Ha Jung Woo Leads the Korean Male Fans Pick of Their Top 20 Manliest K-actors
I’m always entertained by lists and polls, offering a snapshot of the general reaction to the topic at hand without needing to take it seriously. The latest list is interesting in how many selections elicited approving nods from me. tvN did a poll of Korean males to ask who their favorite manly actor was and the top three is basically as perfect as it gets. Leading the votes was one of Korea’s favorite box office leading man behemoths in Ha Jung Woo, followed by so sexy it hurts Cha Seung Won, and rounding out the top three is my I Lub You Jung Woo Sung. So much rawr I can’t even.
I find this particular poll adorable because it’s asking men what they think of other men, albeit the other men are all handsome, rich, and famous. It’s notable that the majority of picks are true manly men in K-ent, ones who are conventionally handsome and/or skew towards brutish charisma. But a few flower boys snuck on the list in Won Bin, Jo In Sung, Hyun Bin, and Kim Soo Hyun, and with those choices I’m a little bemused. Won Bin is hampered by his incredible good looks but he is actually more of a character actor who can go full manly in his roles, but I’m never ever thought of Jo In Sung as manly and Kim Soo Hyun is a fave of mine but is so slight as to be unassuming outside of his acting roles.
1. Ha Jung Woo
2. Cha Seung Won
3. Jung Woo Sung
4. Jang Dong Gun
5. Choi Min Shik
6. Won Bin
7. Song Kang Ho
8. Hwang Jung Min
9. Jo In Sung
10. Yoo Jae Suk
11. So Ji Sub
12. Lee Jung Jae
13. Hyun Bin
14. Song Il Gook
15. Kim Soo Hyun
16. Park Sung Woong
17. Song Seung Heon
18. Lee Byung Heon
19. Ma Dong Seok
20. Kim Yoon Seok
Errr… I don’t know.. I won’t think of Ha Jung Woo as the manliest man… hahaha. but he’s a great actor, I admit..
I would pick Jung Woo Sung as the manliest one.. Just because that face and those abs!!
Manly? Joo Jin Mo comes to mind. Jo In Sung is more to a pretty boy, Jang Dong Gun is the typical handsome man. I guess this thing can be subjective as well?
JJM is not in the list and that’s shocking! The man oozes manliness and I don’t see how this may be subjective. I adore JIS but “manly” is not the first adjective that comes to mind when I see him. On the other hand, I love how HJW’s difficult years are over. The man could not even get a minor role because he was looking older and far from a “flower-boy” type.
Koala, Can you comment why Matt Damon is in one of the screen shots?
as expected…overated Lee Min Ho nowhere to be seen..
i’m very glad that LMH isn’t on the list. I always feel he tries so hard to appear manly but falls short of it and appear more like effeminate. His pastel makeup and shiny lipgloss don’t help either.
Super disappointed. Where’s my Jang Hyuk?
How they do the poll?
Maybe Matt Damon is secretly a Korean……….
great! wow to the top 2 men, i mean, really see them as manly men and to be given the thumbs up by men that’s just wow! and love love that my won bin is on the 6th “ajussi”! his voice, i could drown on it, so manly. well, jo in sung? it’s a surprise.
for me the manliest n sexy man is kim sung soo, joo jin mo n lee jin wook. i’m surprise if kim so hyun regard as manly
Jo in sung is such a pretty flower boy,why? He is even in Top 10.
I agree with most of them there, JIS? he’s used to get high ranking in most of lists. KSH also is manly? He is higher than SSH and LBH,etc? KSH is so overrated as hell.
Two bins and JIS are fine. But KSH? why he is here?
Fangirl reflexes…
well, in this case fanboy reflexes…
Where’s Gong Yoo. Just saw him in Suspect. No other definition of manly! Jo In Sung and Kim Soo Hyun?? Really??
KSH has to be ranked in every favourable poll ever in SKorea, the general public loves him. I think he’s manly depending on the character he plays (like Secretly, Greatly or TMTETS). For me Jung Woo Sung is #1 and Cha Seung Won a very close second. LBH doesn’t even belong in the top 100.
I see the Nation’s MC at No.10. Go Yoo Jae Suk !!
Almost missed him, but I’d probably put KJK in his place. YJS will forever be half of Dumb and Dumber for me <3
I really, really like Ha Jung Woo so I’m pleased to see him rank number one. Also glad to see Song Kang Ho on the list. I would have put him a bit higher on the list, but that’s just my two cents. They’re both great actors.
Oh and I find them very manly too!
Han Jung-Soo did not make the list. Yes! I can keep all his manliness to myself. *rawrrr*
I think the list is pretty realistic but I agree with the surprise of flower boys. My favorite is So Ji Sub. I think he’s manly in real life and gravitates toward manly characters in his choice if dramas and movies.
In absolute agreement with Ha Jung Woo, feeling a bit weird of Kim Soo Hyun in the rank, i think he’s overrated but it might just be because of my taste. I don’t get the manly vibe from KSH, so as Jo In Sung (though i adore JIS). But where’s my Jang Hyuk? I should do my own manliest k actors list, Jang Hyuk will definitely be in top 8.
I vote for Lee Jin Wook.
remove KSH and put Jang Hyuk.after seeing him in Chuno and Shine or Go Crazy.he definatelty should have been on this list not KSH
KSH is obviously very well liked by the SK public, he is the only 20’s something on the list. Despite his young age, he can look manly, esp in his ZioZia F/W photoshoot.
Even though Gong Yoo and Kang Dong Won aren’t there but i’m still happy because Daehan-Minguk-Manse appa aka Song Il Koook is on Top 15.
What about Kim Sang Joong, Kim Kang Woo, Lee Seo Jin, Joo Jin Mo, Kim Myung Min, Kim Sung Soo, Jung Jae Young, and Jo Dung Hyuk ????
Glad HJW is no. 1. Top 3 are wall. If I made the list, I’d place Lee Jungjae & Hwang Jung Min higher, take Kim Soo Hyun out and replace it with Kang Dong Won. Well I know he’s known for his androgynous looks but he’s better than KSH.
I 100% agree with this list
Where’s Ji Jin-hee? He’s so charismatic in Blood.
Surprisingly I agree with this list. I think Cha Seung Won is very manly despite being a male model.
People’s perceptions are funny since I always thought Jo In Sung is manly.
However I think we all agree with Kim Soo Hyun not being manly – at all.
I can take Jo In Sung being on the list, but now Jang Hyuk? I get that he tried to dodge doing his military service but the dude is pretty mainly especially in the rugged and brutish sense.
*not
*NO. Goddamit, I really Cannot type today.
What the heck, Gong Yoo should definitely be on the list, replace Jo In Sung with him (love Jo In Sung too, but no way he is more manily than Gong Yoo)
lol did i see Yoo Jae Suk!! hahaha manly actor? lol