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From Lee Byung-hun to Gong Yoo to Hyun Bin (pictured), we rank the 10 greatest male K-drama actors of all time. Photo: Instagram/@hyunbinactor_

K-Pop K-drama

The 10 most famous K-drama actors of all time, including Squid Game’s Lee Byung-hun, Train to Busan’s Gong Yoo and Hyun Bin

Gong Yoo, who rose to fame with shows like Coffee Prince and has stayed popular with films like Train to Busan, has been a household name for nearly two decades
Hyun Bin of Secret Garden and Crash Landing on You, So Ji-sub of Doctor Lawyer, Lee Min-ho and Lee Byung-hun of Squid Game also make our top 10

K-drama news

Pierce Conran

Published: 7:15pm, 3 Jun 2023

Why you can trust SCMP

The K-drama industry features a number of dazzling lights – but only a handful of stars have continued to burn bright over the years.

Read on for our pick of the 10 greatest male K-drama actors.

10. Ji Chang-wook

A former musical theatre performer, Ji Chang-wook became a screen actor in his early 20s, and first rose to prominence in the weekday comedy drama Smile Again in 2010.

Ji Chang-wook in a still from “If You Wish Upon Me” (2022).

Building on that success, he broke through to stardom in the period drama Empress Ki and soon became a huge star in China thanks to the success of Healer.

He has remained a major presence since, through roles in shows like the action series The K2 and the comedy drama Backstreet Rookie.

He has recently been shifting into the streaming era, first with his Netflix series The Sound of Magic and soon with the Disney+ thriller The Worst of Evil.

9. So Ji-sub

Square-shouldered and smoky-eyed, So Ji-sub has been a mainstay on Korean screens since the late 1990s, but his breakout came in the hit 2002 drama Glass Slippers.

So Ji-sub in a still from “Doctor Lawyer” (2022).

He has been a big draw ever since, popular in major romantic dramas such as Something Happened in Bali and Master’s Sun but also in action and thriller series like Phantom.

So recently scored another hit as the lead of the crossover medical and legal drama Doctor Lawyer.

8. Kim Soo-hyun

Thanks to his looks and screen poise, Kim quickly became a name after his screen debut through shows like Dream High and Moon Embracing the Sun.

Kim Soo-hyun in a still from “One Ordinary Day” (2021). Photo: Viu

He went on to global stardom after appearing alongside Jun Ji-hyun in the now classic K-drama romance My Love from the Star, which was particularly successful in China.

Kim has continued to impress and build his following through dramas like The Producers and the global hit It’s Okay to Not Be Okay alongside Seo Ye-ji.

7. Lee Jong-suk

Former model Lee Jong-suk ported his striking looks and lithe frame over to the screen, first gaining attention through a supporting role in Secret Garden.

Lee Jong-suk in a still from “Big Mouth” (2022).

He amassed legions of fans after the drama School 2013. His popularity only increased after starring alongside Park Shin-hye in the fan-favourite Pinocchio; everything he has touched since has turned to gold.

Lee’s other credits include the romantic drama W, While You Were Sleeping and Romance Is a Bonus Playbook, as well as last year’s thriller Big Mouth.

6. Gong Yoo

Thanks to his gentle persona – and his good looks, of course – Gong Yoo has been a household name for close to two decades.

Gong Yoo in a still from “The Silent Sea” (2021). Photo: Netflix

He first achieved stardom through Hello My Teacher and the classic drama Coffee Prince. After that, he focused primarily on the big screen, with critical and commercial hits including The Silenced and Train to Busan.

Gong returned to television screens in grand fashion in the sweeping fantasy romance Guardian: The Great and Lonely God, co-starring with Kim Go-eun.

5. Lee Min-ho

Korean wave heartthrob Lee Min-ho shot to stardom in 2009 through Boys Over Flowers, and he has never looked back.

Kim Minha (left) and Lee Min-ho in a still from “Pachinko” (2022). Photo: Apple.

Popular across Asia and with a commanding social media presence, Lee has appeared in a string of timeless hits, including the action drama City Hunter, the high school series The Heirs and the fantasy romance The Legend of the Blue Sea opposite Jun Ji-hyun.

Recently, Lee appeared in the critically acclaimed Apple TV+ period immigration drama Pachinko and is set to return in season two.

4. Song Joong-ki

With his blinding smile and charisma, Song Joong-ki has long been a fan favourite. He broke out in his mid-20s with two very different roles, in the period youth drama Sungkyunkwan Scandal and as one of the original cast members of the long-running hit variety show Running Man.

Song Joong-ki in a still from “Reborn Rich” (2022).

Several hits followed, but he cemented his status as a global icon in the hugely successful romantic drama Descendants of the Sun opposite Song Hye-kyo.

Song’s cocky and disarming charm has been put to good use in recent years as he played vigilantes in the smash hits Vincenzo and Reborn Rich, both of which have been embraced by millions around the world thanks to streaming.

3. Bae Yong-joon

When we talk about hallyu – the “Korean wave” – it is impossible not to acknowledge the impact of Bae Yong-joon.

Bae Yong-joon (right) and Choi Ji-woo in a still from “Winter Sonata” (2002).

Shows like First Love turned Bae into a South Korean heartthrob in the ’90s but it was 2002’s Winter Sonata that made him Korea’s first pan-Asian drama icon.

The stunning success of the melodrama made him a household name in Japan, where he became known by the nickname Yon-sama (“Emperor Yon”), and prompted the birth of K-drama tourism. This is the phenomenon of foreign fans travelling to Korea to visit K-drama locations – Winter Sonata tours are still available today.

Bae retired from acting to become a global ambassador for Korean culture as well as the founder of leading management agency KeyEast.

2. Hyun Bin

Though not one of Korea’s most prolific stars, the tall and dashing Hyun Bin has maintained his spot at the top of the industry for two decades. Careful in selecting his projects, Hyun’s dramas tend to become events.

Hyun Bin (right) and Son Ye-jin in a still from “Crash Landing on You” (2020).

Alongside Kim Sun-a, in 2005 he appeared in the romcom My Lovely Sam-soon, which remains one of the highest-rated hits of all time after securing a 50.5 per cent viewership in Korea for its finale.

Opposite Ha Ji-won, he once again struck gold with the fantasy drama Secret Garden in 2010. The streaming era has only expanded his fan base, thanks to the global success of Crash Landing on You, in which he shared the screen with his future wife, Son Ye-jin.

1. Lee Byung-hun

While there are several worthy contenders for the top rank, in the end we feel the crown can only rest on one head.

Lee Byung-hun in a still from Our Blues.

K-drama stars have a tendency to burn bright before fading away, but superstar Lee Byung-hun has remained at the top for an astonishing three decades.

Leaving aside his film credits – Song Kang-ho is his only rival for Korea’s greatest Korean film star – Lee’s drama career features a dizzying array of highlights.

In the early 2000s, he headlined K-drama classics Beautiful Days and All In. A decade later, he took the industry in a bold new direction with the action blockbuster Iris.

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In 2018, he rose back to the top in the epic series Mr. Sunshine; he even found time to conquer the world as the masked frontman in global sensation Squid Game.

Last seen in Our Blues, another ratings smash, Lee – the man with the most expressive eyes in the business – is showing no signs of slowing down.

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