The ultimate Yang Se-jong K-drama watchlist: from ‘Doona!’ to ‘Spooky in Love’

Can a regular guy and a famous K-pop idol make a relationship work? Based on the webtoon The Girl Downstairs, Netflix’s Doona! served as Yang Se-jong’s K-drama comeback role following his mandatory military enlistment. He stars as Lee Won-jun, a shy university student who gets the shock of his life when his erratic next-door neighbour turns out to be popular Dream Sweet lead vocalist Lee Doo-na, portrayed by Bae Suzy.

A tender healing romance, Doona! follows two people from completely different worlds who unexpectedly find comfort in each other. While Won-jun quietly works his way through college, Doo-na is desperate to escape the pressures of fame. He offers her the warmth and stability she’s been missing, and she encourages him to step outside his comfort zone. But as their feelings deepen, the realities of their lives threaten to pull them apart. Years later, the two cross paths again—he walks on, she looks back—leaving audiences to decide for themselves whether the ending is bittersweet or hopeful.

Beyond Yang Se-jong’s undeniable chemistry with co-star Bae Suzy, viewers and critics praised his sensitive portrayal of vulnerability and heartache. As Lee Won-jun, he balances quiet strength with aching melancholy, making the character’s emotional journey feel deeply authentic and relatable.

See more: The Roh Yoon-seo K-dramas and films that showcase Korea’s next-generation Hallyu leading lady

Before winning audiences over in Doona!, Yang Se-jong showcased his leading-man charm in the SBS romantic comedy Still 17 (also known as Thirty But Seventeen). He stars as Gong Woo-jin, a reclusive set designer who crosses paths with Woo Seo-ri, played by Shin Hye-sun, a woman who wakes up from a 13-year coma.

Although they are both now 30 years old, they’re each emotionally frozen in time—Seo-ri still has the mindset of the teenager she was before her accident, while Woo-jin has shut himself off from the world after experiencing a traumatic event at 17. Part healing drama, part coming-of-age romance, Still 17 follows two emotionally scarred people learning how to move forward after years of lost time. As they help each other heal, their friendship gradually blossoms into a tender slow-burn romance.

Yang Se-jong received widespread praise for his ability to shift naturally between physical comedy and poignant melodrama. As Woo-jin, he captures both the character’s warmth and humour as well as his profound guilt and lingering trauma.

Dr Romantic, Yang Se-jong’s K-drama debut, introduces audiences to the quiet intensity that would become one of his trademarks. In the acclaimed medical drama, he plays Do In-beom, who is pushed by his father—Geosan Hospital’s corrupt chairman Do Yoon-wan—into a scheme to spy on Doldam Hospital and its legendary chief surgeon, Kim Sa-bu (Han Suk-kyu). However, as In-beom witnesses Kim’s unwavering dedication to his patients, his loyalties begin to shift.

Although initially a conflicted antagonist and a supporting character, Yang Se-jong leaves a lasting impression with In-beom’s gradual transformation from an arrogant, career-driven doctor into a compassionate physician guided by principle rather than ambition. Returning for a cameo in Dr Romantic 2, he delivers a more mature performance that underscores the character’s growth, while the series itself laid the foundation for the breakout success that soon followed.

Yang Se-jong’s first leading K-drama role came in the sci-fi thriller Duel, where he took on the formidable challenge of portraying three distinct characters. He plays Dr Lee Young-seob and his two genetically identical clones—the noble and empathetic Lee Sung-joon, who suffers from amnesia, and the villainous and embittered Lee Sung-hoon, whose desire for revenge sets the story’s central conflict in motion.

The demanding triple role showcased Yang Se-jong’s striking versatility early in his career. He impressed critics and audiences alike by giving each character a distinct identity through subtle changes in his posture, expressions and mannerisms, delivering a performance that belied his rookie status and—together with Temperature of Love—earned him his “monster rookie” nickname.

The Yang Se-jong K-drama Temperature of Love further established the actor as a rising leading man. Taking the lead role in yet another slow-burn romance, he plays On Jung-sun, a promising young chef who falls for ambitious screenwriter Lee Hyun-soo, played by his Dr Romantic co-star Seo Hyun-jin. Although they quickly develop feelings for each other, their romance is complicated by an age gap, conflicting priorities and poor timing.

More than a conventional romance, Temperature of Love explores how love evolves alongside personal ambition and emotional maturity. As Jung-sun pursues his culinary dreams and Hyun-soo focuses on building her career, the two must decide whether they’re willing to compromise for each other or let timing dictate the course of their relationship.

Yang Se-jong’s passionate performance in the drama won him Best New Actor honours at the Baeksang Arts Awards and SBS Drama Awards—part of a breakout year that had the Korean media dubbing him a “monster rookie”.

Stepping away from the romantic roles that made him a household name, Yang Se-jong takes on a grittier challenge in Disney+’s Low Life. Based on the webtoon The Hooligans, the crime drama follows a ragtag group of opportunists who set out to recover a long-lost treasure from the waters off Sinan after rumours spread of a valuable shipwreck. Yang Se-jong plays Oh Hee-dong, a resourceful young man who becomes entangled in the dangerous treasure hunt alongside his uncle Oh Gwan-seok, played by Ryu Seung-ryong.

A sharp departure from the actor’s signature healing romances, Low Life showcases Yang Se-jong in a morally grey role driven by greed, survival and ambition. His commanding performance demonstrates a new level of dramatic maturity, allowing him to shine even in a stellar ensemble cast that also features Lim Soo-jung, Kim Eui-sung and Lee Dong-hwi.

From healing romances and medical dramas to supernatural mysteries and crime thrillers, Yang Se-jong continues to prove that he’s far more than just a romantic leading man. Whether you’re discovering his work through Spooky in Love or revisiting older favourites, these Yang Se-jong K-dramas showcase the extraordinary range and emotional depth that have defined his career.

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