Lee Min Ho has come a long way since his early days as a waiter in the 2005 drama Recipe of Love. After a few smaller roles across four TV series in four years, he shot to stardom as Gu Jun Pyo in the hit K-drama Boys Over Flowers. With a part that undeniably hurled him into fame, Lee Min Ho quickly became known as a global actor, amassing a following not just in Asia but in Western countries as well.
Whether you're a new admirer exploring his work for the first time or a longtime supporter revisiting his iconic roles, below, we've rounded up 10 of his must-watch K-dramas and movies.
K-Dramas Starring Lee Min Ho
1. Boys Over Flowers (2009)
First on the list, of course, is the aforementioned TV series that propelled Lee Min Ho to stardom, Boys Over Flowers. Based on the Japanese manga of the same title, Min Ho's breakout role as the popular yet arrogant heir to the Shinhwa Group, Gu Jun Pyo turned him into a household name. If, for some reason, you aren't acquainted with the show just yet, BOF follows the poor but headstrong Geum Jan Di (Ku Hye Sun) as a series of unfortunate events leaves her entagled with the her prestigious school's notorious, powerful group, the F4, led by Jun Pyo.
Watch on: iQiyi, Netflix, WeTV, Viu,
2. Personal Taste (2010)
Jeon Jin Ho (Lee Min Ho) is a straight-laced architect mistaken for a gay man when he becomes the roommate of Park Gae In (Son Ye Jin), a quirky furniture designer. While Jin Ho’s meticulous habits and stoic demeanor clash with Gae In’s trusting yet hapless personality, an unexpected bond forms between them. But what happens when Gae In discovers her "gay" roommate isn’t gay at all—and might just have feelings for her.
3. City Hunter (2011)
Lee Yoon Sung (Lee Min Ho), a genius MIT graduate, joins the Blue House’s international communications team with a secret mission: avenging his father’s death. Guided by his surrogate father, Lee Jin Pyo (Kim Sang Joong), Yoon Sung targets five corrupt politicians responsible for the tragedy. Along the way, he transforms into the elusive vigilante "City Hunter," balancing his quest for justice with the challenges of his dual identity.
4. The Heirs (2013)
Based off his filmography, it seems Min Ho has a knack for playing young, rich heirs. Also known as The Inheritors, the 2013 drama sees the actor as the wealthy Kim Tan, the successor to a large Korean conglomerate called the Jeguk Group. Exiled to the U.S. by his jealous brother, he meets and soon falls for Cha Eun Sang (Park Shin Hye) a regular girl struggling towards a better life. Sounds to us like Jun Pyo and Jan Di 2.0.
Watch on: iQiyi, Netflix, Viu
5. The Legend of the Blue Sea (2016)
In this fantasy drama, the reincarnation of a town official and a mermaid who fall in love during the Joseon era encounter each other once again in modern day Seoul. Min Ho plays Kim Dam Ryeong, the son of a nobelman from the Joseon era. As a young boy he meets the captivating Se Hwa (Jun Ji Hyun) who rescues him from drowning. The two cross paths once again centuries later, with Min Ho now as Heo Joon Jae, a smooth-talking conman who takes interest in Se-Hwa's doppleganger Shim Cheong and the $6 million dollar bracelet on her wrist.
Watch on: iQiyi, Netflix, WeTV, Viu
6. The King: Eternal Monarch (2020)
Having been absent from the silver screen for almost three years because of his mandatory military enlistment, Min Ho made his much-anticipated comeback with yet another fantasy drama, The King: Eternal Monarch. Here, he portrays Emperor Lee Gon of the Kingdom of Corea as he sets out to travel into a parallel universe to close the portal connecting his world and modern day Korea. His plans, however, are thrown for a loop when, while in Seoul, he crosses paths with Detective Jeong Tae Eul (Kim Go Eun), a police officer who he somehow recognizes from his tragic childhood.
Watch on: Netflix
7. Pachinko (2022)
Set across generations, this sweeping drama begins with Kim Sun-Ja (Kim Min Ha), a young woman in 20th-century Korea under Japanese rule. Her romance with Koh Han-Su (Lee Min Ho) leads to unexpected revelations, while a kind priest offers her a new path. Sun-Ja’s journey takes her to Japan, where she faces life as an immigrant. Decades later, her grandson Baek Solomon (Jin Ha) navigates corporate life in New York and Tokyo.
Watch on: Apple TV+
8. When the Stars Gossip (2024)
Set aboard a space station, this romantic drama follows OB-GYN Kong Ryong (Lee Min Ho), a space tourist with a secret mission, and perfectionist Commander Eve Kim (Gong Hyo Jin), who’s navigating her first command. Adding complexity are fruit fly scientist Kang Gang Su (Oh Jung Se), an heir seeking adventure, and Choi Go Eun (Han Ji Eun), Kong Ryong’s brilliant fiancée from a powerful conglomerate. Sparks fly as love and ambition collide in the most uncharted territory of all: space.
Watch on: Netflix
Movies Starring Lee Min Ho
9. Gangnam Blues (2015)
Already struggling to get by, when childhood friends JongDae (Lee Min Ho) and Yong Ki (Kim Rae Won) lose their shanty homes to local thugs, they involve themselves in gang activity for money. The two are separated in a violent skirmish, however, and only meet again three years later amid growing politicial tensions in the corrupt district of 1970s Gangnam. Upon reuniting, Jong Dae and Yong Ki hatch a plan to get rich, but soon realize that the uphill climb to to their aspirations is a slippery, and often, brutal slope.
10. Bounty Hunters (2016)
In this action-packed comedy, two ex-Interpol agents, Lee San (Lee Min Ho) and Wong Bok Yo (Wallace Chung), are framed for a terrorist attack while on a bodyguard gig. Pursued by a stylish bounty hunter trio—heiress Cat (Tiffany Tang), hacker Swan (Karena Ng), and brawny Babe (Louis Fan)—the unlikely team bands together to clear their names. As they chase down the elusive mastermind Tommy, hilarity ensues, blending high-stakes missions with their chaotic, mismatched antics.
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