[PICK] Korean Actors Who Are Making Their Long-Awaited Comeback to the Small Screen

Edited by Hong Hyun Jung
Translated by Kim Hoyeun

Recently, the impressive performances of the top stars who have returned to the drama field after a long time have lit up the small screen. LUCA: The Beginning‘s Kim Rae Won, Vincenzo‘s Song Joong Ki, and Mouse‘s Lee Seung Gi made their comeback to the TV after 2 or 3 years, drawing attention with charms they have never shown before. But these three actors are just the beginning. Let’s see what other actors are also on their way to the small screen.

* Actors Who Are Making Their Long-Awaited Comeback to the Big Screen

Jun Ji Hyun

After Legend of the Blue Sea (2016-2017), Jun Ji Hyun made her surprise appearance in Kingdom 2 (2020), And this year, she will come back with two projects: Kingdom: Ashin of the North and Cliffhanger, both screenwriter Kim Eun Hee’s works. Kingdom: Ashin of the North revolves around the mysterious Ashin and the secrets behind the Saengsacho (the herb of the undead), while Cliffhanger is a mystery drama about those who climb Mount Jiri. Last year, writer Kim appeared on Yoo Quiz on the Block and shared, “I wanted to try a genre that saves people,” raising expectations as to how Jun Ji Hyun, who took on the role of the best mountain ranger Seo Yi Kang, will please us this time.

Kim Myung Min

Veteran actor Kim Myung Min will visit the small screen three years after his 2018 drama Miracle That We Met. In his comeback project Law School, scheduled to air in April, Kim has joined hands with director Kim Suk Yoon, his partner for the Detective K franchise. It is a campus mystery drama that unfolds as prestigious law school professors and students are involved in unprecedented cases, and it captures the process of prospective legal professionals realizing and embodying the truth, law, and justice through fierce competition and conflict. Kim Myung Min plays Yang Jong Hoon, a former prosecutor-turned-criminal law professor who only took the elite course, and highlights his cold charisma. After back-to-back box office flops with Monstrum and Battle of Jangsari, will the actor be able to mark his triumphant return with Law School?

Moon So Ri

After getting busy with both commercial and independent films, and Netflix and Wavve original series, Moon So Ri has announced her comeback to the small screen as the female lead. This is the first time in 12 years that she has confirmed her appearance in MBC’s mini-series since the 2009 drama My Life’s Golden Age. No One But a Madman is an office drama about the hot survival of middle-aged workers struggling to survive in a turbulent society. It is expected to show the joys and sorrows of middle-aged workers by dealing with hot issues of their office lives, such as resignation, changing jobs, and dismissal. Moon So Ri plays a workaholic office worker who dreams of becoming the company’s first female executive. Attention is focusing on whether middle-aged workers’ struggles can be promoted in the small screen, where genres such as makjang (Korean version of soap operas) or SF, fantasy, and crime are trending recently.

Lee Je Hoon

Lee Je Hoon, who returns to the small screen three years after the 2008 drama Where Stars Land, will greet the viewers with two projects that showcase two entirely different colors. First, Taxi Driver, set to premiere on April 9, tells the story of a mysterious taxi service and its taxi driver that take revenge on behalf of victims who are unable to get justice from the law. And like Vincenzo that has gained positive reviews, it is expected to delight us with a thrilling dark hero plot. However, as Lee Naeun, who was cast as one of the major characters, has to drop out of the production with the recent controversy, the re-filming became a must with a new actress. Lee Je Hoon is also set to start in the new Netflix original series Move to Heaven, scheduled to be released in the first half of the year. It will deliver a warm consolation with a calm story of a young man with Asperger’s syndrome and his guardian unraveling the stories left by the dead while working a job to arrange items left by deceased people.

Jeon Do Yeon, Ryu Jun Yeol

JTBC’s No Longer Human, one of the most anticipated works in the second half of the year, made headlines with its super-special meeting. Jeon Do Yeon and Ryu Jun Yeol have been cast as the lead roles in a drama five years since The Good Wife and Lucky Romance, respectively. On top of that, it is also expected to be the first TV series directed by director Huh Jin Ho. No Longer Human illustrates the story of heartbreaking healing and empathy between a man and a woman facing the vehement darkness, and Jeon plays Boo Jung, a ghostwriter who lost her reason for life, while Ryu takes on the role of Kang Jae, the operator of a role-acting service who dreamed of becoming a rich man but lost his way. Expectations are high for the synergy created by the two actors who presented exceptional acting skills in their works.

Song Hye Kyo

Song Hye Kyo has joined hands with Kim Eun Sook for her comeback. This is the second time that these two have come together since Descendants of the Sun. The Glory (literal title), Song Hye Kyo’s comeback project after two years, made headlines for the fact that this is Kim Eun Sook’s first-ever revenge genre. It tells a sad revenge story about a woman who dropped out of her school due to school violence, taking her revenge on the bullies and the bystanders after she waited for the perpetrator’s child to enter the elementary school she works at. No specific timing and programming have been confirmed, but attention is already focused on the two giant names’ new attempts.

Lee Young Ae

Will we be able to see Lee Yong Ae on TV once again? In January, it was reported that Lee Young Ae has been offered the lead role in the new drama A Wonderful Sight (literal title) produced by Keyeast. It strives to be the Asian version of Killing Eve and depicts a breathtaking battle between a police officer-turned-insurance investigator in her 40s and a college-student serial killer. Lee Young Ae made her big-screen comeback in 2019 with the film Bring Me Home 14 years later Sympathy for Lady Vengeance was released.

Edited Hong Hyun Jung: K-content guide who publishes various articles for people to enjoy Korean movies and dramas deeper and richer. I’ll introduce you to the works that you can laugh, cry and sympathize with.