Top 10 most reliable K-drama stars with shows that never disappoint

The Korean wave has introduced us to many K-dramas and artists with whose work we have fallen in love. Therefore, after watching numerous K-dramas, it gets easier to pick out the most reliable K-drama stars.

The K-dramas with these actors and actresses never disappoint. From storytelling, visuals, and performances, these Korean shows are bound to make you a fan of the stars and also prove why they are regarded as the most reliable K-drama stars. Whether they play supporting characters, lead roles, or even villains, their presence gives reassurance that the drama will deliver what it has promised. Here’s a list of the 10 most reliable stars with shows that never disappoint.

Disclaimer: This entire article is based on the writer's opinion. Reader's discretion is advised.

Top 10 most reliable K-drama stars with shows that never disappoint

10) Kim Won-hae (The Revenant, Through the Darkness)

Kim Won-hae in Through the Darkness | Image via Studio S

Kim Won-hae is one of the veteran Korean actors. He has been part of numerous popular movies, TV shows, and plays. Kim Won-hae's filmography is vast and includes his roles.

Known for his comedic timing, Won-hae’s appearance in dark thrillers, such as The Revenant and Through the Darkness, provided some light-hearted moments amid the heavy themes of both series. Due to this, Won-hae is also known as the scene stealer, as, irrespective of the drama, when he is on screen, you won’t be able to concentrate on anything else, as his wit and humor will keep you glued to the screen. Hence, this makes him one of the most reliable K-drama stars who is loved by the fans, without even being the lead in the dramas.

9) Han Hyo-joo (Happiness, Moving)

Han Hyo-joo in Happiness | Image via Studio Dragon

Han Hyo-joo is another of the most reliable K-drama stars who can mold herself according to the characters she plays. Whether a fearless and curious police officer or a superhuman hiding her powers, Hyo-joo never disappoints with her performances.

The Korean actress played a special unit police officer in Happiness who is immune to the zombie virus and is taken to a medical facility for tests. With her best friend’s help, she manages to get out of the facility, and together, they try to fight and survive in an apocalyptic time.

In Moving, she portrays an intelligence analyst with superhuman enhanced hearing and lives a secluded life with her son, who possesses both of his parents’ superhuman abilities, until the individuals searching for them arrive at their doorstep, compelling them to reveal their powers for self-defense.

Both series showcase Hyo-joo’s acting talents as she adopts different personalities in the shows, establishing her as one of the most dependable K-drama stars.

8) Kim Nam-gil (Through the Darkness, The Fiery Priest)

Kim Nam-gil in The Fiery Priest | Image via Studio S

Another actor, regarded as the most reliable K-drama star, Kim Nam-gil, has portrayed many characters, ranging from a murder suspect to a short-tempered priest, in popular movies and TV shows.

In one of his most popular shows, Through the Darkness, Nam-gil plays a young profiler who tries to understand the pattern of serial killers to prove to the people that there is a pattern that all serial killers tend to follow. Hence, to catch them, one needs to understand the pattern.

While this is a dark role, Nam-gil switches to his comedic role in Fiery Priest, where he portrays a short-tempered Priest, who is trying to catch the killers of Father Lee, due to whom he took this path.

Both roles are on opposite sides of the acting spectrum, and Nam-gil excels in the portrayal of both, depicting why he is one of the most reliable K-drama stars.

7) Lee Hye-ri (Reply 1988)

Lee Hye-ri in Reply 1988 | Image via Netflix

Lee Hye-ri is not just one of the most reliable K-drama stars but also a popular idol and entertainer. Her character in the nostalgia-inducing show Reply 1988 is one of her most popular roles that gave her global recognition. Hye-ri’s character, Sung Deok-sun, perfectly portrays the struggles of being a middle child of a family that tends to forget her.

The drama depicts childhood friendships and the sense of community that human beings strive for, through these families living in Ssangmun-dong. The lives of Hye-ri’s Deok-sun and her friends are portrayed as they spend their childhoods in the same neighborhood and gradually grow up and live their own lives.

6) Song Joong-ki (Vincenzo, Descendants of the Sun, and Reborn Rich)

Song Joong-ki in Vincenzo | Image via Netflix

Song Joong-ki’s onscreen presence is enough to make a drama viral, as seen in Queen of Tears. Other than that, his roles in numerous dramas have made him one of the most reliable K-drama stars with his acting skills.

From portraying a soldier in Descendants of the Sun, who falls in love with a doctor but, due to his job, struggles to be together, to playing a lawyer and Mafia consigliere in Vincenzo, who comes back to Korea to dig the gold underneath the Geumga Plaza, with the job becoming difficult due to the residents of the Plaza. Many shows and films prove that he deserves to be on the list of the most reliable K-drama stars.

5) Park Bo-gum (When Life Gives You Tangerines, Good Boy)

This young Korean actor has recently impressed the global audience with his performance in When Life Gives You Tangerines and has been continuing to impress with his role in Good Boy.

In When Life Gives You Tangerines, Bo-gum plays Ae-sun's childhood friend and husband, who supported her until his last breath. In his next role, in Good Boy, he portrays an Olympic gold medalist Boxer, who joined the police force in a special team. Both roles are opposites, and Bo-gum manages to shine in both of them. He has portrayed different types of characters in dramas like Reply 1988 and Record of Youth, making him one of the most reliable K-drama stars.

4) Kim Go-eun (Cheese in the Trap, Little Women, and Yumi’s Cells)

Kim Go-eun in Little Women | Image via Netflix

Kim Go-eun might be one of the most popular Korean actresses, as there’s not a single drama or movie in which she does not shine with her performance. From playing a lively high school student who falls in love with a Goblin to a woman who wants to earn money to give her sisters a better life than they have, Go-eun has played numerous diverse characters, hence deserves to be on the list of most reliable K-drama stars.

Go-eun won a Baeksang Award for her role in Cheese in the Trap, where she played the character of Hong Seol, who begins a relationship with a manipulative senior Yoo Jung. The drama focuses on their awkward relationship and also the lives of other university students and friends of teh two. While in Yumi’s Cells, she plays a woman named Yumi, who wants to become a writer and is going through a heartbreak while her brain cells try to wake her love cell up.

3) Lee Byung-hun (Squid Game, Mr. Sunshine)

Whether in Hollywood films or Korean movies and shows, Lee Byung-hun has never shied away from showing his talent in front of the camera. While playing a marine officer who learns to love his home country and later becomes a part of the fight to protect it in Mr. Sunshine, to playing a villain as the Frontman in the popular Netflix series Squid Game, Byung-hun thrives in every role he plays.

Irrespective of playing a righteous male lead, Byung-hyun takes up complex characters, depicting why he is considered one of the most reliable K-drama stars.

2) Gong Yoo (Coffee Prince, Guardian: The Lonely and Great God)

Gong Yoo in Guardian: The Lonely and Great God | Image via Hwa&Dam Pictures

Gong Yoo’s popularity is not just because of one show but due to a string of superhit films and K-dramas that make him one of the most reliable K-drama stars. His K-drama, Coffee Prince, became one of the popular shows, which is still relevant for its genre, breaking themes used in the show. By introducing a tomboyish female lead and also portraying questions about one’s sexuality, the show broke many Korean conservative standards.

His other popular drama, Guardian: The Lonely and Great God, is sure to make you cry through Gong Yoo’s Goblin and Eun-tak’s eternal sad love story. He also portrayed a sinister role in Squid Game as the Recruiter, depicting the range of his acting prowess.

1) Song Hye-kyo (The Glory, Descendants of the Sun)

Song Hye-kyo in The Glory | Image via Studio Dragon

Whether in the 2010s or the 2020s, Song Hye-kyo’s popularity never ceases to exist. From her cheerful role in Full House opposite Rain to her darker roles in The Glory, Hye-kyo molds herself in every role she takes. She played a Doctor in Descendants of the Sun who falls in love with a soldier who has to go on secret missions and fears that she might lose him someday, but still accepts it.

Later in The Glory, Hye-kyo plays the character of Dong-eun, who comes back to take revenge on her classmates who had tortured and bullied her in school. Through these roles, Song Hye-kyo has made her presence known in the industry, making her one of the most reliable K-drama stars.