Celebrity

The female leads of K-dramas penned by the Hong sisters: perfect fits yet controversial acting skills?

Hong sisters are legendary K-drama screenwriters who never created failed works, and their picks for female leads are also considered to be perfect. 

After almost 3 years of absence, the legendary screenwriter duo Hong sisters have returned to the small screen with the tvN series “Alchemy of Souls”. The duo has continuously created successful K-dramas throughout their career, so their choice of cast always become the talk of town. Below are Korean actresses chosen by the Hong sisters, and their performance in their respective works. 

Lee Da Hae – My Girl (2005) 

lee da hae

2005 was an excellent year for Korea actress Lee Da Hae, who nailed two hit K-dramas “Green Rose” and “My Girl”, the latter becoming a whole phenomenon across Asia. In the series, the actress boasted a natural acting style and youthful appearance, making “My Girl” Lee Da Hae’s most successful work as of date. 

Han Ye Seul – Couple Or Trouble (2006) 

han ye seul

Born in 1981, the “sexy goddess Han Ye Seul delivered a spectacular performance as the arrogant yet classy lady of “Couple Or Trouble”. Throughout her career, Han Ye Seul received numerous criticisms for her stiff acting, but “Couple Or Trouble” seemed to be a different case. In fact, the K-drama even won Han Ye Seul the Excellence Award for Actress at the 2006 MBC Drama Awards, and earned her a nomination for Best Leading Actress at the 2007 Baeksang Arts Awards. 

Park Shin Hye – You’re Beautiful (2009)

Park Shin Hye gained initial attention as a child actress in “Stairway To Heaven”, but it was not until the 2009 “You’re Beautiful” that she truly set out as a leading actress. While Park Shin Hye’s character spotted a poor disguise as a man, the actress’s cuteness and lovable character earned her numerous compliments from audiences. While “You’re Beautiful” did not attain much attention in Korea, its popularity on international grounds was simply insane. 

Shin Min Ah – My Girlfriend Is A Gumiho (2010)

Over the years, there have been many K-drama series that tackle Gumihos, or Korean nine-tailed foxes. However, Shin Min Ah’s role as a Gumiho in “My Girlfriend Is A Gumiho” is simply iconic. In this series, the actress pulled off a perfect portrayal, and endeared herself to fans and the public alike. 

Gong Hyo Jin – The Greatest Love (2011) & Master’s Sun (2013)

gong hyo jin

So far, Gong Hyo Jin is the only actress to collaborate with Hong sisters for more than once within 2 years, having led “The Greatest Love” and “Master’s Sun”. Not befalling her reputation as the “romcom queen”, Gong Hyo Jin secured the title of Top Excellence Award for at the 2011 MBC Drama Awards with “The Greatest Love”, and Best Leading Actress at the 2012 Baeksang Arts Awards with “Master’s Sun”. 

Lee Min Jung – Big (2012) 

lee min jung

“Big” is often regarded as the worst project of the Hong sisters, and people often say that even the appearance of Gong Yoo couldn’t salvage the series. Nevertheless, the K-drama actually scored decent viewership ratings in Korea, and as its female lead, actress Lee Min Jung also drew certain attention. While she perfectly fitted the role, the bland writing of “Big” didn’t do much justice to Lee Min Jung’s character. As a result, the project was a forgettable not in the actress’s career. 

Kang So Ra – Warm And Cozy (2015) 

kang so ra

Although the drama did not have high ratings, Kang So Ra had a pretty good performance in this drama. Her graceful acting skills received much praise from the public.

Oh Yeon Seo – A Korean Odyssey (2017) 

Oh Yeon Seo also gained quite a bit of fame after taking on the female lead role in tvN’s drama A Korean Odyssey. In collaboration with talented actors like Lee Seung Gi or Cha Seung Won, Oh Yeon Seo performed quite well and fortunately did not fall behind them. There are many better actors than Oh Yeon Seo but she is probably the best fit for this role.

IU – Hotel Del Luna (2019) 

After Han Ye Seul and Gong Hyo Jin, IU is the third female lead on this list to receive a nomination for the Best Actress award at the Baeksang Arts Awards. IU’s performance in Hotel Del Luna proved that she is a capable star. In addition to her acting ability, IU impressed the audience with her luxurious fashion sense.

Jung So Min – Alchemy Of Souls (2022) 

alchemy of souls

Taking on the female lead role in Alchemy Of Souls is Jung So Min. Not possessing outstanding beauty or great popularity, however, Jung So Min’s acting ability can be ranked at the top of this list. Through the first episodes of “Alchemy Of Souls”, Jung So Min showed her remarkable ability compared to the young cast of this drama. Let’s wait and watch how Jung So Min does in the next episodes of this drama.

Back to top button