Watch The Versatile Actress Han Hyo-Joo In These 3 Captivating K-Dramas

Moving is the K-drama that’s breaking records (it’s the most-watched Korean original on Disney+ globally) and winning over our hearts lately. One of the cast members who’s shining in the show is actress Han Hyo-joo, the star-crossed lover of Jo In-sung’s character on the show. Let’s get to know her a little better through her latest works.

Han Hyo-joo as an agent in ‘Moving’. (Photo from: @hanhyojoo222)

Han Hyo-joo

But first, a quick background about her. The ever-youthful Han Hyo-joo is a 36-year-old actress who’s been in the K-entertainment world since the early 2000s. She got her big break when she starred alongside Lee Seung-gi in the 2009 K-drama Brilliant Legacy. She has then taken on various projects from historical dramas to Treadstone, a Hollywood spin-off of the Bourne series.

Let’s now dive into her recent works which contain interesting plots with fantasy and sci-fi vibes.

Han Hyo-joo’s K-dramas

1. Moving

Superhuman spies and villains that will remind you of Marvel’s Agents of Shield, edge-of-your-seat action, and compelling backstories. These are just some of the elements you’ll find in Hyo-joo’s latest K-drama Moving.

Hyo-joo plays the role of Lee Mi-hyun, a tonkatsu restaurant owner and a former NIS (National Intelligence Service) agent with superhuman senses. She’s also the mum of Kim Bong-seok, a boy who can fly and who has also inherited her abilities. Hyo-joo’s character goes all out to protect her child and courageously faces a killer on a mission to take down superhumans like her.

Why you should watch it: Aside from its fresh take on the superhero genre, you’ll be captivated by its stellar cast. Its young stars include Lee Jung-ha (Nevertheless,) and Go Youn-jung (Alchemy of Souls) while its veteran actors consist of Jo In-sung (That Winter, The Wind Blows), Ryu Seung-ryong (Kingdom), and more. And while Hyo-joo has worked with In-sung on various advertisements and a variety show, this is their first drama together.

Stream Moving on Disney+.

2. Happiness

Happiness feels like a misnomer for this dark, apocalyptic thriller drama. In the story, South Korea intensifies its lockdown measures after a COVID-19 variant turns people into zombies. Then it zooms in on one apartment complex with tenants stuck inside it who would lie, steal, and kill as they’ll do anything to survive.

Hyo-joo takes on the role of Yoon Sae-bom, a tough and fearless member of the police squad. You can’t help but worry about her because it feels as if she would act first before thinking about her own safety. And that’s where the protective role of Park Hyung-sik (a detective who has been friends with her since high school) comes in.

Why you should watch it: There isn’t a dull moment in this series, and maybe it’s because it only has 12 episodes instead of your usual 16. You’ll also root for the slow-burn relationship between Hyo-joo and Hyung-sik’s characters.

Stream Happiness on Viu or Netflix.

3. W: Two Worlds Apart

If you feel like the previous two might be too dark for you, check out W: Two Worlds Apart. While it also contains scenes of a character’s traumatising past and other mysterious events, it’s a true rom-com at heart.

In W: Two Worlds Apart, Hyo-joo plays the role of a surgeon in the real world who was able to enter into the unstable webtoon-verse created by her father. She meets the main character Kang Chul (Lee Jong-suk) and finds herself in crazy and romantic situations with him and does what she can to save him from someone who’s out to get him.

Han Hyo-joo bagged the Best Actress for a Mini Series in the 2016 APAN Star Awards for her role in this one.

Why you should watch it: Aside from its interesting premise, you’ll enjoy Han Hyo-joo’s undeniable chemistry with Lee Jong-suk.

Stream W: Two Worlds Apart on Viu or Netflix.

(Cover photo from: @hanhyojoo222)