With hits reveals like The Glory, Squid Recreation, Extraordinary Legal professional Woo, Itaewon Class, and Beneath the Queen’s Umbrella breaking viewer information worldwide, Okay-dramas have been garnering increasingly consideration and accolades, in addition to launching main actors into worldwide fame. Such is the case of Tune Hye-kyo, Park Eun-bin, and Lee Jung-jae, who’ve acquired many awards, or Park Search engine marketing-joon, who was forged as Prince Yan within the superhero saga, The Marvels, reverse Brie Larson.
Jeong Yong-jun, higher generally known as Jang Hyuk, is one other beloved and charismatic Hallyu (Korean wave) star with many films, TV and internet sequence, and music video credit. Hyuk was born in 1976, and has been energetic within the leisure business since 1997, incomes over 30 prestigious awards for his compelling roles spanning varied genres, particularly romantic dramedies, crime dramas, and historic reveals.
Listed here are 9 of his most memorable, advanced characters in in style or cult Okay-dramas, from Stunning Thoughts to My Nation: The New Age.
9 Prince Wang So — Shine or Go Loopy (2015)
Tailored from the historic fantasy novel of the identical title by Hyun Go-woon about an actual historic determine, Shine or Go Loopy follows the political battle and the non-public lifetime of the once-exiled Prince Wang So, the fourth son of Goryeo King Wang Geon, and later King Gwangjong. Oh Yeon-seo performs his love curiosity Shin Yool, a princess from the Balhae Kingdom in what’s now Manchuria.
Why He Stands Out
Jang was nominated for Actor of the 12 months on the Annual Soompi Awards for his dramatization of the long-lasting Korean prince and his excellent on-screen chemistry with Oh. He effortlessly manages to seize the emotional repercussions of his character’s childhood scars, alternating between playfulness and gravity, whereas constantly remaining honest and pushed. Stream on Kocowa.
8 Moo Jin-hyuk — Voice (2017-2021)
Voice is a thriller crime sequence spanning 4 seasons with varied circumstances and characters, and centering on the members of a particular emergency name middle and dispatch staff. Jang is featured in season one as Moo Jin-hyuk, a detective hellbent on catching his spouse’s killer with the assistance of Kang Kwon-joo (Lee Ha-na), a police officer gifted with distinctive psycho-acoustics and voice-profiling abilities.
Why He Stands Out
Because of his intense portrayal of the grief-stricken and revenge-driven Moo, Jang was nominated for Actor of the 12 months on the Annual Soompi Awards. In reality, since he didn’t need his character to be redundant after such a suspenseful and gripping first season, he turned down the supply to return for the subsequent installments, preferring to depart proper after Moo’s case was solved. Stream on Paramount+.
7 Doo Chil-sung — Wok of Love (2018)
Wok of Love is a romantic dramedy revealing the secrets and techniques to make elevated Chinese language delicacies. It pits the up-and-coming, ingenious, and temperamental Chef Search engine marketing Poong (Lee Mi-sook) in opposition to his pretentious and extra skilled former employer in a close-by luxurious resort, Chef Wang Choon-soo (Im Gained-hee).
Jang performs Doo Chil-sung, a mortgage shark and gangster chief making an attempt to show his life round by backing Search engine marketing of their small restaurant in opposition to the neighboring five-star resort institution. There is just one hindrance of their budding friendship: they’re in love with the identical girl, Dan Sae-woo (Jung Ryeo-won), a bubbly heiress whose father fell from grace and who has joined the workforce at their struggling eatery.
Why He Stands Out
Chef Search engine marketing will be the male lead, nevertheless it’s Doo who portrays the actual hero on this entertaining Okay-drama. He takes it upon himself to again Search engine marketing and Dan by enlisting his personal clueless henchmen within the kitchen and serving to Dan’s father get out of jail. As is customary, he performs a layered and beneficiant character together with his personal advanced background; as an example, it’s revealed that the matted aged girl he retains treating to meals is none aside from the mom who deserted him when he was a toddler. Stream on Plex.
6 Oh Hyun-jae — Inform Me What You Noticed (2020)
Within the thrilling crime drama Inform Me What You Noticed, Jang performs Oh Hyun-jae, an excellent profiler who usually manages to shut chilly circumstances. His promising profession involves a halt when his fiancée turns into the sufferer of a serial killer, and he strikes to a distant location. 5 years later, the killer strikes once more, and Oh, blinded and paralyzed, is pressured to staff up with two law enforcement officials, Hwang Ha-young (Jin Search engine marketing-yeon) and Cha Soo-young (Sooyoung Choi), in an effort to lastly catch him.
Why He Stands Out
Jang may be very convincing because the charismatic, haunted, and pushed crime-solving genius who exposes corrupt cops and is obsessive about catching the one who ruined his life, although the sequence itself was typically criticized by Okay-drama audiences for its extreme gore and plot twists. Stream on Plex.
5 Lee Gun — Fated to Love You/You Are My Future (2014)
Fated to Love You is a romance dramedy spanning 20 episodes and centering on Kim Mi-young (Jang Na-ra), a mousy and naïve younger girl who, whereas vacationing at a fancy resort in Macau, by accident has a one-night stand with Lee Gun (Jang), the eccentric inheritor to a hair product firm, leading to a being pregnant. Not solely is Lee already in love with a ballerina, however he should additionally cope with Kim’s overprotective household.
Why He Stands Out
Jang delivers a hilarious efficiency because the loud and intense jet-setter with a outstanding aspect weave, flamboyant fits, and a trademark maniacal chortle. Because the story unfolds, although, extra layers are revealed, similar to his crippling concern of dying from Huntington’s illness (a generational affliction in his household), in addition to the conclusion that his soulmate is probably not his longtime, indecisive girlfriend in spite of everything. Stream on Viki.
4 Lee Younger-oh — Stunning Thoughts (2016)
Stunning Thoughts is a medical thriller melodrama drawing parts from Mary Shelley’s Gothic novel, Frankenstein. It stars Jang as Lee Younger-oh, an excellent assistant professor and neurosurgeon at a non-public Seoul hospital, rendered emotionally chilly and detached because of a childhood harm to his frontal lobe. He solely begins warming up after rookie cop Gye Jin-sung (Park So-dam) begins investigating a sequence of mysterious deaths at his office.
Why He Stands Out
As a result of this position of an individual with an delinquent dysfunction required subtlety, it had been turned down by 4 youthful actors earlier than Jang was lastly approached. Aside from the truth that it’s a medical drama like no different, not less than by East Asian requirements, the actor succeeds in delivering a convincing and mature efficiency as Lee; by means of his refined mannerisms and facial expressions, audiences are in a position to comply with the sluggish progress of his journey again to humanity not solely with the officer, but additionally together with his colleagues and sufferers. Stream on Kocowa.
3 Chun Bong-sam — The Service provider: Gaekju (2015-2016)
Set within the nineteenth century, The Service provider: Gaekju follows Jang as Chun Bong-sam, a poor peddler whose father was framed for opium possession and executed when he was a little bit boy. He spends years struggling on the road till he inherits a crumbling inn and turns it right into a profitable institution, later turning into one of many kingdom’s wealthiest retailers.
Why He Stands Out
Jang earned the Excellence Award: Actor in a Mid-length Drama on the twenty ninth KBS Drama Awards for his portrayal of an sincere and humble peddler-turned-brilliant businessman; his passionate and upright character by no means forgets his modest origins and diligently denounces and takes down corrupt retailers and different influential individuals. Stream on Viki.
2 Lee Dae-gil — Chuno/The Slave Hunters (2010)
Set within the Joseon dynasty, Chuno stars Jang as Lee Dae-gil, a noble man who’s in love with a slave known as Un-nyun (Lee Da-hae). His life is turned the other way up when the latter’s brother rescues her and burns down the property, subsequently decimating his complete household. Pushed by revenge and obsessive about discovering his beloved, he builds a formidable fame because the chief of a gaggle of slave hunters.
Why He Stands Out
This sequence was an instantaneous hit, topping the scores for seven consecutive weeks and profitable a whopping 19 awards. Jang alone was the recipient of the Korea Drama Awards’ and the Baeksang Arts Awards’ Finest Actor; KBS Drama Awards’ Grand Prize; and the Seoul Worldwide Drama Awards’ Excellent Korean Actor.
Followers on IMDB rave about his stellar efficiency, describing him as “The form of man you’d wish to cling with” and applauding “The depth that he brings to the character. One actually feels his ache and anguish.” Stream on Kocowa.
1 Prince Yi Bang-won — My Nation: The New Age (2019)
My Nation: The New Age is an intense and underrated Okay-drama with standout villains set between the top of the Goryeo dynasty and the rise of Joseon. Primarily based on actual occasions, it explores the turmoil, bloodshed, and political intrigue that may flip household and buddies into enemies. Jang portrays one of many major antagonists, Prince Yi Bang-won, the passionate, delicate, and decided new king’s illegitimate son who will cease at nothing to grab the throne.
Why He Stands Out
Having already splendidly portrayed the identical historic character within the 2015 film Empire of Lust, the actor had no downside reprising this advanced position for the present, including much more depth and intriguing layers. He steals each scene he’s in, whether or not matted, injured, or in elegant apparel; or whereas rescuing a protégé, flipping his folding fan in disdain, poignantly eager for his father’s approval, or imperiously marching ahead together with his allies and troopers. Stream on Plex or Netflix.
Jang Hyuk is a revered Hallyu veteran who has usually portrayed multifaceted characters, good or villainous, and worldwide Okay-drama followers would do properly to maintain a better watch on his enduring profession.
Among the biggest Okay-dramas, together with some on this record, are primarily based on wonderful novels. Here’s a video about the most effective ones, ranked:
