Edited by Seo Hayne
Translated by Yu Jin Kim
“I’ll do it. Your executioner.” This is what Joo Yeo Jeong (played by Lee Do Hyun) told Moon Dong Eun (Song Hye Kyo), the woman who plans on seeking revenge against her former tormentors in The Glory. He decides to help the woman he loves and finally sets out to carry out his long thought revenge against those who destroyed his family. With his bubbly looks, charming deep voice and stable acting skills, Lee Do Hyun has been building up with a slightly different filmography compared to other Korean actors. So, without further ado, let’s take a look at the five best dramas starring The Glory actor.
Melancholia (2021)
Melancholia tells the story of a passionate math teacher and a math genius at a prestigious private high school where favoritism is prevalent. Lee Do Hyun plays Baek Seung Yoo, an unfortunate math prodigy who enters MIT at the age of 10 only to disappear few years after he gets known to the world. He led the story with Im Soo Jung by playing a young man with a traumatic memory from his high school days and symptoms of anxiety that acts out whenever he hears the word “special.” The drama tries to shed light on the dark side of the South Korean educational system and Korean people’s obsession towards college acceptance through the relationship between Ji Yoon Soo and Seung Yoo and her passion to teach true academic values to her students. Although the two encounters as a teacher and a student, they slowly fall for each other. However, the story focuses more on the PTSD that Seung Yoo suffers from and his efforts to overcome his fear, like the drama’s title implies “depression” and “deep sorrow.”
Youth of May (2021)
Youth of May is set in May of 1980 and takes place in the city of Gwangju. Although May in South Korea is a warm month, the spring that Kim Myung Hee and Hwang Hee Tae encountered wasn’t, as they were in the midst of historical turmoil. Based on the tragic incident of the Gwangju Uprising, the drama follows the story of ordinary individuals that lived during the period. Taking on his first lead role in a melodrama, Lee Do Hyun plays Hee Tae, who strives to keep his belief and loving spirit alive even in the darkest times of his life. His acting was much loved as he delivered a heartbreaking love story with his Sweet Home co-star Go Min Si. Despite concerns over historical distortion, it received rave reviews for its accurate and inspiring portrayal of historically painful times.
Sweet Home (2020)
Sweet Home follows a lonely high schooler named Hyun Soo (Song Kang) confronting mysterious creatures in his new apartment, where he moved in after losing his family to a tragic accident. Lee Do Hyun stars as Lee Eun Hyuk, a cool-headed medical student with a great sense of leadership. Despite the threat of monsters attacking, he acts as the apartment complex’s leader by approaching the situation in a calm and rational state. Being a massive fan of the original webtoon, the actor initially auditioned for Hyun Soo’s role but was offered to play Eun Hyuk instead. The first season ended with a cliffhanger ending, hinting at Eun Hyuk getting infected by one of the monsters. All eyes are on whether Lee Do Hyun will reprise his role in the upcoming season set to premiere in the latter half of this year, and if he does, the question remains if he will be starring the season as a human being or a monster, like the rest of people who lived in the apartment.
18 Again (2020)
Lee Do Hyun first appeared as a lead actor in 18 Again as a middle-aged man named Hong Dae Young who finds himself inside an 18-year-old boy’s body while being on the verge of getting divorced from his wife. Lee Do Young plays the 18-year-old boy with the mind of the middle-aged man. He is a basketball prospect who is popular among his peers. Despite the over-the-top character setting, the actor does a brilliant job of making his character believable and memorable through his remarkable acting. According to reports, he worked hard to copy Yoon Sang Hyun to make Hong Dae Young look more realistic and vivid. The role made the story more heartwarming and inspirational and earned Lee Do Hyun the Best New Actor at the 57th Baeksang Arts and Awards.
Hotel del Luna (2019)
Hotel De Luna is a fantasy romance series that features an elite hotelier who becomes the manager of Hotel Del Luna, a mystical hotel that only caters to spirits at night, after stumbling upon the mysterious owner of the hotel. Lee Do Hyun appears as Go Chung Myung, the past lover of the enigmatic hotel owner Jang Man Wol. In their past lives, he was the first love of Man Weol as he saved her from a crisis. However, their happiness didn’t last long as he betrayed her in the worst way to save her life. Despite having a small part in the show, he showed his strong presence by expressing his deep-rooted love and affection for Man Weol in the series.
>> Writer Kim Eun Sook Says She Almost Added Song Hye Kyo and Lee Do Hyun’s Kiss Scene in ‘The Glory’
Editor Seo Hayne: I like actors as they faithfully lead through their long running-time. I also like idols who accomplish everything on stage within 3 minutes.
