Park Min-Young Characters Ranked: Secretary Kim Mi-so, Sung Duk-mi, and More

Park Min-young is one of South Korea’s most sought after stars today. She stepped into the shoes of the dedicated and reliable Secretary Kim Mi-so, the perky fangirl Sung Duk-mi, and more. In this write-up, we rank some of her most memorable roles!

Even if you don't know her by name, you'll definitely know Korean actress Park Min-young by face. The star has given life to so many roles that it is now impossible for K-Drama fans to not keep her in their respective radars.

Min-young rose to fame in 2010 through her historical coming-of-age drama Sungkyunkwan Scandal. Since then, she starred in other highly-rated television shows such as City Hunter (2011), Healer (2014-2015), Queen for Seven Days (2017), What's Wrong with Secretary Kim? (2018), Her Private Life (2019). This year, Min-Young returns to our TV screens with Forecasting Love and Weather which will air on Netflix in April 2022.

The actress will never run short of interesting characters. In this article, Tatler ranks some of them from the best down to the least likeable.

In case you missed it: Here’s Why You Shouldn't Miss Netflix’s Upcoming K-Drama ‘Forecasting Love and Weather’

1. Secretary Kim Mi-so in 'What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim?'

On top of her best roles is Kim Mi-so, the hard-working and reliable secretary of Lee Young-joon, the intelligent yet very arrogant and narcissistic vice chairman of the Yumyung Group. Fed up with her and her boss' working dynamics, Mi-so decides to leave her post.

Mi-so is self-assured and does not waste her time pleasing people like Young-joon. She understands that her worth does not rely on a job where she's in charge of the simplest things like choosing her boss' daily outfits. Even when Mi-so fell in love with Young-joon, her confidence and assertiveness never left.

In one of her interviews, Min-young explained why Kim Mi-so is one of her favourites. "I liked everything about my character. She didn't try to stand out, she just did her job to the best of her ability. She was charismatic and her determination to make her own way in life was admirable. This character is special to me because I see how she takes care of herself and bravely faces any situation that comes her way."

"I like that she did not become this 'dopey' character after falling in love. She just stayed grounded and said 'no' when she needed to," Min-young added.

2. Chae Young Shin in 'Healer'

Chae Young-shin takes second place. Despite being orphaned at a young age, this character is determined to chase her dreams of becoming a famous reporter. She uses her wit and boldness to reconcile her dark past. Despite having no relatives by blood, Young-shin was never devoid of love; she was raised by ex-convicts who work in a homey café and loved her as if she were their own child.

3. Kim Na-na in 'City Hunter'

City Hunter's Kim Na-na is placed third because of her strong will. Throughout the series, she displayed exceptional skills in martial arts which allowed her to be given an important assignment with the Presidential Security Service. During her time as a bodyguard, she falls in love with Lee Yoon-sung whose real identity she discovered.

More from Tatler: House Interior Design: K-Drama Home Decor Tips

4. Kim Yoon Hee in 'Sungkyunkwan Scandal'

It is hard for females to thrive in a male-dominated world, especially if she's pretending to be a man herself? In Sungkyunkwan Scandal, Min-young is Kim Yoon-hee, a hardworking woman who is trying to make ends meet for her family. She takes on different jobs, mainly at a local bookstore. One day she gets an offer that she cannot resist; to raise her income, she needs to be an illegal substitute test-taker in the prestigious Sungkyunkwan, the Joseon Dynasty's highest educational institute for males. Yoon-hee's willingness to sacrifice for the sake of her loved ones earns her a high spot on the list.

5. Yoon Jae In in 'Glory Jane'

Yoon Jae-in has a tragic past that she has yet to reconcile; this is because no matter how hard she tries, she can no longer remember what happened. Not knowing what her real parents looked like, or if somebody out there is looking for her, she continues to display kindness; throughout the story, Jae-in even becomes a devoted nurse.

6. Queen Dangyeong in 'Queen For Seven Days'

Right off the bat, the series Queen for Seven Days was marketed as a tragic drama. The story stars Min-young as Queen Dangyeong who, as a child, was forced to live far away from her family in hopes that her path does not meet anyone from the Royal Family. Her parents were given a very daunting prophecy: if she ever becomes entangled with royalty, there will be bloodshed and suffering.

Along the way, she runs into Prince Lee Yeok. She falls in love and starts their relationship with anger, suspicion, and outright hatred for one another.

7. Lee In Ah in 'Remember: War of the Son'

In the drama series Remember: War of the Son, Min-young stepped into the shows of Lee In-ah, the female interest of Seo Jin-woo, a man who has a special condition called hyperthymesia which allows him to remember every single detail of his day in perfect details.

As a lawyer, Jin-woo uses his condition to his advantage, but the odds suddenly were not in his favour after he develops Alzheimer's. In this show, Lee In-ah merely showed much of her personality. She was nothing more but a support character and a shoulder to cry on for Jin-woo. Min-ah failed to display her wit and charm, placing her last in our rankings.

NOW READ

8 Jang Ki-yong Shows You Need to Watch Now: My Roommate is a Gumiho; Now We're Breaking Up

11 of the Most Popular Female K-Drama Leads To Know This 2021

7 Of The Most Popular Leading Men In K Drama: Lee Min-ho, Song Joong-ki, And More

Topics

kdrama

Tatler Asia

7 of Park Min-Young’s Best Roles as Ranked by K-Drama Fans