Best movies and TV shows starring K-drama star Kim Soo Hyun

From My Love From the Stars to It’s Okay to Not Be Okay, here are the best movies and TV shows by charming K-drama actor Kim Soo Hyun.

From being the face of a record-breaking 14 products simultaneously to earning the title of the highest-paid actor in his industry — one of the most popular celebrities in South Korea has been there, done that. His filmography is a smorgasbord of hit titles — from Joseon-era romances to present-day comedies — each lending itself well to a binge-watching session. Here are a few of actor Kim Soo Hyun’s best movies and TV shows every K-drama fan should be familiar with.

While in school, Kim Soo-hyun enrolled in acting classes on the recommendation of his mother. What started as an exercise in beating introversion soon transformed into a thriving career — with a string of back-to-back hit titles making him a household name early on. These spanned a range of genres — historical, romance, fantasy, melodrama — earning him a reputation of being versatile. A recent addition to this growing lineup of stellar k-dramas includes Queen of Tears — which will see him be one half of a married couple struggling to keep their relationship afloat in the face of challenges.

“I want to be like actor Christoph Waltz. More than anything, I want to become a trusted actor. I want to act all my life,” the star was quoted saying by Soompi. Combine this with his ever-growing popularity and a stellar work ethic and it’s no surprise that he was crowned the highest-paid K-drama actor in 2020 — ahead of Crash Landing On You star Hyun Bin with an estimated earning of USD 165,000 per episode, according to a report by SCMP. Here’s a look at a few career-defining movies and TV shows of Kim Soo Hyun.

Best movies and K-dramas starring Korean superstar Kim Soo Hyun

Dream High

Directed by: Lee Eung-bok and Kim Seong-yoon

Cast: Bae Suzy, Kim Soo-hyun, IU

Release date: 3 January 2011

Episodes: 16

Synopsis: Six students of a prestigious academy dream of being K-pop idols. In line with this, they work to improve on their singing, dancing, and songwriting skills. All while coping with the emotional and physical repercussions of their challenging schedules. Along the way, they develop feelings for each other. This includes country boy Song Sam-dong (played by Kim Soo hyun) who suffers from a rare disease and is a musical genius.

About the show: Raking in the views, this K-drama transformed Kim Soo Hyun into a household name almost overnight. His stellar performance — which included training at JYP Entertainment and recording two songs for the soundtrack — earned him Best New Actor and Popularity Award at the 4th Korea Drama Awards and KBS Drama Awards as well as the Hallyu Award at SKY PerfecTV! Awards.

The Thieves

Directed by: Choi Dong-hoon

Cast: Kim Yoon-seok, Kim Hye-soo, Lee Jung-jae, Jun Ji-hyun, Simon Yam, Kim Hae-sook, Oh Dal-su, Kim Soo-hyun

Release date: 25 July 2012

Synopsis: Six thieves plan a million-dollar heist — stealing a diamond from a casino in Macau. However, a few unexpected hiccups make this quite the challenge.

About the movie: This big-screen title marked Kim Soo Hyun’s film debut. Having made millions in ticket sales, it was crowned one of the highest-grossing movies at the time — boosting the actor’s popularity further. For his performance, he won the Popularity Award at the 33rd Blue Dragon Film Awards and was nominated for Best New Actor at 21st Buil Film Awards.

The Moon Embracing The Sun

Directed by: Kim Do-hoon, Lee Seong-jun

Cast: Kim Soo-hyun, Han Ga-in, Jung Il-woo, Kim Min-seo

Release date: 4 January 2012

Episodes: 22

Synopsis: A queen dowager in the Joseon era orders an assassination in an attempt to clear the path to the throne for her son. This is foiled by a witness who sneaks the child away and raises her own, only to be caught and executed later. The child, Heo Yeon Woo (played by Han Ga In) grows up with a shaman and falls for the crown prince Lee Hwon (younger played by Yeo Jin-Goo, older played by Kim Soo Hyun). However, politics lead to her untimely death as well, only to be undone by the shaman. This leads to a loss in memories and life as a shaman herself — with fate taking its course when she’s called to the palace to cure the king of an illness.

About the show: High viewership ratings accorded this drama the honour of ‘national drama,’ with Kim Soo Hyun bagging the Best Actor award at the 48th Baeksang Arts Awards for his performance. He also won the Excellence Award, Actor at the 1st K-Drama Star Awards, Top Excellence Award and Actor in a Miniseries at the 2012 MBC Drama Awards.

Secretly, Greatly

Directed by: Jang Cheol-soo

Cast: Kim Soo-hyun, Park Ki-woong, Lee Hyun-woo

Release date: 5 June 2013

Synopsis: A set of North Korean special forces officers — 5446 Corps — are sent to spy in South Korea, with the goal of unifying the two countries. Each disguises themselves as a high school student, singer, and a fool — waiting for orders and settling into their new lives well until they’re handed an important mission one day out of the blue.

About the movie: This film raked in the views, becoming one of the most successful box office hits of the year. For his stellar performance Kim Soo Hyun bagged the Best New Actor (Film) awards at the Baeksang Arts Awards as well as the Grand Bell Awards that year.

My Love From The Star

Directed by: Jang Tae-yoo, Oh Chung-hwan

Cast: Jun Ji-hyun, Kim Soo-hyun, Park Hae-jin, Yoo In-na, Shin Sung-rok, Ahn Jae-hyun
Episodes: 22

Release date: 18 December 2013

Synopsis: Do Min-joon (played by Kim Soo-hyun) is an alien who was stranded on earth 400 years ago. He is cynical about humans and hopes to return to his planet. However, he soon comes across popular and cheery actress Chun Song-Yi (played by Jun Ji-hyun). Soon enough, the two fall in love, and the former loses his resentment for Earth-based species.

About the show: The TV series earned South Korea international acclaim, with its filming locations drawing tourists in scores. For his stellar performance, Kim Soo Hyun earned an award at the 7th Korea Drama Awards as well as the Best Actor in Asia title at the 8th International Drama Festival in Tokyo.

It’s Okay To Not Be Okay

Directed by: Park Shin-woo

Cast: Kim Soo-hyun, Seo Ye-ji, Oh Jeong-se

Episodes: 16

Release date: 20 June 2020

Synopsis: Psych ward caretaker Moon Kang-tae (Kim) crosses paths with antisocial writer Ko Moon-young (Son) when his brother attends one of the latter’s book reading events. The trio slowly grow fond of each other and begin a journey of self-discovery.

About the show: This tearjerker has proven to be immensely popular — earning eight nominations at the prestigious Baeksang Arts Awards as well as the International Emmy Awards. No surprises that it also upped Kim Soo Hyun’s popularity, with him bagging the Grand Prize (Daesang) at the Asia Artist Awards and the Popular Star Award, Actor at the APAN Star Awards 2021.

(Hero and featured image credit: @soohyun_k216/Instagram)

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

– Does Kim Soo Hyun have a sister?

According to several reports, Kim Soo Hyun has a half sister named Kim Ju-na who’s a singer.

– Why is Kim Soo Hyun so rich?

His acting prowess, a series of hit movies and TV shows, and a fee of USD 165,000 per episode make K-drama actor Kim Soo Hyun quite rich.