This article was first published on 16 September 2022.
It’s hard to think of the office romcom genre in K-dramas without thinking of Park Min-Young. From What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim to Forecasting Love And Weather, she portrays the charming and polished office lady persona to a T, making us fall in love with her sometimes even more than her dashing male leads.
Which Park Min-Young drama is your favourite? (Photo from: @rachel_mypark)
While waiting for the drama to stream in our region, let’s look back at some of Park Min-Young’s dramas that you’ll never get tired of rewatching over and over again.
1. What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim
What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim is about the titular Kim Mi-So (Park Min-Young), the flawless personal secretary of strict and arrogant businessman Lee Young-Joon (Park Seo Joon). Lee Young-Joon is rich and intelligent and works as the vice president of his family’s company. People admire his looks and brains, however, they find his personality offputting. The only person who lasted working for him for years is the patient, hardworking, and extremely organised Kim Mi-So.
One day, Kim Mi-So tells Lee Young-Joon that she’s resigning from her job. This takes Lee Young-Joon by surprise. In an attempt to make her stay, Lee Young-Joon ends up re-evaluating Kim Mi-So’s importance in his life, both professionally and personally.
Why you should watch it: Inarguably one of Park Min-Young’s most popular dramas, this TV series perfectly balances heart-fluttering moments and comedy. Just like any K-drama, it also flawlessly weaves in melodramatic moments that make each character feel more fleshed out. Plus, Park Min-Young and Park Seo-Joon’s chemistry is simply off the charts — it’s no wonder that people are still hoping the two would get together in real life even if the drama ended in 2018.
Watch it here.
2. Her Private Life
Whether or not you’re into fandom culture, you’ll surely find Her Private Life entertaining.
Park Min-Young stars in this drama as Sung Deok-Mi, a curator in an art gallery who is secretly a huge fan of K-pop idol Cha Shi-An (Jung Je-Won a.k.a. One) and she even runs a popular fan-site dedicated to Shi-An.
But Deok-Mi’s former romantic relationships suffered because of her love for the idol, so she decides tofocus only on her work and keeps her fangirl activities secret. Things take a turn when she gets a new colleague, Ryan (Kim Jae-Wook). He has a cold and strict personality and doesn’t care much about other people’s business. However, he accidentally learns about Deok-Mi’s secret fangirl life and starts taking interest in her.
Why you should watch it: Not only is the drama relatable to people who are into fan culture, but it also gives an interesting look into parasocial relationships and how they sometimes affect people’s real lives. Deok-Mi and Ryan’s characters also show different sides to how people interpret and pursue their passions outside of what they do professionally, which people who pursue careers both near and far from their personal interests and hobbies will find relatable.
Watch it here.
3. Forecasting Love And Weather
K-dramas — and pop culture, in general — have a way of making industries people don’t usually find interesting more fascinating. We bet that’s how it is for Forecasting Love And Weather, which focuses on the (fictionalised) lives of employees working at the Korea Meteorological Administration. Park Min-Young plays Jin Ha-Kyung, a diligent and hardworking forecaster, who catches the attention of his carefree colleague Lee Si-Woo (Song-Kang).
Why you should watch it: If you’re looking for a lighthearted office romance with just a touch of melodrama, this is the one to check out. Park Min-Young and Song Kang’s chemistry is refreshing to watch.
Watch it here.
4. When The Weather Is Fine
Hye-Won is a kind and timid woman who used to play the cello as a child. However, things happened during her younger years that scarred her emotionally, leading her to close herself from building any permanent relationships. One day, she decides to move back to her hometown from Seoul. She meets Eun-Seob (Seo Kang-Joon), a bookshop owner who leads a very simple life. The two start to change as soon as they start developing a friendship.
Why you should watch it: This drama is about healing and self-acceptance. It’s heartwarming and very relatable, especially for those who are looking to find closure in certain aspects of their lives. Park Min-Young and Seo Kang-Joon are also both exceptional in their roles, delivering performances that translate a certain warmth and realism to the audience that truly immerses you in the narrative.
Watch it here.
5. Queen For Seven Days
A huge fan of historical K-dramas? There’s a Park Min-Young drama for you, too! Based on true historical events, this TV series is about Queen Dangyeong (Park Min-Yeong), the daughter of a politician who marries Joseon’s Crown Prince who later becomes King Jungjong (Yeon Woo-Jin). As the title suggests, just seven days after they both ascend to the throne, malicious scandals are thrown against the Queen, causing her to be dethroned.
Why you should watch it: While the title already spoils the main conflict of the story, the series of events leading to the Queen’s dethronement actually makes this drama extra interesting. It also portrays the love story of the King and Queen prior to their ascension to the throne, which adds even more weight to the emotional aspects of the story. Park Min-Young also proves that as fashionable as she is in her office romcom roles, she also shines wonderfully in traditional Korean outfits.
Watch it here.
6. Love In Contract
Choi Sang-Eun (Park Min-Young) is professionally hired to be someone's 'wife'. She has several clients, some of which are longterm and the others only depending on the occasion. One of her clients, Jung Ji-Hyo (Ko Gyung-Pyo) has been with her for five years. Sang-Eun doesn't know much about Ji-Hyo despite being together for years, but she doesn't pry.
Sang-Eun is also involved with Kang Hae-Jin (Kim Jae-Young), a celebrity who also hired her as his wife. They meet on days when she's not with Ji-Hyo.
Despite being happy with her current career, Sang-Eun decided that she will leave this lifestyle for good and move to another country. However, she realised that breaking things off with Ji-Hyo and Hae-Jin may not be as easy as it seems.
Why you should watch it: This series is funny but well-rounded, giving you much depth without necessarily boring you with the melodrama. Park Min-Young proves yet again that she's a romcom goddess with her ability to charm the audience with her wit and presence onscreen, making her a very intriguing heroine. Check out our detailed review of the drama here.
Watch it here.
(Cover photo from: netflix.com)
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