Korean dramas in 2024 offered some great stories and memorable characters. Catering to varied genres, there was something for everyone. From prominent male actors proving their bankable worth, there were more than expected breakout performances in hit K-dramas.Here are 10 best picked male performers of 2024 who left a mark in the hearts of their audience with incredible portrayals.ALSO READ: 10. Jung Hae-In - Love Next Door
Romcoms suit him. And that's what Hae-In returned with. Despite the show having the typical predictable childhood-friend-turned-lovers trope, the actor's breezy act where he spoke less and expressed more, connected with the audience. A hopeless romantic, it was an ordinary role made extra-ordinary by his versatility. 9. Ahn Bo-Hyun - Flex X Cop Action suits Bo-Hyun and gladly, he brought that back this year. Even as a detective, he had fun with those combats, and fans couldn't get enough of his aura and personality that seem best suited to give adrenaline rush. He's rich, spoilt, does things his own way. This actor knows his way to the hearts by giving us what we need. 8. Park Hyung-Sik - Doctor Slump Hyung-Sik is continuously proving his versatility. After impressing with his humour and romcoms, he's slowly shifting gears into more matured, emotionally jarring roles who are troubled, in crisis, or over here, in a slump! Hiding his tears behind his jokes, he gave moments of outburst to the audience too. 7. Hwang In-Youp - Family By Choice Talk about speaking through those eyes, and In-Youp's never lie! Kim San-Ah had a troubled childhood. But, he also had the onus of taking care of everyone around him. The angst he kept burried deep inside and the way the actor portrayed it proved why he isn't just that True Beauty face. These's a lot more he can perform. 6. Choi Woo-Shik - A Killer Paradox Woo-Shik quietly arrives with his porjects and sweeps through our lists of favourites making way for a permanent slot. This one is no different. The brilliant actor takes us through an out-of-the-world journey, literally. He's perfect as a casting, and infuses life into his character. Give him anything, and he'll only make it better. 5. Woo Do-Hwan - Mr. Plankton Do-Hwan came out of nowhere and swept through the screens with his balanced portrayal of Haejo. On the brink of dying, yearning to live a bit longer, he conveyed that desperation hidden behind the laughter to the T. His character is crazy, despite "bombs in his brain." Do-Hwan is grabbig eyeballs, project-after-project. 4. Lee Min-Ho - Pachinko Season 2 One of Min-Ho's best acts right from the show's inception in 2022. Its season 2 this year only proved why Koh Han-Su is a role perfectly written for this Korean heartthrob. It's a tad different from what we've seen him do otherwise. A serious character, no frills-and-fancies, offering him oodles of emotions to portray. 3. Yoo Yeon-Seok - When The Phone Rings His complex character could've easily slipped into the red flag zone, but he kept it green solely by balancing it with his brilliant performance. Strong and upright for the world, but only gets softened for his wife. Yeon-Seok has a long experience that he squeezed in playing Baek Sa-Eun, leaving audiences taking note of him, and swooning. 2. Byeon Woo-Seok - Lovely Runner 2024 was the rise and rise of Woo-Seok. With a decade-long body of work backing him, success was just meant to happen. He infused life into his Ryu Sun-Jae, playing him across ages, from a teenaged high-schooler to a college student and a 30-something K-pop idol. It was the year's biggest breakout performance. ALSO READ: 1. Kim Soo-Hyun - Queen Of Tears There's no debate about why Soo-Hyun is the highest paid and most reliable Korean star at the moment. Every project he touches turns gold. So when he arrived with Queen Of Tears, audience expected something extraordinary. We weren't wrong! Playing Baek Hyun-Woo, he gave us a benchmark performance with perfect moments of laughter and tears. Who is your favourite actor of 2024? Let us know at @TimesNow
