These Korean On-Screen Couples Have Worked On More Than One Project Together
Because of their unmistakable chemistry, viewers deserved to see them paired up again
Unlike in the Philippines, where loveteams are common in showbiz, K-dramas and Korean films don't often feature the same on-screen couples or pairings. And that's part of what makes them exciting, because the tandems you've been hoping to see may just actually happen.
While the familiarity that comes with following a loveteam's body of work is satisfying, fresh pairings are also met with a whole new level of enthusiasm, with viewers eager to see what surprises they have in store for them and how effective their on-screen chemistry could be.
But there are times, too, when Korean actors and actresses are tapped for the same project more than once, especially if their chemistry is palpable and unmistakable, so much so viewers deserve to see them paired up again. Although not common, we've seen many of them work together for the second (or even third) time around.
Check out the gallery below to see these Korean actors and actresses who have done more than one project together:
On-Screen Couples Who Have Worked Together More Than Once
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Jang Hyuk and Jang Na-Ra
The 2002 rom-com series “Successful Story of a Bright Girl” marked the first time Jang Hyuk and Jang Na-ra worked with each other. She played the role of a simple countryside girl while he breathed life into the character of an arrogant president of a makeup company. In their reunion project via the 2014 series "Fated to Love You," Jang Hyuk would play another rich guy character, who’s the successor of a huge family-run company, while Jang Na-ra took on the role of a naive office employee at a law firm.
Kwon Sang-Woo and Choi Ji-Woo
The classic 2003 K-drama “Stairway to Heaven” first paired Kwon Sang-woo and Choi Ji-woo as childhood friends whose friendship later turns into a romantic relationship. Many years later, in 2014, the two would reunite on the small screen with the melodrama “Temptation,” which featured Kwon Sang-woo as a man from a rural village who’s juggling part-time jobs for his studies and Choi Ji-woo as a hotel heiress who’s been trained to take over her father’s company.
Lee Dong-Wook and Lee Da-Hae
The 2005 rom-com series “My Girl” featured Lee Dong-wook as the only heir of a top hotel, while Lee Da-hae is a tour guide who is running mini tours in Jeju Island. In their reunion project, the 2014 melodrama “Hotel King,” Lee Dong-wook’s character is associated with a hotel again, this time as the general manager of Hotel Ciel; Lee Da-hae’s character is an heiress, who’s the only daughter of the chairman of the said hotel.
Lee Joon-Gi and Nam Sang-Mi
It was the 2007 action/romance drama “Time Between Dog and Wolf” that first paired Lee Joon-gi and Nam Sang-mi as an NIS agent and an art director, respectively. Seven years later, in 2014, they would reunite in a historical, action, romance series, “Gunman in Joseon,” with him taking on the role of a skilled swordsman and her as a feisty noblewoman.
Eric Mun and Jung Yu-Mi
It was back in 2007 when Eric Mun and Jung Yu-mi first worked together on a project, a series titled “Que Sera, Sera.” It featured him as an employee at an event planning company and her as an aspiring fashion merchandising director. Fast forward to 2014, the two reunited on-screen through the rom-com “Discovery of Love,” where Jung Yu-mi’s role is a furniture designer whose ex-boyfriend is an interior design company’s CEO (Eric Mun).
Jang Hyuk and Lee Da-Hae
Jang Hyuk and Lee Da-hae starred in two K-dramas. First was 2008’s “Robber,” where his role is a conman who plans to take advantage of a widow (played by Lee Da-hae) but ends up falling in love with her. The next one was in 2010 via the historical action drama “The Slave Hunters,” wherein his character is a nobleman whose life gets ruined by a slave; this slave happens to be the brother of the woman (Lee Da-hae) Jang Hyuk’s character is in love with.
Jung Yong-Hwa and Park Shin-Hye
In the 2009 rom-com “You’re Beautiful,” Jung Yong-hwa’s character is a bassist, rapper and keyboardist for boy group A.N.JELL, while Park Shin-hye’s character finds herself disguising as her brother who’s also a member of A.N.JELL. When he discovers her real identity, he ends up falling in love with her but she’s in love with someone else. Their love story and their love for music continued in their reunion project, romance melodrama “Heartstrings,” where she’s a student majoring in traditional Korean music and he’s the lead singer and guitarist of a band.
Namgoong Min and Hwang Jung-Eum
Namgoong Min and Hwang Jung-eum first worked with each other in the 2011 romance drama “Listen to My Heart.” Hwang Jung-eum’s character is an intelligent woman who has a mentally handicapped father; she’s been searching for her step-brother (Namgoong Min) only to find out he’s been near her all along. The two would reunite in the 2018 rom-com “The Undateables,” featuring him as a toy gallery director and her as a woman who dreams of falling in love and getting married.
Kim Soo-Hyun and Lee Ji-Eun (IU)
Kim Soo-hyun and Lee Ji-eun (IU) first worked together through the 2011 music-themed drama “Dream High” where their characters are aspiring K-pop idols. Four years later, they both starred in the K-drama “The Producers;” Kim Soo-hyun played the role of a rookie producer-director, while IU’s character is a famous singer. After finishing his military service, he also made a special appearance in her 2019 K-drama “Hotel del Luna” as the new owner of the hotel she previously ran.
Lee Sang-Yoon and Lee Bo-Young
Lee Sang-yoon and Lee Bo-young’s first small screen pairing was via the 2012 romance family drama “Seoyoung, My Daughter” where their characters met by chance until he falls in love with her and pursues her. This tandem would be seen again through the 2017 legal drama “Whisper.” Lee Bo-young played the character of a section chief of a criminal division who later disguises herself and joins a law firm as undercover. Lee Sang-yoon’s character, on the other hand, is a righteous judge who’s left with no choice but to work with the same law firm.
Kim Soo-Hyun and Jun Ji-Hyun
Before starring together in the now-iconic K-drama “My Love from the Star” in 2013, Kim Soo-hyun and Jun Ji-hyun first worked on the top-grossing heist film “The Thieves” the year before. Their big screen roles were that of a cat burglar (Jun Ji-hyun) and a criminal (Kim Soo-hyun). These characters are far from their MLFTS roles, as he starred in it as an alien who landed on Earth and she took on the role of a top Hallyu star.
Lee Seung-Gi and Bae Suzy
In the action, spy, crime series “Vagabond,” Lee Seung-gi and Bae Suzy displayed unmistakable chemistry. His character is a stuntman whose nephew is killed in a mysterious plane crash, so he takes it upon himself to uncover the truth behind the incident. She, on the other hand, played an N.I.S. (National Intelligence Service) agent who becomes a covert operative. That wasn’t the first time Lee Seung-gi and Bae Suzy worked together; in 2013, they also starred in the historical/fantasy series “Gu Family Book.” Here, Lee Seung-gi’s character, a half-man and half-gumiho, falls in love with the character of Bae Suzy, a martial arts instructor.
Ji Sung and Hwang Jung-Eum
The 2013 series “Secret” (or “Secret Love”) starred Ji Sung and Hwang Jung-eum, with him taking on the role of a second generation chaebol and her as a woman who gets jailed to save her boyfriend that killed a woman in a hit and run accident. If their first project was a melodrama, thriller series, their next one is the rom-com, suspense series “Kill Me, Heal Me” in 2015. Ji Sung’s character here is a rich businessman with a dissociative identity disorder, and Hwang Jung-eum’s is a first-year psychiatry resident.
Choi Jin-Hyuk and Jang Na-Ra
Also starring in Jang Hyuk and Jang Na-ra’s series “Fated to Love You” (2014) was actor Choi Jin-hyuk, whose character is an internationally famous Korean-American designer. He becomes friends with Jang Na-ra’s character until he falls in love with her. These co-stars would work together again through the 2018 romance, mystery series “The Last Empress.” Here, Jang Na-ra is an aspiring musical actress whose life changes overnight after she marries the Emperor. Choi Jin-hyuk played the role of a man who disguises as an imperial bodyguard to avenge his mother’s death.
Park Seo-Joon and Hwang Jung-Eum
In 2015’s “Kill Me, Heal Me,” Park Seo-joon and Hwang Jung-eum played the role of twins; she’s a first-year psychiatry resident while he’s a famous mystery novelist hiding under a pseudonym. In the same year, they would star in another K-drama, “She Was Pretty.” And this time, Park Seo-joon’s character is a deputy editor in chief of a magazine, where Hwang Jung-eum’s character works as an intern at the administration department.
Lee Dong-Wook and Yoo In-Na
In 2016’s “Guardian: The Lonely and Great God,” Lee Dong-wook and Yoo In-na showed a heartwarming love story between a grim reaper and a chicken restaurant owner. The two continued their on-screen romance with another series via “Touch Your Heart” in 2019, this time he played the role of a lawyer while she starred as a top celebrity who figures in a drug scandal.
Kim Jung-Hyun and Seo Ji-Hye
The tandem of Kim Jung-hyun and Seo Ji-hye became popular last year, when they starred as a couple in the K-drama “Crash Landing on You.” She breathed life into the character of the daughter of a wealthy North Korean department store owner, while his character is a South Korean conman who fled to North Korea to avoid being arrested. The two reunited in the 2020 series “Dinner Mate” that starred Seo Ji-hye, and featured a cameo of Kim Jung-hyun as her character’s (ex)boyfriend. CLOY, however, wasn’t the first series they both appeared in. In the 2016 K-drama “Don’t Dare to Dream” (or “Jealousy Incarnate”), Seo Ji-hye’s role is a news anchor, while his role is the brother of the female lead character (played by Gong Hyo-jin).
Ji Soo and Kim So-Hyun
In the ongoing 2021 sageuk “River Where the Moon Rises,” Kim So-hyun plays the role of Princess Pyeonggang whose dream is to re-establish Goguryeo, while Ji Soo was tapped for the role of On Dal, an ordinary man who wishes to protect the princess. Ji Soo, however, figured in a bullying controversy and he was replaced in the drama by Na In-woo. Ji Soo and Kim So-hyun also worked together in a three-episode drama special titled “Page Turner” back in 2016. In the TV special, she’s a piano prodigy while he’s an aspiring pianist.
Taecyeon and Jeon Yeo-Been
Taecyeon and Jeon Yeo-been both star in the ongoing hit K-drama “Vincenzo” alongside Song Joong-ki. In this series, their relationship starts good, with him serving as a happy-go-lucky, dumb intern/paralegal at a law firm under the supervision of her character, a lawyer and an associate at the law firm. There is, however, a twist and they become enemies. Interestingly, Jeon Yeo-been’s first-ever K-drama was 2017’s “Save Me” which starred Taecyeon. She took on the role of an undercover journalist who later becomes the right-hand of the female lead character (played by Seo Ye-ji).
Lee Joon-Gi and Moon Chae-Won
Last year, Lee Joon-gi and Moon Chae-won impressed with their chemistry in the melodrama/suspense series “Flower of Evil.” They played husband and wife, who are facing a marital problem because of the secrets he’s been keeping from her. In 2017, Lee Joon-gi and Moon Chae-won also starred in the Korean adaptation of the American TV series “Criminal Minds,” with him as a SWAT officer turned investigator at the Violent Crimes Unit and her as an NCI agent and behavior analyst.
Hyun Bin and Son Ye-Jin
Hyun Bin and Son Ye-jin were first paired in the 2018 movie “The Negotiation.” In the film, Hyun Bin’s character is a Korea-based international arms dealer and kidnapper, while Son Ye-jin is a crisis negotiator and Inspector at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Department. The following year, the two reunited on the small screen via K-drama “Crash Landing on You,” with him taking on the role of a captain in the North Korean Special Police Force and her starring as a South Korean chaebol heiress who accidentally lands in North Korea. Son Ye-jin also made a cameo as herself in Hyun Bin’s 2010 K-drama “Secret Garden.” This “BinJin” couple confirmed they’re in a relationship in January this year.
Lead photos from tvN and SBS
