Stars like Lee Min Ho, Gong Yoo, Lee Dong Wook and Song Joong Ki live forever in our hearts, but as time goes on, more fresh new faces enter the scene and are earning praise as becoming sensational actors of their generation.
With the increasing number of dynamic, story-driven dramas and films being released, fresh new talent is needed to keep up with demand. Experienced actors aside, there have been seven new talk-of-the-town male actors who have proven their acting worth in various lead roles and through emotionally compelling characters.
See these seven young but rising male actors in today’s K-entertainment scene.
Lee Jae Wook
Lee Jae Wook, born in 1998, already has quite an impressive list of dramas under his belt. With so much range and impressive performances, it is no wonder he is a dominant force of the generation. Cast through auditions, the 28-year-old actor debuted as an actor in 2018 through the romantic series Memories of the Alhambra. He quickly grew into a leading actor with impressive performances in Search: WWW and Extraordinary You in 2019. Lee Jae Wook outperformed his peers and completely turned heads for his leading roles in Alchemy of Souls in 2022 and its sequel, Alchemy of Souls: Light and Shadow.
The star later appeared in Death’s Game, where he was noted for his action sequences without a stand-in or double. In The Impossible Heir, Lee Jae Wook took on a cold-blooded, darker character, broadening his acting spectrum. Lee Jae Wook has certainly become a well-rounded actor who slips into any role like a pair of familiar shoes. Now, the star is preparing for Doctor on the Edge (tentative title), where he co-stars with Shin Ye Eun, and Netflix’s mystery thriller Dead-End Job, expected to launch in October of this year alongside Go Min Si, Kim Min Ha and Lee Hee Joon.
Choo Young Woo
The handsome 99er Choo Young Woo began gaining recognition through his various appearances in series like School 2021 in 2021, Once Upon a Small Town and Oasis between 2022 and 2023. Each year, the 26-year-old star played a wonderful role, but it wasn’t until he emerged as a rising star in 2025 after his performances in both The Tale of Lady Ok and the Netflix series The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call. His character received immense love, which earned him a handful of awards: specifically winning Best New Actor at the 4th Blue Dragon Series Awards for The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call and the 61st Baeksang Arts Awards for The Tale of Lady Ok.
Choo Young Woo ranked fifth in Korea Gallup’s Talent of the Year survey and was praised for his hard work and dedication as a rising actor. Continuously honing his exceptional acting skills and potential for growth, his upcoming projects include Love Doctor (tentative title) with Kim So Hyun and Netflix’s Long Vacation with Lee Se Young as Demon 3375, a powerful being who has lived for centuries without understanding love, set to air later this year.
Park Ji Hoon
It goes without saying that everyone knows Park Ji Hoon’s name after the hit film phenomenon The King’s Warden. The idol turned actor born in 1999 debuted in 2017 through the boy group survival audition Produce 101 Season 2 as a member of Wanna One, active until January 28, 2019. Park Ji Hoon later pursued acting, which was his original dream, and has proven that is where he flourishes best. He began focusing on his acting career through a cutesy but endearing role in 2020 puppy-love series Love Revolution, and was soon after launched to fame for his deathly stare and emotionally lethargic character in Netflix’s Weak Hero Class 1 and 2. The stark contrast in roles unearthed a more mature and professional quality earning him Best New Actor at the 2023 Blue Dragon Series Awards.
The 26-year-old idol-turned-actor recently released film The King’s Warden surpassed 16.62 million viewers, ranking second in South Korean box office history. Fans can expect more to come from him later this year as his upcoming projects include the TVING original The Legend of Kitchen Soldier and The Promoter (both tentative titles), alongside Ha Ji Won and Kim Sung Kyun.
Moon Sang Min
Starting the 2000s lineup, Moon Sang Min debuted at an early age in 2019. It took time, but the 26-year-old star gained recognition through dramas like the intense thriller My Name in 2021, as a grand prince in Under the Queen’s Umbrella in 2022, and as Lee Ji Han, a fictional character from the popular web novel Wedding Impossible, in 2024. Moon Sang Min achieved dual success as a streaming service star, with his name going hand in hand with romantic series and films after his breakthrough moment. He showed his charms as a mystery-obsessed prince in To My Beloved Thief on KBS (which later popularly streamed on Netflix) and the Netflix film Pavane, which showcased raw, unfiltered romance.
The star was awarded the Best New Actor award for his role in Under the Queen’s Umbrella at the 59th Baeksang Arts Awards in 2023 and received various accolades for his role in Pavane earlier this year. Moon Sang Min will maintain his top spot in streaming services and is set to appear in the upcoming Netflix series Beauty in the Beast and has chosen to star in the new drama Do Not Cross the Wall (tentative title) alongside Shin Si Ah, continuing his vigorous activities.
Lee Chae Min
Lee Chae Min, born in 2000, debuted in 2021 with the tvN drama High Class, which was a great start in showcasing his talents. He continued to blossom in romantic comedy Crash Course in Romance on Netflix, and the tragic romance web novel, See You in My 19th Life, in 2023. Alongside the drama-ridden series Hierarchy, and the role of love-struck youth in the 2025 hit Crushology 101, he later notably appeared in Cashero, and the smash hit Bon Appétit, Your Majesty, which recorded a peak viewership of 17.1% last year, with viewers expressing how he perfectly embodied the role of King Yi Heon, even as a replacement actor.
Emerging as a rising star, Lee Chae Min was awarded the Best New Actor award at the 2025 APAN Star Awards and the Best New Actor (Rookie Award) at the 2025 MBC Drama Awards. The 26-year-old star has reportedly been offered roles in the Korean adaptation of The Miracles of the Namiya General Store, for which Kim Hye Yoon is also in discussions, and the drama My Reason to Die, where Roh Yoon Seo is also in discussion for appearing in the series.
Kim Jae Won
The 25-year-old star, Kim Jae Won, established himself as a leading actor in his 20s with remarkable performances. In King the Land, his role of Lee Ro Woon put him on the map due to the series sincere story of healing through romance, as well as his performance in Our Blues in 2022. Like Lee Chae Min, Kim Jae Won found himself in the messy, dramatic Netflix series Hierarchy in 2024 and soon flourished into fame with his roles as Sung Do Gyeom in Netflix’s The Tale of Lady Ok in the same year. He further cemented his reputation as a reliable actor in the series You and Everything Else and the much-talked-about murder mystery series The Art of Sarah in recent years.
Now, after winning the Best Entertainer Award in 2025, Kim Jae Won is currently making 2026 his year as he is delivering a passionate performance as Shin Sun Rok in the TVING original Yumi’s Cells Season 3, alongside Kim Go Eun, which has become an absolute fan favorite due to his endearing character role as Yumi’s love interest, Soon Rok. For his next project, Kim Jae Won has been offered the lead male role in The Wicked Queen, a drama based on a popular web novel.
Choi Hyun Wook
The youngest on the list, Choi Hyun Wook, born in 2002, is recognized as a talented actor who has quickly built a portfolio of representative works. Appearing in the 2022 hit Twenty-Five Twenty-One, Choi Hyun Wook continued to show his diverse character set with his appearance in Weak Hero Class 1 in the same year. The 24-year-old star later appeared in the military story of D.P. Season 2, the lovely musical-esque tale of Twinkling Watermelon, and the quirky thriller High Cookie in 2023. In 2025, Choi Hyun Wook became a household name with his roles as the high school love interest Black Dragon Ban Joo Yeon in My Dearest Nemesis and reprising his role in Weak Hero Class 2.
Choi Hyun Wook’s most notable awards include Best New Actor at the 2021 SBS Drama Awards for his film role in Taxi Driver and Racket Boys and the 2023 Blue Dragon Series Awards for Weak Hero Class 1. Recently, Choi Hyun Wook also showcased his variety show skills in Curtain Up, Class alongside Kim Tae Ri. K-Drama lovers are awaiting his appearance in the new release of the Netflix series Notes from the Last Row and the popular historical fantasy web novel turned Disney Plus series Portraits of Delusion alongside Bae Suzy. He is also reportedly likely to appear in Netflix series Dead-End Job, as well as tentatively titled series Green Light, Where the Evil Swarms and Hon: Triangle of Time later on.
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Which of these rising stars are on your radar? Each actor boasts an array of talent and diverse characters, so there is no doubt that each of these young men will appear in another award-winning hit any time soon. Tell us which one of these series and lead actors is your favorite, and don’t forget to watch more of your favorite K-Dramas and films for free on Amasian.tv!
