Chill With Park Seo-joon: Here Are All His Netflix Shows!

As we all wait in the safety of our homes for our nations to heal from the coronavirus pandemic, Netflix’s Korean dramas (K-dramas) have proven to be our saving grace in times of utter monotony. And thanks to a recently concluded K-drama on Netflix, one particular actor is currently the talk of the town. Who am I talking about? The dynamic and strapping Park Seo-joon, of course! 

With critically acclaimed Netflix shows under his belt and a massive following (he currently has 12.2 million followers on Instagram), there’s no doubt that Park Seo-joon has both outstanding acting skills and irresistible charm. He’s even been called the king of romantic comedy (rom-com) by his co-stars. So, if you’re curious to see what all the fuss is about, here’s a list of Park Seo-joon’s awesome Netflix shows!

Note: These Park Seo-joon Netflix shows are mostly available in Asia.

1. Itaewon Class

I just had to start this list with Itaewon Class. It is, after all, the most successful series Park Seo-joon has ever filmed; its final episode raked in a viewership which placed it as the seventh-highest K-drama in television history! So, what exactly is this story about?

Park Seo-joon plays an ex-convict named Park Sae-ro-yi. Before ending up in jail, he was expelled from school for punching a bully named Geun-won. This same bully ends up killing Sae-ro-yi’s father in a car accident — triggering Sae-ro-yi to attack Geun-won, which leads to his own imprisonment. Seven years after his release, he opens a bar-restaurant, DanBam, with a goal to defeat the rival franchise run by Geun-won’s father. 

The whole story of Itaewon Class is hinged upon the pursuit of success. With interlaced themes of drama, romance, revenge, — and even societal situations like racism and LGBTQ issues — the show gets deep and presents perspectives that make us reflect on our own virtues. And through this all, Park Seo-joon’s performance shines bright — with a stellar supporting cast to match!

Also read: How to Spend 24 Hours in Itaewon — a Quick Travel Guide

2. What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim?

A heartthrob like Park Seo-joon has got to play an arrogant good-looking CEO or top executive sometime in his life. And that’s exactly the role he portrays in What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim?. In this romantic comedy, Park Seo-joon, who plays Vice Chairman Lee Young-joon, stars opposite the beautiful Park Min-young playing Secretary Kim Mi-so. 

This Netflix show’s opening scene hits the ground running showing a problematic Young-joon thinking about what’s wrong with Secretary Kim. After all, his life was going swimmingly with his ever-smiling secretary by his side. And she seemed to handle everything he asked of her in stride, with grace under pressure — until one day she handed in her resignation!

After bribing her to stay with all the incentives he can think of, Secretary Kim still declines his offer. So, what does a narcissistic rich tycoon have left to assume? Yup, no doubt Secretary Kim’s in love with him and can’t stand all the attention he’s getting from other women! Foolishly, Young-joon sets off to pursue her. Watch these two amusing characters in a romantic story of push and pull as they uncover a forgotten childhood history, and see what they realise along the way!

3. Kill Me Heal Me

In Kill Me Heal Me, Park Seo-joon takes a back seat from the lead role, but he’s no less charming and hilarious in this romantic comedy. The story revolves around a business heir named Cha Do Hyun who has a serious case of Dissociative Identity Disorder. As he struggles to control all his multiple personalities with the secret help of his beautiful psychiatrist Oh Ri Jin, her brother Oh Ri On — played by Park Seo-joon — enters the fray!

Ri On is a mystery novelist and somewhat of an investigator bent on following the lives of the rich and famous to inspire his own books. But with Cha Do Hyun’s multiple personalities, Ri On finds that figuring out this businessman is more challenging than he thought. Let yourself be swept away with unending laughter as you watch Park Seo-joon’s handsome face contort into the funniest shocked, traumatised, and curious expressions you’ve ever seen him make!

4. She Was Pretty

Now here’s a Park Seo-joon rom-com that’s actually based on a true story. She Was Pretty is hinged upon the experience of childhood friends whose paths cross again when they’re older and look unexpectedly different from their youth. Kim Hye-jin, played by Wang Jeum-eum, was a beautiful girl from a rich family; whereas Ji Sung-joon, played by Park Seo-joon, was a chubby boy with low self-esteem. 

But in a reversal of fate, Hye-jin’s family ends up going bankrupt and she consequently neglects her appearance. Sung-joon, however, ages handsomely and becomes a successful editor. When the two childhood sweethearts reconnect and decide to meet again, Hye-jin becomes too insecure and asks her best friend, Ha-ri, to pretend to be her instead.

Enter the ultimate plot twist. Hye-jin gets an offer to work at Sung-joon’s publishing company where he is deputy chief-editor. Unbeknownst that she’s actually his childhood friend, Sung-joon gets irate with Hye-jin’s clutsy behaviour and becomes downright mean to her. All the while, Ha-ri starts to develop feelings for Sung-joon, and Hye-jin befriends an officemate named Shin-hyuk who slowly falls for her too. 

Wrapped in suspense and drama, this Netflix show will surely have you at the edge of your seats and up until the wee hours of the morning. Good thing you have all the time during quarantine to do just that!

5. Fight For My Way

If you love stories about underdogs, then the versatile Park Seo-joon has got you covered. Fight For My Way is a story about a group of friends struggling to survive and reach the success they’re underqualified for. Park Seo-joon plays Ko Dong-man, a former popular taekwondo martial artist who had to stop due to a painful past. 

He finds himself trying to make ends meet as a contractual employee while training to win a UFC title. His childhood friend Choi Ae-ra, played by Kim Ji-won, has also had to forfeit her dream of becoming an announcer. Along with two of their closest friends, Kim Joo-man and Baek Seol-hee, the “fantastic four” gives us a slice of life by showing us just how — for the lack of a better term — crappy life can get while pursuing one’s dreams.

But despite the different challenges the group faces, Dong-man and his friends exhibit an admirable level of determination and bravery that uplifts the audience. And while all this is happening, Dong-man and Ae-ra’s immature childhood relationship seems to be developing into something more. Written with a good amount of comedy and romance, Fight For My Way is a genuinely relatable and inspiring K-drama you won’t forget any time soon! 

6. Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth

Park Seo-joon taps into Korea’s history as he takes on the role of a hwarang in this Netflix show. Historically, hwarangs a.k.a. flower knights were an elite group of male warriors in Silla — an ancient kingdom of the Korean Peninsula. In Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth, the Hwarang is formed at Queen Regent Jisu’s bidding, out of fear that nobles might take advantage of her ceding the throne to her son, who has just recently come of age. 

Although this is a period drama that takes cues from Korea’s history, Park Seo-joon fans will be pleased to hear that romance plays a big part in the storyline of his character, Kim Sun-woo a.k.a. Dog-Bird. Sun-woo is a strapping young warrior who ironically doesn’t have much experience with women. 

Despite this, he falls in love with the hwarang physician, a half noble-born woman named Aro, who only looks at him as a brother. If you’re a true romantic, this is your chance to watch Park Seo-joon chivalrously pursue his lady-love while discovering secrets too risky to be revealed! 

7. Dream High 2

Do you gravitate towards shows that have singing and dancing? If yes, then so does Park Seo-joon. In this romantic comedy and teen drama, we follow a group of students and a couple of aspiring young K-pop stars. The story begins with Oz Entertainment taking over Kirin High in light of the school’s bankruptcy. 

This proves useful for the agency as there is a new law which states that underage entertainers are required to study for a specific amount of time every day, and should be done with booked projects by 10pm. Inevitably, competition and tensions grow between the students of Kirin High and the new students from Oz Entertainment. 

So, what is Park Seo-joon’s role in this exciting story? Naturally, with his good looks and charisma, he plays as one of the aspiring K-pop stars named Si-Woo. He is part of an idol boy band called Eden, and the first few episodes paint him to be some sort of rebel too. Nevertheless, if you long to see Park Seo-joon break out his dance moves and embody a rockstar singer, this is the K-drama for you. And besides, it’s not every day you get to see what it would have been like for your favourite Korean actor to become a Korean idol instead!

Also read:Watch Hyun Bin All Day: Here’s A List Of All His Netflix Shows!

We really can’t get enough of the king of Korean rom-com; I guess we should be sending a huge thanks to Netflix for bringing Park Seo-joon closer to home in such a time as this. Have you finished watching all of Park Seo-joon’s Netflix shows? Let us know which one’s your favourite!

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