Consistently decorating her acting portfolio with memorable characters, Shin Hye Sun is a stunning actress who loves to defy the odds.
After scoring supporting roles in School 2013, Oh My Ghost and She Was Pretty, her onscreen chemistry with Sung Hoon in Five Enough and her lingering performance in Legend of the Blue Sea led to more roles. In Stranger, despite playing a supporting role, her talent did not go unnoticed.
It took her four years to land her very first lead role. From there, she became unstoppable.
Here are K-Dramas of Shin Hye Sun that you should add to your watch list.
My Golden Life
Trust KBS family drama in raising mainstream success for Korean actors. This series established the range of Shin Hye Sun as an actress.
Birth secret, interesting love pairings and family relationships are featured in the well-loved My Golden Life.
Shin Hye Sun plays the role of Seo Ji-an, a brave heroine who refuses to falter on life setbacks. She belongs to a warm family brimming with love. She has struggled for two years to secure a contract job at Haesung Group, but her envious friend back-stabbed her by using family connections to clinch the job that she has been working hard to get. She accidentally bumps into Choi Do Kyung (Park Shi Hoo), a son of the family who owns Haesung Group, when she is running an errand for one of her superiors in the department.
He cuts her some slack for the incident but makes her promise to call for the repair fee. But due to her job loss, she forgets to call as promised. It turns out that the heroine is the long-lost daughter of the family who owns Haesung.
The 52-episode series might be daunting to watch but if you are a Shin Hye Sun existing or new fan, it’s definitely a must-watch!
The Hymn of Death
Yun Sim Deok, a music student studying in Japan joins a musical troupe led by Kim Woo Jin. The latter, a son from a rich household was allowed to study in Japan, but his true passion is to write and contribute as a patriot to the crumbling Joseon. Little by little, attraction befalls Sim Deok and Woo Jin.
Not owing anyone an apology if you can’t please them because you want to live a life that is entirely your own, is the lingering impression to get from Hymn of Death.
Celebrating life and finding your purpose do not need to be grand, because oftentimes, what makes us happy are simple things and quiet solace.
Shin Hye Sun delivers a stunning portrayal in this poignantly sketched series!
K-Drama Review: “Hymn Of Death” Hums A Harrowing Yet Contemplative Love Tale
Still 17
Reminding us to appreciate the simple joys that money can’t buy, Still 17 cruises to a brightly sketched story of friendship, family, and love.
Shin Hye Sun plays the role of Woo Seo-ri, a violin prodigy who had an unfortunate accident and was unconscious for 13 years. When she wakes up, her uncle and aunt are nowhere to be found, and the house that her parents built was sold to new owners. Adjusting to what she missed in the last 17 years, she is helped by the family who owns the new house as she gropes her way to accustom herself to being a 30-year-old woman.
As the focal character, Shin Hye Sun did a great job keeping the consistency of her character by displaying a youthful attitude that befitted a 30-year-old woman whose last memories were that of her 17-year-old self. Shin’s stunning grasp of her character’s unstable thoughts and emotional breakdowns has drawn how a woman’s vulnerability leads to mustering the tenacity she needs to overcome her afflictions.
K-Drama Review: “Still 17” Discovers Happiness Through Acceptance Of Love & Change
Angel’s Last Mission: Love
With a touch of light romance, Angel’s Last Mission: Love gives a gift of healing in the storms of life.
A story about a beautiful, talented, and wealthy ballerina who encounters a series of tragedies in her life. Coincidentally, she becomes entangled with an angel on his last mission before returning to paradise.
Providing an exhilarating fantasy romantic narrative mixed with tearful moments, Shin Hye Sun’s captivating acting skills and Kim Myung Soo’s irresistible charms were undoubtedly portrayed in the drama.
Presenting a painful lesson from offering love and warmth to families, the series highlights how a person may have regrets after it is too late to express compassion to a loved one. Shin Hye Sun’s rendition of her character is clearly exemplified by her emotions and acting abilities. Nevertheless, despite being a beautiful and talented ballerina, she still depicted her miserable existence and she is lauded for that.
Mr. Queen
A life without women is Casanova’s worst nightmare. Except for Blue House Chef Jang Bong Hwan (Choi Jin Hyuk), the nightmare came in a different form.
After being involved in a work scandal, which led to a freak incident, he found himself waking up in the body of Kim So Yong (Shin Hye Sun), soon-to-be queen of King Cheoljong (Kim Jung Hyun).
There, he on the she-form started getting tangled up with the complicated world of courtly politics and some romance, while hilariously doing his utmost best to return to his original body and world.
Shin Hye Sun did a great job in establishing the difference between her portrayal of Jang Bong Hwan and of Kim So Yong, proving that she has a natural knack for comedy roles, too.
See You in My 19th Life
By this time of her career, Shin Hye Sun has proven she has a knack for securing dramas with complex characters she can give justice to. See You In My 19th Life sees her exploring a myriad of character expressions and emotions.
She plays the character tired of living reincarnated lives until she finds a reason to value her gift. Exceptionally skilled, Ban Ji-eum credits her multi-maven nature to her ability to be reincarnated and remember those reincarnations.
After being reborn to her 19th life as Ban Ji-eum, young Ji-eum is left with no choice but to seek the help of his 17th life niece, Ae-gyeong so she can meet Moon Seo-ha.
Unfortunately, in her 18th life as Yoon Ju-won, she died protecting young Seo-ha with whom she had grown fond of. Since then, he has become her reason to live in her 19th life.
Welcome to Samdal-ri
Challenging a new character facing a slump in her life, Shin Hye Sun portrays Cho Sam-dal in Welcome To Samdalri another hometown-themed series shaping to be another fan favorite among K-Drama fans.
Leaving her hometown for her big dream in Seoul, she ends up going back to the very place she vowed not to return to anymore when she got embroiled in a power abuse controversy tarnishing her illustrious photographer situation.
She reconnects with her hometown friends, family, and most especially ex-lover Cho Yong-pil. As pragmatic as it can be, Shin Hye Sun has beautifully captured the emotions of her character. She decorates her scenes with distinct emotional and reality-biting nuance that her character feels.
Don’t miss out on these Shin Hye Sun Korean dramas that are definitely worth your binge-watch time!
Photos: KBS2 | SBS | tvN | JTBC
