Catch The Talented Shin Hye-Sun In These 3 Delightful Dramas

2023 has given us an abundance of dark and heavy dramas. But you might now be keen on relaxing and ending the year with some lighthearted shows, and there’s no better K-actress to lead the way than the brilliant Shin Hye-sun, who’s popularly known for the highly-rated K-drama Mr. Queen.

Get to know this all-around actress in the titles below. (Photo from: @shinhs831)

Best Shin Hye-sun dramas

Shin Hye-sun (sometimes spelt Shin Hae-sun) has taken on a wide range of roles from a schoolgirl in School 2013 to portraying Korea’s first opera soprano in Hymn of Death. But we think she has a knack for making her rom-com roles truly iconic, and so we’ve rounded up her best ones right here.

1. Welcome to Samdal-ri

Shin Hye-sun’s latest work has just released a few episodes but it’s already rising to the top of the trends and has been winning the hearts of K-drama fans.

Her co-star in this drama is K-heartthrob Ji Chang-wook. He plays the role of Cho Yong-pil who’s passionate about his work as a weather forecaster in Jeju Island after losing his mother. She was once a haenyo (or female diver) who died due to an incorrect weather report. Meanwhile, Hye-sun plays the role of Cho Sam-dal, his childhood friend and ex-lover who always dreamt of leaving the island and making it big in Seoul.

Sam-dal becomes a popular fashion photographer who’s about to open her first exhibit. But her bright future comes crumbling down after she’s wrongfully accused. This drives her back to her hometown where she inevitably bumps into Yong-pil.

Watch it if: You’re charmed by the calm countryside in Hometown Cha Cha Cha and you’re a fan of second-chance romances like Our Beloved Summer. 

Stream it on Netflix.

2. Mr. Queen

Mr. Queen possesses the power to make you laugh your head off. We bet that you’ll be pulled in by Shin Hye-sun’s acting skills and be captivated by her fearless portrayal of a man trapped in the body of a woman in South Korea’s Joseon period.

Hye-sun plays the role of an arrogant chef Jang Bong-hwan who wakes up in the body of a 19th-century queen (imagine the chaos that ensues!). He finds out that he’s engaged to King Cheoljong, who’s played by Kim Jung-hyun (known for his breakout role as the conman Alberto in Crash Landing on You). He also discovers that the queen is surrounded by enemies and that there’s a suspicious side to the king — all while trying to get back home.

Watch it if: You’re on the lookout for a fun saeguk (historical K-drama) like the gender-bender drama The Tale of Nokdu. 

Stream it on Netflix and Viu.

3. Angel's Last Mission: Love

Angel's Last Mission: Love will make you wonder if Shin Hye-sun was a real ballerina because of how she nailed it in this series.

She takes on the role of a cynical and distrustful ballerina. But you can’t help but be sympathetic towards her after everything she’s going through — sight loss, the death of her parents, and people who are after her and her parents’ money. She gets entangled with Kim Dan (Kim Myung-soo), an angel who’s always getting into trouble and gets the difficult task of being the cupid for our distraught female lead.

Watch it if: You’re a fan of the hate-to-love tropes like My Love from the Star. It’s also the kind of drama that will tickle your funny bone one minute and make you grab a box of tissues the next.

Stream it on Viu.

(Cover photo from: @shinhs831)