Cover Ah, what could’ve been? K-drama stars like Park Bo-gum have missed out on some top roles (Photo: IMDB)
Ah, what could’ve been? K-drama stars like Park Bo-gum have missed out on some top roles (Photo: IMDB)
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These K-drama stars might have missed out on career-defining roles, but they continue to spark ‘what if’ debates
The universe of K-dramas thrives on what-ifs, and we don’t just mean the plot. Yes, there are missed confessions, mistimed reunions, but also casting choices that could’ve changed everything. Some of these K-drama stars were nearly cast in the roles that made others household names; others bowed out due to timing, fate or just plain overbooking. But what’s fascinating isn’t just who didn’t get the part—it’s how the person who did ended up redefining it.
Below, a wistful look at the “what could’ve been” performances that still make us wonder.
In case you missed it: 9 crossover cameos that prove the K-drama multiverse
1. Park Seo-joon in ‘My Love From the Star’ (2013)
Above Park Seo-joon has never played an alien, but he has portrayed other characters with a similar detached personality (Photo: IMDB)
Park Seo-joon has never played an alien, but he has portrayed other characters with a similar detached personality (Photo: IMDB)
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Final: Kim Soo-hyun as Do Min-joon
Park Seo-joon was reportedly considered for the role of the centuries-old alien who falls for an A-list actress, but turned it down, citing similarities to his earlier work. Kim Soo-hyun, who would eventually become one of the biggest K-drama stars before his fall from grace, stepped in and promptly rewired the genre. His cold, immaculate professor energy balanced by slow-burning tenderness made Do Min-joon the blueprint for stoic fantasy male leads. Park might’ve brought more physicality and a hint of playfulness, but Soo-hyun’s otherworldly stillness made audiences believe he’d been lonely for four hundred years.
What could’ve been: a flirtier, more grounded alien; less tragic romance, more rom-com charm
2. Choi Ji-woo in ‘Crash Landing on You’ (2019-2020)
Above Choi Ji-woo may not have played mega entrepreneur Yoon Se-ri, but she did stop by for a fun cameo (Photo: IMDB)
Choi Ji-woo may not have played mega entrepreneur Yoon Se-ri, but she did stop by for a fun cameo (Photo: IMDB)
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Final: Son Ye-jin as Yoon Se-ri
Early reports suggested that Winter Sonata’s Choi Ji-woo was eyed for the heiress who crash-lands in North Korea. Ultimately, writer Park Ji-eun zeroed in on Son Ye-jin, whose sharp, self-made aura made Yoon Se-ri feel like a modern mogul rather than a damsel in distress. Son’s precise, almost haute couture sense of comedy and control turned the premise from farce into high-stakes melodrama and gave her real-life romance with Hyun Bin an almost fated gloss. But at least we got to see Choi Ji-woo in a cameo.
What could’ve been: a more melancholic Se-ri: elegant, less biting, perhaps closer to the tragic melodramas of early-2000s K-dramas
3. Park Bo-gum in ‘Itaewon Class’ (2020)
Above It’s difficult to imagine Park Bo-gum’s boyish face sporting Park Sae-ro-yi’s iconic haircut (Photo: IMDB)
It’s difficult to imagine Park Bo-gum’s boyish face sporting Park Sae-ro-yi’s iconic haircut (Photo: IMDB)
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Final: Park Seo-joon as Park Sae-ro-yi
It’s the battle of the Parks. One of the most famous K-drama stars, Park Bo-gum, reportedly declined the role due to enlistment, and while his natural empathy might’ve made Sae-ro-yi gentler, his replacement, the equally popular Park Seo-joon, defined the series with his grit. His upright posture, coiled rage and deliberate stillness gave the underdog story muscle. Viewers didn’t just root for him, but they believed he could build an empire from scratch. With Bo-gum, it might’ve been more sermon than rebellion; with Seo-joon, it became revolution.
What could’ve been: the same plot, but softer edges; imagine Bo-gum’s boyish warmth over Seo-joon’s clenched-jaw fire.
4. Song Joong-ki in ‘Kingdom’ (2019)
Above Song Joong-ki would’ve made the prince less gritty and more emotional (Photo: IMDB)
Song Joong-ki would’ve made the prince less gritty and more emotional (Photo: IMDB)
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Final: Ju Ji-hoon as crown prince Lee Chang
Before Space Sweepers and his very public divorce, Song Joong-ki was reportedly offered the role of the zombie-hunting crown prince. Ju Ji-hoon, however, turned it into a masterclass of restraint: royal but feral, elegant yet desperate. His gaunt frame and flinty eyes matched the series’s claustrophobic tone perfectly. Song might’ve drawn more empathy; Ju made survival look regal.
What could’ve been: a more conventionally heroic crown prince, less haunted by hunger, literally and politically
5. Jo In-sung in ‘Goblin’ (2016)
Above One of the K-drama stars of the first Hallyu wave, Jo In-sung would have taken Wang Yeo to a completely different direction (Photo: IMDB)
One of the K-drama stars of the first Hallyu wave, Jo In-sung would have taken Wang Yeo to a completely different direction (Photo: IMDB)
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Final: Lee Dong-wook as Wang Yeo (Grim Reaper)
Jo In-sung of That Winter, the Wind Blows fame was courted for Goblin but chose film work instead—a decision that gave us Lee Dong-wook’s iconic Grim Reaper. Where Jo might’ve embodied sorrow with gravitas, Dong-wook gave it a fragile elegance. His poker-faced banter with Gong Yoo became the show’s beating heart, his slow emotional thaw making death itself oddly charming.
What could’ve been: a heavier, more tragic reaper, but we’d have lost the deadpan bromance that defined an era
6. Park Sung-hoon in ‘Bon Appétit, Your Majesty’ (2025)
Above Park Sung-hoon was incredibly in demand in 2023 and 2024. Lee Chae-min, despite his 10-year age gap with leading lady Im Yoona, played the role with gravitas (Photo: IMDB)
Park Sung-hoon was incredibly in demand in 2023 and 2024. Lee Chae-min, despite his 10-year age gap with leading lady Im Yoona, played the role with gravitas (Photo: IMDB)
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Final: Lee Chae-min as King Yi Heon
Following Queen of Tears, Park Sung-hoon was reportedly courted for Bon Appétit, Your Majesty, a time-slip historical romance that sizzled its way into audiences’s hearts. But with overlapping commitments and brand campaigns at their peak, he had to bow out. The role of King Yi Heon, an alleged tyrant whose taste for answers rivals his taste for food, eventually went to rising star Lee Chae-min, whose soulful restraint brought surprising tenderness to the part.
What could’ve been: What could Park Sung-hoon have done with a king who hides heartbreak beneath royal silk? If Lee Chae-min’s take was all quiet ache and boyish sincerity, Park Sung-hoon’s version might’ve seemed darker and infinitely more dangerous.
See more: Here’s where you’ve seen Lee Chae-min of ‘Bon Appétit, Your Majesty’ before
7. Ji Soo in ‘River Where the Moon Rises’ (2021) River Where the Moon Rises ( to Na In Woo)
Above Na In-woo made the role of On Dal his own. (Photo: IMDB)
Na In-woo made the role of On Dal his own. (Photo: IMDB)
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Final: Na In‑woo as On Dal
Technically, the Moon Lovers actor did play the lead role of On Dol. But after six episodes aired, the production abruptly announced Ji Soo’s removal amid school-violence and bullying allegations. Production then confirmed Na In-woo would take over the role from episode 9 and that the earlier episodes would be reshot.
What could’ve been: Production might have had an easier time? Had Ji Soo remained in the role, the show might have retained the original actor-character chemistry and continuity. Instead, Na In-woo’s takeover introduced a new cadence and arguably reset audience expectations mid-story.
8. Kim Soo-hyun in ‘Hotel Del Luna’ (2019)
Above By the time ‘Hotel Del Luna’ came out, Kim Soo-hyun was finishing his mandatory military training and was slated to appear in the seminal hit ‘It’s Okay to Not be Okay’ (Photo: tvN)
By the time ‘Hotel Del Luna’ came out, Kim Soo-hyun was finishing his mandatory military training and was slated to appear in the seminal hit ‘It’s Okay to Not be Okay’ (Photo: tvN)
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Final: Yeo Jin-goo as Goo Chan-sung
Kim Soo-hyun was initially floated for the level-headed manager opposite IU, but schedule conflicts forced him out. Yeo Jin-goo, then only 22, anchored the fantasy with a calm maturity beyond his years. His innocence made IU’s centuries-old spirit shine even brighter. Kim later appeared in the finale as the next manager—a teasing “what if” in itself.
What could’ve been: a glossier, more seductive energy; instead, we got a pure-hearted grounding force
9. Song Hye-kyo in ‘Hyena’ (2020)
Above Song Hye-kyo may have skipped on this role, but her filmography doesn’t lack in powerful female characters in control of their destiny (Photo: IMDB)
Song Hye-kyo may have skipped on this role, but her filmography doesn’t lack in powerful female characters in control of their destiny (Photo: IMDB)
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Final: Kim Hye-soo as Jung Geum-ja
Before Kim Hye-soo donned the power suits, Song Hye-kyo was reportedly courted for the role of the maverick lawyer. Hye-soo’s performance—ferocious, witty, radiantly in control—turned the show into a feminist cult hit. Hye-kyo’s version might’ve been cool and measured, but Hye-soo gave it the messy, mercurial confidence of a woman who bites back harder than she bleeds.
What could’ve been: a subtler, more strategic Hyena, but perhaps also less thrillingly unhinged
Sasha Lim-Uy Mariposa is a lifestyle journalist who is known for her food writing. Based in Manila, she also covers entertainment and dining, as well as a broad range of topics. She was the former digital editor at Esquire Philippines and was the digital managing editor at Spot.ph, and now writes for the different Tatler Asia markets as a contributing writer for T-Labs.
