korean dramas have their priorities in the right place.
6. Lee Won-keun
Source: Korea Channel
While this actor’s career graph is lined with high school dramas where he gets to be the cute yet mysterious boy every girl falls in love with, things are changing for Lee Won-keun. He recently made his debut in the film industry with the psychological thriller, Misbehavior, for which he received the equivalent of a national award in Korea.
7. Nam Joo-hyuk
Source: Instagram
The cutest actor on the show, Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo the recipient of 3 Best New Actor awards for his debut movie, The Great Battle. Just 5 years into the industry, he has already made a mark for himself at the age of 24!
So who is your favourite?
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