K-drama Producers Lamenting Huge Hole in Late 20’s Leading Men Due to Military Service

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• well then use them over 30 ones, i don't mind lol as long as the age gap between two leads is not so big (if the two leads are lover)

• Big rating hits? Other than Lee min ho and Kim SOO Hyun, I do not see any big rating hits star. It is a good timing for young rising stars.

  • Almost all of Joo Won's dramas have been ratings hits. Gaksital? Yong Pal? Even something older like King of Baking, Kim Tak Goo. And Siwan has been in plenty of hits as well.

    • Yeah his projects usually do well.

  • Well, i don't know if even names like Lee min Ho or Kim Soo Hyun would be able to rise the ratings of dramas like WYWS,HS,...The good ratings recently didn't have big names but solid actors. It's time to give the chance to another actors who are in the field since some time and were overshadowed by Big names . Lee Jong Suk, Ha Ji Won, Han Ye Seul, Lee jun Ki, moon Chae Won...to name a few ones..all their dramas were failures.

• I am not sad. I always prefer the actors in mid 30s. With the void left behind, perhaps I can dream to have more of the likes of Kim Nam Gil, Lee Joon Gi, Lee Sang Yoon, Joo Ji Hoon. So no, am not complaining.

  • So many actors in the 30s who could do with a career revival! Like Kang Ji Hwan and Jang Geun Seok. HB could also make a drama comeback and LDW could do more lead roles in good dramas. LTYN was great for KMNG and Black for SSH. Its time to focus on the 30s actors who have been trapped in bad roles to get some limelight.

    • Oops typo! I meant Kim Nam Gil (KNG)

    • JGS? He is not 30 yet... but why is there no enlistment news on him, is he exempted for whatever reasons, does anyone know?

    • Isn't he an 87 liner like LMH? He's older than 89 line LJS that much I recall.

      Looks like he's been exempted because I don't remember hearing anything about his enlistment.

    • Oh yeah right... he is August 2017... hahaha thot he was younger.... sorry! He is a good actor, just a little weird, or maybe eccentric is a better word? ?

    • JKS will do another project and will go to the army soon. So he will be missing too :(

• Its only a matter of one year. They just need to get through 2018 by 2019 most of them will be back.

  LSG is already back and JIW will be coming back next year. LJS has still not enlisted and there is always PJH. The 40s actors are also coming back to dramas next year like CSW, SJS and LBH. SJK will also be looking for a new drama next year at some point and Lee Je Hoon might do another drama next year maybe Signal 2!

  Not to mention PHS and JDG are doing Suits next year and CJH is also there. Even without rookie stars who directors never seem to want to bet on, there are plenty of established actors in the early 30s and 40s who can play roles.

• Well there's Lee Seunggi, Park Seojoon, Song Joongki, Yoo Ahin and Lee Jongsuk left from the late 80 liners.
  There's also an abundance of 90-liners rising fast lately.

  But does it really matter? K-dramas like to reuse the same actors anyway. I swear I've been seeing repeated faces this year. Even without enlistment, people like Lee Minho and Kim Soohyun only does films or come back to dramaland when there's a big project.

  • Yeah but yai is not really likeable this day, thanks to his military scandal

    • Eh an accused rapist is in a kbs family drama and getting cfs now, YAI should be fine in the end.

    • @teacakes lol i forgot about him, that asshole is now enjoying his 30% weekend drama, damn!

• I don't agree with K media on this one. there is still so many eligible and talented actors to replace them but the question is,is the actors left behind being offered better projects with respect to good scripts to enable them make a comeback?

• Lol they are worried that they will have to start exerting more effort, stop slacking and stop relying on visual young-in actors to sell their dramas abroad and actually focus on writing better scripts and being creative.If their primary target is Korea.The demographic of the drama audience ranges from 20s to 40s ahjummas.The majority of the watchers being ahjummas.So the above 30s actors is closer to their ages and more relatable for selling fantasies?.

  Also whats this about big hits?This year, its the above 30 actors and actresses who have delivered big hits..compare the ratings and quality for:

  My Sassy Girl
  Suspicious Partner
  The King Loves
  Kim Soo Hyun's last drama project was in 2015? and his latest movie(enough said)
  Legend of the Blue Sea
  Kang Ha Neul went off without leading a drama!

  vs
  Secret Forest
  Defendant
  Queen of Dignity
  Seven Day Queen
  Whisper
  Rebel
  Avenger's Club
  Because it is my first life

  There are still plenty to choose.Jo In Sung, Hyun Bin, Gong Yoo, Lee Dong Wook.Jo seung Woo.Younger one:Yoo Seung Ho, Yeo Jin Goo.Is Park Bo Gum really going soon?Jang Geuk Suk and LJS need to get going too.Lets go to boot camp everybody?.

  • lol exactly.

    Kang Haneul went off without leading a drama but as the co-lead of a hit movie starring him+ Park Seo Joon (who is done with military and had a hit drama in Fight My Way... at 30 in Korean age).

    There is no lack of talent, but the producers are just whining because they want famous names. It's the same reason why they used to say 'there are no 20something actresses so we only give roles to idols no matrer how shit their acting is' a few years ago - they don't want the talent, they only want the fame.

• I kind of agree with the producers, it took them some time to propel these men into superstars when Hyun Bin and the likes went to military and now they are left with a similar gap. Of course there is Park Bo Gum and YSH but there isn’t enough young 20s male stars. These stars are flexible in terms of matching 20s and 30s year old actresses. The writers and producers should start writing more about middle aged 30s men to cater for HB, KNG, LJG, and others but they seem more interested in doing films and don’t have the same worldwide popularity as LMH and KSH.

  • The 93 line only has YSH because PBG is apparently heading for military service. The 20s mostly just has idols these days actually because LHW has yet to make a mark and JS hasn't been able to break out of secondary and supporting roles yet. NJH is there but even he is a model actor and not very good. DO is very good as an idol actor but he has no interest in dramas.

    Be the early 20s or late 20s there isn't many popular and talented stars so its better to concentrate on the 30s actors who have skill and experience under their belt.

    • I don't think it's true that PBG is heading for service now. Apparently that they have to renew their physical exam every 5 years if they are not planning to go yet. The 1st exam was when he's 19, and now he's 24. The timeline fits. Though I don't mind if he's going soon, just as long as he left us with a great project before.

  • Nah..the late 20s and early 30s and even mid 30s even late 30s actresses would gain more by working with the experienced actors anyway. For example, take early 30s actress like MCW,HHJ,PMY,etc match them with the mid 30s actors e.g JJH,LDW,JJS,LJW etc.Or the late 20s actress like PSH,KJW,KGE,PBY etc and match them with the early 30s actors e.g SJK,YYS,PHJ as for the early 20s actresses, they are not many of them already, so its naught.the teens like the 'three Kims'..plenty of teen actors they can work with, these are the kinds of tslents that need the spotlight but are not having the opportunity.As for mid-30s, late 30s, early 40s like HJW,LBY,SHK,JJH,GHJ etc..their options are limitless.The producers have no excuse here.

    • The problem is kdrama is obsessed with pretty which is why you get a potential paring of HJH opposite SYJ. How can someone like HJH ever measure up to limitless talent and aura of SYJ! Castings like this are the reason producers are complaining of lack of 20s actors but what they instead should be doing is writing scripts for 30s and 40s actors where they can act opp each other instead of 20 somethings.

    • HJH and SYJ? Who are they?

    • Hong Jonghyun from The Kings Love and Son Ye Jin have been offered the lead roles in Noona Who Buys Me Food.

• Well young man 20 star male nowadays is not as talent as their previous generation anyway, so i won't miss them that much. It's time for an underrated actor in their thirties to fill their place. Please I just need SJK and another new talent actor coming

• I won't miss them. The 30s actors are much more handsome, charismatic and talented. I think this is one of the reason why k dramas lost their touch. The 30s batch that was in their 20s always produced great dramas. So Ji Sub, Gong Yoo, Jo In Sung, and more.They're incomparable with those list actors. Taecyeon? Nugu? XD

  • Yeah Taecyeon isn't exactly a charismatic actor lol. First Kim Soo Hyun and now Woo Do Hwan ended up stealing the spotlight in projects that were supposed to be his showcase as leading man, he just doesn't compare to real actors.