K-dramasare a source of ultimate fun and relaxation; they’re often full of multiple twists and (un)surprising turns, hooking audiences onto every new episode. Though the plot is often the biggest selling point of most K-dramas,sometimes fans watch them because of specific actors and actresses. With stans and fans all over the globe, some K-drama actors and actresses enjoy a higher level of attention; they could be good-looking or have a great public reputation (which is everything in theSouth Korean entertainment world).
As these actors get more TV and film under their acting belts, their dramas are more likely to be hits. Because of a combination of their public reputation and great offers, several South Korean actors and actresses have hit after hit. The success of their dramas maylie in a greatly written script and aesthetically enjoyable visuals, but most often, it’s their own presence. Those actors are often in K-dramas that never miss, bringing them even more love and attention from global audiences.
10Gong Hyo-jin
‘When the Camellia Blooms,’ ‘The Greatest Love’
Popular Drama
Year of Release
‘The Greatest Love’
‘It’s Okay, That’s Love’
‘The Producers’
‘Don’t Dare to Dream’
‘When the Camellia Blooms’
‘When the Stars Gossip’
Gong Hyo-jinis more or less a household name in South Korea. Her career spans over 25 years, after she debuted in the K-horror movieMemento Mori. Today, most fans know Gong for her roles inWhen the Camellia Blooms,The Greatest Love, andThe Producers. Gong Hyo-jin is often cast as the female lead character with a strong personality, a woman who’s tough on the outside but soft on the inside. Her gentle facial features make her a chameleon in each role, but also a recognizable actor in many ways.
Gong Hyo-jin’s dramas are often romantic comedies, since she has a knack for portraying relatable and funny women. In 2025,Netflixusers can see her in another rom-com with elements of sci-fi,When the Stars Gossip; she portrays Eve Kim, aKorean-American astronaut who falls in love with a space tourist, Gong Ryong, played by another beloved actor,Lee Min-ho. The pair have excellent chemistry, with another playful comedy with a wild sci-fi setting that promised and delivered a great K-drama.
When The Camellia Blooms
9Lee Min-ho
‘Pachinko,’ ‘Boys Over Flowers,’ ‘Heirs’
‘Boys Over Flowers’
‘City Hunter’
‘The Heirs’
‘The Legend of the Blue Sea’
‘The King: Eternal Monarch’
Gong Hyo-jin’s most recent acting partner, Lee Min-ho, is more than just that today.Lee is more or less a living K-drama legend, a man who’s escorted the popularity and adoration of the genre to international success. Though only 37, he’s technically an acting veteran already; he debuted in the drama called Sharp in 2002. Today, fans mostly know him forhis roles inThe Heirs,Boys Over Flowers, and, most recently,Pachinko.Pachinkois considered one of the best K-dramas of the past few years, and it was produced by and aired on Apple TV+.
Lee Min-ho is a valuable name to most K-drama producers, solanding him for a role always means the drama is going to be successful. Beyond his name and good looks, however,Lee Min-ho is a great actorand his dramas typically deliver -Pachinkobeing the most recent example, whileThe HeirsandBoys Over Flowersenjoy a sort of cult classic status. Lee Min-ho often portrays courageous characters, or those who show the ability to change and adapt; the transformative nature of his roles allows him to be likable and a fan favorite.
8Lee Dong-wook
‘Goblin,’ ‘Tale of the Nine Tailed,’ ‘A Shop For Killers’
‘Hotel King’
‘Guardian: The Lonely and Great God’
‘Hell Is Other People’ aka ‘Strangers from Hell’
‘Tale of the Nine Tailed’
‘Bad and Crazy’
Another K-drama veteran and household name,Lee Dong-wook,has successfully transitioned from portraying a moody rom-com lead to playing fierce action heroes. Before the 2020s, his fans knew him for the now world-famous dramaGuardian(akaGoblin), in which he starred alongsideGong Yoo(Train to Busan,Squid Game) andKim Go-eun(Little Women,Exhuma); hisother work includedMy Girl, andHell Is Other People.
In 2020, Lee starred in one of the most popular romantic dramas in the last five years,Tale of the Nine Tailed, but he also tried himself out as an action star in Disney’s 2024A Shop for Killersand Netflix’s 2022 action comedyBad and Crazy(alongsideWi Ha-jun). Lee Dong-wook has a recognizable face (and a handsome one), but he is also chameleonic. His transformations go from a gentle rom-com leading to a mysterious and erratic tenant; from a rich hotel heir to a manager of a store which supplies assassins. He’s versatile and one of South Korea’s biggest and best acting treasures.
Hell Is Other People
7Song Hye-kyo
‘Descendants of the Sun,’ ‘The Glory’
‘Autumn In My Heart’
‘Worlds Within’
‘That Winter, the Wind Blows’
‘Descendants of the Sun’
‘The Glory’
WhileSong Hye-kyois a somewhat controversial personality in South Korea - shecommitted tax evasion in 2014- she is also a great philanthropist and a higly popular actress.She made her television debut in 1995, and has had only a couple of breaks between projectssince then. She’s most known to romantic K-drama fans as Doctor Kang Mo-yeon inthe highly popular romanticK-dramaDescendants of the Sun. She even married herDescendantsco-starSong Joong-kiafter they met on set, though the two later called it quits in 2019. Song is a little more known to Netflix drama watchers as the lead in therevenge thrillerThe Glory, where she portrays a vengeful and calculated woman with deep-seated trauma and PTSD.
Song Hye-kyo initially portrayed characters of ethereal and untouchable beauty (which makes sense as she’s one of the most beautiful South Korean actresses alive). Her roles shifted to be less gentle and more fierce; it seems that over time,Song started picking characters that would allow her more range and versatility. Her fans will be able to see her as the lead in an upcoming supernatural thrillerDark Nuns, where she tries to save a young boy from possession.
6Jung Hae-in
‘D.P.,’ ‘Love Next Door,’ ‘Prison Playbook’
‘While You Were Sleeping’
‘Prison Playbook’
‘Something In the Rain’
‘Love Next Door’
Despite being a more recent K-drama face,Jung Hae-inis already an established name. His role as Jun-ho in the military dramaD.P.ensured his undying popularity; however, before that, Jung was in a couple of other beloved K-dramas, fromWhile You Were SleepingtoPrison Playbook. Jung Hae-in made his acting debut in 2014, and has been consistently working. His most recent work includes the Netflix seriesLove Next Door, a rom-com considered amongthe best K-dramas in 2024.
Jung Hae-in has a long career ahead of him, so we’re left to see what kind of characters he’ll portray next (people still hope for aD.P.season 3 announcement). So far, however,his roles have been accompanied by high-praise and incredible hype, which is what any young actor wants to experience. Jung Hae-in is versatile with his acting as much as he is with his looks; he fits the buzzcut-sporting stoic Jun-ho fromD.P.perfectly, but he also embodies the perfect boy next door inLove Next Door. Is there anything Jung Hae-in can’t do?
Prison Playbook
5Nam Joo-hyuk
‘Moon Lovers,’ ‘Twenty Five Twenty One,’ ‘Start-Up’
‘Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo’
‘Cheese In the Trap’
‘Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo’
‘The Light In Your Eyes’
‘Start-Up’
‘Twenty Five Twenty One’
Another fairly new face in the K-drama realm,Nam Joo-hyuk,is still very familiar to many drama fans all over the world. He debuted the same year as Jung Hae-in and has a similar number of heavy-hitting dramas on his roster. His first television role was inThe Idle Mermaid, buthe became a much bigger face thanks to 2016’s best K-drama,Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo. This K-drama finds itself on lists like thosewith the perfect ending, romantic dramas that can bebinge-watched all day long, and the most romantic K-dramas ever made.
In 2016, Nam Joo-hyuk also starred in two incredibly popular titles -Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-jooandCheese In the Trap. These dramas helped establish him as a charming and lovable lead, thoughlots of his characters start off as shy and end up the heroes of the story; he also has a great knack for physical comedy. It seems Nam Joo-hyuk will star in another historical drama soon, as his upcoming supernatural fantasy dramaEast Palacewraps up production. Until then, he has plenty of binge-able K-dramas for fans that want to watch some wholesome characters' journeys.
Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo
Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeois not currently available for streaming in the US.
4Son Ye-jin
‘Crash Landing on You,’ ‘Thirty Nine,’ ‘Alone In Love’
‘The Great Ambition’
‘Alone In Love’
‘Personal Taste’
‘Don’t Look Back: The Legend of Orpheus’
‘Crash Landing On You’
‘Thirty Nine’
When K-drama fans think ofSon Ye-jin, they can’t help but think ofthe mostromantic K-drama ever,Crash Landing On You. This drama had the ideal formula for a successful show, with two gorgeous leads - Son Ye-jin andHyun Bin- and a sort of friends to lovers trope that could also double as enemies to lovers and a slow-burn romance. Son had her television debut in 2002, andher acting biography shows nothing less than pure bangers when it comes to K-dramasof all genres - though she mostly portrayed romantic leads.
Despite being more known for her movie roles, Son Ye-jin starred in some K-drama cult classics, from the historical dramaThe Great Ambitionin 2003 to the oddly cute rom-comPersonal Tastewith Lee Min-ho in 2010. Her biggest K-drama success came withCrash Landing On You, where she and co-star Hyun Binfell in love in real life, too (to the joy of the show’s numerous fans). Her most recent drama is the slice of life dramedyThirty Nineon Netflix, which takes an earnest look at three women and best friends' lives as they near their forties. Son is charming and more grounded in this show, which counts as some of her best work.
Crash Landing On You
3Kim Go-eun
‘Cheese in the Trap,’ ‘Little Women,’ ‘Goblin’
‘Yumi’s Cells’
‘Little Women’
An actress with over a decade of experience under her acting belt,Kim Go-eunis best known to people for her portrayal of Eun-tak, a girl in the middle of a love triangle with the Grim Reaper and a guardian angel inGoblin. Her biggest flex is her indomitable movie career, which is much more prominent than her K-drama career, but Kim Go-eun can show off with the fact thatevery K-drama she’s been in has been an absolute smash hit among audiences. She’s versatile but still highly recognizable, and has a specific way of performing.
Kim Go-eun has a certain charisma - besides her incredible beauty - that attracts people to watch her in different roles. BeforeGoblin, she was inCheese In the Trap, and most recently starred in thehighly acclaimed K-mysteryLittle Womenon Netflix.With her appeal, Kim Go-eun is more than likely to win over even wider audiencesin her future roles; she’s still young and has immense potential. For fans who’ve seen all of Kim’s dramas, she is thrilling in the horror movieExhumaand radiant in the friendship drama movieLove In the Big City.
Little Women
2Woo Do-hwan
‘Bloodhounds,’ ‘Mr. Plankton,’ ‘Joseon Attorney’
‘The Great Seducer’ aka ‘Tempted’
‘Joseon Attorney’
‘Bloodhounds’
‘Mr. Plankton’
Currently, the most popular actor on social media,Woo Do-hwan, is also a fresh face in the K-drama world. He made his acting debut in 2011, buthis biggest success came with the release of theNetflix action thrillerBloodhounds, where he stars alongsideLee Sang-yias the boxing prodigy that begins chasing a powerful loan shark who conned his mother. Woo and Lee have brilliant chemistry, makingBloodhoundsa buddy comedy at times. While Lee is the comic relief inBloodhounds, though, Woo displays a little more of that skill in his most recentNetflix rom-com,Mr. Plankton.
However, Woo Do-Hwan starred in other shows before these two, which currently hold the most popular spots among Netflix K-dramas. One of his most notable roles was in the thriller dramaMad DogwithYoo Ji-tae, but he also shines in the historical dramedyJoseon Attorneyas the lead. It seems Woo Do-hwan chooses mostlyserious characters that give him the opportunity to display his physicality; while this is an attribute viewers do not mind at all, he is also quickly becoming one ofSouth Korea’s biggest action stars, and has dramas that haven’t missed the mark yet.
Mr. Plankton
‘Anna,’ ‘Uncontrollably Fond,’ ‘Gu Family Book’
‘Gu Family Book’
‘Uncontrollably Fond’
South Korea’s sweetheart,Bae Suzy, isn’t just a (very) pretty face. She’s also one of the most hardworking actors in the industry, a great singer, and a performer unlike many others. Bae Suzy, often just known as Suzy,has a long acting career which could have flopped at times, but luckily didn’t. This may not only be attributed to luck, though - she chose the roles she knew would be great for her, having stepped out of her usual box when it comes to drama roles sometimes. Her first foray away from a more “innocent” look is the brilliantone-day bingeAnna. Suzy portrays a cold and deceitful woman who finds redemption at the end of her difficult journey.
Before that, Suzy starred in some highly-acclaimed hits, like thefamily dramaGu Family Book,Uncontrollably Fond, andStart-Up. She is often considered one of the most present faces in the K-drama field, and has a term coined after her - “Suzy Power,” which producers and companies mostly use when they want to have successful ad campaigns by hiring her. Because of her udying popularity, Suzy starred in some amazing K-dramas, which are all worth watching.
