The Sexiest Korean Actors As Action Stars In K-Dramas
They got our hearts racing with their death-defying, action-packed scenes
Bravery is sexy. But these Korean actors don't just embody that characteristic figuratively, they're also literally sexy. And when they take on roles in action-packed K-Dramas, they raise the hotness meter (too hot to handle, agree?).
We're in the mood for the action genre because among the K-Dramas we're currently watching is Alice, starring Kim Hee-seon and Joo Won. The gist of this ongoing sci-fi series is hinged on time travel; it depicts scenes in the past, present, and future and does so seamlessly. It revolves around a mother and her son, who were separated by death and reunited by fate.
Joo Won as Park Jin-gyeom is a detective who has alexithymia, a condition defined as the inability to express emotions. He may be expressionless in the series, but that doesn't affect his ability to connect to the the viewers and impress them with his fight scenes. In the first episode, there's a scene that required him to cross from one building to another through a ledge, for a hostage rescue mission. Wow, he himself did that stunt on the top of these high buildings without a stunt double and CGI effects (check out the photos below)! And he has to be cool, calm, and collected throughout the execution of that scene because his character is supposed to lack emotion.
In a guesting on MBCS' "Radio Star," Joo Won talked about doing that real stunt, "At first, I wondered if I was really supposed to go up there. But on set, it's difficult for an actor to say that they won't do it. They had me on wires but it was scary because it was so high. The staff members were also nervous, so I tried to relax the atmosphere by doing a heart gesture."
If you're raring for loads of action and a whole lot of mystery, Alice is worth checking out. It's available on Viu!
And because Joo Won's character made us miss the oppas who also impressed as action stars in K-Dramas, we've listed them down in the gallery below:
Korean Actors As Action Stars
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Lee Seung-Gi in "Vagabond"
In this series, he's a stuntman whose nephew died in a plane crash linked to a government conspiracy. Because of this, Lee Seung-gi's character took it upon himself to seek justice.
Photo Credit: SBS
Lee Seung-Gi in "A Korean Odyssey"
This fantasy/rom-com/horror series features Lee Seung-gi as a powerful immortal exiled to the human world. He has special powers including pyrokinesis, levitation, telekinesis, and body imprisonment. (Well, perhaps, he's an exception here because of his special powers, but we can't help it.)
Photo Credit: tvN
Lee Seung-Gi in "You're All Surrounded"
The mother of Lee Seung-gi's character was murdered when he was just a young boy. It's for this reason that he pursues a profession as a detective, to catch the criminal and bring him to justice. He's intelligent and has a photographic memory.
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Park Hae-Jin in "Man to Man"
His character is an NIS black ops agent who takes on a job as a bodyguard of a famous celebrity, in order to fulfill a secret mission.
Photo Credit: JTBC
Park Hae-Jin in "Bad Guys"
Park Hae-jin's character, though genius with doctorate degrees in Math and Philosophy, is a psychopath serial killer. He is forced to join a team of "bad guys," to catch other criminals.
Photo Credit: OCN
Ju Ji-Hoon in "Kingdom"
In this period/political drama/horror thriller, Ju Ji-hoon takes on the role of the Crown Prince of Joseon. He takes the lead in fighting zombies and discovering the mystery behind what brings these dead people back to life.
Photo Credit: Netflix
Lee Jong-Suk in "W - Two Worlds"
In this drama, Lee Jong-suk is the lead character in popular comic series titled "W." He's a multimillionaire, the owner of broadcasting channel W, and an Olympic gold medalist in shooting back when he was younger. From this alternate universe, he crosses over to the real world.
Photo Credit: MBC
Song Joong-Ki in "Descendants of the Sun"
As the "big boss," Song Joong-ki's character is the captain of Alpha Team, an elite special forces team in South Korea. He and his teammates are sent to the fictional warn-torn country of Uruk for a peacekeeping mission. There, they deal with a war, an earthquake, and even an epidemic.
Photo Credit: The Straits Times
Song Joong-Ki in "Arthdal Chronicles"
In this fantasy/romance series, Song Joong-ki plays two characters. His first character is raised in a tribe, where the tough life sharpened his strength and speed, making him a great fighter. On the other hand, his twin brother is kept hidden from everyone, spending most of his life on top of a fortress. He harbors anger and grows up to be manipulative and vengeful.
Photo Credit: tvN
Song Joong-ki in "Vincenzo"
In dark comedy series "Vincenzo," Song Joong-ki's role is an Italian lawyer and Mafia consigliere of Korean descent. His character flies to Korea to recover tons of gold hidden in a building. While fulfilling this mission, he finds himself in conflict with the man behind a corrupt company called Babel.
Photo Credit: Netflix
Lee Min-Ho in "City Hunter"
Lee Min-ho goes by the codename "City Hunter" in this action/thriller/romance series. After graduating from Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a doctorate degree, he lands a job at South Korea's presidential palace. But his ultimate goal is to avenge his father's death.
Photo Credit: SBS
Lee Min-Ho in "Faith"
This series mixes fantasy, historical, romance, and medical genres, and the characters find themselves time-traveling from the modern-day back to the Goryeo period. Lee Min-ho's character is a general who serves as a bodyguard to the King of Goryeo Dynasty.
Photo Credit: SBS
Lee Min-Ho in "The King: Eternal Monarch"
Two parallel worlds exist in this romance/fantasy series, where Lee Min-ho plays the role of the king of the Kingdom of Corea. With the Manpasikjeok, a mythical flute, in his possession, he can travel to the parallel world of the Republic of Korea. His half-uncle holds a part of the flute, allowing him to time-travel just the same and come up with an evil plan that Lee Min-ho's character is out to stop.
Photo Credit: Netflix
So Ji-Sub in "My Secret Terrius"
So Ji-sub's character is a baby sitter in this rom-com/mystery series, but he is, in fact, a legendary black ops agent at the National Intelligence Service who's undercover. He's out to solve a conspiracy case linked to the murder of his neighbor's husband.
Photo Credit: MBC
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Hyun Bin in "Crash Landing on You"
Hyun Bin's role is a captain in the North Korean army. He also belongs to an elite family. An upright man, his life changes and conflicts arise when he meets a South Korean heiress and they fall in love with each other despite them coming from two countries at war.
Photo Credit: tvN
Hyun Bin in "Memories of the Alhambra"
Hyun Bin's character here may be a simple CEO of an investment company specializing in optical devices, but the action comes the moment he gets engrossed in a virtual game that blurs the line between the real world and the augmented reality.
Photo Credit: tvN
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Park Seo-Joon in "Fight for My Way"
In this slice of life series, Park Seo-joon's character is a former taekwondo player who's now a struggling mixed martial arts fighter. He and his three friends are all figuring out their career goals and taking steps to get closer to their dreams.
Photo Credit: KBS2
Park Seo-Joon in "Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth"
Park Seo-joon breathed life into the character of a young man who comes from a poor family in this historical, coming-of-age series. His best friend gets killed, and circumstances lead him to assume his friend's identity. He becomes a member of an elite group of young men, and goes on to become a legendary hwarang warrior.
Photo Credit: KBS2
Lee Joon-Gi in "Two Weeks"
Lee Joon-gi's character in this action thriller is an orphan who becomes a gangster. He's falsely accused of murder, just when he discovers he has a daughter with leukemia. A whole lot of action ensues when he tries to save himself and his kid while proving his innocence, all within two weeks.
Photo Credit: MBC
Lee Joon-Gi in "Gunman in Joseon"
The father of Lee Joon-gi's character here is a legendary swordsman who is killed and branded as a traitor. Because of this, his children are also punished, but Lee Joon-gi's character (who's also a skilled swordsman) manages to escape to Japan. He returns to Joseon three years later to avenge his father's death, trading his go-to sword for a gun.
Photo Credit: KBS
Lee Joon-Gi in "Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo"
He's a prince who's often misunderstood; he hides his face behind a mask. He seems cold and cruel, but that's just a façade he puts up. He finds himself in the middle of political rivalry in an intense race to the throne.
Photo Credit: SBS
Lee Joon-Gi in "Criminal Minds"
This series first paired him with actress Moon Chae-won, who's his partner in the K-Drama "Flower of Evil" that just concluded. Here, he goes from being a SWAT officer whose expertise lies in bomb disposal to an investigator in the Violent Crimes Unit.
Photo Credit: tvN
Lee Joon-Gi in "Lawless Lawyer"
From being a gangster, Lee Joon-gi's character becomes a lawyer. However, instead of being righteous, he's the type who does whatever it takes to win his cases, even get into fights if need be. Ultimately, what he's bent on solving is his mother's murder case.
Photo Credit: tvN
Ji Chang-Wook in "Warrior Baek Dong-Soo"
In this historical, coming-of-age series, Ji Chang-wook takes on the role of real historical figure Baek Dong-soo, a swordsman and a martial artist who's been regarded as a folk hero when he helped save King Jeongjo of Joseon from assassination attempts.
Photo Credit: SBS
Ji Chang-Wook in "Healer"
Under the alias "Healer," Ji Chang-wook plays the role of an illegal "night courier" who's paid to do certain tasks. In the series, he's known to have great fighting skills.
Photo Credit: KBS2
Ji Chang-Wook in "The K2"
Ji Chang-wook's character is working for a security agency under the codename K2. It's his task to protect the illegitimate daughter of a presidential candidate. Prior to this, he was a military operative based in Iraq who's been framed for the murder of his girlfriend. He returns to South Korea and becomes a fugitive until he's offered this job.
Photo Credit: tvN
Which actor is your favorite when it comes to the action genre in K-Drama? Choose your fighter!
Lead photos from JTBC (Park Hae-jin), tvN (Park Seo-joon and Ji Chang-wook), and SBS (Lee Min-ho)
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