In the first half of 2024, K-dramas gave us winsome men who came bearing oodles of charm. Their dashing good-looks apart, they were smart and steadfast, gallantly wearing their hearts on their sleeves. They were willing to take a bullet for love and defy all odds to protect the people they cared about.
They romanced with the same ease with which they fought, laughed, and didn’t shy away from showing their tears. Here are five K-drama male leads who had many smitten as they made hearts skip several beats. There is no denying that Byeon Woo Seok’s Ryu Sun Jae in “Lovely Runner” is the current King of Hearts.
When a bedridden Im Sol ( Kim Hye Yoon ) is told by budding singer Sun Jae of Eclipse during a radio call that he is glad she is alive, Sol’s world is transformed. She becomes a hopelessly devoted fangirl. Years later, when Sun Jae dies in an accident, Im Sol travels back in time to save him and change his destiny.
And she even works to change hers. Byeon Woo Seok’s endearing portrayal of Sun Jae had many go weak in the knees. He was an outstanding achiever who had no qualms in showing his vulnerable side.
Even as Im Sol tries hard to protect Sun Jae across timelines, he is clear that he would happily sacrifice himself for love. Byeon Woo Seok not only got the beats of his character right, but he has made Sun Jae an iconic character of all time. His innocence as he fumbles to confess his feelings, or the hopelessness as he struggles with himself, or the passiona.
