Don’t let these male characters fool you at first.
Some K-drama male leads may look cold and distant at the beginning, but once they fall in love, they immediately change 180 degrees and cannot get any cuter. Let’s take a look at 5 examples of this character trope in recent K-dramas.
Yi San (The Red Sleeve)
The Red Sleeve is getting positive results thanks to its engrossing and unique storyline. The male lead, Crown Prince Yi San (Lee Jun Ho) is aloof, arrogant and often acts cold towards people around him.
But after falling in love, he completely changes. He even becomes a bit silly, holding a book upside down when reading, eavesdropping on the court ladies’ conversation. When he finds out that the girl he has feelings for also likes him, he is beyond happy but still pretending to be calm and collected.
Hong Du Sik (Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha)
In Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha, Chief Hong (Kim Seon Ho) of Gongjin village is a multi-talented person but also has much pride. He is not hesitant to wholeheartedly help villagers who are in need, but with those he does not know well, he always keeps distance. The first time he meets dentist Yoon Hye Jin (Shin Min Ah), he does not want to help her with her troubles. When she first returns to the village, Du Sik also calculates everything. He likes being fair and likes to give out lessons.
But once he is in love with Hye Jin, he falls head over heels for her. He does whatever she wants, makes a jewelry box for her himself, writes down a whole list of things to do for his girlfriend with a satisfied and happy expression. Even when Hye Jin’s food is bad, Du Sik still eats it all.
Ri Jung Hyuk (Crash Landing on You)
When it comes to one of the most whipped male leads, it’s impossible not to mention Captain Ri Jung Hyuk (Hyun Bin) of Crash Landing on You. At first, he appears to be extremely cold, principled and unwavering. When he meets Yoon Se Ri (Son Ye Jin), he helps her but keeps a professional attitude and absolute distance.
However, later, when he falls in love with Yoon Se Ri, he reveals his jealous side. Seeing Se Ri taking care of others, Jung Hyuk immediately turns sulky. When he sees a man who is interested in Se Ri, he almost throws hands.
Ahn Jeong Won (Hospital Playlist)
The couple “winter garden” is one of the most favorite couples in Hospital Playlist. Among the four couples in the film, their switchover from coworker to lover is described in the most detail. Professor Ahn Jeong Won (Yoo Yeon Seok) was initially only one-hearted in his devotion to God, uninterested in any girl, and shunned anyone who showed signs of liking him. He is stiff with the girl Gyeol Ul (Shin Hyun Bin), doesn’t talk or laugh, is uninterested, and even tries to avoid her because he knows she likes him.
But, in the end, Ahn Jeong Won was unable to conceal his feelings. After falling in love, Professor Ahn became like a different person. He has a sweet demeanor towards his girlfriend. Gyeol Ul is said to be very happy because her boyfriend is always concerned about her.
Lee Young Joon (What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim?)
Vice President Lee Young Joon (Park Seo Joon) of What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim? is an exaggerated narcissist. At first, he always considered himself the center of the universe, asking his secretary Kim Mi So (Park Min Young) to do everything from the biggest to the smallest.
However, as soon as Secretary Kim decided to quit after a long period of 10 years serving this difficult boss, the vice president seemed to give birth to a new personality. He did not allow her to quit the job, went to her house to persuade, and also accepted to marry Secretary Kim to fulfill her wish to quit her job and get married. And gradually he also realized that he fell in love with his secretary. Since falling in love with her, he has changed his personality. He had his first time traveling by bus, eating instant noodles, etc. He even went back to Mi So‘s hometown to please her family.
