Who are the top 5 K-drama actors? K-drama lovers, this is for you. K-drama is short for Korean drama, and it has become a worldwide phenomenon. In Korea, they call this worldwide name hallyu. It translates to the Korean wave, which is the global popularity of South Korean pop culture.
Because of k-drama, many fans know lots of things they probably would’ve never known. You might think it’s just drama, but now, a K-drama lover recognizes the South Korean flag, can pick or even speak the Korean Language, knows their foods, their cultures, both traditional and modern times, their historic heritage, their religions, and many more things.
It is a popular opinion that South Korea is known not just in Asia, but all over the world, largely because of its explosive entertainment. No k-drama lover will ever mistake North Korea for South Korea in a sentence. They’re part-South Korean.
This is for K-drama fans from day one to date. New age lovers should also be familiar, but if not, familiarize themselves with the OGs.
Top 5 Korean Actors
1. Lee Min-ho
2. Cha Eun-woo
3. Park Seo-joon
4. Ji Chang-wook
5. Lee Dong Wook
Top Korean Actors
Of course, this list is subjective. I mean, what single list can contain all of our oppas (older brothers, but contextually our word of endearment for our favorite actors)? The fact that “oppa” was used doesn’t make this post for females alone.
From the males who pretend not to care about K-drama, but secretly love it, to the ones who proudly beat their chests for it, this is a post for everyone – lovers, curious, and haters alike.
These are some of the Korean actors whose names will always be on our lips.
1. Lee Min-ho
I know that saying something like “everybody knows Lee Min-ho,” or “everybody loves Lee Min-ho,” may be a stretch, but as far as hallyu is concerned, his impact is undeniable.
Not only did his fame rise in 2009 with Boys Over Flowers, but K-dramas also crossed the shores of Asia. The rich and arrogant character of Gu Jun-pyo made females swoon, and it was from there that he gained a permanent spot in our hearts.
From Boys Over Flowers, we meet him again as a rich abandoned boy in 2013 with The Heirs, and we don’t love him any less. By then, he’d become more than an actor to us and a lifestyle. People had started walking like him and screaming “yaa!”
In City Hunter, we see a different shade of him. That remains one of my favorite K-dramas to date. He has starred in other phenomenal dramas like Personal Taste, Faith, The Legend of the Blue Sea, The King: Eternal Monarch, Pachinko, and his most recent, When the Stars Gossip and Omniscient Reader: The Prophecy.
The 38-year-old actor has been on our screens and in our hearts for more than a decade, but we’re not tired of seeing him. The news update that he’ll star in a new movie gives immense joy to his fans. This love is obvious in his over 30 million Instagram followers and the number of gifts he receives from his fans on his birthdays.
2. Cha Eun-woo
The 28-year-old Cha Eun-woo is one of our favorite new-age actors. From his favorite band boy (Astro) to top model and favorite actor, in which capacity has he not won hearts?
I have a friend I’d always begged to watch K-dramas with, who just never seemed to be interested. It took one episode of seeing Eun-woo in True Beauty for her to become a K-drama lover. That’s the power of Cha Eun-woo. He has that endearing charm that has earned him more than 43 million followers on Instagram. Maybe we love him because of his beautiful smile or his handsome face, calm demeanor, or his acting prowess, or perhaps it’s the combination of everything. One thing is certain: we want to see more of him on our screens.
He has starred in shows like Gangnam Beauty, from which he became famous, True Beauty, A Good Day to be a Dog, and Wonderful World.
3. Park Seo Joon
Park Seo-joon, at 36, has given us everything! He’s one of our favorite versatile actors. We’ve had a taste of everything with him.
From stealing our hearts in the traditional times with Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth, to the wealthy boss in What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim and She Was Pretty. By the time he acted in Fight For My Way, he had already made a way for himself. He didn’t give us anything less than our expectations in his latest fantasy drama, Gyeongseong Creature.
How about his professional chess-like character in Itaewon Class? My friend said I want more of these! Looking for calm and dangerous, funny and rich, cool and romantic? Park Seo-joon is your man. His 25 million (still counting) Instagram followers should tell you that much about him. He’s good at what he does.
4. Ji Chang-wook
It was love at first sight when I saw him in Empress Ki with his alluring innocence. He plays both traditional and modern roles excellently, as we’ve seen him in a series of different characters. From his young innocence till now that he’s 38, oh how we love Wookie oppa!
Some of our favorite shows from him are Suspicious Partner, The K2, Healer, Backstreet Rookie, Lovestruck in the City, Welcome to Samdal-ri, The Sound of Magic, and many others.
He’s so talented that we’ll see him play double characters in one drama; one character that is protecting his real character. He can be an innocent charmer and at the same time your secret protector. We’ve seen him as a prince, a soldier, a lover, a magician, and a host of others.
He has above 27 million fans on Instagram. If that doesn’t portray our love for him, I don’t know what will.
5. Lee Dong-wook
At 43, he’s one of our oldest oppas, but that just makes him an inspiration. In an industry where there are constant emerging voices, remaining relevant as you age is a source of inspiration.
From Hotel King to our favorite nine-tailed fox in Tale of the Nine Tailed, he has shown us nothing short of pure excellence. Lee Dong-wook is a master of fantasy drama. Whether he comes wealthy, or as a police officer, doctor, or killer, we’ve seen him in many forms, and we don’t love any shade of him less.
Some of our favorite TV shows he features in are Tale of the Nine Tailed, The Divorce Insurance, Hell is Other People, Bad and Crazy, A Shop for Killers, and Hotel King. He currently has almost 19 million followers on Instagram.
Conclusion
Think of k-drama as a beautiful addiction (they should make a drama with this title). Once you get a taste of it, you never want to stop. K-dramas have been winning hearts worldwide, way before Netflix came into existence, and we now love to see our favorites even on Netflix.
In case you have ever said k-drama is not your thing, you should know that there are many genres; you just have to want to watch, and you’ll get the perfect one for you. Especially now that they’re on Netflix and other big streaming platforms.
This is not an exhaustive list. I agree that there’s an endless list of Korean actors whom we love so much. These are just a few of those who made K-drama an addiction for us. Do your best actors match ours? Tell us your own top 5 Korean actors.
