Lee Min-hohas starred in several greatK-dramasthroughout his career, and some of them are a cut above the rest. Although Min-ho has been acting since 2002, it was his role as Gun Jun-pyo in the 2009 rom-com,Boys Over Flowersthat put him on the map. Since then, the actor has only gotten better and appeared in some of thebest K-dramas of all timesuch asThe King: Eternal Monarch,Legend of the Blue Sea, andCity Hunter.
While Lee Min-ho is mostly recognized for being the leadin romantic K-dramas, the South Korean actor has also dabbled in other genres, including action thrillers and historical dramas. In 2022, he took on the role of Koh Han-soo in the American TV adaptation of Min Jee-lee’s best-selling novel, Pachinko.After taking a four-year break from K-dramas, Lee Min-ho is backin his element with the hit space romanceNetflix original K-drama,When the Stars Gossip.
10I Am Your Teacher (2007)
As Heo Mo-se
Also known asI am Samand adapted from the Japanese mangaKyōkasho ni Nai!by Kazuto Okada, the K-drama follows Kang Yi-san, a homeroom teacher who finds himself in a precarious situation as he has to teach Eun-byul, the daughter of a dangerous mob boss. WhenI am Your Teacherpremiered on KBS2, the K-drama received mixed reviews.
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However,I am Your Teacherhas several funny moments and great performances from its cast that elevate the K-drama. InI am Your Teacher,Lee Min-ho takes on the role of Heo Mo-se, the principal’s son. While Lee Min-ho only has a supporting role inI am Your Teacher, his performance in the K-drama is nonetheless one of his best.
I Am Your Teacher
Cast
I Am Your Teacher is a 2007 South Korean television series featuring Yang Dong-geun as a high school teacher who tutors a gangster’s daughter, played by Park Min-young. The show, based on the Japanese comic Very Private Lesson, aired on KBS2 and marks T.O.P’s acting debut.
Seeing asI am Your Teacheraired before Lee Min-ho became famous, most audiences might not know that he was part of the series. However,the K-drama is still worth watching, not only because it’s funny and lighthearted, but it also shows that Lee Min-ho had the potential to carry his own as a lead actor because of how great he did in a supporting role.
9Personal Taste (2010)
As Jeon Jin-ho
A year after starring inBoys Over Flowers, Lee Min-ho yet again took on the lead role in another romantic K-drama,Personal Taste.Personal Tastesees Jeon Jin-ho, an architect who moves into Sanggojae under the mistaken assumption that he is gay. While living in the architectural marvel, Jin-ho and Gae-in clash because of their differences.
Jin-ho is neat and organized, while Gae-in is messy and rough around the edges. Despite their differences, Jin-ho and Gae-in begin to care for each other.Lee Min-ho shines as Jin-ho inPersonal Taste. While Jin-ho is self-centered and a little too obsessed with cleanliness, it’s these qualities that make him an intriguing character, especially when he begins to show that he has a softer side.
Personal Taste
In this romantic comedy series, a meticulous architect pretends to be gay to become the roommate of a woman recovering from heartbreak. As they navigate their unconventional living arrangement, unexpected emotional connections and humorous misunderstandings arise, challenging their perceptions of love and relationships.
AlthoughPersonal Tasteisn’t a perfect K-drama, it hasseveral scenes that prove why Lee Min-ho is suited to playing romantic roles. The South Korean actor even won the Excellence Actor Award at the 2010 MBC Drama Awards for his role as Jin-ho inPersonal Taste.
8The Heirs (2013)
As Kim Tan
The Heirscenters around a group of high school students who are set to inherit large empires.Lee Min-ho plays Kim Tan, the heir of Empire Group. While in the U.S., Kim Tan encounters Cha Eun-sang, a poor girl who finds herself in a predicament after her sister steals the only money she has on her. Kim Tan offers to help Eun-sang and she moves in with him.
Lee Min-ho’s role inThe Heirsis slightly similar to his role inBoys Over Flowersin that he falls for someone from a different economic class.
The two bond and fall for each other, but unfortunately, Kim Tan is already promised to another woman who is also an heir. Lee Min-ho’s role inThe Heirsis slightly similar to his role inBoys Over Flowersin that he falls for someone from a different economic class. However, there’s still a significant difference between the characters he plays in both shows.
The Heirs
The Heirs: This South Korean drama follows the lives of privileged high school students as they navigate love, friendship, and familial expectations. The series intertwines personal and social conflicts, highlighting the distinction between wealth and true happiness in a world where power and inheritance dictate their futures.
Kim Tan is sweet and kind from the get-go and is racked with guilt about his feelings for Eun-sang. Jun-pyo, on the other hand, had a mean streak that only changed because of Geum Jan-di. Nevertheless,The Heirsis still an enjoyable K-dramawith a romance that shows love can conquer anything.
7The Great Doctor (2012)
As Choi Young
The Great Doctoris a fun K-drama set in the Goryeo Period and modern-day South Korea. After the queen is injured and is at death’s door, the king of Goryeo sends his best royal guard, Choi Young, to go through a portal to modern Korea in order to get a doctor who could save his wife.
Choi Young returns with a plastic surgeon, Yoo Eun-soo, who manages to save the queen’s life but finds herself in danger as powerful politicians want her for themselves.Lee Min-ho plays his role as the man who saves the damsel in distresswell.
The Great Doctor (Faith)
Faith is a South Korean television drama that aired in 2012, starring Lee Min-ho as Choi Young, a skilled warrior, and Kim Hee-sun as Yoo Eun-soo, a plastic surgeon who travels back in time to the Goryeo era. The story follows their love story amidst the political turmoil of the time.
His love and dedication to Eun-soo are admirable and make him an easy-to-like character. The chemistry between Choi Young and Eun-soo adds to the charm of the historical drama. Kim Hee-sun and Lee Min-ho won Top Excellence Award, Actress and Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Miniseries, respectively, at the 2012 20th Korean Culture and Entertainment Awards for their roles in The Great Doctor.
6Boys Over Flowers (2009)
As Gu Jun-pyo
Boys Over Flowerswasthe K-drama that catapulted Lee Min-ho into stardom. The series follows a group of four rich boys known as F4. Lee Min-ho, plays Gu Jun-pyo, the leader of the clique. When Geum Jan-di transfers to Shinwa High, she is ridiculed by the students there because she isn’t as rich as they are. Jun-pyo ends up falling for Jan-di and the two embark on a whirlwind romance filled with challenges that they have to overcome.
Boys Over Flowers
Boys Over Flowers is a 2009 South Korean television series based on the Japanese manga of the same name. The show follows Geum Jan-di, a courageous but impoverished girl who receives a scholarship to attend a prestigious high school. There, she encounters the infamous F4, a group of wealthy and influential boys, leading to complex relationships and social conflicts. The series stars Koo Hye-sun, Lee Min-ho, Kim Hyun-joong, Kim Bum, and Kim Joon.
Boys Over Flowersis not only the K-drama that made Lee Min-ho famous, butit also showed that he is the perfect leading manwhen it comes to romantic K-dramas. Jun-pyo had the right amount of charm and a romantic side that made audiences fall in love with Lee Min-ho.Boys Over Flowersis one of thebest K-dramas set in high schooland it played a crucial role in the Korean drama wave.
5When The Stars Gossip (2025)
As Gong Ryong
Netflix’s space K-drama,When the Stars Gossip, focuses onGong Ryong, a gynecologist who goes to a space station as a touristand falls for Eve Kim. Kim, the space station’s commander leading her first mission does not trust Ryong or his reasons for leaving Earth. However, after Ryong saves one of the test rats, Eve begins to see him as more than just a person who doesn’t have an idea about what he is doing.
When the Stars Gossip
This romantic drama series follows an astronaut and a space tourist who, despite their differing backgrounds and missions, become entangled in space, leading to unexpected romantic developments.
When the Stars GossipisLee Min-ho’s first K-drama in four yearsafter taking a break from the genre. The K-drama proved to be the perfect comeback for Lee Min-ho as he is in his element playing Ryong inWhen the Stars Gossip. Ryong is a charming lead whose self-deprecating humor makes him an endearing character. While Lee Min-ho has had several great on-screen romances, his relationship with Gong Hyo-jin in When the Stars Gossip is one of his best.
4City Hunter (2011)
As Lee Yoon-sung
Adapted from a Japanese manga of the same name by Tsukasa Hojo,City Hunterfocuses on Lee Yoon-sung,an MIT graduate bent on seeking revengeagainst the people who were responsible for his father’s death. While executing his mission, Yoon-sung meets a bodyguard called Kim Na-na, who serves as his romantic interest in the K-drama. Yoon-sung is lethal as the City Hunter, but he is also a multilayered character who struggles with his past.
City Hunter
City Hunter (2011) is a South Korean action drama series based on Tsukasa Hojo’s manga. Lee Min-ho stars as Lee Yoon-sung, an elite MIT graduate seeking revenge against the people responsible for his father’s death. Disguised as a playboy IT expert in the Blue House, Yoon-sung operates as a vigilante known as the “City Hunter,” targeting corrupt government officials while balancing personal relationships and moral dilemmas.
City Hunterplayed a crucial role in showing that Lee Min-ho could handle starring in another genre apart from romance.The action-packed K-dramais engaging from start to finish, and it’s mostly thanks to Lee Min-ho.City Hunterwas critically acclaimed and alsowon Lee Min-ho the Best Actor Awardat the 4th Korea Drama Awards. Although City Hunter has a lot of action, it also includes a romance subplot.
3Secret Campus (2006)
As Park Du-hyun
Released in 2006,Secret Campussawa revival after Lee Min-ho achieved star status due to his role inBoys Over Flowers. The K-drama follows six high school students who are dealing with the stress of achieving their dreams alongside the trials of being teenagers. Secret Campus has been praised for focusing on issues that teenagers face without being too dramatic or cliche.
Secret Campus
Secret Campus is a school-centered drama exploring the pressures and challenges faced by modern students. Released in 2006, the film delves into the lives of six high school students as they navigate academic expectations, personal relationships, and their unique dreams and goals amidst a demanding educational environment.
Lee Min-ho’s role inSecret Campusisn’t as big as his subsequent projects after starring in the K-drama. However, the K-drama still played a crucial part in his career because it’s clear to see that even at 19, Lee Min-ho had the range required to become one of South Korea’s best actors. Lee Min-ho’s character in Secret Campus faces a lot of trials and tribulations, and he perfectly captures the emotional turmoil that Park Du-hyeon goes through.
2Legend of The Blue Sea (2016)
As Kim Dam-ryeong / Heo Joon-jae
The critically acclaimedLegend of the Blue Seais one of Lee Min-ho’s best K-dramas. Set in two timelines: the Josean era and the present day,Legend of the Blue Seais about Shim Cheong,a mermaid who falls for Lee Min-ho’s character, Heo Joon-jae. Like many K-dramas that use different timelines, the two primary protagonists in the show share a past life that intertwines with the present.
The Legend Of The Blue Sea
The Legend Of The Blue Sea is a South Korean television series starring Jun Ji-hyun and Lee Min-ho. The story follows a mermaid named Shim Cheong who navigates the modern world after coming ashore and encounters Heo Joon-jae, a genius scam artist. Their lives intertwine as they uncover a deep connection rooted in their past during Korea’s Joseon Dynasty. The series blends fantasy, romance, and action with a historical backdrop.
Legend of the Blue Seashows a different side to Lee Min-ho as this time,he isn’t exactly a good guy. Instead, his character in the K-drama is a con artist who uses his good looks to swindle people out of their money. However, Lee Min-ho’s charm still shines through inLegend of the Blue Seaand keeps the K-drama grounded. The fact that the K-drama focuses on two timelines and includes a fantasy element also adds to its intrigue.
1The King Eternal Monarch (2020)
As Emperor Lee Gon
InThe King: Eternal Monarch, Lee Min-hostars alongside Kim Go-eun, another renowned K-drama actor. The show takes place in two parallel universes: Korea and The Republic of Corea. Lee Min-ho plays Emperor Lee Gong,the lead character who finds himself in an alternate realitywhere he meets and falls for Jeong Tae-eul.
The K-drama was one of the most anticipated shows of 2020 as it was Lee Min-ho’s comeback series after he returned from his military service.
Most of Lee Min-ho’s previous romantic K-dramas were pretty straightforward stories, butThe King: Eternal Monarchsets itself apart by including a fantasy twist. The K-drama was one of the most anticipated shows of 2020 as it was Lee Min-ho’s comeback series after he returned from his military service. Despite this, it still received mixed reviews due to some historical inaccuracies.
The King: Eternal Monarch
The King: Eternal Monarch is a 2020 film featuring a Korean emperor, Lee Gon, striving to seal the portal to a parallel universe opened by malevolent forces. Alongside him, a detective is devoted to safeguarding her loved ones amidst the unfolding cosmic challenges.
However,Lee Min-ho gave it his all and was in top form inThe King: Eternal Monarch. His romance with Kim Go-eun was outstanding, so it’s not surprising that he scooped the Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Miniseries Fantasy/Romance Drama at the 2020 SBS Drama Awards for his role inThe King: Eternal Monarch.
