I always like to focus and discover new aspects of dramaworld, and so the lack of beards in dramas finally clicked during my rewatch of Mr. Sunshine.
Personal views aside, having a male lead with facial hair kinda somehow adds depth to the character's personality, and it sets him apart from the rest, so I thought I should write this article to "study" the rare appearance of "Beards".
Why shave?
As an ELF (Super Junior's Fandom), I've seen the members tease Choi Shi Won throughout the years. They'd post pictures of razors telling him to shave, or they'd talk about him in interviews, saying his beard looks messy and he needs to get rid of it.
Just recently, he posted a poll on his Instagram story asking fans if he should keep the beard, and more than 95% said SHAVE (I wasn't one of them of course) XD
Another case I remember was back in Roommate when Park Bom chased after her co-star Shin Sung Woo with a razor telling him he needs to shave asap as soon as she met him. XD
When Jo Byung Kyoo appeared on I Live Alone, we got to witness the hardships some actors and idols go through to keep the "youthful/clean" image. Some would say his facial hair looked awkward, and he should wax it off more often, but since he waxes, it makes the hair grow differently, and it becomes a never-ending cycle.
He mentions on the show that he usually gets cast as young characters or high schoolers, so the directors don't want him to have a beard, but at least this is the most reasonable reason I've seen so far.
And the last case is when Jang Yoon Jeung came home on The Return of Superman and sees her husband with a small stubble. Her 1st reaction is "why didn't you shave!" and the MCs laugh saying he looked weird. Do Kyung Wan's excuse was that he was too tired and busy to shave XD.
So at the end of the day, why do they shave? It's because others don't like it.
On the other hand, when Ha Ha finally shaved, the Running Man Members kept telling him he looks weird, so I guess keeping a clean shaved face and growing a beard once in a while is better than keeping it for a long time ;P
Disclaimer: This is just for fun, I do not claim to know the Korean mindset and culture, and I do not mean any disrespect . I might seem a little too invested in this, but I honestly only remember these cases because I found them way too weird ;)
Dramas with bearded male leads
With historical dramas, it's easier to find main characters with facial hair, but either way, I'll mention a few dramas I've seen, just for fun.
1. Mr. Sunshine
6. Detective L
Actors that look hot with a beard
Aside from dramas, actors are more "carefree" in their daily lives or photo shoots, so this is the TOP 10 hottest actors with a beard :)
1. Choi Shi Won
2. Jang Hyuk
4. Byun Yo Han
6. Kim Nam Gil
7. Gong Yoo
8. Johnny Bai
9. Hyun Bin
10. Song Seung Heon
Bonus: Ji Soo
This might've been an excuse for me to post more bearded pictures, but to be honest, I just wish more dramas would change up their styles and come up with characters outside the usual "mold". (especially Byun Yo Han)
Also, thanks to @The Butterfly for the main title XD
*Gif and picture credits to owners, all found around Google, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube or recap pages.