Some heroes are iconic, and some couples are emblematic; some stories will transport you, while others will crush you. But there is one common trait to all K-dramas: Villains.
Whether it’d be during the apocalypse or at school, in ancient or modern times, in a thriller or a romance, they are always there to give us shivers and make us pray we’d never meet them.
So without further ado, here is a list of some of the most terrifying, crazy and cruel villains who ever existed in Dramaland.
Who is your worst villain? Do you know any other worth adding to the top?
20. Danashri – Empress Ki (기황후)
The first time I saw Baek Jin Hee in a drama was when she played the sly and cunning Danashri in the hit drama Empress Ki. In the story, she is willing to lie, deceit and manipulate situations and people, if it means keeping her throne and power.
She is a villain through and though and definitely gives Seung Nyang, the female lead played by the charismatic Ha Ji Won, a very hard time. Still, I sincerely loved hating her.
19. Han So Ra – Eve (이브)
Han So Ra from the drama Eve is not your typical villain. As a viewer, I could clearly empathize with her, whether it’d be due to her abusive father, her lack of affection or her eagerness to be loved by any mean possible. Unfortunately, her behavior is unacceptable and her actions unforgivable.
Han So Ra is a selfish, narcissistic wealthy woman, who doesn’t care about others’ feelings. She will destroy and murder anyone who stands in her way. Accustomed to have everything she wants, this capricious, yet pathetic villain, doesn’t bow down easily. Lucky for us, her mental state is her first and final enemy.
If you want to see Actress Yoo Sun like you’ve never seen her, you should add this drama to your watch-list.
18. Min Joon Kook – I Can Hear your Voice (너의 목소리가 들려)
If this photo of Jung Woong In, aka Min Joon Kook in I Can Hear your Voice, is not enough to creep you out, then what is?
After being put behind bars for murder thanks to the testimony of a young Jang Hye Sung (Lee Bo Young), Min Joon Kook spends years preparing for revenge. After his release, this tenacious and determined villain wishes nothing else, but one thing: to find Hye Sung and to finish her off. I have goosebumps, just thinking about it.
17. Kwon Jae Hee – The Girl who Sees Smells (냄새를 보는 소녀)
Namgoong Min is probably one of the most versatile actors in Dramaland, so no wonder he excels at playing a terrifying psychopath in the 2015-drama The Girl who Sees Smells. Though he gives off positive vibes at first, Kwon Jae Hee is far from being a polite and nice man. On the contrary, the more you get to know him, the scarier he gets.
Personally, I couldn’t have imagined anyone else but this actor to embody the infamous barcode killer. Namgoong Min is simply ghastly!
16. Lee Jae Kyung – Man from the Star (별에서 온 그대)
Sociopath Lee Jae Kyung, beautifully portrayed by the charismatic Shin Sun Rok, is definitely no walk in the park. Determined to make the main the female lead Cheon Song Yi (Jun Ji Hyun) suffer, he goes to great lengths to succeed.
His dark aura, his cold facial expressions and his intense gaze all turn Lee Jae Kyung into a ruthless enemy and a villain you don’t want in your vicinity. Trust me, I have learned my lesson with this drama!
15. Ryu Tae Oh – Gap Dong (갑동이)
I don’t know if it is because Gap Dong is inspired by a true story, the Hwaseong serial murder case occurring from 1986 to 1991, but the villain Ryu Tae Oh is definitely giving me the creeps! Lee Joon does an excellent job at portraying this evil character, who shows absolutely no mercy towards his victims and even takes pleasure in their suffering. Chilling and terrifying at the same time!
Also, you will never see this innocent joker make-up in the same way again.
14. Kang Jin Mook – Beyond Evil (괴물)
In the award-winning drama Beyond Evil, the small city of Manyang is plagued by a fearsome killer, whose identity has remained a secret for years. So, in order to solve a 20-year-old cold case, detective Han Joo Won (Yeo Jin Goo) is transferred there.
But he is far from suspecting that each inhabitant of the city is weird and fishy, hiding more than one skeleton in the closet. One clue after another, Joo Won and his suspicious partner Lee Dong Shik (Shin Ha Kyun) get closer to the ugly truth.
A rather unexpected one, as the killer happens to be the quiet and gentle Kang Jin Mook (Lee Gyu Hee), who shifts from a kind man to a cold-blooded killer in a split second. Quite enough to make shivers run down your spine!
13. Mo Tae Gu – Voice (보이스)
Handsome, brilliant, arrogant, remorseless, brutal, the list is long to describe serial killer Mo Tae Gu from Voice. This villain is horrifying not only because of his dark personality, but also because he is such a hard one to track down and to arrest, giving a hard time to detective Moon Jin Hyuk (Jang Hyuk) and emergency call responder Kang Kwon Woo (Lee Ha Na).
Thanks to his on-point performance, Kim Jae Wook was also able to take his career to the next level, proving that he is an actor worth the shot in this genre too. Well done!
12. Cho Cheol Gang – Crash Landing on You (사랑의 불시착)
I guess the first thing that comes to mind when mentioning Crash Landing on You is its iconic main couple: Hyun Bin and Son Ye Jin. However, its main villain named Cho Cheol Gang, embodied by the excellent Oh Man Seok, also deserves some praise and recognition.
Wearing the North Korean uniform and desperately wanting to get rid of Ri Jeong Hyuk, this villain is more than a pebble in a shoe to say the least. Quick-witted, resilient and fierce, you clearly don’t want to make an enemy out of him!
11. Yoon Gwi Nam – All of Us are Dead ( 지금 우리 학교는)
All of Us of Dead became instantly a hit drama when it was released. And for good reasons: Zombies everywhere, friendships newly-formed between survivors and of course, THIS guy: Yoon Gwi Nam. From a coward who doesn’t care about sacrificing others for his own survival to a vindictive mutant, I can’t recall the number of times I wish he were dead, like truly definitely dead.
Next to him, the student with the pink cardigan Lee Na Yeon (Lee Yoo Mi) is a sweetheart. No wonder, he ends up killing her too!
Also, thumbs up to Yoo In Soo for his great performance in this drama. Playing the most hated student of 2021 may not have been an easy task.
10. Seo Moon Jo – Strangers from Hell (타인은 지옥이다)
We will never repeat it enough: If you decide to move somewhere, choose wisely. After the nosy neighbor and the noisy neighbor, please welcome the killer neighbors. Yes, plural. Not only is Lee Dong Wook terrifying in the role of Seo Moon Jo, but the rest of the inhabitants are as much!
The building literally turns into ‘Psychopathland’, where our hero Yoon Jong Woo (Im Si Wan) has nightmarish visions. The saying: ‘Hell is other people’ takes on its full meaning in this drama. I mean, look at Seo Moon Jo’s smile, it’s frightening and chilling!
9. Chairman Jang – Itaewon Class (이태원 클라쓰)
Chaiman Jang Dae Hee hates losing, especially if it is against people he deems inferior to him. So, when the son of his employee, Park Sae Ro Yi (Park Seo Joon), stands up against his bully of a son, he decides to destroy him no matter what.
One disaster leading to another, Sae Ro Yi loses his father and ends up in prison. Years later, he is ready to take his revenge on the Chairman by inflicting him the one thing he hates the most: Losing.
Honestly, although lots of CEOs in Dramaland are evil, Chairman Jang’s ruthlessness and brutality, even towards his own son, put him clearly at the top of this list. Just remember when he forces his son Jang Geun Won (Ahn Bo Hyun) to kill a chicken with his bare hands!
8. Kang So Young – Who Are You: School 2015 (후아유- 학교 2015)
K-dramas have always displayed a lot of different bullies. Whether at school or at work, they are generally a pivotal stone in characters’ self-assertion and a turning point in their lives. Even if most of them tend to be forgotten, there is one that will definitely remain engraved in our memories forever: Kang So Young in Who Are You: School 2015. No matter how many chances she is given to redeem herself, it seems like she is just unable to do good.
On that matter, I think we can all agree on the fact that actress Cho Soo Hyang has left her print in Dramaland as probably THE most emblematic and hated bully of all time! What do you think?
7. Baek Hee Sung – Flower of Evil (악의 꽃)
The worst enemies are those you don’t see… and those who pretend to be in a coma! Such is the deception orchestrated by Baek Hee Sung in order to take advantage of Cha Ji Won (Lee Joon Gi), a man who has been endorsing his identity for years to hide his troubled past.
For sure, you are going to love hating Kim Ji Hoon the moment you will lay eyes on his dark, loathsome and emotionless character.
6. Head Nurse Park – Psycho, but It’s Okay (사이코지만 괜찮아)
Park Haeng Ja, played by the excellent Jang Young Nam, is the embodiment of two-sidedness in the hit drama Psycho, but It’s Okay. Though she appears to be a sweet and devoted Head Nurse on the outside, she actually turns out to be a complete psycho, whose craziness wreaks havoc on everything: Patients, the hospital staff and even her own daughter Ko Moon Young (Seo Ye Ji).
The simple fact that she traumatizes everyone around her is enough to put her on this list!
5. Queen Consort Cho – Kingdom 1&2 (킹덤)
Royalty is not necessarily synonym with magnanimity, kindness and reason. So, when a mysterious plague starts to spread in the country, Crown Prince Lee Chang (Ju Ji Hoon) is sent to the frontline, while Queen Consort Cho and her father Chief State Councilor Jo Hak Joo (Ryu Seung Ryong) use this opportunity to strengthen their power in the palace. Lies, deception, selfishness are Queen Cho’s prime qualities (and of course defects), demonstrating that she is capable of anything to keep her royal authority.
Kim Hye Jun does a perfect job at portraying this cold and power-thirsty villain in the midst of a zombie apocalypse!
4. Yoon Hee Jae – Come and Hug Me (이리와 안아줘)
Family can as much a blessing as a curse. For Chae Do Jin (Jang Ki Yong), it is definitely the latter one. Born as the son of a psychopathic killer who murdered his first love’s parents, Do Jin has spent his entire life atoning for his father’s crime, while being eaten away by guilt and resentment.
Worse part of the story is that his dad, Yoon Hee Jae, doesn’t feel an ounce of remorse. On the contrary, he takes pleasure in opening past wounds and spreading suffering around him. One thing’s for sure, Heo Jun Ho delivers a brilliant performance that will creep you out right away and make you thank your lucky star he’s not your parent.
3. Coach Kim – SKY Castle (SKY 캐슬)
The best word to describe Kim Joo Hyung, aka Coach Kim, is surely insidious. Her viciousness is such that she almost takes pleasure in manipulating young teenagers to turn them against their parents, while weaponizing the pressure of their studies.
Although her results as an education Coach are excellent, the consequences of her teaching methods are dramatic: Suicide, murder, psychological distress and degrading self-esteem.
Plus, Kim Seo Hyung’s cold and cruel face is enough to give you real shivers and make you remember one precious lesson: Don’t leave your kid into the hands of just anybody!
2. Jang Joon Woo – Vincenzo (빈센조)
Where to begin? Vincenzo tells the story of mafia consigliere Vincenzo, who comes back to Korea to retrieve gold, hidden in a soon-to-be-demolished building. To do so, he has to stand up against a pharmaceutical group called Babel, whose CEO is none other than Jang Joon Woo. Though he appears to be kind and caring at first, he actually hides a gruesome and scary side.
Joon Woo is probably Vincenzo’s most formidable opponent, embodied by a stellar Ok Taecyeon, who reveals his many acting talents in this role. One thing’s for sure, you will never see him in the same way again after that drama. He is literally terrifying!
1. Joo Dan Tae – Penthouse (펜트하우스)
Joo Dan Tae is probably the most well-known and hated villain in Dramaland! In this makjang* drama, Uhm Ki Joon portrays a vicious businessman and owner of a luxury 100-floor apartment. He is willing to do anything to succeed, even if it means killing people, abusing his children, getting rid of his wife, etc… Though, the list of his misdeeds is long and never-ending, Penthouse would not be the same without him!
*Makjang: Dramas overly dramatic, unrealistic and with the craziest plot twists about birth secrets, revenge, etc….
Once Upon a Drama 