My Favorite Korean Actors

Lee Sun Kyun

South Korean

• Payback: Money & Power
• Dr. Brain
• Diary of Prosecutor
• My Mister
• My Wife's Having an Affair This Week
• Jealousy Incarnate
• Miss Korea
• Golden Time
• Pasta*
• Coffee Prince
  
• Parasite
  
• Jo Pil Ho: The Dawning Rage 

Kim Young Kwang

South Korean

• Trigger [2025]
• EVILLIVE [2023]
• Call It Love*
• Somebody
• Hello, Me!
• The Secret Life of My Secretary
• Room No. 9
• The Guardians
• Sweet Stranger and Me
• Go Ho's Starry Night

Lee Jae Wook

South Korean

• Royal Loader [2024]
• Song of the Geomungo: Golden Swallow [2024]
• Alchemy of Souls Season 2: Light and Shadow
  
• Alchemy of Souls
  
• Kiss Sixth Sense
  
• Move to Heaven
  
• True Beauty 
• Do Do Sol Sol La La Sol*
• When the Weather is Fine*
• Extraordinary You
• Search: WWW*
• Kill Bok Soon

Gong Yoo

South Korean

• The Trunk [2025]
• Squid Game Season 2 [2024]
• The Silent Sea
• Squid Game
  
• Goblin
• Big
• Coffee Prince
• Finding Mr. Destiny

Yeo Jin Goo

South Korean

• Link: Eat, Love, Kill
• Beyond Evil
• Hotel del Luna*
• My Absolute Boyfriend*
• The Crowned Clown 
• Circle
• Orange Marmalade
• Missing You
  
• Moon Embracing the Sun

I feel like I grew up with Yeo Jin Goo! When I was just getting into Korean dramas, he was a child actor. Now, I've watched 100+ dramas and he's become a leading man. No one deserves that success more than he does, he seems both talented and hard-working. I was especially proud of him for holding his own against Shin Ha Kyun in Beyond Evil.

Jang Hyuk

South Korean

• Family: The Unbreakable Bond
• Bloody Heart
• Tell Me What You Saw
• My Country: New Age*
• The Crowned Clown
• Bad Papa
• Wok of Love
• Money Flower
• Voice*
• A Beautiful Mind
• Shine or Go Crazy
  
• Fated to Love You
  
• The Slave Hunters

Jang Hyuk reminds me of Nicholas Cage: he's best when he's allowed to be a little unhinged. His over-the-top performances walk this fine line between unintentionally hilarious and totally compelling, which I find exciting either way! He's my precious chaos demon. 

Park Byung Eun

South Korean

• The Bequeathed [2024]
• Moving [2023]
• Alchemy of Souls
  
• Eve
  
• Lost 
• Oh My Baby*
• Arthdal Chronicles, Part 1, 2, & 3
• Your Honor
• What's Wrong with Secretary Kim
  
• Because This is My First Life 

Whenever Park Byung Eun pops up, I breathe a sigh of relief. I trust his acting abilities and his presence guarantees my interest, even if he's limited to a supporting role. He's a decade older than me but I completely understand his appeal as a ML in an age gap romance. His steady demeanor is quietly very sexy.

Yoon Shi Yoon

South Korean

• Work Later, Drink Now Season 1 & 2
• You Raise Me Up
• Train
• Psychopath Diary*
• The Nokdu Flower
• Your Honor
• Grand Prince*
• Mirror of the Witch*
• Flower Boy Next Door*

When I first saw Yoon Shi Yoon in Flower Boy Next Door, I wasn't impressed because it seemed as if he was relying too much on his own personal charisma, which is fine (I mean, I like Yang Yang for exactly THIS reason!!). But it can also be difficult for us to get a real sense of the character he's playing. Now, I couldn't be more impressed by Yoon Shi Yoon's acting. He's the total package: able to sell comedy as smoothly as he sells tragic melodrama. I didn't like The Grand Prince or You Raise Me Up as much as I'd hoped, but he was a mesmerizing tour de force in both.

Sung Joon

South Korean

Sung Joon comes across as very thoughtful actor, as if his characters have vast and unspoken landscapes of feeling, and he stood out as a subtler type of second ML through the 2010s. His big foray into comedy with Madame Antoine was an unmitigated disaster, but he put forth an impeccable performance in this year's Call It Love. Really, he's aged like a fine wine, so I'd love to see him more often and in larger roles. 

What I've Seen Him In: Lie to Me (2011), Shut Up Flower Boy Band (2012), Gu Family Book (2013), Hyde Jekyll Me (2015), & Call It Love (2023) = 5 projects

What I'm Looking Forward to Seeing Him In: Younger (TBA) & Island (2022)

Rowoon

South Korean

After Extraordinary You, I thought I didn't like Rowoon because I found his character extraordinarily boring, but then I watched She Would Never Know and The King's Affection, and I realized how wrong I was! He isn't my physical type at all, but he held his own with two of my favorite young actresses (Won Jin Ah & Park Eun Bin). Like Xu Kai, I find him the most appealing as a soft, sad, or slightly sub male lead.

What I've Seen Him In: Extraordinary You (2019), She Would Never Know (2021), & The King's Affection (2021) = 3 projects

Nam Da Reum

South Korean

If I had to bet on the next child actor to successfully transition into serious adult roles, I'd put my money on Nam Da Reun. His acting has spectacular depth and complexity for his age and I always wish he'd stick around longer when he pops up as "the kid" version of the ML in flashbacks.

What I've Seen Him In: Boys Over Flowers (2009), Pinocchio (2014), Goblin (2016), The King in Love (2017), Just Between Lovers (2017), Come and Huge Me (2018), Where Stars Land (2018), & Start Up (2020) = 8 projects 

Lee Je Hoon

South Korean

What I've Seen Him In: Finding Mr. Destiny* (2010), Fashion King (2012), Signal (2016), Where Stars Land (2018), Taxi Driver (2021), & Move to Heaven (2021) = 6 projects

What I'm Looking Forward to Seeing Him In: Taxi Driver Season 2 (2023)

Kim Min Jae

South Korean

What I've Seen Him In: Dr. Romantic (2016), Goblin (2016), Tempted (2018), Dr. Romantic Season 2 (2020), Do You Like Brahms? (2020), Dali and the Cocky Prince (2021) = 6 projects

What I'm Looking Forward to Seeing Him In: Dr. Romantic Season 3 (2023)

Lee Jun Young

South Korean

What I've Seen Him In: Class of Lies (2019), Imitation (2021), & Love and Leashes* (2022) = 3 projects

What I'm Looking Forward to Seeing Him In: Royal Loader (unconfirmed / TBA)

Park Hae Jin

South Korean

What I've Seen Him In: My Love from the Star (2013), Bad Guys (2014), Cheese in the Trap (2016), Cheese in the Trap* (2018), and From Now On, Showtime! (2022) = 5 projects

Kim Young Dae

South Korean

What I've Seen Him In: Extraordinary You (2019), Cheat On Me, If You Can (2020), True Beauty (2020), Sh**ting Stars (2022), & The Forbidden Marriage (2022) = 5 projects  

What I'm Looking Forward to Seeing Him In: The Moon That Rises in the Day (2023 TBA)

Lee Jun Ho

South Korean

What I've Seen Him In: Just Between Lovers (2017) & The Red Sleeve (2021) = 2 projects

What I'm Looking Forward to Seeing Him In: Wok of Love (2018)

Kim Kyung Nam

South Korean

What I've Seen Him In: Faith (2012), Age of Youth (2016), Come and Hug Me (2018), Where Stars Land (2018), & The King: Eternal Monarch (2020) = 5 projects  

Ahn Hyo Seop

Canadian

What I've Seen Him In: Thirty But Seventeen (2018), Dr Romantic Season 2 (2020), Lovers of the Red Sky (2021), & A Business Proposal (2022) = 4 projects

What I'm Looking Forward to Seeing Him In: Dr Romantic Season 3 (2023) & A Time Called You (TBA 2023)

Bae In Hyuk

South Korean

What I've Seen Him In: Kiss Goblin (2020), My Roommate is a Gumiho (2021), & Why Her? (2022) = 3 projects

What I'm Looking Forward to Seeing Him In: At a Distance, Spring is Green (2021), Under the Queen's Umbrella (2022) & The Story of Park's Marriage Contract (TBA 2023)

Jung Hae In

South Korean

What I've Seen Him In: Goblin (2016), While You Were Sleeping (2017), Something in the Rain (2018), One Spring Night (2019), & A Piece of Your Mind (2020) = 5 projects

What I'm Looking Forward to Seeing Him In: Tune in for Love* (2019) 

Park Sung Hoon

South Korean

What I've Seen Him In: Black Knight: The Man Who Guards Me (2017), Psychopath Diary (2019), Into the Ring (2020), & Glory 1 & 2 (2022-2023) = 4 projects  

What I'm Looking Forward to Seeing Him In: Queen of Tears (TBA 2023)

Lee Do Hyun

South Korean

What I've Seen Him In: Thirty But Seventeen (2018), Hotel del Luna (2019), Beyond Evil (2021), Youth of May (2021), & Melancholia (2021) = 5 projects

What I'm Looking Forward to Seeing Him In: The Glory (2022) & The Good Bad Mother (2023)

Ryu Jun Yeol

South Korean

Ryu Joon Yeol is the sexiest man I've ever seen, full stop. His performance in Lost left me in a puddle on the floor of my living room. I just -- I mean, is anyone else seeing him!? How does any human being look that hot!?

Lee Soo Hyuk

South Korean

What I've Seen Him In: The Scholar Who Walks at Night (2015) & Born Again (2020) = 2 projects

What I'm Looking Forward to Seeing Him In: Sweet Stranger and Me (2016) & Hello, Me! (2021)

Kim Do Wan

South Korean

What I've Seen Him In: Moment at Eighteen (2019), Start Up (2020), & My Roommate is a Gumiho (2021)

What I'm Looking Forward to Seeing Him In: Doona! (TBA 2023)

Lee Sung Min

South Korean

What I've Seen Him In: Can You Hear My Heart (2011), Arang and the Magistrate (2012), When a Man's in Love (2013), Miss Korea (2013), & Reborn Rich (2022) = 5 projects

What I'm Looking Forward to Seeing Him In: Misaeng: Incomplete Life (2014)

Park Jin Young

South Korean

What I've Seen Him In: When a Man's in Love (2013), My Love Eun Dong (2015), He is Psychometric (2019), Yumi's Cells (2021), & Reborn Rich (2022) = 5 projects

What I'm Looking Forward to Seeing Him In: Yumi's Cells Season 2 (2022)

Woo Do Hwan

South Korean

What I've Seen Him In: Shut Up: Flower Boy Band (2012), Save Me (2017), Tempted (2018), My Country: The New Age (2019), & The King: Eternal Monarch (2020) = 5 projects  

Shin Ha Kyun

South Korean

What I've Seen Him In: Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance* (2002), Sympathy for Lady Vengeance* (2005), & Beyond Evil (2021) = 3 projects

What I'm Looking Forward to Seeing Him In: Biography of a Villain (TBA)

Yang Se Jong

South Korean

What I've Seen Him In: Dr. Romantic (2016), Thirty But Seventeen (2018), My Country: The New Age (2019), & Dr. Romantic Season 2 (2020) = 4 projects

What I'm Looking Forward to Seeing Him In: Doona! (2023)

Kim Jae Young

South Korean

What I've Seen Him In: Blade Man (2014), 100 Days My Prince (2018), & Love in Contract (2022) = 3 projects

What I'm Looking Forward to Seeing Him In: I Will Travel For You (TBA)

Ahn Nae Sang

South Korean

What I've Seen Him In: Sungkyunkwan Scandal (2010), Protect the Boss (2011), Moon Embracing the Sun (2012), Maids (2014), Kill Me Heal Me (2015), Love in the Moonlight (2016), Just Between Lovers (2017), Misty (2017), The Last Empress (2018), My Country: The New Age (2019), Into the Ring (2020), Do Do Sol Sol La La Sol (2020), & Call It Love (2023) = 13 projects

What I'm Looking Forward to Seeing Him In: Bloody Heart (2022)

Jo Jin Woong

South Korean

What I've Seen Him In: The Slave Hunters (2010), The Handmaiden* (2016), & Singal (2016) = 3 projects

What I'm Looking Forward to Seeing Him In: The Good Bad Mother (2023)

Lee Joon Gi

South Korean

What I've Seen Him In: Arang and the Magistrate (2012), The Scholar Who Walks at Night (2015), Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo (2016), Hotel del Luna (2019), & Flower of Evil (2020)

Kim Jae Wook

South Korean

What I've Seen Him In: Coffee Prince (2007) & Her Private Life (2019) = 2 projects

What I'm Looking Forward to Seeing Him In: Crazy Love (2022)

Shin Seung Ho

South Korean

What I've Seen Him In: Moment at Eighteen (2019), Love Alarm (2019), Alchemy of Souls (2022), & Alchemy of Souls Season 2 (2022) = 4 projects

What I'm Looking Forward to Seeing Him In: Weak Hero Class 1 (2022) & The Good Bad Mother (2023)

Hwang In Youp

South Korean

What I've Seen Him In: True Beauty (2020) & Why Her? (2022) = 2 projects

What I'm Looking Forward to Seeing Him In: A Prefabricated Family (TBA)

Hwang Min Hyun

South Korean

What I've Seen Him In: Alchemy of Souls Seasons 1 & 2 (2022)