13 K-Dramas And Films Starring "Squid Game" Actors To Check Out

As “Squid Game” continues to dominate the charts and remains being the hot topic of many entertainment based conversations, there are a lot of other notable projects worth mentioning that the cast have starred in. A lot of the cast in “Squid Game” are veterans in the Korean entertainment industry and have movies or K-dramas that are definitely worth checking out if you’re a fan of any of them. Here are a few recommendations!

Lee Jung Jae

“Assassination”

Lee Jung Jae plays Yeom Seok Jin, a Korean resistance fighter who tries to kill the governor general but gets captured. Japan eventually gains complete control over Korea, and Seok Jin continues to fight as an officer in the Korean resistance. He gathers a team of fighters, and their goal is to kill pro-Japanese businessman Kang In Guk (Lee Kyung Young) and a Japanese general.

This movie is action-packed with not a dull moment. There are a lot of fight scenes along with heartwarming and funny moments. It’s got various aspects that keep viewers engaged, but the most impressive of all is seeing Lee Jung Jae play the driven and passionate fighter.

Watch “Assassination” now:

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“The Housemaid”

“The Housemaid” is a remake of a 1960 film of the same title. The 2010 version stars Jeon Do Yeon as Eun Yi, an innocent housemaid who tries to get revenge on a household who doesn’t treat her well. It also stars Lee Jung Jae as Hoon, the father of the family and one of the most deceitful of all. The movie was viewed at the Cannes Film Festival, Toronto Film Festival, as well as many other film festivals worldwide, and he was recognized internationally as a talented actor.

The movie came to be such a success and was even named as one of Time’s top 12 female revenge flicks. Lee Jung Jae did a phenomenal job portraying the conniving Hoon, and he even snagged the Best Actor award at the 2011 Fantasporto International Film Festival.

“New World”

Lee Jung Jae plays Lee Ja Sung, a police officer who is working undercover as a member of Goldmoon, a crime organization. He works his way up and ends up becoming the right hand man of Jung Chung (Hwang Jung Min). After the boss of Goldmoon gets killed, two members become embroiled in a rivalry to become the number one boss, which Ja Sung is a part of.

Lee Jung Jae’s performance in “New World” still continues to be mentioned as being one of his best. The movie was shown in various film festivals all around the world and can be associated with being one of the main Korean films that brought in international recognition. Lee Jung Jae was also able to snag the CJ CGV Star Award at the 2013 Korean Association of Film Critics Awards – a very worthy award!

Watch “New World” on Viki here:

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“Sandglass”

This is a love story between gangster Park Tae Soo (Choi Min Soo) and the daughter of a wealthy casino owner, Yoon Hye Rin (Go Hyun Jung). The love triangle involving her bodyguard Baek Jae Hee (Lee Jung Jae) can go down in the books as being one of the most tragic second lead stories in K-drama history. Seeing Lee Jung Jae love Yoon Hye Rin with every ounce of his being was heartbreaking, and many viewers couldn’t help but fall for his charm. There’s a lot of blood, sweat, and tears throughout this series, which is probably why it’s one of the most-watched K-dramas of all time.

“Triple”

“Triple” tells the story of Lee Ha Ru (Min Hyo Rin) who is a professional figure skater. Ha Ru’s mother remarries, and she gets a new stepbrother named Shin Hwal (Lee Jung Jae). When Ha Ru turns 13, she loses both her mom and step father in a tragic car accident, which ends up separating Ha Ru and Shin Hwal. As adults, the two end up working at the same advertisement company together, and Ha Ru falls in love with Shin Hwal.

Lee Jung Jae playing Shin Hwal is a bit different from other characters he has played. He also does not do K-dramas that often, let alone romantic ones, so it is definitely a worthwhile watch. He’s cool, manly, charismatic, and obviously his acting is incredible. If you want to watch an older K-drama classic, this one can not be overlooked!

You can start watching this drama here:

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Park Hae Soo

“Quantum Physics”

The movie stars Park Hae Soo as a club owner named Lee Chan Woo who discovers that a famous celebrity’s drug scandal is connected to the police and powerful politicians. He decides to take it upon himself to get justice and ends up teaming up with Sung Eun Young (Seo Ye Ji) and a police officer (Kim Sang Ho) to deal with the corruption.

This was a role that brought a lot of attention to Park Hae Soo and solidified his acting abilities. He was able to win the Best New Actor award at the 2019 Blue Dragon Film Awards, and fans loved the chemistry between Park Hae Soo and Seo Ye Ji.

Watch the movie below:

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“Prison Playbook”

“Prison Playbook” stars Park Hae Soo as Kim Je Hyuk, Jung Kyung Ho as Lee Joon Ho, and Krystal as Kim Ji Ho. Je Hyuk is a famous baseball player who beats up a man that was abusing his younger sister. He gets sentenced to prison despite what the other man did, and the series delves into his prison life and the people he meets. Jung Kyung Ho’s character comes into play as he is a friend of Je Hyuk and also happens to work at the same prison that Je Hyuk is locked up in.

Park Hae Soo in “Prison Playbook” is everything. At the beginning, you’re not sure how to feel about his character, but as the series progresses and his character is established, you really start to sympathize with him. The relationships he builds with his fellow inmates and the unbreakable bond he has with his childhood best friend gives all the warm feels despite the series taking place in the confines of a prison. His performance was indeed unforgettable!

Heo Sung Tae

“Beyond Evil”

Han Joo Won (Yeo Jin Goo) is a police officer who gets transferred to a small town from the big city of Seoul. He is trying to uncover the case of a series of murders that happened 20 years prior. His main suspect is his partner and fellow police officer Lee Dong Sik (Shin Ha Kyun).

In the series, Heo Sung Tae plays Lee Chang Jin, the CEO of JL Construction. He becomes a ruthless businessman who does not care about the well-being of others or who he needs to bulldoze over in order to make sure he gets what he wants. His performance is always bone-chillingly good and unforgettable.

Watch here:

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“Watcher”

Do Chi Kwang (Han Suk Kyu), Kim Young Koon (Seo Kang Joon), Han Tae Joo (Kim Hyun Joo) have all experienced great tragedy in their lives. They all become part of an investigation team where they are trying to expose corruption within the police. Heo Sung Tae plays Jang Hae Ryong, an older colleague of Chi Kwang.

The charismatic gaze and presence of Heo Sung Tae can never be denied. He has a natural look that can play antagonists very well. His role as Jang Hae Ryong is memorable in that it provides the perfect addition to the already tense and dramatic tone of the series as viewers uncover the mystery.

Start watching “Watcher” now:

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Kim Joo Ryoung

“SF8: Joan’s Galaxy”

“SF8” is a sci-fi series with eight different directors participating in each episode. Out of the eight episodes, Kim Joo Ryoung is one of the actresses in the third part “SF8: Joan’s Galaxy.” This particular episode takes place in 2046 where people are divided into Clean and Non-Clean groups. Yi Oh (Choi Sung Eun) plays a university student who is an N. Kim Joo Ryoung plays Yi Oh’s mother.

Kim Joo Ryoung’s versatility as an actress is really shown in this role. It’s very different from her role in “Squid Game” as she is more calm, collected, and graceful. She plays the role of a mother so perfectly, and with the backdrop of it taking place in the future, her character adds so much depth to the relationship with Yi Oh.

You can start watching “SF8” here:

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Wi Ha Joon

“18 Again”

Yoon Sang Hyun stars as Hong Dae Young, a man whose girlfriend got pregnant when they were in high school, resulting in the two getting married. Hong Dae Young had to give up his future as a basketball player, and Kim Ha Neul, who plays his wife, had to give up her dreams of being a reporter. After a freak incident, he wakes up to realize that he has returned back to his 18-year-old self (Lee Do Hyun). He has been given a second chance to live his life the way he wanted.

If you didn’t feel or fall for Wi Ha Joon’s character as Ye Ji Hoon in this story, then I don’t know what can. His role as the single father who is trying to do everything he can to make his adopted daughter happy is so heartfelt and emotional. He’s willing to sacrifice his entire professional baseball career to bring the care that is needed for his daughter. Not to mention, the love and respect he has for Jung Da Jung (Kim Ha Neul) is also a highlight – there really is not a single bad thing about his character in this series! The swooning is endless!

Watch “18 Again” here:

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“Romance Is A Bonus Book”

“Romance Is a Bonus Book” stars Lee Jong Suk as Cha Eun Ho, a writer and editor of a publishing company, and Lee Na Young as Kang Dan Yi, a mother trying to get back into the workforce. The two met when they were children, and in a twist of events, became best friends. Fast forward to when they’re adults: Dan Yi gets a divorce and has to find a job in order to support her daughter. She turns to Eun Ho to help her, and Dan Yi ends up getting a job at the same company as Eun Ho.

Many remember Wi Ha Joon from his role as Son Ye Jin‘s younger brother in “Pretty Noona Who Buys Me Food,” but it wasn’t until his role as Ji Seo Jun in “Romance Is A Bonus Book” that he started to garner a bigger fan base. Wi Ha Joon played a second-lead role, and many ended up having some serious second-lead syndrome. His acting and ability to show his heart through his acting are very memorable.

“Shark: The Beginning”

Based on the webtoon written by Woon, Cha Woo Sol (Kim Min Seok) ends up going to juvenile prison as a result of attacking the bully that was tormenting him for years. In juvenile prison, he meets Jung Do Hyun (Wi Ha Joon), a former MMA Champion. The two become friends, and Do Hyun teaches Woo Sol how to fight.

If you want an energy driven movie with a lot of bromance and good feels, this movie is the perfect watch. The chemistry between Wi Ha Joon and Kim Min Seok is very evident, and despite the horrid trauma that these two had to deal with to end up in juvenile prison, you end up feeling happy that the two were able to find each other. The movie will take you on a rollercoaster of emotions without any dull moments – it’s a definite must-watch for any action lover and Wi Ha Joon fan!

Hey Soompiers, which of these K-dramas or movies is next on your watch list? Let me know in the comments below!

binahearts is a Soompi writer whose ultimate biases are Song Joong Ki and BIGBANG but has lately been seen obsessing over Hwang In Yeop. Make sure you follow binahearts on Instagram as she journeys through her latest Korean crazes!