I know K-dramas have been on a flower boy roll for the last few years, but recently I’ve really started noticing that all the leading men in K-dramas have gotten progressively taller and taller. Early Hallyu had quite a few leading men who can be considered actor-short (i.e. Tom Cruise level height), not short compared to the average Asian man but visually on the height impaired side once they are onscreen. Nowadays almost all the leading and second lead men are basically tall and taller (not to be confused with dumb and dumber).
For two currently airing dramas, leading ladies Baek Jin Hee in Pride and Prejudice and Park Shin Hye in Pinocchio might need neck therapy after the drama ends. In Pinocchio, Yoon Kyun Sang is the tallest at 188 cm, actually making the already ridiculously tall Lee Jong Seok at 186 cm seem small, then toss in Kim Young Kwang at 187 cm and the three can dominate any pick up game at the court. In P&P, Lee Tae Hwan‘s towering height of 187 cm, coupled with healthy brawny physique, is even played as a joke in the drama with talk of what a well-fed strapping young lad he is. Normally Choi Jin Hyuk is the tallest in any drama he’s in at 186 cm but he adorably has to look up at Lee Tae Hwan to pull the hyung card.
I totally have a thing for tall guys so this trend works for me. These next gen K-actors have what even plastic surgery craze in South Korea can’t manufacture in height. Other notable new generation young super tall male actors off the top of my head: Kwang Soo (190 cm), Kim Woo Bin (188 cm) Sung Joon (187 cm), Park Seo Joon (185 cm), Lee Min Ho (186 cm). Just being tall doesn’t mean much, what’s awesome is this crop of tall actors pretty much rock in the onscreen charisma department as well.
keke I think the actresses just have to wear lots of shoe inserts 😛
Lee Min Ho is only the same height as lee Jong Seok. For some reason, LMH very tall as compare to the other actors.
LMH is all legs and shorter torso… My Mom said men like that are very industrious and not lazy…
I have to admit that I really don’t get the obsession with heights in Kdrama media. You don’t see these sort of discussions in American media very often. I think if a guy has charisma, it doesn’t matter what his height is.
It’s because the average Asian man is by and large not that tall. Caucasians are on average taller than Asians which is why height is such a prized commodity in Asian men. Over 6 feet guys (183 cm) is a dime a dozen in American entertainment whereas it’s a much smaller contingent in Asian leading men.
“Caucasians are on average taller than Asians which is why height is such a prized commodity in Asian men”
I know it’s not what you meant but the way this sentence is worded it’s like you are saying height is such a prized commodity in SK is because white (celebs) are taller on average.
I hope that’s not at all reality because that would be incredibly sad.
I did not understand it like that. One sentence out of context. You need to erase the sentence before AND the sentence after in order to misunderstand it that way.
And their crazy obsession with small faces. I remember I was talking to a Korean girl about celebs when I was over in Busan and her immediate response was (when I asked about how the actor looked in person aka “hot?”), xxx has a small face. I was puzzled at first but realised later it was translation for he’s hot. Just odd.
I wonder if they always have to do the split in kissing scene. Hope the actress be taller otherwise they all become gymnast when their drama requires lots of make-out 🙂
Maybe they should move all the kissing scenes to bed. It would solve the problem is all I’m sayin’. 😉
Lol happy camper.
Why isn’t your wonderful idea scooped up yet?!?!
Another bit of proof that Jomo is brilliant.
Korean censorship would probably not allow it on public broadcast. Now cable is another story. Cue the INR franchise.
Don’t they normally sleep on the floor?
(*innocently picks his nose*)
Ya ha ha ha!!!
they actually used a platform or a box to step into whenever they do kissing scene.. i saw it on a bts from city hunter before.. xD
And yet it’s pint-sized Im Siwan who is slaying everyone else wih his acting in Misaeng right now. Nothing against tall actors (I actually really like most of them), but Pride and Prejudice turned out to be a complete dissapointment and I am also slowly losing interest in Pinocchio.
Wow, I didn’t know Im Tae Hwan was that tall?! I’m always surprised at a few of these guys heights, I was surprised to hear KSH was 6″. I just hope good (younger) actors that aren’t super tall don’t get ignored because of their taller peers.
Also, some of these tall guys somehow have legs skinnier than mine?! I get it’s because it’s probably seen as attractive in SK but super tall and skinny makes me sad.
Because many of of the next gen leading actors started off as models.
Yes much of the new rising actor come from model background. Which make me remember a group of actor friend from drama special White Christmas (Kim Woo Bin, Sung Joon, Kim Young Kwang, Lee Soo Hyuk, n Hong Jong Hyun), all of them are tall!! Must be amazing to see them hangout together outside of drama.
I’m all for these tall kids whom I relate much more, being 174 cm myself. Thanks for our T4 and this new “Tower Boy” concept.
I love me some tall drinks of korean water. Quenches my thirst! Dal po, hyung and bum jo’s screen presences mesmerizes me. I call it Pinocchio triple threat lol
I actually didn’t realize Lee Jong-suk was that tall. It seems a lot of kdrama actors are tall though, at in the 180+ish~ range while the idols are the tiny ones.
RIP to the height of 1993 born actors
Lee Min Ho ’93 (178 cm)
Yoo Seung Ho (175 cm)
Lee Hyun Woo (172 cm)
Noh Young Hak (probably 170 ~ 172 cm) he’s short though..
Lol, tall & taller does not equate great & greater acting. And some of these super-tall guys are really too skinny and frail looking.
Look at those “manner legs”! If the guys are tall, that’s one less thing I need to worry about when I one-day meet one of them in person. Being a tall female (5′ 11″), it always feels super awkward to stand next to shorter guys.
Wah! They are super tall… It makes me envious… If im near them i would likely appear as a walking cane.
I love that not only can Choi Jin Hyuk act (he’s killing it in Pride and Prejudice – and has been killing it all year long since Gu Family Book even in small supporting roles), but he’s also super attractive, tall, toned and muscular. It all just adds to his manly mystique and makes him appear much more mature than he really is (even though in fact, he’s only a year older than Lee Minho) and the same age as Super Junior Lee Donghae.
But yes, it’s not just in Korea, but in Asia in general, that height seems to be this prized commodity in the entertainment industry. Remember the 183 Club from Taiwan? All the members in that group were 183cm or taller. That was their “draw” and it cracked me up when I was younger.
TBH, I don’t find I need height to think someone is attractive or a good actor, but it certainly doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy drinking in a large glass of mancandy every now and then. I just don’t think height is that big of deal. And I certainly think it sucks when a good actor loses out a good role to a lesser actor just because that good actor didn’t meet a certain height idealism.
Τhank God the one and only Al Pacino was born in America (he could, also, have been born in Italy, for that matter!). If height can “buy” roles and fan base, rest in peace talent! And I mean when height is been considered as the ONE and only reason for acting! But I guess people all over the world look for the rare characteristic of their race…in Asians is probably tall men and S-figure women (and this is a remark after watching dramas, I don’t know if it’s a usual trend among ordinary people either!)
I enjoyed browsing through all the comments. Some quips cracked me up. But it seems quite a few A-list Korean actors are not in this Tall and Taller club. One I can think of is Lee Byung Hun. I’m not his fan though. Ok, he’s considered in the older generation. Although one may be drawn to tall guys the first sight, on screen charisma still matters most.