Park Gyu-younghas been in several great TV shows fromIt’s Okay to Not Be OkaytoSquid Game, so which one of herK-dramasis the best among her projects is a tricky question. Park Gyu-young’s acting career includes diverse roles that span across multiple genres. While she’s been inmany romantic K-dramas, she’s also starred in horrors likeSweet Home, and mystery legal dramas likeThe Devil Judge. The award-winning actor has shown that she can handle her own, whether it’s in a supporting or lead role, thus proving that she is one of the most versatile K-drama actors.
Born in Busan, South Korea, Park Gyu-young began acting in 2016 in the K-drama,Bring It on Ghost. Since her K-drama debut, she’s gone on to appear in other films and TV shows such asWretchesand even ledthe Netflix original K-dramaCelebrity.Recently, Park Gyu-young took on the role of Kang No-eul inSquid Gameseason 2 and was praised for the complexity she brought to her surprising role. With so manypopular K-dramasin her resume already Park Gyu-young will likely have a bright future in the K-drama industry.
A Good Day To Be A Dog
Cast
A Good Day To Be A Dog is a South Korean fantasy romantic comedy based on the webtoon series by Lee Hye. The show centers on a young school teacher named Han Hae-na who becomes cursed after she kisses a man she went on a date with, turning her into a dog after midnight. To break the spell, she must find the man who is the key to breaking the curse. Unfortunately for Han Hae-na, her savior is terrified of dogs.
StarringRookie Historian Goo Hae-ryung’s Cha Eun-woo andThe Liar and His Lover’s Kang Han-gyul,A Good Day to Be A Dogis afantasy romance K-dramathat focuses on Han Hae-na’s (Park Gyu-young) complicated love life. Hae-na, a high school teacher has a big secret that has ruined all her romantic relationships: her family was cursed to transform into dogs whenever they kissed someone. The transformation would occur at midnight for six hours and would only stop when they kissed the same person again. Things get dicey for Hae-na when she kisses Jin Seo-woon, who is terrified of dogs.
Park Gyu-young’s Squid Game Season 2 Role Was So Much Better Than What Anyone Could’ve Expected
Park Gyu-young’s presence in Squid Game season 2 was certainly exciting, but her surprising role (and potential) was even better than expected.
A Good Day to Be A Dogisn’t a run-of-the-mill K-drama, which gives Park Gyu-young a chance to shine in the lead role.Hae-na is a funny and lovable character, and Park Gyu-young makes it easy to root for her and hope she finds love.A Good Day to Be a Dogis intriguing from its very first episode, and the chemistry between Park Gyu-young and Cha Eun-woo is one of the reasons why. WhileAGood Day to Be A Dogmight not be Park Gyu-young’s best K-drama, her comedic timing in the series makes it very enjoyable.
Romance Is A Bonus Book
Romance Is A Bonus Book is a South Korean romantic comedy series starring Lee Na-young and Lee Jong-suk. The story revolves around a once-successful copywriter who struggles to find work due to her age and complicated personal life. She eventually lands a job at a publishing company where she reunites with a former colleague, sparking a journey of personal and professional rediscovery amidst the backdrop of the literary world.
Released in 2019,Romance Is A BonusBook follows Kang Da-ni and Cha Eun-ho’s love story. Kang Da-ni is a former copywriter whose life takes a turn for the worse when her husband divorces her and she is left out in the cold with no job or prospects.Her childhood friend, Cha Eun-ho is the editor-in-chief at a publishing company where Da-ni gets a job.As the two interact, their shared past and mutual respect result in them falling in love.
Park Gyu-young’s Oh Ji-yul is a bit spoiled and is easy to dislike because of that, but her struggles with her mother show that she also has some complications in her life.
Park Gyu-young’s Oh Ji-yul is a bit spoiled and is easy to dislike because of that, but her struggles with her mother show that she also has some complications in her life.Park Gyu-young only has a supporting role inRomance Is a Bonus Bookso she doesn’t have a lot of screen time compared to the lead characters.However, she still gives a great performance during the times that she is on screen. The actor’s performance inRomance Is a Bonus Bookshowed that she has the charisma and versatility that is often seen in lead characters.
Dali and the Cocky Prince
Dali and the Cocky Prince is a South Korean television series released in 2021. It follows the unlikely romance between a strong-willed, unsophisticated man and an upper-class woman facing personal challenges, as they navigate differences in social standing and overcome obstacles to develop their relationship.
In her second lead role, Park Gyu-young plays Kim Dali inDali and The Cocky Prince.The K-drama sees Dali, a young woman who loses her father and finds herself in debt. Dali meets Moo Hak, the managing director of a global restaurant chain. Dali and Moo Hak come from opposite sides of life: she grew up rich while he earned his wealth and only cares about money. Although the two characters are different, their relationship, which starts as creditor and debtor develops into something more as they get to know each other better.
Dali is a researcher who prefers getting lost in books to anything else. While she has a calm demeanor, Dali isn’t afraid of voicing her opinions.Park Gyu-young proved that she is a versatile actor who shines in every role she plays.She makes it easy to like Dali and her portrayal of the character is one of the best things about the K-drama. AlthoughDali and the Cocky Princeisn’t a very well-known K-drama, it certainly is worth watching because of Park Gyu-young’s powerful performance, which earned her the Best New Actress award at the 2021 Baeksang Arts Awards.
The Devil Judge
Set in a dystopian South Korea, The Devil Judge explores the complex dynamics within a courtroom where justice is broadcast as public spectacle. The series follows a chief judge who manipulates trials for popular approval, while an idealistic assistant judge questions the integrity of this judicial system.
2021 was a busy year for Park Gyu-young as she not only starred inDali and the Cocky Princebut also had a lead role inThe Devil Judge. One of themost unique legal K-dramas,The Devil Judgeis set in a dystopian South Korean future where the courtroom is a television studio.The K-drama follows Kang Yo-han, a judge whose word is law. Park Gyu-young’s character, Yoo Soo-hyun begins to challenge Judge Kang to bring justice to society by getting rid of the malicious judge.
The Devil Judgeis a departure from Park Gyu-young’s past K-drama roles as it doesn’t have romance at its center.
Yoo Soo-hyun is a lieutenant in the Regional Investigation Unit who together with her childhood friend Kim Ga-on seeks to to right the injustices in their world. Soo-hyun is brave and is willing to do what it takes to ensure that the world she lives in is free of corruption and injustice.The Devil Judgeis a departure from Park Gyu-young’s past K-drama roles as it doesn’t have romance at its center.However, her portrayal of Soo-hyun is enthralling. Although Park Gyu-young didn’t have a lot to work with inThe Devil Judge, her character is still memorable.
Celebrity
Celebrity is a South Korean drama-thriller series created for Netflix. The show follows Seo Ah-ri, a woman who enjoyed a wealthy childhood, only to lose it all after an incident caused her family to go into poverty. Years later, now working as a door-to-door cosmetics salesperson, a chance encounter with a former friend begins to lure her into the world of celebrity influencer culture on social media. However, Seo Ah-ri quickly discovers the world is more intense and dangerous than she initially expected.
The thriller K-dramaCelebritydelves into the world of rich social media influencers. Seo Ah-ri, portrayed by Park Min-young is a door-to-door makeup salesperson who has no social media presence. However, that changes when she runs into an old friend, Oh Min-yhe who seems to have it all: wealth, great looks, and a devoted husband. After seeing how fame can change someone’s life, Ah-ri endeavors to be an influencer. But she soon discovers that the world of the rich and famous is far more different than what is seen on social media.
Park Gyu-young captures the intensity of her character and pulls audiences in with her performance.The actor nails her character, as she can seamlessly transition from a shy woman to someone capable of standing up for herself when the situation calls for it.Celebrityisn’t just about seeing the super-rich and famous flaunt their wealth. It also offers smart commentary on the pitfalls of social media. Park Gyu-young did a great job of bringing that theme to life, andCelebrityis one of her best K-dramas.
Sweet Home
Sweet Home follows the story of Hyun-soo, a reclusive high school student who moves into the Green Home apartment complex after losing his family. When a mysterious epidemic turns people into monstrous creatures, Hyun-soo and the residents of Green Home must band together to survive, confronting their inner demons and the horrifying threats outside.
Adapted from Kim Carnby and Hwang Young-chan’s webtoon of the name,Sweet Homeis one of themost popular zombie K-dramas.Starring the “son of Netflix” Song Kang as Cha Hyu-soo in one of the lead roles,Sweet Homecenters around a group of tenants stuck in their apartment building after a virus breaks out that turns people into monsters.Sweet Homewas popular with critics and audiences, having become the first K-drama to enter Netflix’s Top 10 charts.
Squid Game Season 2’s Saddest Story Was Secretly A Sweet Home Reunion
Squid Game season 2’s saddest story was a Sweet Home reunion, with two actors from the monster K-drama also playing key roles in the Netflix hit.
Park Gyu-young takes on the role of Yoon Ji-su inSweet Home. Ji-su is a lonely bass guitarist dealing with the pain of losing her boyfriend who died from suicide.She goes through a lot inSweetHome, but she remains tough through all her adverse moments. As Ji-su, Park Gyu-young showed a different side to her because she was both tough and kindhearted. Ji-su is one of the best characters inSweet Home, and it’s all thanks to how Park Gyu-young embodied her, even though the series changed a lot from the webtoon.
It’s Okay to Not Be Okay
It’s Okay to Not Be Okay is a South Korean drama series following Moon Gang-tae, a caretaker in a psychiatric hospital, and Ko Moon-young, a children’s book author with antisocial personality disorder. As their lives intertwine, they embark on a journey of emotional healing while grappling with their traumatic pasts. The show explores themes of mental health, relationships, and personal growth.
It’s Okay to Not Be Okaysees So Yea-ji’s Ko Moon-young and Kim Soo-hyun’s Moon Gang-tae fall in love.Moon-young is a selfish children’s book author who likes things to always go her way. Gang-tae, on the other hand, is a caring character who finds himself working at OK Psychiatric Hospital. Gang-tae and Moon-young have an encounter after the former becomes a patient at the hospital due to her antisocial personality disorder. While Moon-young and Gang-tae are completely different, they eventually begin to fall for each other.
Nam Ju-ri is Park Gyu-young’s first major role. Ju-ri is a nurse at OK Psychiatric Hospital with a huge crush on Gang-tae.One of thebest K-dramas of all time,It’s Okay to Not Be Okayis what put Park Gyu-young on the map. As Ju-ri, Park Gyu-young contributed to some light-hearted moments in the K-drama.The South Korean actor shined as Ju-ri and nailed her character’s nuances and emotions, especially after a big secret about her past was revealed.
Squid Game
Squid Game is a South Korean series released in 2021 that follows numerous financially struggling participants who are invited to partake in children’s games with deadly outcomes. As they compete, they vie for a substantial cash prize, all while navigating lethal challenges orchestrated by mysterious figures.
One of Netflix’s biggest shows,Squid Gameplayed a huge role in how popular K-dramas have become, especially on streaming platforms.The intense K-drama centers around a group of people who owe large amounts of debt and are tricked into playing children’s games that result in the losers being killed.Squid Gameseason 1 was Netflix’s most-watched show of all time, with the show then being renewed for two more seasons.
Park Gyu-young joinedthe cast ofSquid Gamein season 2and her character, Kang No-eul, was one of the biggest twists of the show. Kang No-eul was a departure from the usualK-dramacharacters that Park Gyu-young plays because she was a villain inSquid Gameseason 2.Park Gyu-young’s role as Kang No-eul is arguably her best so far because of how she turned what was supposed to be a faceless soldier into a complex character whose decisions have sparked a lot of debate, givingSquid Gameone of its most fascinating side stories.
