Cover In these TV shows with Go Kyung-pyo, the award-winning actor plays the ideal K-drama boyfriend (Photo: The Chosunilbo JNS/Imazins/Getty Images)
In these TV shows with Go Kyung-pyo, the award-winning actor plays the ideal K-drama boyfriend (Photo: The Chosunilbo JNS/Imazins/Getty Images)
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From ‘Reply 1988’ to ‘Undercover Miss Hong’, these are the TV shows with Go Kyung-pyo that prove he is K-drama’s ultimate romantic king—just in time for his 36th birthday
From quiet neighbourhood first loves to high-stakes corporate cons, no one plays the ideal K-drama boyfriend quite like Go Kyung-pyo. The Incheon-born actor has spent 16 years defying typecasting, cutting his teeth as a live sketch comedian on Saturday Night Live Korea before breaking hearts as a scene-stealing second lead in Reply 1988 and Don’t Dare to Dream. He has since proven his dramatic range across military thrillers, psychological horror and physical comedy, earning a Blue Dragon Film Award along the way. As he celebrates his 36th birthday on June 11, riding high off the success of tvN’s retro office hit Undercover Miss Hong, there has never been a better moment to binge the TV shows with Go Kyung-pyo that made him K-drama royalty.
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‘Reply 1988’ (2015–2016)
Above Go Kyung-pyo stars as the beloved Sung Sun-woo in 'Reply 1988'
Go Kyung-pyo plays Sung Sun-woo, the dependable class president of the Ssangmun-dong neighbourhood whose quiet, steady devotion to his widowed mother, his little sister and his secret childhood crush set the gold standard for warm, nostalgic first-love storytelling. The series made television history with an 18.8 per cent nationwide average household rating for its finale, and its legacy endures—most recently through a 10th-anniversary reunion special aired in December 2025, which reunited Go with co-stars Hyeri, Park Bo-gum and Ryu Jun-yeol.
‘Don’t Dare to Dream’ (2016)
Above Go Kyung-pyo ignites second-lead syndrome in 'Don't Dare to Dream'
Starring opposite Gong Hyo-jin (Pyo Na-ri), a struggling weather forecaster, Go plays Go Jung-won, a wealthy, sophisticated clothing brand chaebol whose warmth, impeccable style and heartfelt romantic gestures triggered a massive wave of second-lead syndrome across Asia. The performance earned him the New Star Award at the 2016 SBS Drama Awards, marking his official breakthrough as a mainstream romantic lead and proving he could hold his own opposite one of Korea’s finest screen actresses.
‘Strongest Deliveryman’ (2017)
Above Go Kyung-pyo leads with heart in the KBS2 drama 'Strongest Deliveryman'
In his first top-billed leading role, Go Kyung-pyo plays Choi Kang-soo, a passionate and fiercely altruistic deliveryman who dreams of building his own delivery app company. Opposite Chae Soo-bin (Lee Dan-ah), a fiercely independent co-worker who refuses to let her circumstances define her, Go delivers a genuinely warm underdog romance rooted in working-class solidarity, mutual respect and the quiet courage it takes to dare to dream bigger than your current station in life.
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‘Private Lives’ (2020)
Above Seohyun and Go Kyung-pyo play a con-artist couple in 'Private Lives'
Go Kyung-pyo’s post-military comeback cast him opposite Seohyun (Cha Joo-eun) as Lee Jung-hwan, a sleek, enigmatic corporate team leader who is far more than he appears. After proposing to a master swindler, Jung-hwan finds their romance swept into a dangerous game of corporate espionage and national secrets. The JTBC thriller wraps its central love story in layers of deception and genuine emotional stakes, making it one of the most underrated and binge-worthy TV shows with Go Kyung-pyo.
‘Love in Contract’ (2022)
Above Go Kyung-pyo plays a charming contract husband in 'Love in Contract'
Go plays Jung Ji-ho, a quiet, socially awkward family court judge who has spent five years hiring professional wife-for-hire Choi Sang-eun (Park Min-young) to accompany him to social dinners on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. His steady, almost imperceptible emotional thawing—from guarded loner to deeply devoted partner—anchors the show’s slow-burn appeal. Among TV shows with Go Kyung-pyo, Love in Contract is a masterclass in restrained romantic tension that rewards patient viewers with a satisfying payoff.
‘Frankly Speaking’ (2024)
Above Go Kyung-pyo plays a filter-free announcer in JTBC's 'Frankly Speaking'
Go Kyung-pyo plays Song Ki-baek, a meticulously polished 33-year-old news announcer who loses all ability to self-censor after a freak electrical accident. His sudden, unfiltered honesty catches the attention of variety writer On Woo-ju (Kang Han-na), who casts him in a chaotic love reality show. The resulting romance is equal parts cringe comedy and genuine tenderness. A direct, satisfying callback to Go’s early SNL Korea roots, this series showcases his underutilised gift for physical comedy alongside his undeniable romantic charisma.
‘Undercover Miss Hong’ (2026)
Above Go Kyung-pyo plays a cold CEO in tvN's retro office drama 'Undercover Miss Hong'
Set against the backdrop of the 1997 IMF financial crisis, Go Kyung-pyo plays Shin Jeong-woo, a ruthless, data-driven corporate consultant appointed president of Hanmin Investment & Securities. His carefully constructed emotional walls begin to crack when the new office clerk looks exactly like his former college love—because she is. The series, opposite Park Shin-hye (Hong Keum-bo), peaked at an impressive 15.6 per cent viewership rating, cementing Go’s status as one of K-drama’s most compelling and bankable leading men.
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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.
