Park Eun-bin is undoubtedly one of the most versatile Korean actors. She is one of my favorite three Korean actors along with Kim Go-eun and Shin Hye-sun. I got to know about her quite accidently when I stumbled upon the 2020 drama Do You Like Brahms? I instantly fell in love with her and binge watched the whole drama. As I started exploring her more, I was surprised at the variety of roles she has played. So, here are 5 iconic characters played by Park Eun-bin you should not miss to meet.
Park Eun-bin bio https://mydramalist.com/people/1897-park-eun-bin#:~:text=Park%20Eun%20Bin%20is%20a,time%2Dtraveling%20romance%20Operation%20Proposal.
1. Chae Song-ah (Do You Like Brahms?)
If you are a fan of Woo Young-woo of Extraordinary Attorney Woo, you would not believe that it is the same actor in Do You Like Brahms? That is how different Song-ah is from Woo Young-woo. Chae Song-ah is an amateur violinist who is reserved, speaks only a little and is broken and naive at times. If you love music, you will definitely love the drama. It is slow paced but extremely engaging. This is not your usual K-Drama with stereotypes and aegyo(Korean term for acting cute). It is a beautiful and realistic love story with a soul which moves you to tears. Park Eun-bin plays Chae-Song ah with vulnerability and sensibility. You can watch Do You Like Brahms on Netflix.
2. Lee Se-young (Hot Stove League)
Every time I watch a new drama of Park Eun-bin, I am amazed at the fact that how different all her characters are (especially, the ones released after 2016). Hot Stove League is a sports drama which talks about a sports management company. Here, Eun-bin plays Lee Se-young, the feisty, strong and passionate operations team manager. There is no unnecessary romance which takes away the focus from the main plot (which is typical of many K-dramas). Hot Stove League was also the winner in 56th Baeksang Arts awards (Best Drama), which is one of the prestigious awards in the Korean entertainment. It definitely will be worth your time. You can watch it on Netflix.
3. Song Ji-won (Hello, My Twenties)
Song Ji-won was probably the most popular Park Eun-bin character before the Extraordinary Attorney Woo era. She is that character whom you want to be friends with; the entertainer, the party pooper. But she is not just that. Park Eun-bin adds lots of mannerisms to Song Ji-won and makes her look as original as possible. This is hands down one of the best characters ever created for television; something that we often say about Phoebe Buffay from Friends. Also known as Age of Youth (Two seasons), you can watch the drama on Netflix.
4. Crown Prince Lee Hwi / Dam-yi / Yeon-seon (The King’s Affection)
The King’s Affection skyrocketed Park Eun-bin’s popularity, especially among Korean audience. It was the most popular drama of 2021 with top ratings nationwide. Eun-bin’s character is thrown into circumstances where she has to change her identity and live completely different lives. Despite being one of the most difficult roles to pull off, Park Eun-bin plays the character with utmost conviction. You can watch the drama on Netflix.
5. Woo Young Woo (Extraordinary Attorney Woo)
Woo Young woo is everyone’s favorite these days, deservingly so. Park Eun-bin’s portrayal of Woo Young-woo is nothing new, but she perfects her with absolute honesty. We see in Young-woo so much love and affection, genius and empathy. This is one of those characters who will live in our hearts forever. From the WooYoung-woo greeting (which is now done by all the Korean celebrities when they step outside) to the legal jargon and encyclopedic dialogues about whales, we love everything about her. Again, this character too is nothing like Eun-bin’s previous characters. You can watch it on (if you haven’t already) on Netflix.
Park Eun-bin is undoubtedly the most talked about Korean actress at the moment. Her filmography is so prolific and all I can say is that she is finally getting her due. She is extremely deserving of all the accolades and is the most promising Korean actor at the moment. I can’t wait to see what she would surprise us with next (And YES, I am a diehard fan).
Arya is a curious soul and nerd who loves books and cinema. You can read her articles on Medium. You can also follow her on Instagram where she talks about her favourite books and movies.