Ju Ji-hoon's 8 Best K-Dramas, Ranked

Ju Ji-hoon has had roles in a lot of K-dramas, but some have been better than others. Born on May 16, 1982, in Seoul, South Korea, Ji-hoon began his acting career in 2003. Ji-hoon has captivated audiences with his versatility and nuanced portrayals and has earned a reputation as one of the best Korean drama actors. Before taking on the lead role of Crown Prince Lee Shin in Princess Hours, Ji-hoon started out as a supporting actor in a variety of shows.

Although Ji-hoon is mostly recognized for his roles in K-dramas, the award-winning actor has also starred in Korean films such as The Spy Gone North, Along With the Gods: The Two Worlds, and Ransomed. From medical K-dramas to mystery TV shows and everything in between, Ju Ji-hoon has had some great roles already. With dozens of shows under his belt, Ji-hoon has proved his versatility and has given us some great shows.

8 Light Shop

Released In 2024

Adapted from Kang Full’s webtoon of the same name, Ji-hoon takes on the lead role of Jung Won-young in the horror K-drama, Light Shop. Light Shop focuses on a group of strangers struggling with getting over a traumatic experience. Things begin to change for them when they discover a light shop that is run by a mysterious shopkeeper. The light shop isn't an ordinary store. Instead, it's visited by spirits that hold the key to the strangers’ lives.

Light Shop has some smart commentary on life and death and can be quite emotional. Ji-hoon stands out in Light Shop, once again showing that he thrives in the horror genre.

The K-drama is Disney+’s highest-rated Korean series of 2024, and for good reason.Light Shop has some smart commentary on life and death and can be quite emotional. Ji-hoon stands out in Light Shop, once again showing that he thrives in the horror genre. Light Shop is intense and thought-provoking from start to finish. While the horror K-drama does have some pacing issues, it is still memorable because of how well Ji-hoon embodied his character.

7 Mask

Released In 2015

Written by Choi Ho-chul, Mask is a romantic K-drama that centers around the love story between Ju Ji-hoon’s Choi Min-woo and Soo Ae’s Byun Ji-sook. Ji-sook is a woman who has fallen on hard times due to her father's debt. When she meets Seo Eun-ha, an heiress who looks exactly like her, she uses the opportunity to make her life better by impersonating her. Ji-sook is thrust into the life of the rich and glamorous where she meets Choi Min-woo, the illegitimate child of a rich man who ends up falling for her because of her authenticity.

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Despite Mask employing an overused trope, the K-drama is still fun to watch. While Mask is mainly a romantic K-drama, it isn't afraid to delve into deeper issues such as bullying, social identity, and loneliness. Ji-hoon is charming as the lead character in Mask. Choi Min-woo’s aloofness, which begins to change due to his feelings for Ji-sook, makes it easy to root for him and their relationship. Mask can be a little too dramatic at times, but the K-drama’s cast more than makes up for its shortcomings.

6 Jirisan

Released In 2021

Jirisan centers around the lives of the rangers who work at one of South Korea's largest national parks. Ju Ji-hoon takes on the role of Kang Hyun-jo, a military academy graduate harboring a secret. Alongside Ju Ji-hoon is Jun Ji-hyun, who plays Seo Yi-kang in the mystery K-drama. Yi-kang and Hyun-jo use their knowledge to help save people who have become stuck on Mount Jiri. Throughout their partnership, the two characters begin to trust each other and form an unbreakable bond.

Jirisan is essentially a K-drama that explores the dangers of the famous mountain.

The Korean series is intense from start to finish, and the backdrop of Jirisan mountain makes it even more entertaining. Ji-hoon and Ji-hyun are incredible together and have great chemistry, which doesn't come as a surprise as they are versatile actors. Although Jirisan only had average ratings, the cast's performance in the K-drama makes it a must-watch for fans of the genre.

5 Hyena

Released In 2020

Hyena is a legal K-drama that centers around two lawyers, Jung Geum-ja (Kim Hye-soo) and Yoon Hee-jae (Ju Ji-hoon). The two attorneys represent the wealthiest clients South Korea has to offer and often butt heads. Despite Geum-ja and Hee-jae working for the same law firm, their methods for winning cases are vastly different. Geum-ja is a go-getter who isn't above using dirty tricks to get her way, while Hee-jae isn't as money-hungry as his greatest competitor.

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Ji-hoon is a joy to watch as Hee-jae, more so because he is usually on the losing side when it comes to his feud with Geum-ja. Hee-jae is arrogant and overly confident in his abilities, and rightly so. The chemistry between the lead characters is clear to see, and their bickering makes Hyena a great K-drama. Hyena proves that Ji-hoon can shine in any role, but he is especially great in K-dramas that have him portraying an arrogant character.

4 Princess Hours

Released In 2006

Set in an alternate reality that has Korea being ruled by a monarch, Princess Hours is based on Park So-hee's manhwa series, Goong. The romantic K-drama follows Crown Prince Lee Shin, who is betrothed to Shin Chae-kyeong, a normal high school teenager who doesn't come from a noble family. Despite Shin initially being opposed to the marriage, he becomes enamored by Chae-kyeong’s kind heart and personality, which leads him to fall for her.

While Princess Hours is a great K-drama, it isn't without its faults. The characters can be frustrating, and the show is a bit slow. However, Ji-hoon helps bring life to it, which makes it unsurprising that Princess Hours was his breakout K-drama. Although he was still a relatively new actor at the time Princess Hours premiered, Ji-hoon’s portrayal of Crown Prince Lee Shin proved that he had the potential to become a star in the Korean movie and TV industry.

3 Love Your Enemy

Released In 2024

Debuting in 2024, Love Your Enemy is a romantic K-drama with Ju Ji-hoon and Jung Yu-mi taking on the lead roles of Seok Ji-won and Yoon Ji-won, respectively. The two characters had been enemies their whole lives due to an old family feud. When they reunite as adults, they still dislike each other. However, their feelings for each other begin to morph from hate to love when they are forced to interact.

Love Your Enemy is a fun enemies-to-lovers K-drama that is infused with humor and romance. The chemistry between the lead characters is very fun to watch and contributes to why Love Your Enemy is one of Ji-hoon's best Korean TV series. Ji-hoon is funny and charming in Love Your Enemy, but still manages to perfectly carry emotional scenes. The K-drama is fast-paced, has heartwarming moments, and an intriguing subplot that will get you hooked fast.

2 The Trauma Code: Heroes On Call

Released In 2025

One of the most anticipated K-dramas of 2025, The Trauma Code: Heroes On Call stars Ju Ji-hoon in the lead role as Dr. Baek Kang-hyeok. The medical K-drama sees Dr. Baek take a job at a struggling university teaching hospital that has a failing trauma department. With his experience in war zones, Dr. Baek uses his knowledge to try and revamp the trauma center despite facing pushback from those who would like to see him fail. He enlists the help of Young Jae-won and Nurse Cheong Jang-mi to help him achieve his goal.

The fast-paced medical K-drama is entertaining and a lot of fun. Ji-hoon is absolutely enthralling as Dr. Baek.

At the time of its release, The Trauma Code: Heroes On Call rose to the top of Netflix's Global Top 10 Non-English shows. The fast-paced medical K-drama is entertaining and a lot of fun. Ji-hoon is absolutely enthralling as Dr. Baek. The actor perfectly embodies the arrogant doctor, and his comedic timing makes the medical K-drama even more entertaining. With The Trauma Code: Heroes On Call’s humor, medical emergencies, and great supporting actors, it's easy to see why it's one of Ji-hoon's best K-dramas.

1 Kingdom

Released In 2019

Kingdom is undoubtedly Ji-hoon's best K-drama. Based on the webtoon series by Kim Eun-hee and Yang Kyung-il, the zombie K-drama follows Crown Prince Lee Chang and his efforts to rid his kingdom of a mysterious plague while also trying to keep his political enemies from usurping the throne. Kingdom played a huge role in helping K-dramas become popular on Netflix. Although Love Alarm was the first K-drama to be commissioned by Netflix, Kingdom premiered on the streaming platform first.

Kingdom features the blood, gore, and violence that are synonymous with the zombie K-drama genre. The Korean TV series pulls audiences in with its action, intriguing storyline, and entertaining subplots. Kingdom’s blend of historical fiction, romance, and fantasy is one of the reasons that the K-drama was positively received by both audiences and critics. Ju Ji-hoon gives a career-defining performance as Crown Prince Lee Chang. The award-winning actor brings an emotional gravitas and fearlessness to his character that reminds audiences why he has earned such a great reputation in the Korean entertainment industry.

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