Cover Nana stars as Ahn Hui-yeon in the Netflix period drama ‘The Scandal’ (Photo: Netflix)
Nana stars as Ahn Hui-yeon in the Netflix period drama ‘The Scandal’ (Photo: Netflix)
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From period melodrama to prison brawls, these Nana K-dramas show how the former After School member reinvented her screen image
Nana (Im Jin-ah) has spent the past decade building an acting career that rarely follows the obvious path. The former After School and Orange Caramel member takes on everything from prison dramas to political satire, often choosing roles that are far removed from her polished idol image. Now, in Netflix’s period drama The Scandal, she plays Ahn Hui-yeon, a virtuous widow caught in a ruinous wager in 18th-century Joseon, bringing a measured intensity to a character at the centre of the story.
For anyone working their way through Nana K-dramas, these seven shows offer a look at the range behind her screen career.
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‘The Scandal’ (2026)—Nana as the chaste Joseon widow caught in a seductive trap
Above Nana plays widow Ahn Hui-yeon in the Netflix series ‘The Scandal’
In Netflix’s eight-episode period melodrama The Scandal, directed by Jung Ji-woo, Nana plays Ahn Hui-yeon, a virtuous widow committed to lifelong chastity. Adapted from the 1782 French novel Les Liaisons dangereuses and set in rigid Joseon Korea, the series sees Lady Cho Yun (Son Ye-jin) bet her libertine cousin Cho Won (Ji Chang-wook) that he cannot break Hui-yeon’s resolve. Nana’s quiet restraint anchors the intrigue, and the story lets her character survive the exposure of the wager, turning devastation into resilience.
‘Mask Girl’ (2023)—Nana as the vengeful showgirl unleashing unhinged prison fury
Above Nana portrays showgirl Kim Mo-mi in the Netflix series ‘Mask Girl’
Few performances are as startling as this one. In Kim Yong-hoon’s 2023 Netflix adaptation of the webtoon Mask Girl, protagonist Kim Mo-mi is played by three actors, and Nana anchors the explosive middle chapter. After extensive reconstructive surgery, Mo-mi works as a cabaret showgirl named Areum while being hunted by the vengeful Kim Kyung-ja (Yeom Hye-ran). Nana sheds all polish for the role, and her prison scenes, in which Mo-mi becomes an unhinged fighter, rank among the series’ most memorable and brutal sequences. This Nana K-drama is essential viewing for anyone who still sees her as a conventional lead.
‘Climax’ (2026)—Nana as the calculating ex-convict informant in a secret romance
Above Nana stars as information broker Hwang Jeong-won in the series ‘Climax’
Aired in early 2026 and streaming globally on Disney+, Climax shows Nana at home in political noir. Directed by Lee Ji-won, the ten-episode series follows the power struggles around a chaebol conglomerate, led by an ambitious prosecutor (Ju Ji-hoon) and his fading movie-star wife, Chu Sang-ah (Ha Ji-won). Nana plays Hwang Jeong-won, an ex-convict who uses her intelligence and connections as an information broker. In this Nana K-drama, her hidden romance with Chu Sang-ah is grounded in shared trauma rather than shock value.
‘Into the Ring’ (2020)—Nana as the fearless civil complainer conquering local government
Above Nana plays civic complainer Goo Se-ra in the KBS2 series ‘Into the Ring’
Ready for a change of pace? Into the Ring (also known as Memorials), which aired in 2020, is Nana’s defining comedy. She plays Goo Se-ra, an underemployed civic complainer who runs for Mawon District’s municipal council because the salary offers a way out of financial worry. Nana leans into screwball timing and expressive physical comedy, while Se-ra tackles local corruption through persistence and direct action. Park Sung-hoon plays Seo Gong-myung, a rule-bound civil servant, and the pair provide the series’ romantic spark.
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‘Glitch’ (2022)—Nana as the eccentric investigator chasing extraterrestrial conspiracies
Above Nana plays investigator Heo Bo-ra in the Netflix series ‘Glitch’
For something quirkier, try the 2022 Netflix series Glitch, a sci-fi investigative comedy that screened in the On Screen section of the 27th Busan International Film Festival. Nana plays Heo Bo-ra, whose eccentric, counter-cultural streak drives the story as she looks into extraterrestrial conspiracies. The emotional heart of the series is her subtle bond with Jeon Yeo-been, which gives the genre-bending premise real warmth. This Nana K-drama shows a lighter, stranger side of the actress and proves that she can anchor high-concept sci-fi as comfortably as she handles drama.
‘Kill It’ (2019)—Nana as the elite detective tracking a lethal contract killer
Above Nana stars as detective Do Hyun-jin in the OCN series ‘Kill It’
Action fans should turn to Kill It, the 2019 OCN thriller. Alongside Jang Ki-yong, Nana plays Do Hyun-jin, an elite detective who tracks a contract killer living undercover as a veterinarian. The role highlights her physical coordination and tactical firearm handling, and she grounds the series’ heightened premise with emotional sincerity. For viewers who know her mainly from romance or period drama, it is a persuasive showcase of her action credentials.
‘The Good Wife’ (2016)—Nana as the cool legal investigator Kim Dan
Above Nana plays investigator Kim Dan in the tvN series ‘The Good Wife’ (Photo: IMDB)
Nana plays investigator Kim Dan in the tvN series ‘The Good Wife’ (Photo: IMDB)
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In tvN’s 2016 remake of the American legal drama The Good Wife, Nana plays Kim Dan, the lead investigator at MJ Law Firm, alongside Jeon Do-yeon and Yoo Ji-tae. Some industry observers doubted that a former idol could hold her own beside such veterans, yet Kim Dan became a breakout character, balancing dry professional competence with emotional conflict. The role earned Nana a Best New Actress nomination at the 53rd Baeksang Arts Awards and reshaped how audiences saw her potential.
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After more than a decade in lifestyle media, Clifford has mastered the art of writing seriously about things that are fun—and writing fun things about people who take themselves very seriously. At Tatler Asia, he helped steer its flagship lists, Tatler’s Most Influential and Asia’s Most Stylish. And today, he leads T-Labs, Tatler Asia’s content innovation hub, where he continues the noble pursuit of lifestyle storytelling, spinning stories on wealth, entertainment, necessary style, Hallyu, Hollywood, beauty and more for audiences across Asia.
