While the lead cast is important for a great K-drama, a great secondary cast can make or break it. Our leads might be propelling the drama, but the second leads can add levity or tragedy to the mix. I can think of dramas where I didn’t care about the lead characters but kept watching for a background story. I can also think of a few where I watched the core cast battle through a struggle and how epic it felt.
Today, I want to give a shout out to some of my favorite second-leading ladies and their lasting impact.
01 “SungKyunKwan Scandal”– Cho-sun
I’m not even sure if she truly counts as a second lead, but she’s a secondary character and I will follow her to the ends of the earth. So I’m counting her. I don’t know where to start with this one. “Sungkyunkwan Scandal” is one of my favorite dramas of all time and Kim Min-seo as the head kiseng, Cho-sun is heartbreakingly amazing.
She’s constantly playing multiple emotions at once and she juggles each one beautifully. Despite being a second-tier character, she plays a surprising role during the whole series. The brief glimpses we get of her past left me hungry for more. She’s one of my all-time favorite drama characters.
02 “Cheese in the Trap” — Baek In-ha
“Cheese in the Trap” is a flawed drama. After reports of the writers placating fans by showcasing Baek In-ho and Seol‘s relationship, I lost interest and struggled to finish it. One of the things that kept me watching was Lee Sung-kyung as In-ha.
From her first scene, I fell in love with this character. While everyone else plays the drama straight, In Ha is an anime character brought to life. She’s loud, overly dramatic and a gangster. Lee has great physicality to her. She’s often flailing and throwing tantrums but never looks off-balance. She’s also an incredibly complicated character. Once you understand more of her background, everything makes more sense, and her fall from grace is painful. She made me laugh, she made me cheer and she disappointed me, but I always rooted for In Ha to find peace.
03 “My Username is Gangnam Beauty” — Soo Ah
As I stated in another article, “Gangnam Beauty” makes a big statement about how society puts physical beauty on a pedestal. Somehow, Park Woo-ri‘s Soo-ah is the character who best exemplifies it. While Mi-Rae is unsure and nervous with her new looks, Soo-ah has been playing this game for years. Through her scheming and plotting, we see how subtle, hollow and dangerous it can be.
It isn’t until episode 15 that we see her backstory and everything finally makes sense. We see her as a person rather than the villain to Mi-Rae’s story. Sometimes, the best antagonist is one who reflects our hero’s journey.
04 “Oh My Venus” — Oh Soo-jin
You know that second lead who you just want to give a slap and a hug? The kind who wants to be cold-hearted but they’re so much a cinnamon roll? This is who Yoo In-young‘s Soo-jin is to me. I might be in the minority of “Oh My Venus” fans, but I love this character. She has all of the hallmarks of the K-drama Love-To-Hate-Them character. (Former friend of our lead, has the dream job, dating the lead’s ex, etc.) Unfortunately, she can’t revel in her “triumph” because she’s still haunted by her own insecurities.
There are so many times I just wanted to reach through my screen and shake some sense into her. For a show with an unconventional lead, it’s only fitting that its second lead is just as layered and interesting.
MVP: Wang Ji Hye
I know that I can’t just add a single actress’ filmography, but hear me out. “Birth of a Beauty,” “Suspicious Housekeeper,” “Protect the Boss,” “Personal Taste.” And these are only the ones I’ve personally seen her in. She tends to play the stereotypical mean girl, but somehow, she never loses her humanity. In “Protect the Boss,” she’s vapid and naive while in “Personal Taste,” she’s calculating and cruel. Wang Ji-hye plays characters who you love to hate but without being two-dimensional. I adore her.
These are just a few of my favorite second-leading ladies. Be sure to let us know some of your faves and to keep an eye out for our second-leading gentlemen.
Editor's note: Originally published on MacGMagazine February 24, 2020
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