K-pop idols who turned to acting have proven themselves to be skilled actors and cemented their status as talented musicians and actors.

With streaming platforms like Netflix having an abundance of K-dramas and movies, and making them easily accessible to international audiences, their popularity has only grown through the years. K-pop idols making a transition from music to acting is not a recent occurrence and there is a large number of actors who are also in the music industry. Must-watch K-dramas starring K-pop legends not only feature believable acting but also have compelling plots.

10 Full House (2004)

Rain/Jung Ji-hoon

Full House is an essential classic K-drama starring the singer and actor Jung Ji-hoon, best known as Rain. The romantic comedy K-drama follows the unlikely and tumultuous romance between aspiring writer Han Ji-eun (Song Hye-kyo) and Lee Young-jae (Rain).

He made his K-drama and acting debut in 2003 with the show Sang Doo! Let's Go To School and his role in Full House in 2004 propelled him to further fame.

Ji-eun's house, known as the titular Full House is sold by her friends without her knowledge and bought by Young-jae, a famous and rich actor who ran into Ji-eun during her vacation. Ji-eun and Young-jae are forced to cohabitate, which is a difficult task as their opposing personalities cause clashes. However, the two began to fall for each other.

Full House marks Rain's second K-drama as the artist got his start as a musician. Rain was a member of the boy band Fanclub before he made his solo debut and rose to prominence. He made his K-drama and acting debut in 2003 with the show Sang Doo! Let's Go To School and his role in Full House in 2004 propelled him to further fame. Since starring in Full House, Rain has continued to release music and star in K-dramas and movies.

9 Save The Last Dance For Me (2004)

Eugene/Kim Yoo-jin

Save the Last Dance for Me is a uniquely charming romance K-drama that stars Kim Yoo-jin, also known as Eugene, best known as a former member of the popular girl group S.E.S. The K-drama follows the bond between Hyun-woo (Ji Sung), the rich heir to his father's company who loses his memories in a car crash and Eun-soo (Eugene), the woman who nurses him back to health and guides him through his recovery.

Despite the common K-drama tropes like amnesia and love triangles causing conflict in their lives, they find ways to persevere. Eugene made a mark on the K-pop industry as a member of S.E.S. and as a solo artist. After S.E.S. disbanded in 2002 Eugene released two solo albums and found success as a solo artist.

The singer-turned-actor didn't release new music after her stint as a solo artist, but did reunite with S.E.S. for their 20-year anniversary to release a remake of their popular single "Love" and the album . Eugene starred in K-dramas, making her television acting debut with Loving You. She last starred in the popular revenge thriller K-drama The Penthouse: War in Life.

8 Princess Hours (2006)

Yoon Eun-hye

The popular romantic comedy K-drama series Princess Hours quickly became a hit, its success spawning a spin-off series Prince Hours that premiered a year later. The modern royalty K-drama is set in an alternate world where the monarchy still exists and stars Yoon Eun-hye as Shin Chae-kyeon, a high school student whose life is turned upside down after her betrothal to Crown Prince Lee Shin (Ju Ji-hoon). Against the backdrop of a battle over succession, Chae-kyeon and Shin begin to bond and fall for each other.

Yoon Eun-hye made her debut as a singer as a member of the girl group Baby Vox and was a member from 1999 to 2005. The next year, she made her acting debut with the lead role in Princess Hours and later starred in the lead role in Coffee Prince. Yoon's roles in the two popular K-dramas and critically acclaimed acting resulted in her winning the Best Actress award at the Baeksang Arts Awards in 2007, making her the youngest actress to win the award.

7 It's Okay, That's Love (2014)

D.O./Doh Kyung-soo

The romance K-drama It's Okay, That's Love features Doh Kyung-soo, best known by his stage name D.O., in a ing role. The series revolves around the love story between psychiatrist Ji Hae-soo (Gong Hyo-jin) and the author with a troubled past Jang Jae-yeol (Zo In-sung). The romantic K-drama couple has to learn to see past their different personalities and learn to heal and grow together.

D.O. plays the role of Han Kang-woo, a high school student who is a massive fan of Jae-yeol and aims to become a successful author. D.O. is a K-pop idol and a member of the boy band Exo. The singer and actor got his start by ing Exo in 2012 and began branching out and starring in several TV shows and movies. D.O.'s first leading role was in the K-drama 100 Days My Prince, which was a commercial success.

6 Doctor Cha (2023)

Uhm Jung-Hwa

The medical K-drama series Doctor Cha stars Uhm Jung-hwa in the titular role of a housewife who returns to her career and becomes a medical resident after 20 years. Uhm plays the role of Cha Jeong-suk, the housewife who decides to turn her life around and return to her medical career after facing a near-death experience.

Doctor Cha's blend of comedy with the compelling story of the sympathetic lead character's plight as a woman returning to work and dealing with her bad marriage with her cheating husband Seo In-jo (Kim Byung-chul) made the K-drama a commercial hit. The lead actor Uhm Jung-hwa has cemented her status as a skilled singer and actor and found success in the music, film, and television industry.

Uhm began her career in 1993 as a singer and has since then has been dubbed as the "Korean Madonna". Her performances in films won her awards, including the prestigious Baeksang Arts Award. Uhm has managed to continue her musical endeavors and release albums while also making her mark as one of South Korea's most popular actresses.

5 Descendants Of The Sun (2016)

Onew/Lee Jin-ki

The award-winning action romance K-drama series Descendants of the Sun tells the love story of a Special Forces officer and cardiothoracic surgeon amidst the backdrop of a war. Descendants of the Sun revolves around the budding romance between Captain Yoo Si-jin (Song Joong-ki) and Doctor Kang Mo-yeon (Song Hye-kyo). The series follows their relationship, the issues they face, and how they learn about each other after they're reunited in a war zone.

Lee Jin-ki appears in the K-drama as Lee Chi-hoon, a member of the Haesung Hospital Medical Services Team as a first-year medical resident. Lee Jin-ki, better known by his stage name Onew, is a vocalist in the award-winning band Shinee and actor. The singer has also appeared in musicals and in K-dramas in cameos and minor roles. Lee's role in Descendants of the Sun marks his biggest role in K-dramas yet, and the actor returned to acting with the horror series 4 Minutes 44 Seconds.

4 Hotel Del Luna (2019)

IU/Lee Ji-eu

The fantasy romance K-drama series Hotel del Luna stars Lee Ji-eun, also known by her stage name IU, and Yeo Jin-goo as the owner and manager of a supernatural hotel that only employs and serves ghosts. Hotel del Luna follows Jang Man-wol (Lee), the moody and unpredictable hotel owner who is bound to the hotel as punishment for the grave sin she committed more than a thousand years before the events of the series, and Koo Chan-sung (Yeo), the general manager of the titular hotel who begins the unravel the secrets of the hotel and its owner Man-wol.

Lee Ji-eun is a popular singer and actor who has established herself as a talented musician and formidable actor. Lee made her debut as a musician under the stage name IU in 2008 and released her first studio album the next year. She made her acting debut with Dream High in 2011 and her acting in her first leading role in the K-drama You Are the Best! garnered a positive reception. Lee's albums and performances have solidified her status as a successful and talented artist.

3 King The Land (2023)

Im Yoon-ah and Lee Jun-ho

The romantic comedy King the Land stars two K-pop idols in the lead roles. The K-drama follows the heir to a luxury hotel conglomerate, Gu Won, played by Lee Jun-ho, and an employee Cheon Sa-rang, played by Im Yoon-ah. King the Land is filled with sweet romantic moments as it follows the boss and employee as they find common ground amidst a stressful battle for the inheritance of the conglomerate The King Group.

Im Yoon-ah, also known Yoona, is a member of the group Girls' Generation and its sub-unit Girls' Generation-Oh!GG. Her first lead role in the K-drama You Are My Destiny was her breakout role, and since then she has starred in K-dramas like The K2, Love Rain, The King in Love, and Big Mouth. Her co-star in King the Land, Lee Jung-ho is a member of the band 2PM. Lee made his acting debut in the 2013 movie Cold Eyes and has appeared in K-drams like Rain or Shine, The Red Sleeve, and Good Manager.

2 Squid Game (2021-Present)

T.O.P/Choi Seung-hyun

The survival thriller series Squid Game took the world by storm, gained international attention, and became Netflix's most-watched series. The Emmy Award and Golden Globe-winning K-drama features an ensemble cast led by the protagonist Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae).

Squid Game season 2 is set three years after the events of the first season and follows Gi-hun's mission to end the deadly games as a new group of people fight to win the prize. Choi Seung-hyun, known professionally as T.O.P, plays the role of Thanos, one of the competitors in the Squid Game competition.

T.O.P was an underground rapper before he ed BigBang in 2006 as the lead rapper of the group. He made his acting debut the next year with the K-drama I Am Sam. Choi was convicted of marijuana use in 2017, sparking controversy in South Korea. The rapper subsequently left the K-pop industry and made his return to acting with Squid Game season 2.

1 Dream High (2011) And Dream High 2 (2012)

Bae Suzy/Bae Su-ji, Taecyeon/Ok Taec-yeon, IU/Lee Ji-eun, Etc.

The K-drama Dream High and its sequel Dream High 2 follow a group of six students in high school as they aspire to become K-pop idols. Both of the K-drama series about K-pop idols also feature multiple K-pop artists in acting roles as students. The main cast of Dream High features K-pop legends Bae Su-ji, Ok Taec-yeon, Hahm Eun-jung, Jang Woo-young, and Lee Ji-eun.

Out of the six main cast of Dream High, only one of the actors, Kim Soo-hyun, is not a K-pop idol.

Out of the six main cast of Dream High, only one of the actors, Kim Soo-hyun, is not a K-pop idol. The singer and songwriter Park Jin-young, also known by his stage name J. Y. Park, the founder of the entertainment and record label agency JYP Entertainment also appears in the K-drama as one of the teachers in Kirin High School.

Dream High 2's main cast also stars four K-pop idols in leading roles, Jeong Jin-woon, Jay B, Park Ji-yeon, and Kim Hyo-jung. Park Ji-young, professionally known as Kahi, is a member of the ing cast and plays the role of the dance teacher in the school.