The definitive guide to So Ji-sub K-dramas and films, from classics to ‘Agent Kim Reactivated’

Before his turn as a retired NIS agent and father searching for his missing daughter in Agent Kim Reactivated, So Ji-sub starred as Nam Gi-jun, an ex-gangster seeking revenge for his dead brother in Mercy for None, the Netflix noir thriller adapted from the webtoon, Plaza Wars: Mercy for None.

Once the most feared enforcer in Seoul’s criminal underworld, Gi-jun leaves organised crime after his younger brother, Nam Gi-seok (Lee Jun-hyuk), joins a rival syndicate. Years later, Gi-seok is found dead under mysterious circumstances, drawing Gi-jun back into the world he left behind. Armed with little more than a baseball bat and an unrelenting thirst for vengeance, he hunts down everyone responsible, leaving a trail of brutal carnage in his wake.

The So Ji-sub K-drama boasts an A-list ensemble cast, including veterans Huh Jun-ho and Ahn Kil-kang alongside rising stars Choo Young-woo and Gong Myung, with a special appearance by Cha Seung-won. Together, they elevate the revenge thriller into a gripping ensemble drama, where shifting loyalties and long-buried secrets prove just as compelling as the visceral action.

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Agent Kim Reactivated is not the first So Ji-sub K-drama where the actor plays an NIS agent. In the action rom-com My Secret Terrius (also known as Terrius Behind Me), he stars as Kim Bon, an elite operative who is accused of being a mole. Driven underground while working to clear his name, he finds his investigation leading him right next door—to his neighbour Go Ae-rin (Jung In-sun).

Ae-rin is a frazzled mother of young twins whose husband’s murder is tied to the same conspiracy Bon is trying to solve. To keep tabs on any leads and protect the family, he offers to babysit twins Cha Joon-soo (Kim Geon-u) and Cha Joon-hee (Ok Ye-rin) full-time. But while years of training have made him one of the nation’s top spies, nothing could prepare him for the chaos of looking after a pair of mischievous kindergartners.

The unlikely setup gives rise to plenty of laugh-out-loud moments, but My Secret Terrius is more than just an action comedy. Balancing high-stakes espionage with heartwarming family drama and an understated romance, the series showcases So Ji-sub’s ability to switch between action hero and rom-com leading man.

So Ji-sub stars opposite the luminous Son Ye-jin in Be With You, a romantic fantasy melodrama that blends love, loss and second chances into one unforgettable tearjerker. Based on Takuji Ichikawa’s bestselling Japanese novel, So Ji-sub plays Woo Jin, a widowed father struggling to raise his young son, Ji-ho (Kim Ji-hwan), after the death of his beloved wife, Soo-ah (Son Ye-jin).

Before she dies, Soo-ah promises Ji-ho that she will return on a rainy day the following year. Miraculously, she does—but with no memory of her husband or son. As Woo Jin and Ji-ho try to help her piece together the life they once shared, the family is given a precious second chance to relive the love they thought they had lost.

Anchored by the effortless chemistry between So Ji-sub and Son Ye-jin, Be With You is a poignant meditation on grief, parenthood and enduring love, and remains one of the actor’s most moving performances on the big screen.

Among the many So Ji-sub K-dramas that remain fan favourites, Oh My Venus stands out for the irresistible chemistry he shares with co-star Shin Min-ah. In the romantic comedy, So Ji-sub stars as Kim Young-ho, a well-known personal trainer to Hollywood celebrities who returns to South Korea while concealing both his chaebol upbringing and a chronic health condition.

His path crosses with lawyer Kang Joo-eun (Shin Min-ah). Once regarded as a beauty, Joo-eun has lost confidence after years of putting her career before her health. When Joo-eun persuades Young-ho to become her personal trainer, what begins as a fitness programme gradually blossoms into a romance built on trust, healing and mutual acceptance. As Joo-eun works to regain her health, Young-ho is forced to confront his own emotional and physical scars, bringing the two closer together.

Although filled with witty banter and swoon-worthy moments, Oh My Venus is far more than a heart-fluttering romance or even a simple Pygmalion retelling. It is celebrated for its thoughtful exploration of self-worth and inner confidence—and for giving audiences one of K-drama’s most beloved romantic pairings.

So Ji-sub plays Ji Hyeong-do, a model employee at Namil Metals. Competent, dependable and fiercely loyal, he is the quintessential salaryman—until viewers discover that his company is merely a front for a contract killing organisation, and Hyeong-do is its most lethal assassin.

Famously ruthless and unshakable, his resolve is tested when he is ordered to eliminate Ra-hun (Kim Dong-jun), the young contract worker assigned to assist him on his latest mission. Before carrying out the hit, Ra-hun asks Hyeong-do to deliver his severance pay to his family. The request leaves the usually coldblooded assassin struck with pity and guilt for the first time.

Later, he visits Ra-hun’s family and gets to know Yoo Mi-yeon (Lee Mi-yeon), a former teen idol who Hyeong-do once greatly admired. As the two grow closer, he begins to dream of a quiet life free from violence. But quitting his day job is no easy matter, and when his employers suspect he has gone soft, they brand him a liability and turn the organisation’s deadliest assassins against their once most trusted operative.

Blending stylish action with noir sensibilities and emotional depth, A Company Man showcases So Ji-sub’s commanding screen presence, thanks to his restrained performance and the expertly choreographed fight sequences. It also laid the foundation for the brooding, quietly formidable action heroes that would become a hallmark of the actor’s later career.

Just like Be With You, Always (also known as Only You) is a melodrama film that spotlights So Ji-sub’s softer side. He stars as Jang Cheol-min, a former boxing champion who withdraws from the world after a haunting tragedy leaves him racked with guilt and self-loathing. A shell of a man, he spends his days working as a parking attendant and avoiding meaningful connections.

His sad and quiet existence changes when he meets Jung-hwa (Han Hyo-joo), a bright and optimistic young woman who lost her sight in an accident. Drawn to her warmth and resilience, Cheol-min gradually opens his heart, only to discover that his own past is inextricably linked to her blindness. Determined to give her a chance to see again, he enters a brutal underground fight, risking everything for the woman he loves.

Balancing bruising action with heartrending romance, Always is elevated by the tender chemistry between So Ji-sub and Han Hyo-joo. The film remains one of the actor’s most emotionally resonant performances and a benchmark for Korean romantic melodramas.

A classic So Ji-sub K-drama, The Master’s Sun casts the actor as Joo Joong-won, the cold and calculating CEO of Kingdom Mall. Obsessed with profit and unwilling to waste either time or words, Joong-won’s orderly life is upended when he encounters Tae Gong-shil (Gong Hyo-jin), a woman who has been able to see ghosts ever since surviving a near-fatal accident.

Plagued by restless spirits who constantly seek her help, Gong-shil discovers that the ghosts disappear whenever she touches Joong-won. Seeing an opportunity to finally enjoy a moment’s peace, she refuses to leave his side, much to the CEO’s annoyance. In return for his protection, Joong-won enlists Gong-shil’s supernatural ability to uncover the truth behind the kidnapping that has haunted him for years. As the unlikely pair become entangled in a string of supernatural mysteries, Joong-won gradually lowers his emotional guard and begins to see beyond Gong-shil’s eccentric behaviour.

Penned by the acclaimed Hong sisters, The Master’s Sun masterfully balances spine-tingling ghost stories with humour and heartfelt romance. Bolstered by its leads’ chemistry, it remains a defining K-drama in So Ji-sub’s early filmography.

One of the most influential early So Ji-sub K-dramas, Memories of Bali propelled the actor to first-generation Hallyu stardom. He stars alongside Ha Ji-won, Jo In-sung and Park Ye-jin in a gripping melodrama about four lives consumed by love, ambition, betrayal and obsession.

So Ji-sub plays Kang In-wook, an ambitious company executive from a modest background who works for the conglomerate owned by wealthy heir Jung Jae-min’s (Jo In-sung) family. When both men fall for tour guide Lee Soo-jung (Ha Ji-won) during a trip to Bali, their already fraught relationship erupts into a bitter rivalry that follows them back to Seoul. As love gives way to jealousy and resentment, the drama builds towards one of the most shocking endings in K-drama history.

Memories of Bali broke away from the conventional romantic dramas of its era with its flawed characters and emotionally charged storytelling. More than two decades later, it remains one of the defining series of the early Hallyu wave and the K-drama that transformed So Ji-sub into one of South Korea’s biggest stars.

So Ji-sub delivers one of his most acclaimed performances as Cha Moo-hyuk, a Korean adoptee raised in Australia who returns to Seoul after a near-fatal shooting leaves him with only months to live. Seeking answers from the birth mother who abandoned him as a baby, Moo-hyuk finds himself drawn into her privileged world, where he quietly watches over the son she chose to raise while concealing his own identity.

His life takes an unexpected turn when he meets Song Eun-chae (Im Soo-jung), the warm-hearted stylist devoted to pop star Choi Yoon (Jung Kyung-ho). As Moo-hyuk and Eun-chae grow closer, what begins as a story driven by resentment and revenge gradually transforms into a deeply moving tale of sacrifice, forgiveness and unconditional love.

Renowned for its emotionally devastating storytelling, Sorry, I Love You became a cultural phenomenon and helped redefine the Korean melodrama for a new generation of viewers. More than two decades later, Cha Moo-hyuk remains one of So Ji-sub’s most memorable characters.

From heartbreaking melodramas and supernatural romances to action-packed thrillers, So Ji-sub has continually reinvented himself while remaining one of Korean entertainment’s most compelling leading men. Whether you are discovering his work through Agent Kim Reactivated or revisiting the classics that made him a Hallyu icon, these So Ji-sub K-dramas and films offer the perfect introduction to a career spanning more than two decades.

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