Long before he joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), Park Seo-joon was and remains a leading actor in Korea, known for his leading roles in K-dramas, most notably alongside Kyongsong's Creature.
Whether among new or old K-drama fans, one name is often mentioned on the list of essential actors: Park Seo-joon. The latter helped to establish the romantic genre right at the beginning of his career, which brought him dazzling fame. Even to the point that he attracted the attention of producers of major films, such as “The Marvels in Hollywood”, in which he plays Prince Yun, or the famous “Parasite” by Bong Joon Ho.
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But the K-drama fan favorite doesn't have to worry: the actor continues to take part in productions of Korean series such as The Kyongsong Creature. He plays one of the main roles in this Netflix series alongside Han So-hee, another star of Korean creations. He plays Jang Tae-sang, a wealthy landowner and pawnbroker from ancient Seoul, and is portrayed as a trustworthy person.
So much so that the viewer may want to find it in other works. Here we offer you a list of 5 K-dramas that are worth watching and feature Park Seo-joon shining on the screen again.
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1 – She was pretty
Netflix
Park Seo-joon gained some fame in the romance genre with K-dramas like She Was Pretty. The series is a hidden gem and is loved by fans looking for a Cinderella story. This romantic comedy focuses on Kim Hye-jin (Hwang Jung-eum) and is presented as a true story. The girl comes from a wealthy family where she was praised for her physique.
When her family goes bankrupt, she also loses her beauty. As an adult, she is considered less desirable due to her curly hair and ruddy cheeks. As fate would have it, she meets a childhood friend named Ji Sung-joon (Park Seo-joon). He experienced the opposite transformation: he went from a little boy who was considered unattractive to a charming prince who accumulated charm and wealth.
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The two decide to meet, but Hye-jin is surprised by his good looks and is hesitant to show him the extent of her own change. So it's her prettiest friend pretending to be her. Unbeknownst to her, said friend takes a liking to Sung-joon. Hye-jin then finds herself in a tricky situation as she has to work for a fashion magazine where Sung-joon is the editor-in-chief. Unfortunately, Sung-joon doesn't recognize her and shows contempt towards her.
She Was Pretty is available on Netflix.
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2 – Hwarang
This is a historical K-drama that has won the hearts of fans with a more mature story. The 2017 series starred Park Seo-joon, Go A-ra and Park Hyung-sik alongside an impressive cast. The focus of the drama is a group of young warriors called Hwarang, whose core is Crown Prince Sammaekjong. When her father dies and political chaos brews, her mother makes a decision.
For his safety, she sends him away from those who want to kill him. Now he takes a different name and joins the Hwarang created by his mother. These elite warriors were brought together to protect the throne. But they don't know that among them is the prince and future king himself. Kim Sun-woo (Park Seo-joon) appears as a friend of low origins and is himself unaware of his origins.
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Hwarang is available on Netflix.
3 – Fight for my path
kbs/netflix
Fight For My Way is the guilty pleasure of many Park Seo-joon fans. In K-drama, several themes intertwine between sports and romance. Ko Dong-man (Park Seo-joon) was a former taekwondo athlete who gave up his career due to an incident. He now practices martial arts half-heartedly and is unable to face his past.
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He has been friends with his neighbor Choi Ae-ra (Kim Ji-won) for years and the two are constantly arguing. Despite their childish behavior, they never saw each other as anything other than friends…until now.
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Ae-ra always dreamed of quitting her job at a department store to become a news anchor. The two embark on an adventure to achieve their dreams while discovering that there is a stronger bond between them.
Fight For My Way is available on Netflix.
4 – What’s wrong with Secretary Kim?
This K-drama is a timeless classic that brilliantly showcases all the common patterns. It also confirmed actors Park Min-young and Park Seo-joon's role as frontrunners in the romance genre.
It presents a comical boss-employee relationship with just the right amount of thrill. Kim Mi-so (Park Min-young) worked for her vice president, boss Lee Young-joon (Park Seo-joon), for nine years. Although she is completely devoted to her boss as secretary, she still announces her resignation in order to put her own interests first. This news shocks Young-joon, who realizes how much he needs her.
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In order to persuade her to stay, he begins to fall in love. A thriller aspect is added as Mi-soo searches for the man who haunted her in the past – and who could be the key to Young-joon's trauma.
What's wrong with Foreign Minister Kim? is available on Viki.
5 – Itaewon Class
“Itaewon Class” was probably Netflix’s biggest success story when the streaming platform began its K-drama journey. It is also the Korean series that allowed Park Seo-joon to stand out and attract attention to land his role in The Marvels.
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Park Sae-ro-yi (Park Seo-joon) is new at school and doesn't hesitate to stand up to the bully Jang Geun-won (Ahn Bo-hyun). Which turns out to be an unwise decision when Geun-won is blamed for the death of Sae-ro-yi's father. Enraged, Sae-ro-yi seeks revenge but fails because the tyrant is the chaebol heir to a powerful CEO.
Sae-ro-yi is then imprisoned for three years and loses his girlfriend in the process. At the end of his sentence, he vows to change his ways in honor of his father and open a bar and restaurant in Itaewon. But his efforts again attract the attention of Geun-won, whose father owns a successful restaurant chain nearby. Seeing Sae-ro-yi as a threat, he opens hostilities.
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Itaewon Class is available on Netflix.