One of the most well-known actresses of her generation, Jun Ji Hyun is a name that every K-drama fan, even those living outside of Korea, is familiar with. She has been forging her path since the late 1990s, and the popularity of her 2021 mystery drama Jirisan is proof of this. Having said that, we've gathered some of the actress's best films and television episodes for you to catch up on if you're just now discovering her impeccable skill.
1. My Love From The Star
400 years ago, Do Min-Joon, an alien with almost human-like physical characteristics and magical abilities, arrived on Earth. He's spent his entire time on the planet growing jaded about people and changing his identity every ten years. However, when he meets Hallyu star Cheon Song-Yi in his final three months, everything changes. Song-Yi, a pampered star, and his neighbor lures Min-Joon into her insane life's increasingly ludicrous happenings.
2. The Legend Of The Blue Sea
The resurrected forms of a Joseon Dynasty town official and a mermaid cross paths once more in contemporary Seoul in this fantasy drama. The protagonist of the novel is Kim Dam-ryeong, a nobleman's son who meets the alluring Seo Hwa after she saves him from drowning. A few hundred years later, Heo Joon-Jae, a slick-talking con artist interested in Seo Hwa's twin, Shim Cheong, and the $6 million bracelet she wears on her wrist, crosses paths with the two people once more.
3. Kingdom: Ashin Of The North
A spinoff of the Netflix zombie series is called Kingdom: Ashin of the North. Ji Hyun returns to the role of the mysterious Ashin, who Prince Lee Chang's entourage meets on their quest to learn the truth about the resurrection plant. The movie tells the story of Ashin's background and reveals who she is, demonstrating how her character's fate is connected to those of the characters in the first series.
4. Jirisan
Ji Hyun plays Seo Yi-Kang, a talented ranger who has saved countless lives on Mount Jiri, in this mystery drama. She joins forces with rookie ranger Kang Hyun-jo, an ex-military lieutenant, to monitor the area when strange tales begin to circulate in the hiking area that bears her name. Hyun-jo, who is brand new to his position, accepts the terrifying assignment after going through a traumatic event of his own on the mountain.
5. Happy Together
In 1999, the TV show "Happy Together" was aired. Five siblings who split up following their parents' deaths are the subject of the story. Everyone in the family chooses a separate career path as they become older, but Tae Poong, who has always desired to reunite his family, dedicates his life to looking for them.
6. Kingdom
The drama, which takes place during Korea's medieval Joseon era, centers on Crown Prince Lee Chang (Ju Ji-hoon), who gets caught up in a political uprising and is compelled to go on a mission to look into the spread of a mysterious undead plague that has plagued the country's southern provinces and the current emperor. The narrative opens with a Korean-language billboard announcement that the Joseon king has passed away and that the crown prince should succeed him right now. However, the monarch has been receiving covert treatment for the past ten days inside the palace where it is known that he is quite ill. Even the crown prince himself was not permitted to visit the king. The crown prince ventures outside late at night to see his father because he has to hear the truth. Instead of his father, he saw the shape of a terrifying monster. Prince Lee Chang, assisted by the doctor Seo-bi, the mysterious Yeong-sin, and his personal guard Mu-Yeong, must stop the spread of the disease to Hanyang (modern-day Seoul) while dealing with the evil plot by Minister Cho Hak-Ju and his family to remove him from the throne.
7. Il Mare
Ji Hyun plays a voice actor in the 1999 film "Il Mare" who leaves a Christmas card in a mailbox before leaving the coastal home. Days later, she's perplexed to get a response from a man who consistently includes the year 1997 in his letters. The two, who have mysteriously resided on the same property but are separated by time by two years, now start corresponding.
8. My Sassy Girl
Gyun Woo enjoys partying with his pals and making advances on women, but he has bad luck finding true love. However, his life suddenly takes an unexpected turn when his mother and aunt set him up on a blind date. On his way to his aunt's house, he encounters a rowdy female on the train who makes a scene before passing out, but not before leaning against Gyun Woo and giving the impression that she is his lover. The incident catalyzes their ill-fated, whirlwind romance because the anonymous girl keeps putting Gyun Woo in awkward circumstances.
9. Blood: The Last Vampire
Ji Hyun made her feature film debut in Hollywood with Blood: The Last Vampire. Saya, an angry human-vampire hybrid who hunts demons for a covert organization, is the character she plays in the movie. To find the monster hidden inside the high school she attends, she must pose as a youthful student for her next mission.
10. Snow Flower And The Secret Fan
The story of a pair of girls who have been connected as kindred spirits for all time is told across two timelines in the movie. Despite being separated by circumstance, they are nevertheless able to converse by using a Chinese fan to pass phrases back and forth. While this is going on, their descendants in present-day Shanghai fight to maintain their link when issues arise.
