Kim Hyun Joong is a multi-faceted performer, who has a proficient famous career in both the singing and acting industries. He started his career as a member of the South Korean boy band SS501 and started gaining more popularity even when the band disbanded. His albums and extended plays as a soloist debuted on many prestigious streaming charts and have received acclaim and praise. Hyun Joong was even the official representative of South Korea during the 2010 Asian Games! He is a talented member of the Hallyu industry who is also known for his decent personality and philanthropic nature. Kim Hyun Joong is known for his versatility and charm as an actor. Here we have compiled a list of top 10 drama/movies in which he stars which show his talent as an actor.
1. Boys Over Flowers
Boys Over Flower is one of the most famous Korean dramas ever. Fans still look back at this drama fondly as it had a superb rich-guy-poor-girl storyline. Geum Jan Di is a poor but bright girl who transfers to an elite school meant for the uber-rich. At her new posh high school, she butts heads with a group of four richest boys in the school. Even though the main character eventually ends up with the male lead (Gun Jun Pyo played by Lee Min Ho), she first had feelings for the second lead Yoon Ji Ho, who was played by Kim Hyun Joong.
2. Playful Kiss
Also known as Mischievous Kiss, the drama tells the story of a romance between two polar opposites individuals. Vacuous high schooler Oh Ha Ni (Jung So Min) harbors a crush on the school’s smartest and most popular guy Baek Sung Ho (Kim Hyun Joong). She gets rejected after confessing her feelings to her crush, but a hapless disaster sees her moving in with Sung Ho’s family. Forced in proximity, the two get to know each other and eventually fall for each other. This sweet and wholesome drama banked largely on Hyun Joong’s newfound fame after his role in Boys Over Flowers for viewership and managed to score decent ratings.
3. Inspiring Generation
Inspiring Generation is a period drama released in 2014. Till then, Hyun Joong had acted mostly in romance movies and dramas. So this drama was the one that challenged him as an actor. Inspiring Generation draws inspiration from a Manhwa penned by Baek Hak Gi and weaves an intricate tale of patriotism, love, and friendship, set against a backdrop of 1930s Shanghai. Hyun Joong plays the role of a fierce soldier who is accused of his father’s murder, and who grows up to be a skilled martial artist in the streets of Shanghai.
4. Pi’s Story (Shark Bait)
While Hyun Joong didn’t appear physically in the Korean adaptation of the animated movie Pi’s Story he lent his voice to the star of the film, an orange wrasse fish named Pisces (Pi). This children’s movie chronicles the events of Pi’s life as he battles an evil shark and struggles to protect his lover. This movie is Hyun Joong’s lesser-known work as it didn’t generate any commercial success or positive reviews.
5. Dream High
Dream High featured a star-studded cast of Bae Suzy, IU, Kim Soo Hyun, Park Seo Joon, Jang Woo Young, and, of course, Kim Hyun Joong. Six students at the prestigious Dream High School have hopes of becoming K-pop idols. Throughout 16 episodes, the drama chronicles the highs and lows of these hopefuls as they learn new skills whilst leaning on each other. In the drama’s first episode, Hyun Joong appeared as himself in a cameo appearance.
6. That Moment When Time Stops
After giving a spectacular performance in Inspiring Generation in 2014, Hyun Joong took a break from showbiz after a series of legal issues. That Moment When Time Stops was his comeback drama after his hiatus. The drama’s protagonist Moon Joon Woo (Hyun Joong) leads a lonely life due to his ability to stop time. He had resigned himself to a life of loneliness, but things change when he met Kim Sun Ah. Sun Ah, who herself is dealing with problems, is Joon Woo’s new landlady. When Joon Woo finds out that Sun Ah is unaffected by his supernatural power, the two develop a romantic connection while appreciating the new meaning of life.
7. Indian Pink
Directed and written by Kim See Woo, this one-man play explores the painful story behind a breakup. Kim Hyun Joong plays the role of the unnamed male lead, who is suffering from heartbreak. Indian Pink is a genre-bender, which starts as an innocent romance movie but masterfully transitions into a psychological thriller. Hyun Joong’s performance as a devilish and clever man with an innocent façade is brilliant and makes this movie a must-watch
8. Can Love Be Refilled?
Can Love Be Refilled? is a 2005 romance comedy drama. Jin Joo and Sun Joo are sisters who lead immensely different lives because of their professional backgrounds and love lives. Their husbands (or ex-husband in the case of Jin Joo) are Dong Woo and Sang Tae Kim Hyun, with whom their passionate love has died down. The main theme of the series is modern love, marriage rapport, and humor surrounding the two sisters and their spouses. Hyun Joong plays the role of William HJ Lee, a European-born skilled golf player who has little success in the sport. The arrival of a girl, Mi Joo, brings some color to his otherwise vain life.
9. Nonstop (Season 5)
Nonstop is a South Korean romance sitcom spanning six seasons. Since the broadcast of its first season in 2001, Nonstop has become massively popular for its cast which often comprised teen K-pop idols who had their debut thanks to the on-screen appearance in the sitcom. The story’s central setting is a university, where each generation of students experiences the highs and lows of college life and friends and family dynamics. The defining feature of the sitcom is the fact that each season features a new cast every season, while simultaneously weaving an interconnected universe within the sitcom. Kim Hyun Joong made a cameo appearance in the sitcom’s fifth season.
10. Barefooted Friends
Kim Hyun Joong was one of the original participants part of Barefooted Friends for its first 26 episodes. The variety slash reality television series is touted as an “outdoor hardship show”, with a focus on sincerity, hardships, and the strong bonds of friendship. The participants are taken to foreign locations where they search for happiness and beauty by interacting with locals. They also partake in different challenges like diving, lyrics writing, cooking, etc.
