Ahead of King The Land, 3 K-dramas and 5 movies of Girls’ Generation’s YoonA that you must have your watch-list

May 30 marks the birthday of YoonA of Girls’ Generation. Here’s looking at YoonA’s fine acting skills as the singer-actor turns a year older.

By Nandini Iyengar -

May 30, 2023 - 6:53 PM IST

Girls’ Generation is undoubtedly one of the most popular second generation K-pop female groups. Starting in the last 2000s, the girl group rose in popularity owing to their charms, sweet persona and catchy music. In addition to being exceptional singers and dancers, each member of SNSD also has acting skills to their credit. May 30 marks the day of SNSD member YoonA’s birthday. The talented singer-actor has had a successful acting career since her debut. She appeared in K-dramas starting 2008 and also appeared in movies from 2017. This year, she makes a comeback with a new romcom drama King the Land opposite 2PM’s Lee Junho. Ahead of the premiere of her show in June 2023, let’s take a look at some of her memorable roles.

Ahead of King The Land, 3 K-dramas and 5 movies of Girls’ Generation’s YoonA that you must have your watch-list

DRAMAS:

1. THE K2 (2016)
2016 was one of the best years in K-drama history. The year gave the audience some gem of dramas like Goblin, Moonlight Drawn by Clouds, Descendants of the Sun, The K2, to name a few. YoonA and Ji Chang Wook played lead roles in The K2 where she played the role of Anna, the illegitimate daughter of politician Jang Se Joon who developed social phobia and PTSD after she was exiled from South Korea and kept under the watchful eye of her step mother. Ji Chang Wook played the role of Je Ha, the bodyguard assigned to Anna by her step mother. Anna and Je Ha eventually fall in love amidst a large political power game at play.

2. HUSH (2019)
Hush is a typical run-of-the-mill newsroom drama. It is based on the 2018 novel Silent Warning by Jung Jin Young. Hwang Jung Min and YoonA starred in the lead. Hwang Jung Min stars as Han Jun Seok, a veteran reporter who strives to uncover justice. He also turns mentor to her character Lee Ji Su, an intern at the news firm who is bold and unapologetic in her approach. Hush also marked Hwang Jung Min’s return to the small screen after eight years.

3. BIG MOUTH (2022)
Undoubtedly one of the most popular K-dramas of 2022, Big Mouth proved her acting chops better than ever. She stars alongside Lee Jong Suk in this crime thriller drama about a lawyer who gets entangled in a murky web of murder and conspiracy. She plays the role of Ko Mi Ho, a dutiful wife to Park Chang Ho (played by Jong Suk) and a nurse by profession.

MOVIES:

1. CONFIDENTIAL ASSIGNMENT (2017) and CONFIDENTIAL ASSIGNMENT 2: INTERNATIONAL (2022)
She bagged her first movie role with Confidential Assignment where she played the supporting role of Park Min Young the eccentric and bubbly sister-in-law who falls for Hyun Bin’s character. She then reprised her role in the movie’s sequel. Her portrayal of the modern, sassy and sometimes naive Min Young was a delight to see on screen amidst the action comedy happening all around.

2. EXIT (2019)
Exit marks YoonA’s first time as a lead in a movie. She starred in this action comedy alongside Jo Jung Suk. Both the actors play the role of rock climber and are caught in crosshairs when a mysterious white gas engulfs the district of Seoul. Jo Jung Suk’s character Yong Nam has harbored a crush on YoonA’s character Eui Joo for a while now and this splash of romance adds an interesting angle to the movie’s story.

3. MIRACLE: LETTERS TO THE PRESIDENT (2021)
Miracle: Letters to the President is a fictionalized tale based on the true story from the 1980s South Korea. It tells the story of a high school genius living in a remote area who strived to get a railway station near his village. The station turns out to be one of a kind privately owned railway station. The movie stars Park Jeong Min in the lead with a supporting cast of Park Sung Min, Im Yoo Na and Lee Soo Kyung.

4. A YEAR-END MEDLEY (2021)
If you’re looking for a fun and sweet rom-com movie with an ensemble cast on the lines of Love, Actually; then look no further. A Year-End Medley will give you the same experience with a delightful Korean language spin. This movie stars an ensemble cast - Han Ji Min, Lee Dong Wook, Kang Ha Neul and YoonA. The movie focuses on characters who visit the ‘Emross’ hotel and experience a miracle of love and life for themselves.