Lee Min-ho in The King: Eternal Monarch | Photo: Netflix
Cover Lee Min-ho in 'The King: Eternal Monarch' (Photo: Netflix)

With his iconic role in the global hit, 'Boys Over Flowers', Lee Min-ho is recognised as the actor that originally brought forth the Hallyu wave beyond Korean shores. He is also one of the biggest endorsers and highest-paid actors in the business. Which of his shows are your favourites?

Hallyu superstar Lee Min-ho has the face of a charming prince ready to brave all sorts of storms for the love of his life—that's what his fans think at least. 

Born 22 June 1987, Min-ho gained widespread fame through his role Gu Jun-pyo in Boys Over Flowers (2009), a series based on the Japanese shōjo manga Hana Yori Dango. The show's high viewership ratings across South Korea landed Min-ho several modelling and acting stints that made his career flourish until the present time. 

Read more: Learn About Lee Min-ho's Military Journey

Min-ho's talent was eventually recognised when he was given the Best New Actor title at the 45th Baeksang Arts Awards. He is the first Korean actor to get a waxed figure at the Madame Tussauds museum and even made it to the list of the highest-paid K-Drama actors of 2021. 

In this article, Tatler lists some of Min-ho's most notable movies and series.

See Also: Which K Darama Shows Have The Highest Ratings This 2021? Some May Surprise You

1. The King: Eternal Monarch (2020)

Tatler Asia
Lee Min-ho in The King: Eternal Monarch | Photo: Netflix
Above Lee Min Ho, filming The King: Eternal Monarch, 2019 | Photo: Suwiti Pai on Pinterest

A handsome man riding a white horse is a picture you can only see in every girl's fairytale fantasy. Luckily, the producers of The King: Eternal Monarch has brought this dream to life with Min-ho. 

Released in 2020, the series follows the mind-boggling time adventure of Emperor Lee Gon (Min-ho), the king who rules the fabled country of Corea. In his journey, he meets and falls in love with detective Jung Tae-eul (Kim Go-eun) whom he recognizes from an identification card he obtained as a child during his father's assassination.

Read also: 7 Gong Yoo Movies And Shows To Watch This 2021

2. Legend of the Blue Sea (2016)

Tatler Asia
Jun Ji-hyun and Lee Min-ho in Legend Of The Blue Sea  | Photo: Yibada
Above Jun Ji-hyun and Lee Min-ho in Legend Of The Blue Sea | Photo: Yibada

Min-ho and Jun Ji-hyun are Korea's biggest Hallyu stars and if you're wondering how they'll do as on-screen lovers, you should watch Legend of the Blue Sea. The show circles around the bitter-sweet love story of Shim Cheong (Jun Ji-hyun), a mermaid, and Heo Joon-jae (Min-ho), a con artist. 

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3. The Heirs (2013)

Tatler Asia
Photo: Yibada
Above Photo: Yibada

The Heirs follows a group of rich, privileged high school students who are preparing themselves to take over their respective family businesses. In this series, Min-ho plays the role of Kim Tan, an heir to Jeguk Group, a large Korean conglomerate.

Kim Tan was exiled to America by his brother Kim Won (Choi Jin-hyuk), who tries to take over the family business. During his stay in the US, Kim Tan meets and falls in love with Cha Eun-sang (Park Shin-hye).

Read also: Kim Seon-ho, K Drama Star From 'Start Up', Is Globe's Newest Ambassador

4. Personal Taste (2010)

Tatler Asia
Son Ye-jin and Lee Min-ho in Personal Taste
Above Son Ye-jin and Lee Min-ho in Personal Taste

Perhaps one of Min-ho's most underrated shows is Personal Taste, a 2010 South Korean series that follows the story of Park Kae-in (Crash Landing on You's Son Ye-jin), a furniture designer who lives together with Min-ho's character, Jeon-Jin-ho, an architect who she assumes is gay. 

See Also: Son Ye-jin's Most Fashionable Looks On- and Off-Screen

5. City Hunter (2011)

Tatler Asia
Lee Min-ho in City Hunter
Above Lee Min-ho in City Hunter

Okay, we get it. Min-ho's hairstyle in his hit series City Hunter did not age well. But the 2011 action-packed show is still worthy of a rewatch. It follows Lee Yoon-sung (Min-ho) who goes by the codename "City Hunter". 

Yoon-sung seeks to avenge his father's death by using the identity of a Korean-American teenager who is later revealed to have died several years ago. 

More from Tatler: 8 Jung Hae In Shows To Watch This 2021: Snowdrop, Tune In For Love, One Spring Night

6. Gangnam Blues (2015)

Tatler Asia
Lee Min-ho stars in Gangnam Blues
Above Lee Min-ho stars in Gangnam Blues

Written and directed by South Korean director, screenwriter, and contemporary poet Yoo Ha, Gangnam Blues is a movie that Min-ho fans wouldn't want to miss. The film is set in the early 1970s when socio-political turmoil and terrorism is rampant in Seoul's Gangnam district.

Childhood friends, Jong Dae (Min-ho) and Yong-ki (Kim Rae-won) struggle to get by until their homes were demolished by local thugs. The two get tested as they find themselves involved in serious political clashes.

Related: 7 Romantic K-Drama Shows On Netflix To Binge-Watch: CLOY, Start-Up, And More

7. Pachinko (2022)

This year, Min-ho will step into the shoes of Koh Hansu, a wealthy fishbroker who wants to pursue the sixteen-year-old Sunja, the protagonist of Pachinko.

The TV adaptation of Pachinko was based on the 2017 novel of the same name by Harlem-based author and journalist Min Jin-lee. It is a coming-of-age story that takes a swipe at pressing problems such as racism, racial profiling, and stereotyping. Pachinko was a 2017 finalist for the National Book Award for Fiction.

The show was released in March 2022 through Apple TV+, Apple Inc.'s official streaming service.

In case you missed it: These Dazzling Asian Stars Stole the Show at the ‘Pachinko’ Premiere Red Carpet

8. Get Up (2008)

Tatler Asia
Photo: Seuwiti Pie on Pinterest
Above Photo: Seuwiti Pie on Pinterest

It will be quite nostalgic for fans to see Min-ho in a role a little similar to Goo Jun-pyo. In Get Up (2008) he plays the role of a teenager who traverses the life of a regular schoolboy.

The movie is written by Ko Eun-nim who is known for writing Bungee Jumping of Their Own (2001) and R U Ready (2002).

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