Favorite Side Characters in Korean Dramas

 

I will use the term "side character" a little bit loosely here. Some of those I have chosen are cast as main characters, but are not part of the main couple, or could be considered secondary main characters. I didn't have a favorite for every drama I have watched but I wanted to put together a list of "side characters" that truly made an impression on me in one way or another.

Jo Min Ja/ Ahjumma

Kim Mi Kyung plays the crazy, yet lovable, hacker Jo Min Ja (usually called Ahjumma) in the hit drama Healer. Apart from the main couple, she is an easy favorite. Her eccentric personality adds such a fun dynamic to the drama and I could not imagine the drama without her. She was a strong character that passed herself off as being "all business" but it was easy to see that she had a caring side. 

Chief Judge Han Se Sang

Chief Judge Han, played by Sung Dong Il, may very well be my favorite character in the drama Miss Hammurabi. He plays the mentor role in the story and I could not help but love his character. A man who regains the joy and compassion of his job and protects and guides the young judges beneath him. His compassion often puts himself at risk, but he faces it strongly. I absolutely love this character.

Kim Hwa Geon

Yoon So Hee played the beautiful Kim Hwa Geon in the drama The Emperor: Owner of the Mask. She was a strong female character. She was fearless and powerful, yet kind and loving and truly I felt she was probably more worthy of the Crown Prince than the girl who actually got him. Hwa Geon loved the Prince more purely as her love truly only wished for his happiness and success no matter what it cost her in the end. I think she was really my favorite character in this drama.

Lee Gyu

Kim Sang Kyung played the Chief Royal Secretary Lee Gyu in the drama The Crowned Clown. His character was an awesome mix of danger and compassion and I couldn't help but grow very fond of his character. His self-sacrificing personality wasn't directed towards a person, but rather towards his country. Because of this, he was capable of harming others, and he held a lot of power in the fact that, due to circumstance, he held a lot of control over the throne. However, I felt extremely drawn to his character and loved the personality and dynamic he brought to the drama. It would not have been the same without his character.

Eun Ji Soo

Kim Da Som plays the role of investigator Eun Ji Soo in the drama He Is Psychometric. Another strong female character. She has very little fear, loves her work and has a lot of compassion and love for the people she ends up involved with. I was very attached to her character. She plays a sisterly role to the main character, Lee Ahn, and has a deep love for his brother Kang Sung Mo. Because of this she often puts herself at risk for them. She has a beautiful role in the story and a big impact on the characters in it.

Jo Myung Soo

Park Hyung Sik plays the comic relief character, Jo Myung Soo, in the drama Heirs. I think his character stood out to me the most because I really had a hard time liking the majority of the characters in the drama. Lol.  However, his character didn't ever seem to make enemies, or care what social status someone was from, he just was generally jovial and happy. He provided me with more laughs than anyone else and I thank him for lightening up the drama for me. 

Soo Yeon

Though there were plenty of side characters to choose from in the drama Hwarang: the Poet Warrior Youth, I had a special love for the character Soo Yeon, played by Lee Da In. She was a rare humble member of the high nobility. She was the best friend of the main girl character (who was considered a half-breed) and the love interest of one of the main Hwarang members. But, her sweet innocent personality is was what made me like her so much. She was a strong support for her friend Ah Ro and the one person who could soften the grumpy Ban Ryu. I thought her character was a very sweet addition to the drama.

Jung Jae Yoon

Jung Jae Yoon (known by my family as "Bridge Man"😅), from the drama 100 Days My Prince, was played by the awesomely funny Kim Seon Ho. He added soooo much to this drama with his character. He was both a support for the Prince and also a competitor and he somehow pulled off both in a way that kept him extremely likeable. I couldn't help but root for him, even when he was causing trouble. His friendship and faithfulness could not have been done without and he had a big impact on the outcome of this drama. He is definitely a favorite character of mine as well as a favorite actor.

Park Yoo Shik

Kang Ki Young played Park Yoo Shik in What's Wrong With Secretary Kim. He was the main male lead's go to in times of trouble. He gave a lot of advice and provided an awesome amount of humor. His character was warm and funny and I absolutely loved his addition to the drama. He just might be my favorite character. 

Doctor Lee Chi Yeon

The singer Onew played the compassionate Doctor Lee Chi Yeon in the hit drama series Descendants of the Sun. His innocent character easily steals your heart as he strives to be a good doctor and overcome his feelings of failure to find his self-worth. He was easily a favorite. I found his innocence refreshing and his journey of growth both heart-rending and satisfying as he comes to find himself through it all. I thought Onew's acting was excellent and I am sad that he really has not done any acting since.

Ji Kwang Soo

Ji Kwang Soo was played by Jang Yoo Sang in the short-but-sweet drama EXO Next Door. He is a support character that I felt deserved main character credits. He is the hilarious brother of the main female lead and he, in my opinion, steals the shows multiple times throughout the drama. He was so quirky and weird that I couldn't help but love him. I looked forward to every time he would enter a scene because I knew it would be great! He was immediately one of my favorite side characters!

Cho Gwi Sim/ Cho Soo Hee

Not a main character, of course, and definitely not one that got a lot of screen time. However, I felt her role in the drama Suits invaluable. Cho Gwi Sim, played by Ye Soo Jung, who preferred to go by the name of Cho Soo Hee was Yun Woo's (main character) grandmother. When Yun Woo's parents died when he was little, she stepped in to fill the role they left behind. During the drama she is unwell in the hospital. The beautiful relationship between these two, and the wisdom she imparts to him as he visits her, was extremely touching to me. Her character was heart-warming and memorable and knew early on that I would be adding her to this list.

And this is where I will end for now! I will add more as I continue to watch more dramas!

Happy drama watching!!

안녕! - 진선앟