New Delhi: A model and actor from South Korea, Cha Seung Won started his great career as a model in 1988 after earning an engineering degree from Mokwon University. While his 1997 breakthrough appearance in Holiday in Seoul and other following parts failed to propel him to stardom, his performance in the firefighter drama Libera Me in 2000 garnered him praise. In 2014, he became a member of YG Entertainment.
He has recently become a famous Hallyu celebrity because of his several leading parts in critically praised dramas. In honour of Cha Seung Won’s 54th birthday (June 7, 2024), let’s revisit some of the highly acclaimed Korean dramas in which he has starred.
1. Our Blues (2022)
Our Blues is an omnibus drama featuring interconnected characters. Lee Dong Suk, a Jeju-born goods seller, encounters Min Sun Ah, who has a dark mysterious past. Ship captain Park Jung Joon falls for lively diver Lee Young Ok. Fish shop owner Jung Eun Hee reconnects with former flame Choi Han Soo, who returns to Jeju, disillusioned with city life. After realizing city life isn’t for them, they meet again on Jeju Island.
2. One Ordinary Day (2021)
A popular drama that follows two men as they battle over a woman’s murder and provides an inside look at the criminal court system. An average college student named Hyun Soo is accused of murder after all. Among Kim Hyun Soo’s legal counsel, only Shin Joong Han is prepared to provide a hand. Although Shin Joong Han’s life was previously ordinary, his role in the case of Kim Hyun Soo propelled him to new heights after he barely graduated from law school.
3. A Korean Odyssey (2017)
As they seek a ray of hope in a world where darkness reigns supreme, Son Oh Gong and Woo Ma Wang find themselves at odds in 2017. The two meet for the second time in an unfortunate meeting after Seon Mi struck a deal with Son Oh Gong 25 years ago, allowing her to summon him anytime she needed aid in return for his freedom. Son Oh Gong’s protecting duty towards Seon Mi, the little girl he met many years ago, is firmly established from that point on.
4. You’re All Surrounded (2014)
The Gangnam Police Station’s violent crime squad has four new recruits – Eun Dae Gu, Uh Soo Sun, Park Tae Il, and Ji Gook, or the P4. These inexperienced officers joined the squad for many inappropriate reasons and lacked enthusiasm for their new roles. Their leader, the irascible Seo Pan Seok, is eager to dispose of the inept recruits with as little fuss as possible.
5. The Greatest Love (2011)
Once the most popular member of ‘The National Treasure Girls’ girl band, Gu Ae Jung’s career took a hit when the band broke up, bearing the brunt of the blame. Now a B-list celebrity, she fights for air-time on variety shows to make ends meet. Dokko Jin, a top movie star, aims to break into Hollywood but faces setbacks due to repeated clashes with Gu Ae Jung. Despite initial animosity, Dokko Jin finds himself unexpectedly drawn to her.
6. City Hall (2009)
City Hall revolves around a young woman mayor, Shin Mi Rae, and a brilliant bureaucrat, Jo Gook. Jo Gook, aspiring to become the President of South Korea, unexpectedly becomes deputy mayor of Inju City, where Shin Mi Rae works. Despite their personal and social disparities, they navigate their intertwined paths.
