From K-drama villains to heroes: actors and actresses who transformed on screen

Lim Ji-yeon became known for the universally reviled K-drama villain Park Yeon-jin in Netflix’s The Glory. As the wealthy school bully who relentlessly tormented Moon Dong-eun (Song Hye-kyo), she was the kind of character audiences loved to hate. Her chilling performance not only made Park Yeon-jin the drama’s most talked-about antagonist but also established her as one of its standout performers.

She followed the role with a dramatic change of pace in The Tale of Lady Ok, taking on Goo Deok, a resourceful and compassionate former slave who assumes the identity of noblewoman Ok Tae-young. Where Park Yeon-jin uses her privilege to inflict pain on others, Goo Deok uses her courage and intelligence to survive and protect those around her. Her transformation continued in the romantic comedy My Royal Nemesis, where she played the hilariously unhinged yet warm-hearted Shin Seo-ri.

For audiences who first discovered Lim Ji-yeon through The Glory, these romantic and comedic roles allowed her to show a warmer, more vulnerable side of her acting. Whether she’s playing a cold-blooded antagonist or characters worth cheering for, the actress has shown that she can be just as compelling on either side of the moral divide.

See more: Lim Ji-yeon’s must-watch K-dramas, movies and variety shows: a guide to her most unforgettable roles

Ahn Bo-hyun left quite an impression on audiences as Jang Geun-won, next in line to take over Jangga Group and longtime tormentor of Park Sae-ro-yi (Park Seo-joon), in the revenge K-drama Itaewon Class. A bully with a cruel streak, Geun-won is responsible for the accident that kills Sae-ro-yi’s father and continues to abuse his power years later.

After his breakthrough performance in Itaewon Class, viewers can be forgiven for thinking Ahn Bo-hyun was destined for villainous roles. However, his portrayals of the introverted Goo Woong, opposite Kim Go Eun, in Yumi’s Cells, and the emotionally guarded Moon Seo-ha alongside Shin Hye-sun in See You in My 19th Life proved otherwise. He continued to explore more sympathetic territory in My Name, where he co-starred with Han So-hee as Jeon Pil-do, a tough but principled detective who becomes her ally and love interest.

As a romantic lead, Ahn Bo-hyun brought an endearing vulnerability that was worlds away from Geun-won’s vindictive nature. Nearly a decade after Itaewon Class made him an infuriating K-drama villain, Ahn Bo-hyun has built a career playing the kind of men audiences want to see win.

In Your Honor, Heo Nam-jun plays Kim Sang-hyuk, the son of vicious crime boss Kim Kang-heon (Kim Myung-min) who inherited his father’s violent streak. His menacing portrayal of the unpredictable and vengeful K-drama villain earned him widespread recognition and a Blue Dragon Series Award nomination for Best New Actor.

When he pivoted to softer roles, first as the second male lead in the hugely popular series When the Phone Rings, starring Chae Soo-bin and Yoo Yeon-seok, then as the gentle and emotionally wounded Han Jae-pil in A Hundred Memories alongside Kim Da-mi and Shin Ye-eun and finally as the lovestruck Cha Se-gye, opposite fellow ex-villain Lim Ji-yeon, in My Royal Nemesis, Heo Nam-jun revealed that he was initially apprehensive about making the transition.

Heo Nam-jun may still seem surprised by how well his career shift has gone, even appearing slightly embarrassed by his newfound romantic-lead status. But if audiences have anything to say about it, the actor may as well get comfortable in his new leading-man era.

As Jeon Jae-jun, Park Sung-hoon made Moon Dong-eun’s school years hell in The Glory, but it’s his villainous turn as Yoon Eun-sung in Queen of Tears that truly drew the ire of K-drama fans. Ingratiating and manipulative, Eun-sung is determined to drive a wedge between Kim Ji-won’s Hong Hae-in and Kim Soo-hyun’s Baek Hyun-woo, even going as far as lying to Hae-in about their relationship after she loses her memory.

Perhaps he played the K-drama villain too well, because he received real-life backlash for his role in Queen of Tears, needing to lightheartedly remind viewers that he wasn’t the character he was playing. If he received hate for playing Eun-sung, his next role as Cho Hyun-ju in the second and third seasons of the global Netflix hit Squid Game earned him more than his fair share of fan love.

As Hyun-ju, a transgender woman and former special-forces soldier who enters the games to secure a better future for herself, Park Sung-hoon showcased emotional depth and nuance. Courageous, empathetic and fiercely protective of her allies, Hyun-ju quickly became a cherished new character in Squid Game.

In the Netflix zombie thriller All of Us Are Dead, Yoo In-soo played Yoon Gwi-nam. Ruthless as an ordinary high school bully, he is downright terrifying as an immortal halfbie—half-human, half-zombie hybrid—who doggedly pursues Lee Cheong-san (Yoon Chan-yong), a main protagonist in the drama.

After playing the role of zombie from hell so convincingly in the post-apocalyptic thriller, Yoo In-soo practically gave audiences whiplash when he sharply swung into Alchemy of Souls’ Park Dang-gu. Where Gwi-nam is single-minded and driven by a thirst for survival, Dang-gu is playful and hopelessly devoted to the people he loves. The actor continued his reinvention with Bang Sam-sik, best frenemy to Choi Kang-ho (Lee Do-hyun) in The Good Bad Mother, and the heroic Na Jeok-bong, the latest Counter recruit, in Uncanny Counter 2.

He does return to playing a villain in Study Group, but that only highlights Yoo In-soo’s versatility as an actor, particularly his ability to move between menacing antagonists and adorable comic or heroic roles.

Park Hae-joon incurred the wrath of viewers as Lee Tae-oh, the adulterous husband of Kim Hee-ae’s Ji Sun-woo. Tae-oh’s betrayal of the loyal Sun-woo, coupled with his shameless attempts to justify his infidelity, makes him one of K-drama’s most despised husbands. Narcissistic till the end, his attempts to return to the family he callously throws aside only highlight how self-serving he was.

It makes Park Hae-joon’s villain-to-hero turn as adult Yang Gwan-sik in When Life Gives You Tangerines all the more satisfying. As Oh Ae-sun’s (played in adulthood by Moon So-ri) steadfast love interest, Gwan-sik is practically Tae-oh’s polar opposite: faithful where Tae-oh is unfaithful, patient where Tae-oh is selfish and quietly supportive where Tae-oh repeatedly puts himself first.

Going from worst husband in The World of the Married to world’s best husband in When Life Gives You Tangerines, from loathed K-drama villain to beloved K-drama character, Park Hae-joon firmly established his reputation as a talented and transformative actor.

From merciless antagonists to loyal romantic leads and lovable heroes, these performances prove that a great K-drama villain is not necessarily the end of an actor’s story. If anything, leaving audiences furious with one character and rooting for the next is a testament to their range. For these seven stars, the journey from K-drama villain to fan-favourite character has only made their careers more rewarding to watch.

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