The Kim Tae-hee K-dramas and movies that made her a Hallyu icon, from ‘Stairway to Heaven’ to ‘Hi Bye, Mama!’

Three years after her successful comeback in Netflix’s fantasy K-drama Hi Bye, Mama!, Kim Tae-hee stuns fans as Moon Joo-ran in Amazon Prime Video’s slow-burn domestic noir Lies Hidden in My Garden, where she and co-star Lim Ji-yeon of The Glory play two sides of the same coin—both trapped in abusive marriages.

Joo-ran’s husband is constantly gaslighting and manipulating her, while Lim Ji-yeon’s Cha Sang-eun is beaten daily by her partner. Though their circumstances differ, the two women are drawn into an uneasy alliance when a body turns up—and a mysterious smell begins rising from Joo-ran's garden.

What elevates the psychological thriller is the charged dynamic between its two leads. Kim Tae-hee and Lim Ji-yeon deliver powerhouse performances, with their much-discussed chemistry emerging as one of the series’ most compelling strengths.

See more: ‘Lies Hidden in My Garden’: 4 things to know about Kim Tae-hee and Lim Ji-yeon’s new K-drama

Kim Tae-hee returns to the small screen after a five-year hiatus in the healing K-drama Hi Bye, Mama! Her performance as Cha Yu-ri, a ghost who is given 49 days to reclaim her place among the living, is considered one of her best to date. Audiences were moved by her nuanced and heartfelt portrayal of a young mother who is willing to do anything to be with the young daughter she left behind.

What’s more, Kim Tae-hee showcased a tender chemistry with co-star Seo Woo-jin, the young boy who was cast as her daughter, as much for his talent as for his uncanny resemblance to the actress. Their special bond was obvious, and not only anchored the fantasy elements of the reincarnation K-drama but became the beating heart of this beloved Netflix hit.

See more: From ‘Our Universe’ to ‘Hi Bye, Mama!’: K-dramas with adorable babies who stole viewers’ hearts

In one of 2015’s highest-rated K-dramas, Kim Tae-hee plays Han Yeo-jin, a chaebol heiress placed under a medically induced coma by a half-brother determined to keep sole control of the family business. Things take a turn when she’s placed under the care of Kim Tae-hyun, played by fellow Hallyu trailblazer Joo Won. By day, Tae-hyun is a highly skilled surgeon; by night, he operates as “Yong-pal”, providing illicit medical services to an unsavoury roster of clients.

Yong-Pal successfully moves between several genres, beginning as a medical K-drama before shifting into a corporate thriller and, ultimately, a revenge saga. Beyond the compelling plot, audiences were captivated by Kim Tae-hee and Joo Won’s chemistry—key factors behind the drama’s wide viewership, which reached a peak of 21.5 per cent.

But Yong-pal was not just a commercial success—it also earned numerous accolades for its leads. Kim Tae-hee was named Best Actress at both the 2015 Korea Drama Awards and the 2015 SBS Drama Awards, while co-star Joo Won took home the Grand Prize (Daesang) at the latter. The pair also won the Best Couple Award at the SBS Drama Awards that year.

Kim Tae-hee stars as the titular character in this period K-drama or sageuk that’s a fictionalised reimagining of the life of King Sukjong’s royal consort Jang Hui-bin, also known as Jang Ok-jung. In the drama’s retelling of events, Ok-jung isn’t the villain history made her out to be. Instead, she is a gifted and ambitious woman who becomes a pawn in the political machinations of the palace when Yoo Ah-in’s Prince Lee Soon—later crowned King Sukjong—falls in love with her.

Viewers tuned in for the leads’ electric chemistry, as well as the exquisite hanboks Kim Tae-hee wore throughout the series. Depicted as a talented and fashion-forward designer, Ok-jung’s traditional Korean clothes showcased luxurious fabrics and vibrant colours, further enhancing Kim Tae-hee’s ethereal visuals.

99 Days with the Superstar, or Boku to Star no 99 Nichi, is one of the earliest K-drama and J-drama crossovers. In the Fuji TV production, Kim Tae-hee plays Han Yoo-na, a famous Korean actress, opposite one of Japan’s leading actors, Hidetoshi Nishijima as Kohei Namiki, the bodyguard assigned to protect her for—you guessed it—99 days. 

The plot chronicles the growing affection between Han Yoo-na and Kohei Namiki as they try to navigate the stark differences in their worlds alongside mounting external pressures and disapproval. When the 99 days come to an end, the pair are forced to confront an inevitable question: can their relationship survive beyond the boundaries of contract and circumstance?

Fans of the actress and the bodyguard romance were particularly impressed by Kim Tae-hee’s command of the Japanese language, lending authenticity to her portrayal of Han Yoo-na. And the casting of 2PM’s Taecyeon as her younger brother was a pleasant surprise for fans of the K-pop idol.

My Princess is a modern-royalty K-drama where Kim Tae-hee plays Lee Seol, an ordinary girl who discovers she’s the princess of Korea. In true Cinderella fashion, her life changes overnight—from a poor college student, she is thrust into the spotlight as heir to the throne.

This is where love interest Park Hae-young, played by Song Seung-heon, comes in. The dashing chaebol heir and diplomat is tasked with turning the commoner into royalty. But there’s a catch—if she restores the monarchy, his family will lose their fortune. Kim Tae-hee’s playful, electric chemistry with her co-star anchors the series’ romantic appeal, making My Princess one of the era’s most successful rom-coms.

The casting itself feels almost serendipitous—long regarded as the industry’s beauty standard, Kim Tae-hee slips effortlessly into the role of a modern-day princess, with her on-screen wardrobe even sparking the K-drama’s signature “headband trend”.

In the inspirational K-movie, Kim Tae-hee plays Seo Joon-hee, an elite jockey whose career is sidelined by a tragic accident. Devastated, she moves to the quiet island of Jeju to physically and mentally heal. There, she meets Yang Dong-geun’s Lee Woo-seok, a former jockey champion who helps her get back on the saddle. For her role, Kim Tae-hee underwent horse-riding training, highlighting her dedication to her craft.

In this espionage K-drama, Kim Tae-hee stars with not one but two Hallyu heavyweights—Lee Byung-hun and Jung Jun-ho. The two play Kim Hyeon-jun and Jin Sa-woo, best friends recruited into the National Security System (NSS) by Kim Tae-hee’s Choi Seung-hee, the agency’s top profiler.

Keeping the country safe is hard enough, but when you throw in a shadowy organisation and a love triangle that leads to a deadly betrayal, things get even more complicated. Kim Tae-hee’s chemistry with Lee Byung-hun became a huge talking point, especially when the two shared the “candy kiss”.

Choi Seung-hee, however, is more than just the object of two men’s affections. In the series, Kim Tae-hee enters her action-star era, throwing blows, shooting guns and showing a new side that audiences haven’t seen before.

Think War of the Roses meets Mr and Mrs Smith, but make it a K-movie. In Venus and Mars, Kim Tae-hee surprised fans by ditching her angelic goddess image to play Yoon Jin-ah, the angry, vengeful wife of  Sul Kyung-gu’s Kim Sang-min, in this battle-of-the-exes film.

Her willingness to play against type not only reflects her desire to be seen beyond her “Nation’s Goddess” image, but also her commitment to expanding her range as an actress.

The high-budget fantasy period Korean film stars Kim Tae-hee as Yon-hwa/So-hwa opposite Jung Woo-sung’s Yi-kwak. It marks the first time Kim Tae-hee plays a soul stuck in the realm between life and the afterlife for 49 days.

When his beloved Yon-hwa is killed, demon hunter Yi-kwak encounters her soul in Midheaven, the transitional realm where souls linger for 49 days before they’re either reincarnated or pass on to the afterlife, except she no longer has any memory of him. Now known as So-hwa, she holds the key to keeping malevolent forces from breaching the barrier between worlds and taking over the mortal realm.

The film blends romance, martial-arts action and melodrama, with Kim Tae-hee’s portrayal capturing both vulnerability and quiet strength as her character navigates memory, duty and love across realms.

The campus romance K-drama—partially filmed in the University of Southern California and the University of California, Los Angeles—follows the love story between Kim Tae-hee’s Lee Soo-in and Kim Rae-won’s Kim Hyun-woo. It also established them as one of the most iconic K-drama couples of the era.

In Love Story in Harvard, Kim Tae-hee plays a principled medical student who falls for an idealistic law school freshman. To be together, the couple must overcome their differences, career pressure and romantic rivalries that threaten to keep them apart.

The role further solidified Kim Tae-hee’s “beauty and brains” image in Korea, with the series often drawing parallels to her real-life academic background at Seoul National University.

Fox with Nine Tails: Forbidden Love is a dark urban fantasy K-drama that draws on the popular gumiho trope. However, unlike the wily creatures they are often portrayed as, Kim Tae-hee’s Yoon Shi‑yeon is a formidable gumiho warrior.

When a string of murders puts Shi‑yeon’s clan in the crosshairs of an investigation, she and detective Kang Min‑woo, played by Jo Hyun-jae, are forced into a fragile alliance. Their partnership deepens their regard for one another, and the two forge a forbidden love that will test their loyalties to both the human world and the realm of the foxes.

The plot of this long-running family K-drama revolves around two estranged brothers who are forced to reunite and live under one roof. Kim Tae-hee stars as Park Soo-jin, the earnest and kindhearted daughter of the younger brother, who develops a strained relationship with her cousin Mi-ree, played by Im Ji-eun. Things escalate when they both fall for Yeon Jung-hoon’s Jang Hyun-tae.

When people talk about the early Hallyu wave, Stairway to Heaven is often one of the defining K-dramas that comes to mind. The melodrama stars Kwon Sang-woo and Choi Ji-woo as Cha Song-joo and Han Jeong-seo, soulmates separated by cruel circumstances. Kim Tae-hee, in her breakout role, plays Han Jeong-seo’s evil stepsister Han Yoo-ri. 

Despite taking on one of K-drama’s most iconic villains, audiences couldn’t help but be charmed by Kim Tae-hee’s luminous visuals, earning her the nickname “Nation’s Beauty” or “Nation’s Goddess”.  Along with Song Hye-kyo and Jun Ji-hyun, they became known as “Tae-Hye-Ji”—the visual actresses of the early Hallyu era.

In Kim Tae-hee’s first-ever lead role, she is paired with one of the most enduring Hallyu leading men—Gong Yoo. Here, she plays Kim So-hyun, a scriptwriter who dreams of making it big in the entertainment industry. Co-star Gong Yoo is Kim Jun-pyo, an aspiring movie director she falls in love with.

Kim Tae-hee’s onscreen debut was a bit part in the Korean melodrama film Last Present, playing the younger version of Lee Young-ae’s lead character Park Jung-yeon.

From her early roles in Last Present and Screen to her recent performances in Hi Bye, Mama! and Butterfly, Kim Tae-hee’s career demonstrates an impressive range and enduring appeal. Whether portraying historical heroines, modern princesses or complex, emotionally layered characters, she consistently captivates audiences with her skill, beauty and on-screen presence. These unforgettable K-dramas and films showcase why Kim Tae-hee remains a defining figure in the Hallyu wave and a beloved icon of Korean entertainment.

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