Korean dramas, movies finishing year strongly

This year saw a rich slew of actors making their mark in both television dramas and movies. Memorable performances in cinema came from actresses like Kim Tae-ri, who received international attention for her role as the earthy heroine of Park Chan-wook’s erotic thriller “The Handmaiden,” Kwak Do-won, who appeared as the fear-stricken policeman in Na Hong-jin’s horror flick “The Wailing” and the shrewdly domineering prosecutor in Kim Sung-su’s crime-noir “Asura: The City of Madness.”

On television, actress Seo Hyun-jin delivered a highly relatable portrayal of the struggling 30-something Korean everywoman in “Another Oh Hae-young,” while actor Yoon Kye-sang caught viewers’ eyes as the cutthroat lawyer in the Korean version of “The Good Wife.”

Here is a list of the most hotly anticipated performances set to grace both the small and big screens in the final months of the year:


Song Yoon-ah as gripping villainess in “K2”

Song Yoon-ah stars in “The K2” as Choi Yoo-jin, the cold-blooded, ambitious wife of a presidential candidate, who hires a fugitive mercenary soldier, played by Ji Chang-wook, to conceal the existence of her husband’s illegitimate daughter, played by Yoona of K-pop group Girls’ Generation. The cable channel tvN’s political thriller is enjoying unexpected popularity, boasting a rating of 3.9 percent viewership, according to Nielsen Korea. Its intense action scenes and characters’ complex relationships have apparently gripped TV viewers.

Song has been described as the lifeblood of the show, providing the impetus for conflict with her layered depiction of the double-sided Choi, who presents herself to the public as the epitome of elegance while plotting murderous schemes in private.

The 43-year-old actress broke through on the small screen through “Hotelier” (2001) and in film through “Jail Breakers” (2002). Most recently, she portrayed a talented aide to a legislator on political TV drama “Assembly.”

In 2009, Song married actor Sol Kyung-gu amid heavy media scrutiny stemming from reports the actress was the cause of Sol’s divorce in 2006. The actress, recognized for her talents prior to the scandal, seems well on her way to redeeming her reputation as an actress.


Lee Young-ae portrays life, love of revered female scholar

Much speculation surrounds Lee Young-ae’s upcoming historical drama “Saimdang, Light’s Diary,” in which the actress tackles the role of renowned Joseon era female figure Shin Saimdang -- exploring her life as an artist, writer, calligrapher, poet and mother of the Korean Confucian scholar Yi I, and her romance as a woman. The male lead is played by Song Seung-heon.

Anticipation has been dampened somewhat as the series, originally planned to air simultaneously in Korea and China in October, has been postponed for a January 2017 release.

The show is currently awaiting a review process in China, SBS said, a delay that industry experts suspect may be related to recent Korea-China political tensions over the placement of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense anti-missile system on the Korean Peninsula.

Even so, hopes remain high for the show, the first to be aired simultaneously on TV in both countries --- previous shows like “Uncontrollably Fond” and “Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo” were streamed online on major Chinese web platform Youku -- and due to the star power of its leads.

The show will mark actress Lee’s return to the small screen since her role as royal chief physician Jang-geum in the 2003 smash hit historical series “Jewel in the Palace,” which reaped commercial success not only in the Asia-Pacific region, but also in Europe, the Americas and Middle East. Her last film role was in Park Chan-wook’s stylistic 2005 thriller “Sympathy for Lady Vengeance.” Lee has only made occasional appearances in the limelight since marrying business mogul Jung Ho-young in 2009. 


Lee Min-ho to take dual role in time-travel fantasy

Actor Lee Min-ho amassed female fans through his breakthrough role in the 2013 TV series “The Heirs,” and was until recently engaged in a much-publicized relationship with K-pop starlet Suzy. This November, the heartthrob will return in SBS romance fantasy “The Legend of the Blue Sea” as a time-traveling swindler and nobleman, alongside actress Jun Ji-hyun, who will star as a mermaid. The two were spotted last month shooting on location in Spain. “The Legend” was penned by Park Ji-eun, who wrote 2013 hit series “My Love from the Stars.”

With a star-studded cast and production crew and an outlandish plot, it remains to be seen if the show will follow in the steps of “Descendants of the Sun,” which achieved pan-Asian success and catapulted its lead Song Joong-ki to stardom earlier this year.


Zo In-sung in power-chasing crime flick

Actor Zo In-sung will return to the big screen for the first time in eight years this December in “The King,” a crime flick that traces a prosecutor on a dangerous path to gain unlimited power. The actor, whose previous TV work includes “That Winter, the Wind Blows” alongside Song Hye-kyo, will be starring in the upcoming film with Jung Woo-sung, who recently appeared in “Asura: The City of Madness.” 

By Rumy Doo (doo@heraldcorp.com)