South Korea is well-known for their K-pop, high-quality films, and dramas starring South Korean actors and actresses. Koreans have been continuously creating films for their industry and market providing opportunities for talented Korean actors and actresses to achieve stardom. New artists are constantly rising to prominence, but this list honours the best of the best. Here are our selections for the best South Korean actors and dramas of all time.
10. Gong Yoo
K-Drama: Coffee Prince
Gong Ji-Chul (better known as Gong Yoo) was born on July 10, 1979, in Busan, Korea. He is best known for his roles in the films ‘Train to Busan’ (2016), ‘Silenced’ (2011), and ‘The Age of Shadows’ (2016). Gong Yoo earned a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre from Kyung Hee University and worked as a model before breaking into the show business as a video jockey for Mnet. He has, since then, appeared in several supporting roles in Korean films and dramas before landing his first leading role in ‘Hello My Teacher’ in 2005.
9. Seo Jun Park
K-Drama: Itaewon Class
Park, the oldest of three brothers, was born on December 16, 1988, in Seoul. He graduated from An-Nam High School followed by which he attended the Seoul Institute of the Arts and enlisted for mandatory military service in 2008. Park made his debut in the entertainment industry in 2011 when he appeared in the music video for Bang Yong-single Guk's ‘I Remember’. Following that, he has appeared in television dramas. From October 2013 to April 2015, Park hosted Music Bank. This Hallyu star recorded the song for the soundtracks of ‘Hwarang’, ‘She Was Pretty’, ‘Kill Me Heal Me’, and ‘A Witch's Love’, in all of which he starred.
8. Woo-Bin-Kim
K-Drama: Uncontrollably Fond, School 2013, The Heirs
Kim Woo Bin aspired to be a model when he was in high school and had no plans to become an actor. However, his modelling career progressed and he began receiving offers for various commercials. At the auditions, they informed Woo Bin Kim that he needed some basic acting skills. So, he decided to enrol in acting classes. Following this he was immediately awestruck by his teacher, Won-Joo Moon, who quickly became his role model, and made him fall in love with the acting profession. His acting debut was in the TV series ‘White Christmas’. He played Mad Mireu, a red-haired genius prankster and bully of bullies who quickly became an audience favourite.
7. Ji Chang Wook
K-Drama: The K2, Healer, Empress Ki, Warrior Baek Dong Soo, Suspicious Partner, Melting Me Softly, Lovestruck in the City, Backstreet Rookie
Ji Chang-Wook is a well-known actor who has starred in films such as ‘Healer’ (2014), ‘Fabricated City’ (2017), and ‘Empress Ki’ (2013). He began his career in musical theatre and sang a song from ‘Les Miserables’ for the audition at Dankook University. He made his debut in ‘The Days’, and he also played a minor role in the tv drama ‘You Stole My Heart’.
6. Hyun Bin
K-Drama: Worlds Within, Secret Garden, Crash Landing On You
Tae-Pyung Kim, the father of Hyun Bin, was born on September 25, 1982, in Seoul, Korea. He is popular and well-known for his roles in K-dramas and movies such as ‘Secret Garden’ (2010), ‘Crash Landing on You’ (2019), and ‘Alhambeura Goongjeonui Chooeok’ (2018). Hyun Bin (also spelled Hyeon Bin) translates as "Bright Light."
5. Park Bo Gum
K-Drama: Love in the Moonlight, Record of Youth
South Korean actor Park Bo-Gum was awarded numerous acting awards and nominations. In 2016, he became the youngest artist to be named Gallup Korea's Actor of the Year, and in 2017, he became the first actor to top the Forbes magazine's ‘Korea Power Celebrity list’. The actor also released a single titled ‘All My Love’ for his debut anniversary.
4. Lee Jong Suk
He was born in Yongin, Gyeonggi-do, Korea on September 14, 1989. He is a famous actor as well as a producer who is well known for his part in ‘Romance is a Bonus Book’ (2019), ‘I Hear Your Voice’ (2013), and ‘While You Were Sleeping’ (2012). The multi-talented actor began his career as a model who can sing and dance as well. He performs two original songs in the series ‘While You Were Sleeping’, and occasionally performs at fan meetings. During one such meeting in 2017, he danced to Psy’s, ‘New Face’. The actor performed two songs for the ‘While You Were Sleeping’ soundtrack, in which he co-starred with Bae Suzy.
3. So Ji Sub
K-Drama: Oh My Venus, Cain, and Abel, Sorry I love you, Master's Sun
So Ji-Seob, born in Seoul, South Korea, is an actor, best known for his roles in ‘Rough Cut’ (2008), ‘Ghost’ (2012), and ‘Cain and Abel’ (2009). Since April 7, 2020, he has been married to Jo Eun-Jung. At the 2009 New York Asian Film Festival, Ji-Sub So received the Star Asia Rising Star Award. Aside from acting, he has also released several hip-hop singles and albums as well as a magazine for his fans called “SONICe”, which features his artwork.
2. Kim Soo Hyun
K-Drama: My Love from the Star, It's Okay Not To Be Okay
Kim Soo Hyun is a South Korean actor popularly known for his roles in the TV dramas ‘Dream High’, ‘Moon Embracing the Sun’, ‘My Love from the Star’, as well as the films, ‘The Thieves’ and ‘Secretly, Greatly’. During his middle school years, Soo Hyun was a shy child, and no one expected him to enter the entertainment industry. His mother encouraged him to take acting classes before high school so as to change his introverted personality, and as a result, his desire to pursue a career as an actor grew.
1. Lee Min Ho
K-Drama: Boys Over Flowers, City Hunter, The Heirs, Personal Taste, Legend of the Blue Sea, The King: Eternal Monarch
Lee Min Ho is a South Korean actor best known for starring in dramas such as ‘Boys Over Flowers’, ‘City Hunter’, and ‘Heirs’. He began his career in 2006 and has since appeared in several TV shows, short dramas, and minor film roles. In 2009, he rose to prominence as Gu Jun Pyo in the film ‘Boys Over Flowers’. Other films, such as ‘City Hunter’ (2011) and ‘Heirs’ (2013), established him as a well-known Asian actor. Lee also released an album called "My Everything" in 2013 and contributed to the soundtracks of ‘Boys Over Flowers’ and ‘Heirs’.
