Hallyu star Gong Yoo becomes the talk of the town every time he comes out with a new project and with good reason. The actor has been known to top-bill both TV shows and movies that almost always go on to become blockbuster hits or highly-rated TV shows. Take Train to Busan and Goblin, for example—projects whose clear success need no explanation. For this reason, we’ve rounded up 15 Korean dramas and films featuring Gong Yoo that we’re sure fans will equally love just as much.
Movies Starring Gong Yoo
She's on Duty (2005)
Watch on: iQiyi
Police detective Chun Jae-in goes undercover as a high school student to protect Cha Seung-hee, the young daughter of a notorious gangster and case witness. When she struggles to befriend her client, she gets the help of Gong Yoo as Kang No-young, a handsome classmate who develops an inappropriate crush on her.
Also starring: Kim Sun Ah, Nam Sang Mi
Finding Mr. Destiny (2010)
Han Ji-goon (Gong Yoo) is the owner of a business that promises to find anyone’s first love. He gets his first client in Seo Ji-woo, a woman determined to reunite with the unforgettable man she met in India. At first, Ji-goon takes her all over Korea in search of her estranged lover, but complications eventually arise when he finds himself falling for Ji-woo.
Also starring: Im Soo Jung, Jo Han Chul
Silenced (2011)
Watch on: iQiyi
Based on harrowing true events, the film follows Gong Yoo as Kang In-ho, a well-meaning art teacher with a dark past. Worried by how aloof and paranoid his young students seem at his new school, he soon finds out they’ve secretly been suffering from physical and sexual abuse at the hands of the administration. The film sparked public outcry upon its release, which led to the reopening of the case that originally let its perpetrators off easy.
Also starring: Jung Yu Mi, Kim Hyun Soo
Train to Busan (2016)
This critically acclaimed, box office success follows a father and daughter as they board a train to meet the latter's mother. Their innocent day out quickly spirals into a full-blown nightmare when they find themselves in the middle of a national zombie outbreak, while trapped inside the train.
Also starring: Ma Dong Seok, Kim Su An, Choi Woo Shik
The Age of Shadows (2016)
Watch on: iQiyi
Set in the 1920s during Japan's occupation of Korea, police officer Lee Jung-Chool is ordered to dismantle the Korean independence group, the Righteous Brotherhood. Posing as an art enthusiast, he befriends Kim Woo-Jin (Gong Yoo), the group's leader, despite both knowing each other's true motives. With spies infiltrating their ranks, the Brotherhood flees to Shanghai to plan a daring attack on the Japanese government.
Also starring: Song Kang Ho, Gong Yoo, Um Tae Goo
Kim Ji-young: Born 1982 (2019)
PR agency worker Kim Ji-young has lived a mundane life up until her 30s. Everything changes one day when a string of people from her past seemingly start to possess her body, including her late mother and grandmother. Gong Yoo plays Ji-young's concerned husband, Jung Dae-hyun.
Also starring: Jung Yu Mi, Kim Mi Kyung
Seobok (2021)
Ki Heon, a former intelligence agent, is tasked with protecting Seo Bok, the world’s first genetically engineered human clone who holds the key to immortality. As they embark on a perilous mission, they become targets of competing forces seeking to exploit Seo Bok’s unique abilities for their own agendas.
Also starring: Park Bo Gum, Jo Woo Jin
Wonderland (2024)
Watch on: Netflix
In the virtual world of Wonderland, people reconnect with loved ones they’ve lost in real life. Jeong In seeks solace after her boyfriend Tae Ju falls into a coma, while a grieving husband requests to see his late wife, Bai Li. Overseeing these emotional reunions are Harry and Hyun Soo, who ensure the simulations bring comfort to the visitors. The film explores love, loss, and the bittersweet hope of rekindled connections.
Also starring: Tang Wei, Bae Suzy, Park Bo Gum, Jung Yu Mi, Choi Woo Shik
K-Dramas Starring Gong Yoo
One Fine Day (2006)
Seo Han Eul’s (Sung Yuri) life takes a tumultuous turn after losing her mother in a fire and being adopted by a wealthy but shady family. Her stepbrother, Seo Gun (Gong Yoo), uses her to extort money but unexpectedly develops feelings for her. As their bond deepens, they navigate a love entangled with secrets, loss, and moral dilemmas.
Also starring: Sung Yuri, Namkoong Min, Lee Yun Hee
Coffee Prince (2007)
Watch on: Netflix, Viki, Viu
Due to her tomboyish looks, Go Eun-chan is mistakenly hired by Choi Han-kyul, a chaebol heir, to be his fake gay lover so he can escape the blind dates arranged by his grandmother. Not knowing Eun-chan is actually a girl, Han-kyul also gets her to work for the rundown coffee shop he’s trying to revive in order to show his worth to his family and his first love. Eun-chan only accepts the job since she’s in need of money, but her relationship with Han-kyul grows complicated when the latter ends up developing genuine feelings for her while she’s disguised as a boy, confusing his sexuality in the process.
Also starring: Yoon Eun Hye, Lee Sun Kyun
Big (2012)
After surviving a car accident, 18-year-old Kang Kyung-joon wakes up in the body of a handsome, 30-year-old doctor named Seo Yoon-jae. While navigating his odd situation, he finds out the man he’s inhabiting is actually engaged to his substitute teacher, Gil Da-ran.
Also starring: Lee Min Jung, Shin Won Ho, Bae Suzy
Guardian: The Lonely and Great God (2016)
Watch on: Netflix, Viu
This romantic fantasy drama stars Gong Yoo as a 939-year-old Goblin. Also known as the Protector of Souls, he ends up falling for the girl destined to end his cursed immortal life. The series was an Asian-wide hit and is one of the highest rating K-dramas in cable TV history. It also gave Gong Yoo a Best TV Actor win at the 53rd Baeksang Arts Awards.
Also starring: Kim Go Eun, Lee Dong Wook, Yoo In Na
Squid Game (2021-2024)
Watch on: Netflix
By now, we’re sure every true fan of this Hallyu star has seen his iconic role on Squid Game. But if you’ve yet to succumb to the hype, FYI, the series centers on an unlikely group of cash-strapped individuals coerced by the likes of Gong Yoo’s character into playing a deadly tournament by a secret organization taking advantage of their misfortune.
Also starring: Lee Jung Jae, Jung Ho Yeon, Wi Ha Joon, Park Hae Soo
The Silent Sea (2021)
Watch on: Netflix
This Netflix Original is set in the future on a dystopian Earth where water and food are scarce due to desertification and climate change. In a last bid to survive, a team of elite agents are sent on a reconnaissance mission to an abandoned research base on the moon, where they're tasked to retrieve mysterious samples that could save humanity. Gong Yoo leads the series as Han Yoon-jae, the group’s selfless team leader.
Also starring: Bae Doona, Lee Joon
The Trunk (2024)
Watch on: Netflix
Contract marriage provider Noh In-Ji (Seo Hyun Jin) enters her fifth marriage with music producer Han Jeong Won (Gong Yoo), who is haunted by his ex-wife and a painful past. Despite initial awkwardness, the pair gradually connect. However, their lives take a dark turn when a mysterious trunk is recovered from a lake, unraveling shocking secrets about the matchmaking company.
Also starring: Seo Hyun Jin
Hey, Preview readers! Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Tiktok, and Twitter to stay up to speed on all things trendy and creative. We’ll curate the most stylish feed for you!
