6 Underrated Korean Actresses Whose K-Dramas Are Worth Checking Out

Lee Se-Young

This child star grew up to be such a fine leading woman. Perhaps many Filipino K-drama lovers would remember her as the rotting zombie in “A Korean Odyssey” (“Hwayugi”) that was aired on ABS-CBN. She looked cute and charming in that role, but there’s so much more to her. Through the years, she has also received several acting awards for “The Gentlemen of Wolgyesu Tailor Shop,” “The Crowned Clown,” and “Doctor John.” Whether she takes on a supporting or a lead role, Lee Se-young’s captivating on-screen appeal is unmistakable. Other series you can catch her in are “Puberty Medley,” “Lovers of Music,” “The Vampire Detective,” “Hit the Top,” “How Are U Bread,” “Memorist,” and “Kairos.”

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Lee Se-Young in "Kairos"

Photo Credit: MBC

Lee Se-Young in "Memorist"

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Lee Se-Young in "Doctor John"

Photo Credit: SBS

Lee Da-Hee

36-year-old Lee Da-hee has been acting since 2002, and has breathed life to several interesting characters that show her versatility and her commanding onscreen presence. Her crime, sci-fi, mystery series “L.U.C.A.: The Beginning,” where she played the role of a detective, just ended last March. She’s also known for her lead roles in K-dramas like “Search: WWW,” “The Beauty Inside,” “Mrs. Cop,” “Big Man,” “Secret Love,” “I Can Hear Your Voice,” and “Welcome Rain to My Life.”

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Lee Da-Hee in "L.U.C.A.: The Beginning"

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Lee Da-Hee in "The Beauty Inside"

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Lea Da-Hee in "Search: WWW"

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Seo Hyun-Jin

Seo Hyun-jin has actually been part of the entertainment industry since 2001, but she started out as a singer for the South Korean girl group M.I.L.K. She began acting in 2006 via the “The Sound of Music” musical. She has so far worked on more than 20 series, including cameos. Seo Hyun-jin is an award-winning actress, and those titles that earned her acting awards and nominations include “The Duo,” “Feast of the Gods,” “Here Comes Mr. Oh,” “Goddess of Fire,” “The King’s Daughter, Soo Baek-Hyang,” “Let’s Eat 2,” “Another Miss Oh,” “Dr. Romantic,” “Temperature of Love,” “The Beauty Inside,” and “Black Dog: Being a Teacher.” She has an upcoming K-drama titled “You Are My Spring.”

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Seo Hyun-Jin in "Another Miss Oh"

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Seo Hyun-Jin in "The Beauty Inside"

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Seo Hyun-Jin in "Dr. Romantic"

Photo Credit: SBS

Shin Hye-Sun

Shin Hye-sun, 31, was such a revelation in the 2020 series “Mr. Queen,” where she played the role of a man trapped in a woman’s body (Queen Cheorin). This series showcased how she can excel in drama, romance, and even comedy genres. “Mr. Queen” was in hot water recently, as it was accused of distorting history because of its portrayal of Queen Shin Jeong, and Shin Hye-sun experienced backlash for choosing to star in it. Even so, there’s no denying that she’s such a talented, versatile actress who has come a long way since she ventured into the business in 2012. And hopefully, she gets to rise above the said controversy, and continue to star in binge-worthy dramas. Check out her other K-dramas: “Five Enough,” “Legend of the Blue Sea,” “My Golden Life,” “Still 17,” “The Hymn of Death,” and “Angel’s Last Mission: Love.”

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Shin Hye-Sun in "The Hymn of Death"

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Shin Hye-Sun in "Angel's Last Mission: Love"

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Shin Hye-Sun in "Mr. Queen"

Photo Credit: YNK Entertainment

Jo Bo-Ah

Last year, Jo Bo-ah starred in two K-dramas, “Forest” with Park Hae-jin and “Tale of the Nine-Tailed” with Lee Dong-wook. With the height of the pandemic last year and Filipino viewers looking for more titles to explore while under lockdown, this 29-year-old actress may have gotten closer to the hearts of many K-drama lovers. We think she’s pretty amazing, especially with those expressive eyes. It’s also worth noting that she actually graduated from the prestigious Sungkyunkwan University, where she majored in Performing Arts. If you just learned about her, we recommend you check out her K-dramas “My Strange Hero,” “Goodbye to Goodbye,” “Temperature of Love,” “Sweet Stranger and Me,” and “The Idle Mermaid.”

Photo Credit: Sidus HQ

Jo Bo-Ah in "My Strange Hero"

Photo Credit: SBS

Jo Bo-Ah in "Forest"

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

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Han Ye-Ri

Han Ye-ri is currently making waves for her lead role in the Oscar nominated American drama film “Minari,” wherein she stars alongside Steven Yeun and Youn Yuh-jung. She has more films than series in her resumé and is a force to reckon with in short films and indies, but we’ve learned that she has a good lineup of K-dramas as well. The latest series she starred in, “My Unfamiliar Family,” is nominated as Best Drama at the upcoming 57th Baeksang Arts Awards. And there’s no doubt that she’s a huge part of the reason why this family drama was well received. She also starred in K-dramas like “Nokdu Flower,” “Switch,” and “Hello, My Twenties!”

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Han Ye-Ri in "Nokdu Flower"

Photo Credit: SBS

Han Ye-Ri in "Switch"

Photo Credit: SBS

Han Ye-Ri in "My Unfamiliar Family"

Photo Credit: tvN