When Boys Over Flowers (2009), the most beloved of Lee Min-Ho’s dramas featured the Korean star in all his glory with his trademark dimples and the insouciant swagger of a chaebol heir, every girl watching the show instinctively knew that she was a goner. While the show has since been called out for its problematic representation of abusive relationships, it served as the world’s first glorious introduction to the many wonders of Lee Min-Ho. In the decade since, he has cemented his role as one of the frontrunners of the Hallyu wave that has gripped the world. Below are all of Lee Min-ho’s dramas and movies that will make you fall for him all over again:
Boys Over Flowers (2009)
Drama ensues in the hallowed halls of Shin Hwa High when a down-on-her-luck girl crosses swords with Lee’s Go JunPyo, the leader of the F4 or the four richest boys. Based on the Japanese manga series of the same name, this cult-favourite K-drama is widely considered mandatory viewing for newcomers to the genre and one of the major proponents of the Hallyu wave.
Personal Taste (2010)
Before she was stealing hearts with her performance in Crash Landing On You (2020), Son YeJin was just another furniture designer compelled to live in the same house as Lee under the assumption that he is gay—as one does when they are in romcom-land. Over the course of late-night sanitary napkin runs to the pharmacy and scented bubble baths, these unlikely lovers will find a happy ending of their own.
City Hunter (2011)
Hot on the heels of his romcom success, Lee delivered a neat 180-degree spin with this action drama that sees him take on the role of an IT expert trained intensively in combat to exact revenge on the corrupt officials responsible for his father’s death. With the help of a plucky young bodyguard (Park MinYoung), citizens will witness him carry out his own definition of justice, leading them to dub him as ‘City Hunter’.
The Heirs (2013)
Fans looking to fill the Boys Over Flowers-shaped hole in their hearts didn’t have to wait for very long as Lee returned to the genre with another high school outing following the story of an everygirl who gets tangled in the lives, friendships and rivalries of the school’s most elite chaebol heirs.
Line Romance (2014)
There is no contesting the Lee-mania which holds the Hallyu wave firm in its grip, but this miniseries would offer up a reminder when it shattered the $20 million mark over the course of three episodes in this tale of a music producer who faces a creative block and the chance encounter with a Chinese tourist which helps him find inspiration again.
Gangnam Blues (2015)
Once you have binged your way through all of Lee’s dramas, you will want to turn your attention to his short but impactful portfolio of K-movies. Prominent in the list is this tale of two childhood friends whose bond is put to the test against the backdrop of the socio-politically ravaged Gangnam in 1970s Seoul.
The Legend of the Blue Sea (2016)
You’ll come for the mystical romance, you’ll stay for Lee’s elevated take on street style. Over the course of several millennia, watch him fall in love with a mermaid and strive to protect her against all costs—all while rocking fuzzy neon sweaters and icy pink overcoats.
Bounty Hunters (2016)
Mayhem ensues when a pair of bumbling investigators find themselves as the prime suspects of a terrorist bombing. While on the run from a rival group of bounty hunters, you will see Lee teaming up with a bossy heiress who has an anti-terrorist agenda of her own.
The King: Eternal Monarch (2020)
When an unforeseen pandemic made the world shelter indoors, we turned to K-dramas for escapism. The latter was available in spades in Lee’s interdimensional drama that is credited among the titles driving up consumption of Korean content four times across Asia. So, reach for the nearest vat of buttery popcorn and follow the story of this aristocratic king of Corea who crosses paths with a feisty police detective when a mysterious portal opens up to a parallel world.
Pachinko (2022)
Furthering Apple TV’s bid for dominion over prestige television, this onscreen adaptation of an epic historical novel of the same name follows the lives of a destitute Korean family compelled to immigrate to Japan and is today counted among Lee’s career-best performances.
Also read:
5 romantic Korean movies that will warm your heart, streaming on Netflix
From Lee MinHo to Hyun Bin—5 K-drama actors who haven’t aged a day
