Writer: Lavanya Sukumaran (Vadodara, Gujarat, India)
Editor: Pooja Vishwanathan (Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, India)
Park Hyung-sik has never let down his fans and audiences, as he has always exhibited his great acting skills and has always made the character that he played a remarkable one. He is not only a great actor but is also a great singer and was part of a boy-band group named ZE: A, also known as Children of Empire under the Star Empire Entertainment in 2010.
He started his acting career officially in 2012 but was seen in cameo appearances in several television series such as ‘Prosecutor Princess’, ‘Marry Me, please!’, and ‘Gloria’ in 2010. He has also been part of several musical theatres such as ‘Temptations of Wolves’, ‘Gwanghwamun Love Song’, ‘Bonnie & Clyde’, ‘The Three Musketeers’, and ‘Elizabeth’. Further in his career, he has also been a part of the remake of ‘The Suits’, which is an American legal drama television series.
These are the top 5 K-dramas you should watch that will make his charms smite you.
1. Strong Girl Bong Soon
IMDb Rating – 8.2/10
It is a television series that was aired in 2017. The story of the drama revolves around a woman named Do-Bong-soon, who has superhuman strength; it is hereditary and is always passed down to the females of the family line. The character of Bong-soon was played by Park Bo-young.
As Bong soon has such inhuman powers, she is then hired as a bodyguard of the CEO of the company, Ainsoft. Ainsoft is a game developer company with its CEO Ahn Min- Hyuk played by Park Hyung – sik. The story further shows the bubbly romance between Ahn Min–Hyuk and Do Bong–soon.
This drama is light-hearted and has a humorous tone; the series also completes its main idea of showing women’s empowerment. This series was a huge hit because of the charming chemistry between the lead actors in this story.
2. Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth
IMDb Rating – 8.0/10
Hwarang is a television series aired in 2016. It is a historical drama whose story revolves around the period of the reign of the Silla Dynasty. The story further shows the friendship, compassion, brotherhood, and love among a group of young men from the country named Hwarang. This group was made to protect the Crown Prince and the future king of the Silla Dynasty.
The story further shows the training of the Hwarang members and the political complexity going on in the Silla dynasty. Thus, this drama is the perfect blend of humour, along with the great scenic beauty of the historical times and the famous star cast.
The story’s main characters are Moon-myung, played by Park Seo-joon, and Crown Prince Sammaekjong, played by Park Hyung- sik. Along with this, there were also several famous actors and actresses, namely Go-Ara, Choi Min-ho of SHINee & Kim Tae-hyung of BTS.
3. Happiness
IMDb Rating – 7.9/ 10
Happiness first premiered on 5 November 2021 on tvN. The story revolves around an apocalyptic time when a new infectious disease was spreading among the people.
The infectious disease was caused by the failed testing of a drug named ‘NEXT,‘ which, in due time, reached the maximum number of people, resulting in making them mad and turning them into a zombie-like state. The virus spread was named ‘Lytta Virus,‘ also called ‘Mad Man’s Disease.‘
The whole city, as well as the whole country, was locked down, and the infected ones were kept in quarantine to investigate more about the virus and to prepare a cure. The drama has portrayed and shown the apocalyptic visuals very well. The set as well as the star cast were amazing.
The show’s star cast consists of Han Hyo-joo as Yoon Sae-boom, a part of the Special Force unit of the Police Squad, Park Hyung–sik as Jung Yi-hyun, a detective, and Jo Woo-jin as Han Tae-seok, lieutenant colonel and health service commander.
4. What’s with this Family?
IMDB Rating – 7.9/10
This drama was aired in the year 2014. The series showcases the theme of family and relationships. The series revolves around a widowed father who has 3 children and has devoted his life solely to them.
The series goes through a rollercoaster ride of emotions showing the love and affection of the family and the situations these characters went through in their daily lives be it personal or professional.
It is a great blend of humour, family dynamics, and family’s heartfelt moments. The drama was successful in showing that we should always cherish our time with family and should make sure to talk out all the misunderstandings.
The star cast of the drama consisted of Yoo Dong-geun as Cha Soon-bong, Kim Hyun-joo as Cha Kang-shim, Yoon Park as Cha Kang-jae, and Park Hyung-Sik as Cha Dal-bong.
5. High Society
IMDb Rating 6.8 /10
High Society was aired in the year 2015. The story revolves around the lives of four people who face different issues and challenges irrespective of their different economic backgrounds. Jang Yoon-ha, played by Kim Yu–jin, and Yoon Chang–soo, played by Park Hyung-sik, are two young chaebols of the family who are engaged to each other, whereas Choi Joon-gi, played by Sung Joon, and Lee Ji-yi, played by Lim Ji-yeon, are hardworking middle-class people who aspire to be rich, as they have faced a lot of poverty.
The drama portrays the theme of challenges one faces due to societal norms and classes, love, friendship, and humour. It has beautifully shown the difference in lifestyles between those who come from the privileged class and those who come from the underprivileged classes. It also mocks down modern societies’ old and traditional mindsets about class and wealth.
Well, these were some amazing dramas of Park Hyung-sik. His talent truly shines through as he navigates diverse characters, showcasing both his acting versatility and charm. From heartwarming romantic roles to intense dramatic performances, he captivates audiences every time. Each drama offers a unique storyline and leaves a lasting impression. Overall, Park Hyung-sik’s body of work not only entertains but also resonates deeply with viewers, making him a remarkable figure in the world of Korean entertainment.
Have you watched any of these K-dramas? Which is your favorite among them? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.
If I had to choose just one, I’d say Happiness. I went into it expecting a typical thriller, but I ended up staying because of Park Hyung-sik. He made his character feel so genuine. quiet, caring, and the kind of person you’d want by your side when everything is falling apart. It wasn’t about big dramatic moments; it was all the little things in his performance that made me root for him. By the end, I realized I wasn’t just enjoying the story, I was genuinely attached to his character.
“what’s with this family” have been a great korean sitcom to watch, I enjoyed it a lot. Though I think, I discovered him from Strong Woman Do-Bong-Soo, arghhh I can’t help myself still thinking about that kdrama being sooooo fun, tbh every year i do end up watching the kdrama again while im doing my work. Then Happiness was actually on of my favourite kdrama too, it was great action based type one with the subtle romance! Oh wait sorry I remember him first time from “THE HEIRS” kdrama, he was the supporting character in it, that “ho ho” laugh scene with Kim Woo Bin he had. He is one of my fav actors, it was pretty surprsing for me that he used to be a part of the kpop group, but i do have a decent share of listening his couple of songs which he sang!