Metro 2020 Year-Ender: The K-Drama Actresses Who Impressed Us This Year

Park Eun-Bin, "Do You Like Brahms?"

In this music-centric romance drama, this actress portrayed the role of an aspiring violinist. It's a character Park Eun-bin can relate to very well as they have similarities personality-wise, and are of the same age. The series premiered in August 31 and lasted till October 20, 2020.

Photo Credit: SBS

Her character, Cheon Song-a, has to deal with low self-esteem because of starting late in pursuing her passion. It's a common dilemma for young adults, reason why it resonated to many viewers. On taking on this role, Park Eun-bin told Newsen, "I have done a lot of work in the meantime, but when I think about whether I have played a role of the same age, it doesn't come to mind. It's a rare probability. I'm just 29 years old, so I wasn't attracted to this role, but looking back on my choice, I would have had to do it if I didn't play this role. It was good enough. It was a gift-like time to organize and look back on my twenty-nine while spending Songa's twenty-nine."

Photo Credit: SBS

This year, Park Eun-bin also starred in another much talked-about K-drama, "Hot Stove League," where she played the role of a baseball team's operations manager.

Photo Credit: SBS

Han So-Hee, "The World of The Married"

For her role as Yeo Da-kyung, a mistress-turned-second wife in melodrama "The World of the Married," up-and-coming actress Han So-hee made people stop and notice not just her stunning beauty but also her huge potential in acting. "The World of the Married" aired from March 27 to May 16, 2020.

Photo Credit: JTBC

With her portrayal in the current highest-rated series in Korean cable TV history, her character was dubbed by viewers as the woman they love to hate, because of the pain she has caused the female lead character; in real life, though, 25-year-old Han So-hee fast became the woman many love to love because of all the beauty inspiration she's been serving.

Photo Credit: JTBC

Proof of what a breakthough actress she was in "The World of the Married" was her Best New Actress (TV) nomination at the 56th Baeksang Arts Awards this year.

Photo Credit: JTBC

Park Joo-Hyun, "Extracurricular"

This 25-year-old actress only has three titles in her filmography so far. But for someone who just practically made her acting debut this year, that's quite a feat! Imagine, that's three projects in 2020! She was a cast member in "A Piece of Your Mind," and from there, immediately took on lead roles in "Extracurricular" and "The Zombie Detective."

Photo Credit: HanCinema

In the 10-episode crime drama "Extracurricular" from Netflix, which was released on April 29, 2020, Park Joo-hyun is Kyu Ri, a high school student from a rich family. She was paired with Kim Dong-hee (who came from the successful series "Itaewon Class"); here, her character works with Ji Soo, a top student who's involved in the illegal business of coordinating bookings of young sex workers and arranging protection for them.

Photo Credit: Netflix

Park Joo-hyun's Kyu Ri gets involved in Ji Soo's dirty business. And the way she portrayed this seemingly innocent yet dark, manipulative, and cunning character was truly impressive for a newbie like her.

Photo Credit: HanCinema

Park Min-Young, "When the Weather is Fine"

"When the Weather is Fine" had low nationwide ratings, with only an average of 2.291% for its 16-episode run. However, there's no denying that its lead actress, 34-year-old Park Min-young, has that ability to draw people in and keep them hooked. The series aired from February 24 to April 21, 2020.

Photo Credit: JTBC

In the said series, she's Mok Hae-won, a cello teacher in Seoul who quits her job to return to her hometown in Gangwon Province. There, she's reunited with her former classmate and neighbor, Im Eun-seob (Seo Kang-joon). Both of them have past wounds, which they end up healing from with each other's help.

Photo Credit: JTBC

Park Min-young is one of the rom-com queens in K-dramaland, but "When the Weather is Fine" reminded viewers that this actress can do well even in melodramas too. This year, Park Min-young also launched a YouTube channel, "Just, Parkminyoung," which has 746,000 subscribers as of this writing.

Photo Credit: JTBC

Kim Tae-Hee, "Hi Bye, Mama!"

Don't ask us how many times "Hi Bye, Mama!" made us cry, because we lost count! This series is, no doubt, one of the most heartbreaking K-dramas this year, and Kim Tae-hee is definitely one of the reasons for that. "Hi Bye, Mama!" ran from February 22 to April 19, 2020.

Photo Credit: tvN

Kim Tae-hee played the role of Cha Yu-ri, who died in an accident when she was pregnant and almost due to give birth (the baby survived, but she didn't). Five years later, Cha Yu-ri is still roaming around as a ghost, watching her daughter grow. Then the gods gave her a chance to be a human again for 49 days, and if she succeeds in returning to her place in her family, then she can stay as a human—the thing is, her husband has remarried and, worse, her daughter loves her dad's second wife!

Photo Credit: tvN

Each episode was a cryfest! The moment Kim Tae-hee cries, viewers are moved to tears as well! It was a good small screen comeback for this 40-year-old actress who was last seen in the K-drama "Yong Pal" about five years ago.

Photo Credit: JTBC

Hwang Jung-Eum, "Mystic Pop-Up Bar"

We think "Mystic Pop-Up Bar" is an underrated series. It's got drama, comedy, fantasy, mystery, and supernatural genres in one fun, lighthearted series that's peppered with lots of inspiring life lessons. The series is good, but that's also partly because female lead star Hwang Jung-eum was a perfect fit in it. The series aired from May 20 to June 25, 2020.

Photo Credit: JTBC

Coming from K-dramas like "Kill Me, Heal Me," "She Was Pretty," "Lucky Romance," and "The Undateables," it has become clear that this 35-year-old actress has an unmistakable flair for comedy. And she proved that once again with "Mystic Pop-Up Bar," balancing the hilarious scenes with tear-jerking ones. We loved how she also carried the outfits well in the show—her fashion and beauty looks were so cool!

Photo Credit: JTBC

In "Mystic Pop-Up Bar," she took on the role of Wol Joo who, after committing suicide under a sacred tree, was punished to settle the grudges of 100,000 souls in the living realm, a mission she accomplishes 500 years later. This year, she also starred in another K-drama, "Men Are Men," as the leader of a webtoon planning team.

Photo Credit: JTBC

Go Ara, "Do Do Sol Sol La La Sol"

In "Do Do Sol Sol La La Sol," 30-year-old Go Ara is Goo Ra-ra, a riches-to-rags pianist with a bright personality. She moves to the countryside and meets part-time worker Sunwoo Joon (Lee Jae-wook) who ends up helping her financially. The series aired from October 7 to November 26, 2020.

Photo Credit: KBS2

Many K-drama fans believe that this is one of Go Ara's best roles, with her charming looks and on-screen presence suiting her adorable and vibrant character. Go Ara herself acknowledges that this is a project she'll cherish forever in her heart. In an Instagram post, as the series came to an end, Go Ara wrote, "Thank you to the writer, who wrote a great script, the director, and all my fellow co-stars. I’m sincerely grateful to all those who worked with us on ‘Do Do Sol Sol La La Sol.’ This will become another precious project that I won’t forget."

Photo Credit: KBS2

Go Ara is known for K-dramas like "Reply 1994," "You're All Surrounded," "Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth," "Black," "Ms. Hammurabi," and "Haechi." This year, she had a cameo in the K-drama "Hospital Playlist."

Photo Credit: SBS

Kim Da-Mi, "Itaewon Class"

Another promising newbie in this list is 25-year-old Kim Da-mi. "Itaewon Class" is her first-ever K-drama, and it was a very well-received small screen debut. She's been a professional actress since 2017 but her initial projects were films. The series ran from January 31 to March 21, 2020.

Photo Credit: JTBC

Kudos to Kim Da-mi for handling her scenes with top Korean actor Park Seo-joon impressively. And she actually received an award that proves she is a breakthrough star in this series: she was named the Best New Actress (TV) at the 56th Baeksang Arts Awards and the 2021 Korea First Brand Awards!

Photo Credit: JTBC

She breathed life into the character of Jo Yi-seo, a young and clever girl with a knack for business. She becomes the manager of Park Sae-royi's (Park Seo-joon) bar-restaurant called DanBam and contributes to the success of the start-up business, thanks to her being a social media savvy and business-minded woman.

Photo Credit: JTBC

Jeon Mi-Do, "Hospital Playlist"

"Hospital Playlist" boosted Jeon Mi-do's popularity big time! But before we talk about how her role here made that happen, look at her photo first—would you believe she's actually 38 years old?! Well, she is, and what's even more interesting is that she only made her TV debut in 2018 via the series "Mother." That's because plays and musicals are more her thing.

Photo Credit: tvN

Jeon Mi-do was tapped for the role of Chae Song-hwa in "Hospital Playlist." Song-hwa is the only woman in a group of five friends; she's an associate professor of neurosurgery. Now, the South Korean entertainment industry is known for great medical dramas, and this series is no exception. Jeon Mi-do helped make the drama successful because of her believable portrayal. In the series, she's also a band member, whose voice isn't the best there is; in real life, though, she's an amazing singer, a talent honed by her constant participation in musicals.

Photo Credit: tvN

Well, in fact, she's so believable she earned several acting awards: Best New Actress at the Brand of the Year Awards 2020, Newcomer Actress at the 2nd Asia Contents Awards, Best Acting Award at the 5th Asia Artist Awards, and Rising Star Award at the 15th Asia Model Festival. "Hospital Playlist" was confirmed to return for a second season, a piece of awesome news new fans of Jeon Mi-do are absolutely looking forward to.

Photo Credit: tvN

Kim Hye-Soo, "Hyena"

When an actress annoys you to no end in a series, that most likely means she's doing an amazing job at portraying her character. That's exactly the case with Kim Hye-soo's Jung Geum-ja character in "Hyena." As a feisty, money-obsessed, yet smart lawyer, Kim Hye-soo keeps people hooked as she fights tooth and nail a la "hyena" with elite lawyer Yoon Hee-jae (played by Ju Ji-hoon). The series aired from February 21 to April 11, 2020.

Photo Credit: SBS

The 49-year-old actress is known for her versatility, but tough woman roles suit her best. In "Hyena," her strong persona is complemented by powerful fashion looks. She confidently wore oversized pantsuits in all sorts of colors. And if we haven't been working from home, we would've surely copped her looks on many office days.

Photo Credit: SBS

In 2016, Kim Hye-soo played a similar bad*ss character of a police officer in the top-rated fantasy procedural series "Signal." The said K-drama will return for a second season, and we can't wait to see it.

Photo Credit: SBS

Song Ji-Hyo, "Was It Love?"

In this family-oriented, drama, romance series, 39-year-old Song Ji-hyo stars as a single mother who raised her daughter on her own for 14 years. Her character Noh Ae-jung works as a film producer who suddenly gets involved with four men; one of these guys is the father of her daughter. The series ran from July 8 to September 2, 2020.

Photo Credit: Creative Group ING

The heartwarming series that put on front and center a mother's love for her child marks the small screen comeback of Song Ji-hyo after a two-year break, coming from the series "Lovely Horribly." As to why she decided to work on this project, she was quoted in a Forbes article, saying, "I believe that aspect—love for family—is what I feel in common with the Ae-jeong character... Family is a top priority and a motivating factor in my life, and I too feel that I can go through pretty much anything for my family. I also think we share perspectives on the surrounding situations and people.”

Photo Credit: JTBC

The seasoned actress also mentioned in the Forbes article that this year served as "a time of learning, growing and gaining insight,” and this growth and maturity was seen in how she pulled off her role as a single mother with a heart-touching performance that was both inspiring and comforting. This year, Song Ji-hyo the Popularity Award, Actress at the 5th Asia Artist Awards. Her other project this year was the mystery thriller film "Intruder."

Photo Credit: JTBC

Seo Ji-Hye, "Dinner Mate"

After her memorable portrayal as North Korean heiress and aspiring cellist Seo Dan in "Crash Landing on You," Seo Ji-hye moved on to star in a series of her own. In "Dinner Mate," she played the role of a digital content producer who meets and falls in love with a food psychiatrist named Kim Hae-kyung (Song Seung-heon).

Photo Credit: MBC

If in "Crash Landing on You," Seo Ji-hye is this sophisticated yet stiff woman, in "Dinner Mate," her character is more relaxed, fun, and candid. It was refreshing to see this 35-year-old actress in a light series, but when the scenes required more dramatic acting, she clearly delivered that as well.

Photo Credit: MBC

She was great in this series, no doubt, but her chemistry with Song Seung-heon is truly something else, which is why we think "Dinner Mate" is such an underrated series. With two well-loved dramas under her belt just for 2020, Seo Ji-hye proves to be an actress whose projects deserve a spot in your binge list.

Photo Credit: SBS

Lee Sung-Kyung, "Dr. Romantic 2"

In “Dr. Romantic 2,” the 30-year-old actress played the role of a top medical student and a second-year cardiothoracic surgery fellow who meets a mentor (Teacher Kim, portrayed by Han Suk-kyu) and falls in love with a colleague she used to compete with (Seo Woo-jin, played by Ahn Hyo-seop). The series ran from January 6 to February 25, 2020.

Photo Credit: SBS

From the romance fantasy series “About Time” in 2018, Lee Sung-kyung made her small screen comeback in a medical drama, showcasing her versatility and range in a more serious role. In an interview with Cosmopolitan Korea, she mentioned that she was able to relate to her character’s struggles, saying, “The role I have here empathizes a lot about ordinary youth who often experience frustrations and unexpected difficulties in life. But along the way, they eventually meet people, unexpected and random, [who] would help and influence them go through the ordeal of growing up and maturing. I related much on the roles since I too experience the same thing as growing pains in the process.”

Photo Credit: SBS

Proof of her remarkable performance in "Dr. Romantic 2” is the Best Actress Award she received for it from the 5th Asia Artist Awards. This year, she also had cameos in K-dramas “Once Again” and “Record of Youth.”

Photo Credit: SBS

Jo Bo-Ah, "Tale of the Nine-Tailed"

Jo Bo-ah, 29, had two K-dramas this year: “Forest” and “Tale of the Nine-Tailed.” Although she also did well in the former, we loved her more in the latter. In “Forest,” she’s a surgical resident who gets sent to a small town hospital. In “Tale of the Nine-Tailed,” she’s a producer of a TV show that tackles urban myths, and is later possessed by the spirit of an evil dragon.

Photo Credit: tvN

“Forest” aired from January 29 to March 19, 2020, while “Tail of the Nine-Tailed” ran from October 7 to December 3, 2020. In the latter, she got to flex her acting chops, as her character would switch from good to bad. As filming for the series came to an end, she said in an article on Soompi, “I lived as Ji Ah and Ah Eum for over seven months, which was my longest time yet. And as it was a mix of genres including fantasy, action, thriller, and romance, I think I was more focused while filming. For that reason, it seems this will be a drama that remains in my heart for a long time. I hope that viewers will remember Nam Ji Ah for a long time too.”

Photo Credit: tvN

As “Tale of the Nine-Tailed” was among the most buzzworthy K-dramas this year, its female lead was also in the limelight, having been nominated for the Popular Star Award, Actress at the 7th APAN Star Awards. There’s no news about her next project yet, and it’s exciting to know who she’ll be paired up with next. In the meantime, check out her other dramas: “My Strange Hero,” “Goodbye to Goodbye,” “Temperature of Love,” and “Sweet Stranger and Me.”

Photo Credit: tvN

Bae Suzy, "Start-Up"

From one hit series to another, Bae Suzy transitioned from the action-packed “Vagabond” to the youth-oriented drama/romance “Start-Up” seamlessly. The 26-year-old K-pop idol-turned-actress starred in “Start-Up” as hardworking aspiring CEO Seo Dal-mi, who figures in a love triangle with characters Nam Do-san (Nam Joo-hyuk) and Han Ji-pyeong (Kim Seon-ho). The series aired from October 17 to December 6, 2020.

Photo Credit: tvN, courtesy of Netflix

As her character is struggling to achieve her dreams, viewers found it easy to empathize with Seo Dal-mi, thanks to Bae Suzy’s effective acting. On how she prepared for this role, she said in the series’ virtual press conference, “My character Dal-mi meets a lot of different people. I looked at the script a lot to portray how different she is when she interacts with different people including her first love Do-san, her grandmother, mother, and others. The “start-up” concept was also not very familiar for me, so I looked up some young CEOs as well.”

Photo Credit: tvN, courtesy of Netflix

Bae Suzy’s next project is a sci-fi fantasy film called “Wonderland,” which also stars Park Bo-gum, Jung Yu-mi, and Choi Woo-shik. Many K-drama fans who enjoyed “Vagabond” are also hoping it gets a second season, what with its cliffhanger of an ending.

Photo Credit: tvN, courtesy of Netflix

Moon Chae-Won, "Flower of Evil"

After about two years of small screen break, 34-year-old Moon Chae-won returned with K-drama “Flower of Evil.” The series reunited her with her “Criminal Minds” co-star Lee Joon-gi, and featured her in the role of a feisty detective. Her character, Cha Ji-won, is happily married to Lee Joon-gi’s Baek Hee-sung and they have a daughter together. However, it turns out that he isn’t who she thinks he is, as mysteries surround his past and his present identity. “Flower of Evil” ran from July 29 to September 23, 2020.

Photo Credit: tvN

Moon Chae-won has been acting since 2007. She’s done so many projects but she revealed that her character in this series was particularly challenging. In an iQIYI interview exclusively shared to Metro.Style, she shared, “Playing a new character is always a challenge for me. For a character described only in words in the script, the actor needs to go through a series of processes such as injecting their own understanding and interpretations and digging into the character’s personalities to shape the character into a figure that actually exists in real life. From the aspect of character shaping, Ji-won is a great challenge for my acting skills.”

Photo Credit: tvN

For her portrayal in this series, she’s been recognized with two Popularity Award, Actress nominations at the 5th Asia Artist Awards and 7th APAN Star Awards.

Photo Credit: tvN

Kim Go-Eun, "The King: Eternal Monarch"

Many people who have seen "The King: Eternal Monarch" would agree that 29-year-old Kim Go-eun is indeed one talented actress. Here, she played the dual roles of a police officer and lieutenant (Jeong Tae-eul) and a criminal (Luna) in the parallel worlds depicted in the series. It isn't something that's easy to pull off yet she managed to do so with top-notch performance. The series aired from April 17 to June 12, 2020.

Photo Credit: Netflix

Her role in "The King: Eternal Monarch" is far from the previous ones she played, thus showcasing the depth and breath of her acting capabilities. In "Guardian: The Lonely and Great God," she's a bubbly high school student, while in "Cheese in the Trap," she's a meek college student. The next role she will decide to take on is truly something worth looking forward to, because you just know that whatever it is, she will deliver.

Photo Credit: SBS

In her eight-year acting career, Kim Go-eun only has three K-dramas so far. She has more films in her dossier. She'll star in the Korea's first-ever musical film "Hero." Recently, she also appeared in the pandemic-themed short film "Untact." This year, she was nominated as Best Actress at the Chunsa Film Art Awards 2020 and Favorite Actress at the Faro Island Film Festival 2020 for the movie "Tune in for Love." She also recieved a Popular Star Award, Actress nomination from 7th APAN Star Awards.

Photo Credit: SBS

Seo Ye-Ji, "It's Okay to Not be Okay"

"It's Okay to Not be Okay" and her character Ko Mun-yeong have taken 30-year-old Seo Ye-ji's acting career to stratospheric heights. She's had lead roles in K-dramas before ("Save Me" and "Lawless Lawyer"), but this project showcased what she can offer in terms of comedic timing and dramatic depth. IOTNBO aired from June 20 to August 9, 2020.

Photo Credit: tvN

We'll go ahead and state the obvious: her portrayal of a bestselling children's book author with a dark, mysterious persona and an antisocial personality disorder was exceptional! She offered such a wide range of emotions in this healing drama. And on top of that, we loved all her looks, and there's no doubt she's now one of the most stylish K-drama characters ever! This year, she won several awards for IOTNBO: Actress of the Year from 18th Brand of the Year Awards; Best Artist Award and AAA Hot Issue Award from 5th Asia Artist Awards; and Popular Star Award, Actress from 7th APAN Star Awards.

Photo Credit: tvN

In a virtual press con for "It's Okay to Not be Okay," Seo Ye-ji revealed that she really went the extra mile in understanding the layers of Ko Mun-yeong's personality. She says, "I did a lot of research, I tried to do a lot of research so I tried to look into some antisocial characters and the actual personality disorder that my character probably has... However, I came to the conclusion that Ko Mun-yeong is really unique and has a color of her very own." She thought of her character as someone who's more expressive rather than just fashionable, and thanks to her scratching beneath the surface, viewers were able to understand how Ko Mun-yeong uses her clothes to protect herself.

Photo Credit: tVN

Kim Hee-Ae, "The World of the Married"

Veteran Korean actress Kim Hee-ae didn't win the Best Actress (TV) award at the recent 56th Baeksang Arts Awards for nothing. She was brilliant in this series from start to finish, and viewers couldn't help but root for her her "bida-kontrabida" role. The series aired from March 27 to May 16, 2020.

Photo Credit: JTBC

Not your typical K-drama centered on love affair, it's no surprise "The World of the Married" is currently the highest-rated series in Korean cable TV history. And credit goes to this 53-year-old actress for her captivating and compelling portrayal of a doctor and their hospital's associate director, who has to deal with the psychological and even physical wounds caused by her husband's (Park Hae-joon as Lee Tae-oh) cheating.

Photo Credit: JTBC

In the past, Kim Hee-ae also starred in K-Dramas with similar plots: "Secret Love Affair" and "My Husband's Woman," both of which have also earned her acting nominations and awards. The series, which was first seen on Viu, was aired shortly after on ABS-CBN's Kapamilya Channel and was made available on Netflix last August 28.

Photo Credit: JTBC

Son Ye-Jin, "Crash Landing on You"

The "Queen of Melodrama" achieved phenomenal success this year. Why, she helped usher a new wave in K-drama fandom! Her "Crash Landing on You" character, South Korean heiress Yoon Se-ri, was extremely lovable—classy, sophisticated, smart yet fun-loving and warm-hearted too. Although her fans would've wanted her to win the Best Actress (TV) award at the recent 56th Baeksang Arts Awards, the nomination is good enough proof of her unquestionable excellence in acting. CLOY aired from December 14, 2019 to February 16, 2020.

Photo Credit: tvN

Besides, the 38-year-old actress and her on-screen partner Hyun Bin (who played the role of North Korean captain Ri Jeong-hyeok) won the popularity award from the said award-giving body, and that's saying a lot about the palpable chemistry they displayed and how well-loved the so-called BinJin couple is. That Son Ye-jin and Hyun Bin were a perfect pair in this series is a given. Son Ye-jin went on to receive two more awards this year: Outstanding Korean Actress at the 15th Seoul International Drama Awards and KT Seezn Star Award at the 7th APAN Star Awards.

Photo Credit: tvN

Son Ye-jin's Yoon Se-ri has become an iconic character in K-drama history, and is also one of the most fashionable ones ever! She was on-point in all the dramatic and candid scenes, but apart from that, we loved how fabulous she looked throughout the series, too, whether as a girl boss in South Korea or a lady lost in North Korea.

Photo Credit: tvN