Best Shin Hye Sun's Drama

Shin Hye Sun’s Drama List to Watch after Mr Queen

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Published:

11/07/2021

Updated on: 08/01/2023

Feeling lost after Shin Hye Sun charmed you in Mr Queen? Want to fill that hole Mr Queen left in your soul? Fret not because we have Shin Hye Sun’s drama list, just for you!

If you are as crazy about Korean drama as I am, you have probably come across this really popular and talented South Korean actress called Shin Hye Sun. And, if you watch Korean dramas and are still clueless about her, then which rock are you living under?

Shin Hye Sun: The Rising Star

Shin Hye Sun has become a rage not only in South Korea but all over the world. Especially amongst the huge Korean culture community with her brilliant performances over the years since her acting debut in 2013. She has won the “Top Excellence Award” three times in a row since her first lead role debut in 2017 amongst other awards and nominations! She’s one of the most versatile actresses in South Korean Television at the moment.

Shin Hye Sun has acted in various genres, from romantic comedies to extremely grim, thrilling crime dramas. She has played some really different roles from a bubbly, naïve poor girl to a serious, no-nonsense rich woman. And recently she has played the role of a modern man trapped in the body of a woman from the Joseon Dynasty! If that does not give you an idea about this wonderful actress’ acting abilities, I do not know what can. Without further ado, let’s get into Shin Hye Sun’s drama list!

Shin Hye Sun’s Drama list

01. Mr Queen (2020)

Mr Queen revolves around Jang Bong Hwan, a star chef in modern-day South Korea. Due to an unfortunate accident, Jang Bong Hwan ends up in the body of a woman Kim So Yong. Worse, this body swap comes with time travel as a cherry on the top! Not only Bong Hwan find himself in the body of a woman but he has been transported to the Joseon era of Korean history! What’s more, our playboy star chef is about to get married to the puppet king, Cheol Jong. Prepare yourself for some really hilarious events as Jang Bong Hwan struggles to understand his (or her) newfound identity as a woman (or a man?) along with his growing feelings for the supposedly weak king. But beware, palace politics is not a mere game of chess, it is war.

Shin Hye Sun’s role: Kim So Youn/Jang Bong Hwan

It would be an understatement if we say that she took the Kdrama world by storm with her brilliant performance as Jang Bong Hwan. We might even go as far as to say that it’s difficult to think anybody else could have managed to pull off this role as well as Shin Hye Sun did. Whether it’s Bong Hwan’s mannerism, internal identity crises, his logical thinking, his desires as “the” man or his cooking skills, Shin Hye Sun did it all!

In a press conference back in December 2020, Shin Hye Sun talked about her experience of taking up Mr Queen as her next project. She said “I figured that I would regret it if I didn’t do it, and I thought I’d feel upset if I saw someone else doing it. I wanted to try letting myself go a bit.” In reality, she outdid herself and she’s no doubt the star of the show! Watch the trailer of Shin Hye Sun as our favourite Jang Bong Hwan in Mr Queen here!

02. Mr Queen: The Bamboo Forest (2021)

Mr Queen: The Bamboo Forest is a prequel to the super popular Kdrama Mr Queen starring Shin Hye Sun and Kim Jung Hyun. The prequel narrates the story of So Yong and King Cheoljong before the events of Mr Queen took place. It fills the gap between the events that took place in Mr Queen and justifies Kim So Yong and Jang Bong Hwan’s characterisation. Talk about the best fan service ever! Watch the trailer for Mr Queen: The Bamboo Forest here!

03. Angel’s Last Mission: Love (2019)

Angel’s Last Mission: Love revolves around an emotionally scarred, star ballerina, Lee Yeon Seo. Due to her parent’s death and her strained relationship with her greedy family members, she has become arrogant and cynical. If only her life was not already a struggle, with everybody around her wanting to acquire her inherited wealth, she has to give up on the only thing she might actually love – ballet, after an unfortunate accident. Kim Dan is a carefree, cheerful and optimistic angel. He has been entrusted to find true love for our leading lady in order to return to Heaven. Will he be successful?

Shin Hye Sun’s role: Lee Yeon Seo

In Angel’s Last Mission: Love, Shin Hye Sun appears as a talented, deeply hurt ballerina. Her emotions and expressions as someone who is constantly seen as a gateway to wealth and riches; and as a ballerina is commendable. It’s worth to note that while many of the actors were professional ballet dancers, Shin Hye Sun had learnt ballet for this specific role and is successful in reminding the viewer of her versatility and her incredible skills as an actress. She is brilliant as Lee Yeon Seo.  So, what’s the wait? Watch the trailer for Shin Hye Sun’s role as the graceful ballerina Lee Yeon Seo in Angel’s Last Mission: Love here!

04. The Hymn of Death (2018)

Two brilliant and popular actors together? Yes, please! The Hymn of Death stars our Shin Hye and Hallyu star Lee Jong Suk. It is based on a true and tragic love story of a married stage drama writer called Kim Woo Jin and Yun Shim Deok. Yun Shim Deok is the first Korean soprano during the Japanese colonisation of Korea. She released the song “Praise of Death” in 1926 which went on to become the first Kpop song in history! It’s a heart-wrenching yet beautiful tale and has amassed great viewership and reviews around the world!

Shin Hye Sun’s role: Yun Shim Deok

The role of Yun Shim Deok led Shin Hye Sun to be nominated for the Best Actress award at the 14th Seoul International Drama Awards. Although she did not win, her performance as Yun Shim Deok and chemistry with Lee Jong Suk is appreciated by fans around the globe! Watch the trailer for her performance in The Hymn of Death here!

05. Thirty But Seventeen (2018)

Thirty But Seventeen is a Kdrama that revolves around two individuals, whose lives are trapped in a traumatic incident that took place 13 years ago. Woo Seo Ri is a 17-year-old, talented violinist who is about to go to Germany to become a professional violinist. Her dreams come to an end when she goes into a 13-year long coma after a bus accident. Meanwhile, Gong Woo-Jin is living a secluded life and does not wish to engage with others as a result of a traumatic experience when he was 17 years old.

Shin Hye Sun’s role: Woo Seo Ri

Shin He Sun perfectly portrays a disoriented and confused Woo Seo Ri. Her acting portrays the angst and despair of lost youth and opportunities with the only solace being the thing Woo Seo Ri is most familiar with: her violin. Amongst Seo Ri’s situational despair and the fact that though her physical age is 30 years, she is still 17 years old in her heart and mind; Shin Hye Sun doesn’t fail to reflect and highlight her innocence and naivety through her brilliant performance. Watch her performance as a talented violinist with a traumatic past in the trailer of Thirty But Seventeen here!

06. My Golden Life (2017)

My Golden Life revolves around the tale of a lost child adopted into a different family. Our lost child is none other than the grand-daughter of a conglomerate called the Haesung group. She is adopted by a man named Seo Tae Soo as one of his twin daughters, Seo Ji Ahn and Seo Ji Soo. Years later, Ji Ahn is a go-getter contract employee of the Haesung Group while Ji Soo is working as a part-timer. Luck strikes for Ji Ahn when the oldest grandson of the Haesung Group, Choi Do Kyung meets Ji Ahn due to an accident and is shocked to discover that she is her lost sister! (Chill, it’s not a spoiler). A Kdrama full of twists, My Golden Life helped Shin Hye Sun kick start her lead role career!

Shin Hye Sun’s role: Seo Ji Ahn

Shin Hye Sun portrayed Seo Ji Ahn as a confident and hardworking employee on the surface while internally the viewer can observe Ji Ahn’s hopelessness with her social position. Hye Sun was able to depict Ji Ahn’s exhaustion at being poor and that is probably why she wanted to come out of her poverty through the Haesung group’s power, prestige and wealth. No wonder she won the ‘Excellence Award, Actress in a Serial Drama’ for her portrayal of Ji Ahn in My Golden Life! Watch her amazing performance as Seo Ji Ahn in the trailer of My Golden Life here!

07. Stranger (2017)

Stranger narrates the story of Hwang Shi Mok, a prosecutor who due to a brain surgery in his childhood suffers from a disorder which causes lack of emotion. On a fateful day, he comes across a corpse which leads him to Lieutenant Han YeoJin. Both of them try to uncover the secrets of the serial murder case while simultaneously working to expose and eliminate corruption at the prosecutor’s office.

Shin Hye Sun’s role: Young Eun-soo

Young Eun Soo is Hwang Shi Mok’s colleagues at the Seoul Western District Prosecutors’ Office. Eun Soo is an attractive, interesting tragic character. Throughout the series, Eun Soo does not have any time for herself but she keeps working to clear her father’s name, the former Minister of Justice, who was wrongly accused of corruption.  Shin Hye Sun’s in an interview with HanCinema, says “I feel heartache when I think about her. I didn’t feel that way while we were making it but watching the drama afterwards made me feel that way. She couldn’t enjoy the things in life and she never got a night’s sleep peacefully because of her father. Going on a trip or eating something delicious was overrated for Eun-soo. She only worked on recovering her dad’s honour and that hurt to see.” Watch her role in the trailer for Stranger as Young Eun-soo here!

08. The Legend of the Blue Sea (2016)

The Legend of the Blue Sea portrays the story of two star crossed lovers from the Joseon Dynasty, the love story of a human and a mermaid. After an ill-fated love in the Joseon era, Shim Cheong arrives in the modern world to find her true love’s reincarnation, Heo Joon Jae. However, Hoon Joon Jae, unlike a nobleman’s son and a righteous person in his previous life, is a scam artist. When Joon Jae’s life is threatened in the modern world, Shim Cheong cannot sit still, can she?

Shin Hye Sun’s role:  Cha Shi-ah

Although in The Legend of the Blue Sea, Shin Hye Sun appears in a support role but that does not deter her to own her character and make a lasting impression on the viewers. Cha Si Ah, a researcher, is Joon Jae’s junior from university who has a significant role in discovering Dam Ryeon’s (Joon Jae’s past self) time capsule and helping Joon Jae remember Dam Ryeong. She later develops a crush on Joon Jae’s colleague and a con artist, Tae Oh.  Tae Oh and Cha Shi Ah’s cute chemistry is unforgettable for many fans of The Legend of the Blue Sea. Catch Shin Hye Sun as Cha Shi Ah in the trailer to The Legend of the Blue Sea here!

Bonus Recommendation

Shin Hye Sun: Movies

If you are still not satisfied and are interested to watch more of Shin Hye Sun, then we have a bonus Shin Hye Sun’s movie list for you to check out!

Official Poster is yet to release.

01. She Died (2021)

She Died is an upcoming suspense thriller starring Shin Hye Sun and Byun Yo Han. It revolves around a man who enters the house of a social media influencer only to discover her dead. If you are a Shin Hye Sun fan, keep an eye out for She Died, her latest project!

02. Collectors (2020)

Have you watched the famous and globally acclaimed Spanish Netflix drama Money Heist? So, if you did and loved it, then Collectors is a movie for you on similar lines! Collectors boast a star cast with Shin Hye Sun, Lee Jae Hoon, Jo Woo Jin and Im Won Hee in the lead role. In Collectors, the story revolves around a group of people consisting of a genius robber, an ancient tomb mural robber, a shovelling master and an expert curator. The movie centres around a heist planned by this group of experts. Catch Shin Hye Sun as Yoon Se-hee, a curator who plants the seed of the heist in our genius robber, Kang Dong-goo’s mind in Collectors! Watch the trailer here!

03. Innocence (2020)

Innocence brings together Shin Hye Sun and Bae Jong Ok (Grand Queen Dowager Sunwon in Mr Queen)! It revolves around lawyer Ahn Jung In, struggling to defend her mother, Hwa Ja, at court who is wrongly accused of murder. Worse? Hwa Ja suffers from dementia which makes the case all the more complex and difficult. Based on a true story, Shin Hye Sun’s portrayal of Ahn Jung In got her nominated for Best New Actress at 41st Blue Dragon Film Awards! Watch Shin Hye Sun as a tenacious and talented lawyer Ahn Jung In in the trailer of Innocence here!

How did you discover Shin Hye Sun and which drama of her’s are you planning to watch first? Let us know in the comments below!

Also Read:

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Categories K-DramaK-Movies

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2 comments


  1. Absolutely Loved Her In Mr. Queen

  2. Best actress in Korea in her age group by far. Outstanding performances, no matter what genre she appears in. She has a knack of drawing viewers into her characters and making them feel the same emotions. Hope she has more dramas in the future. She and IU would be a dream pairing in a drama.