On January 4th, 2025, When the Stars Gossip will become Korea’s first drama set on a space station. Lee Min Ho plays Gong Ryong, an OB-GYN-turned-space-tourist with a secret mission who approaches the space station’s commander Eve (Gong Hyo Jin). This marks his return to television after a five-year hiatus since The King: Eternal Monarch, generating significant public anticipation. Here are five representative works of Lee Min Ho, who has maintained his status as a global star since his breakthrough in Boys Over Flowers in 2009.
Pachinko (2022-)
Based on the novel by Lee Min Jin, Pachinko follows the story of a Korean immigrant family. The narrative centers on Sun Ja and her family, who relocate from Busan to Osaka during the Japanese colonial period and persevere through hardship. The story masterfully weaves between historical events and personal tales of war, separation, and judgment across borders and generations. Lee Min Ho portrays Ko Han Su, a shrewd businessman who becomes the son-in-law of a wealthy Japanese family. While Han Su refuses to relinquish his power, his heart remains with his destined love Sun Ja (Kim Min Ha) and their son Noah. In season 2, as World War II looms, he quietly supports Sun Ja and Noah from behind the scenes. Lee Min Ho revealed that he tried to portray Han Su’s passage of time through whiskey, and perhaps thanks to this effort, viewers can feel the character’s deep solitude in scenes where Han Su holds his glass.
The King: Eternal Monarch (2020)
The King: Eternal Monarch garnered attention as it reunited Lee Min Ho with writer Kim Eun Sook after The Heirs. As Lee’s post-military service comeback, it showcased his deepened acting abilities. The drama tells a story of fate and love triggered by the opening of a portal between the Korean Empire and the Republic of Korea. Lee Min Ho stars as Emperor Lee Gon, who uses the dimensional portal to rectify a world distorted by time rifts, displaying great chemistry with Woo Do Hwan and Kim Go Eun. Lee Gon and his Imperial Guard Captain Jo Young (Woo Do Hwan) share a close bond since childhood, growing up as sovereign and subject within the strict imperial atmosphere. Their intimate close-up scene in the library in episode 1 created a unique tension. Lee Gon’s gradually developing romance with Republic of Korea detective Jung Tae Eul (Kim Go Eun) while working together to save the nation won viewers’ support.
The Legend of the Blue Sea (2016)
The Legend of the Blue Sea is a fantasy romance inspired by Korean folklore about mermaids. It follows the story of Earth’s last surviving mermaid who meets an urban con artist and adapts to life on land. Jun Ji Hyun as the mermaid and Lee Min Ho as the con artist Heo Joon Jae captured viewers’ attention with kiss scenes from early in the series. In episode 2, when the two jump into the sea while being chased by criminals, the mermaid regains her true form underwater and delivers a breath to Joon Jae through a kiss, creating a scene both fantastical and tender. The series kept viewers in suspense until the end about whether these two souls, connected through past and present lives, could achieve true love.
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The Heirs (2013)
The Heirs is a teen romance drama set in a high school for wealthy heirs. Though initially criticized as a “Korean Gossip Girl,” it gradually gained popularity through its young actors’ performances and on-screen romances. Lee Min Ho successfully differentiated his character Kim Tan from his breakout role as Goo Jun Pyo in Boys Over Flowers. Kim Tan falls for Cha Eun Sang (Park Shin Hye), the daughter of his family’s housekeeper, forming a love triangle with Choi Young Do (Kim Woo Bin) who uses Eun Sang’s poverty against her. Kim Tan’s straightforward approach to Eun Sang produced memorable lines like “Do I have feelings for you?”, “Am I crazy for wanting to hold you?”, and “Like my good looks are breaking news.”
City Hunter (2011)
City Hunter, Lee Min Ho’s third leading project, tells the story of an urban hunter fighting social evils. Based on a Japanese manga set in 1980s Tokyo, the drama successfully incorporated contemporary Korean social issues. Lee Min Ho plays Lee Yoon Sung, a member of the Blue House’s security detail. Yoon Sung, trained rigorously for family revenge, appears cheerful on the surface while harboring deep vengeance. He develops feelings for Kim Na Na (Park Min Young), a bodyguard for the president’s daughter, despite their constant conflicts. Much to fans’ disappointment, the drama doesn’t deliver the fairy-tale ending viewers hoped for. However, Lee Min Ho earned critical acclaim for performing all his own stunts in the series’ high-octane action sequences.
Edited by Seo Hayne
Translated by Kim Hoyeun
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.
