The K-media recently wrote an article crowning the four young kings of K-dramas, the ones who still bring in domestic ratings, buzz, and/or overseas appeal even in this age of low television ratings. On the list are Joo Won, Kim Soo Hyun, Lee Min Ho, and Lee Jong Seok, which will make their fans happy I’m sure, as well as create fodder for discussion and debate on whether their inclusion is merited and who might’ve been left off the list. I can’t say I would disagree with this particular list, and the only other currently buzzy star Kim Woo Bin doesn’t belong on this list since he doesn’t do drama lately.
The article starts off by saying that in the early to middle Hallyu era, i.e. the heyday of K-dramas, the standard for a drama superstar is to have a drama hit 40% in ratings. That’s not happened in years and right now the young actors and actresses trying to make their mark in dramas are residing in what the article calls “the graveyard of ratings”. But even then there are a few that still manage to shine brightly in this dimmed environment, and the articles calls out Joo Won for bringing in domestic viewers, Lee Min Ho and Kim Soo Hyun for being unparallel overseas juggernauts, and Lee Jong Seok for garnering solid ratings and buzz with all his projects.
The article calls Joo Won the current top dog of K-drama ratings among the younger actors generation. Starting with his debut drama Baker King, Kim Tak Goo garnering over 50% ratings, he’s gone on to deliver success ratings with weekend drama Ojakkyo Brothers, Good Doctor, and now Yongpal. He got solid ratings with Gaksital and his only two flops have been 7th Level Civil Servant and Tomorrow’s Cantabile.
With Lee Min Ho, his drama successes have all come with overseas love as his dramas other than Boys Before Flowers have not attained good domestic ratings. But his overseas success is overwhelming as his dramas sell for top dollar overseas including Faith, City Hunter, and Heirs. Those dramas also receive top hits on overseas streaming sites or get broadcast success on overseas networks. Even his movie Gangnam 1970 got a lot of attention from his overseas fans.
For Kim Soo Hyun, his success as the top ratings grabbing K-drama actor of his generation is hard to top as he gets both domestic ratings and overseas success. His drama The Moon Embraces the Sun got over 40% ratings and You From Another Star was the only prime time drama to get over 20% ratings in the last few years. Producer is the highest rated prime time drama so far in 2015. His movies Thieves and Covertly, Grandly were also huge box office hits.
Lee Jong Seok rounds out the list by delivering the same one-two punch as Kim Soo Hyun but not quite at his level yet. Lee Jong Seok’s dramas have all done consistently solid ratings from School 2013 to I Hear Your Voice to Dr. Stranger and the most recent Pinocchio. Just as important for developing his Hallyu reach, his dramas are also very popular overseas and got high license sale prices and view counts. The article discusses how production companies are vying for his involvement in their upcoming dramas, and suggests Lee Jong Seok stick with dramas as his movie career so far hasn’t taken off with Hot-Blooded Youth a decent success but No Breathing tanking at the box office.
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Acting wise , joowon is far better actor than all 3 of them ,he's a wall.only reason the other 3 are "drama kings 'are because they have a huge fan base ,properly because of their face .
Ksh over acts
Lmh is just terrible
And ljs is bland af .
Joowon | wall
lmao watch out girl, the cockroach fangirls will come for you now!
I agree that Joo Won is the best of the 4 but LJS/KSH are at least watchable and can emote well. Though it's the other way around, LJS sometimes overacts and KSH's 'cool hero' image like in YFAS can look bland.
@Daenerys- what's a wall? slang/internet word for great?
@pigsnout - who are the cockroach fangirls?
Okay , I agree with that aswell ! They are watchable but they're not great as people make them out to be
Agree that Joo Won is qualitatively the best (Gaksital rips my heart out every time) but I think KSH is quite solid as well. His angst is absolutely heart-rending and genuine and it's only when he's playing bland, stone face characters (like Do Manager) that I find he struggles, he was great in Dream High and When it Snows For Christmas.
Of the four I actually think LMH is the weakest? He's not a bad actor but I feel he hasn't rly been challenging himself the way the others have, his best role for me to date is still BOF
Hey you can't call every LMH fan like that! So rude. You don't like him..it's fine. At least respect others favorites too.
@D - not gonna say anything about looking in mirrors, nope.
"Who is Obama", indeed. With that, I'm not surprised to see that Lee Min-ho's fandom is viewed as a pack of crazies.
Very well said,i was an avid fan of lmh,ljs and ksh. I was just starting to watch joo won drama,started with ojakgyo,gaksital,good doctor. Wow. Speechless.his acting is awesome among the 3. Joo won is my super star. End of story
Inferiority complex towards LMH is big with this one.
Then explain to us why his loved worldwide? dude has 51million+ fandom not for singing or anything else but acting.
stop being hurtburt if you can't look at things objectively
are you seriously asking this? Dude has 51million people for being handsome. That, + watchable acting. Objectively speaking, he's indeed inferior, but I think that's because he hasn't venture much out of his pretty boy image.
I do not like Joo Won's look but when he acts you really forget about what he looks like and get into his character! Super cool that way.
With the others, you may or may not get there depending on the script and whether the character suits them.
ditto! I wasn't and still am not a fan of his face but he delivers in whatever character he's given (even with awfully written ones). and it really doesn't hurt that he sings so well! am such a sucker for great vocals!
I agreed.
i gree with u... joowon is the best between of three them ...everything is interesting about joowon .... face, skill, acting, singing
i gree with u... joowon is the best between of three them ...everything is interesting about joowon .... face, skill, acting, singing .. ect
Yes, totally agree JOO WON is an actor of exceptional calibre and talent compared to all the other three. JW is a class of his own and he is brilliant in delivering all his characters. He is also a well mannered and warm hearted soul. No discrimination intended but only expressing what I see from dramas and live interviews etc.
right??? hahaha!
have you seen him on 2 days 1 night? he's so adorable <3
riiiiiiight??? hahaha!
have you seen him on 2 days 1 night? he's so effing adorable <3 <3 <3
Personally none of the above actors do anything for me but then again can't deny it is a numbers game. So hats off to them :)
Agreed. I don't even find joo won as impressive as some people make out to be. He looks clueless most of the time. Even when he is suppose to look smart.
I wonder how you were able to say so that he looks clueless most of the time? 'coz I have watched his dramas and he sure as hell make it seem that he has been doing what the character has been doing for years (baking, being a doctor, etc)
Well to each his own I guess?
I just don't understand the avident inferiority complex towards Lee Min Ho? who are these people perhaps kpop fans or other fandoms. there motives is easy to notice since they come from really vicious places must of the time..
Its like there brains are screaming ''Why you successful you SOB piece of shit''
Why can't korea really accept successful in there society is it perhaps because they are a competitive society who would feel inferiority complex towards people who are successful. Koreans need to learn how to accept successful people and that it comes it hardwork
Some conspiracy again? You sort of think lee min ho is obama or what?
Who is Obama?
Does he have >50 million fans?
Does he work as hard as Lee Min Ho?
Is he loved worldwide?
Can he act?
Can he touch lives?
@D such a delusional fan. So i assume you are living on outerspace for not knowing barack obama. If you measure success as how many fans you got on facebook then good bye to you.
haha, neither amerinca nor korean, but D, you better question your knowledge when you asked this questions :
Who is Obama?
Does he have >50 million fans?
Does he work as hard as Lee Min Ho?
Is he loved worldwide?
Can he act?
Can he touch lives?
im lol-ing here. are you sure??? is minho gets loved worldwide? if you think so, why there are some people saying his acting terrible??
i like 3 of 4 guys since i dont like LJS so whatsoever. but reading your comment is just meh.
obama is a president. you cant compare him to LMH. Minho doesnt deserve to compare to a president like obama. you can compare minho to other actors but not to someone who works hard for a country.
LMH and Obama are on the same page since both of them work hard for there countries. Lee Min Ho is an asian Icon his in history books
I agree with you since mostly all fandoms desire to be at the top so they target him with jealousy..
I have even seen some saying why his promoted here or there thinking even articles are giving him egde some even say why not others being promoted. they are basically like kids why him mommy!!!
The inferiority complex is so low with others that they say his taking the spotlights from others do to his media time? what his not even in the media that much? you can't really blame your biases shortcomings on someone else. the LMH haters are the mostly irrational
Lee Min Ho is just plain hot. You don't have to watch the drama....
sorry koala lee jeon seok done schooi 2013not 2015lol
KSH/LJS/JW are equally good actors although I thought JW tend to overreact during crying scenes. I ended up LOL watching him crying in some scenes. LMH on the other hand has limited range and his melos were cringeworthy to say the least. But bow to him as the most successful korean actor outside korea.
@manwha, not only competitive spirit among unstable emotional Korean society, but the way they marketing the stars irks most of the people. Antis are born not for just having fun but when the marketing approach always using this person as the "MOST" e.g beautiful, talented, humble. kind versatile"-it really irk some who didn't see that. Best example the latest article on the Kim Ta Hae, non stop cheap promotion on her beauty is actually a laughing stock for foreigner who used to see million of Korean girl more beautiful than her.
Teenagers fans absorb everything given to them as long as it matches their bias, but to non fan, slowly the anti feeling growing inside because they feel they are being fed with lies.
Give credit where credit is due. Nobody is getting this kind of love and standing ovation worldwide for being terrible. LMH do things that is only unique for him which have seen him became incredible successful in his field as entertainer
If overseas success is measured by fandom, LMH wins. If success is measured by earnings and star power, KSH wins. Both are successful in their own rights.
Your comment is probably the only legitimate and hecka accurate one in this article. But then again, this blog has rarely generated mature discussions over this matter since its full of delusional fans and irrational haters who exaggerate on both ends.
I agree with you and like @Xxx stated, you're the 1% of sanity in threads like these (which is the expected statistics from my personal observation) I'd like to hear your opinion on the other two actors mentioned here.
So happy Joo Won is included. Yong Pal is really good and I hope they'll keep it up. I wouldn't say Tomorrow Cantabile is exactly a flop. On local ratings maybe but it still garnered buzz and somewhat positive reviews online. Not exactly bad as compared to other remakes.
Up until now I still love going back to Lee Min Ho's City Hunter, Kim Soo Hyun's TMETS and Lee Jong Suk's I hear your voice so they are also dear to me.
Yes I'd agree! I love Yong Pal!!
Joo Won is the best
I hope to see Lee Min-Ho soon.
Guys, can you recommend K-Romantic comedy for 2015 that I can watch? Been busy lately.. I do not have any idea now what to see ? Thanks in advance for your attention...
LMH is doing joint project with Chinese production house and I think it's the best choice he take since he has huuuuuuuuuuge fandom in China. Doing any drama is a risky move for him while entering Korean movie doesn't guarantee a success.
btw for drama recommendation try "Oh My Ghost" with Park Bo Young it may be less comedy but still good drama
Thank you for your recommendation... Hope to see more titles here soon :)
Just try " Oh My Ghost "...
In terms of acting skills I wold rank them as follows :
1. Joo Won
2. Lee Jong Seok
3. Kim Soo Hyun
4. Lee Min Ho
In terms of looks maybe its the other way round lol.
agree with u regarding acting skills but not with the looks...beauty is in the eyes of the beholder...besides looks may be different when in personal some may not be telegenic or photogenic but appears otherwise in person. I have watched korean shows and all the hosts were saying that Joo won is really good looking and has a small face.
Anyways all 4 actors are good in their own, fortunately for Joo won, his dramas is unbeatable in ratings, his projects are left n right and he's also doing musicals, so even if he has less endorsement his still making money as much as them...