Five K-Drama Actresses Who Are Killing It in Action Scenes

Han Sohee in My Name

In Kim Jinmin’s action, crime, and noir thriller My Name, Han Sohee plays ‘Jiwoo’, a tough girl whose life is radically changed when her father is murdered. A vengeful Jiwoo joins a crime boss’s gang that knew her father. In order to track down the killer, she first learns how to fight, then goes undercover as a cop. By gaining 10 kg for this role, Han gained muscle and achieved a more athletic appearance. In an interview with My Music Taste, the actress shared that her most challenging action sequence was when she visited ‘Moo Jin’ in the latter half of the show. The scene, which was a single-take shot, begins in the lobby of the hotel and moves to the stairwell, elevator, and finally to the encounter with Moo Jin. Han revealed that she did months of rigorous training, gaining over 20 pounds for the action scenes, and did everything herself. 

Han Hyojoo in Happiness

Seoul Police Special Operations Unit officer ‘Yoon Saebom’ (Han Hyojoo) moves into the city’s new high-rise apartment building, the ‘Seyang Forest Le Ciel Residential Complex,’ with friend and colleague, Detective ‘Jung Yihyun’ (Park Hyungsik), Saebom is confident that her new home will bring her happiness. However, after an unknown, contagious disease spreads slowly throughout the building, the residents become the targets of dread and a source of anxiety throughout the city. As the building is walled off from the outside world, the residents and everything around them are enclosed, as there is no other way to contain the epidemic. Amidst the chaos of a fast-approaching apocalypse, only the uninfected residents have a chance of surviving. Yoon approaches life pragmatically. She is brave, has a fiery personality, and prefers to communicate through fists over words. She is impulsive, reckless at times, doesn’t look before she leaps, and is fiercely protective of her loved ones, as evidenced by the way she jumps into a macabre scene and fights the flesh-eating monsters without flinching. Han Hyojoo has excelled in the fight scenes, which is a far cry from the otherwise gentle characters she usually portrays on screen.

Park Shinhye in Sisyphus: The Myth

In the sci-fi drama Sisyphus: The Myth, ‘Han Taesul’ (Cho Seungwoo) is a tech genius who unknowingly teams up with ‘Gang Seohae’ (Park Shinhye), a fiery warrior from the future transported back in time. The two are forced into one perilous circumstance after another, as different groups pursue them for their own sinister objectives. Gang is an efficient martial artist and shooter on a mission to save the world with very little time left. Throughout the drama, Park displays zeal and dexterity in the action scenes. Seemingly, she has enjoyed doing the stunts, as demonstrated by her confidence in defying gravity and depleting adversaries. Quite evidently, Sisyphus provided her with innumerable opportunities to showcase her penchant for action scenes, which she honed through a considerable amount of practice and weeks of training.

Jeon Yeobeen in Night in Paradise

In Park Hoonjung’s noir film Night In Paradise, a mobster named ‘Park Taegoo’ (Uhm taegoo) is offered to join the rival ‘Bukseong’ gang, led by Chairman ‘Doh’. Park turns down the offer, resulting in the murder of his sister and niece. He brutally murders Chairman Doh and his men in retaliation and flees to Jeju Island, where he meets ‘Jaeyeon’ (Jeon Yeobeen), who’s terminally ill. Trouble is, the Bukseong gang leader, Executive ‘Ma’, is relentlessly searching for Taegoo for vengeance. Night in Paradise was screened in the ‘Out of Competition’ category at the prestigious ’77th Venice International Film Festival’, critically praised for its thrilling scenes. Jeon Yeobeen was also lauded for her badass performance in the thriller. Her acting in this shooting sequence seemed so natural as she walked and shot, determined to blast away her enemies. This was more violent than just an action shootout, and Jeon Yeobeen’s killer instinct was exactly on point to bring the sequence to life.

Lee Siyoung in Sweet Home

Sweet Home is a Netflix original horror drama starring Song Kang, Lee Dohyun, Lee Siyoung, and others, and is based on a webtoon by Carnby Kim and Youngchan Hwang. ‘Seo Yikyung’ (Lee) is a firefighter and a former special forces officer. Seo is a resident of ‘Green Home’ in the drama, an apartment complex where humans are transforming into monsters. Soon later, monsters attempt to exterminate humans. People imprisoned within the complex realize that monsters lurk outside, and Seo joins forces with the others to take down the demons. Lee has performed admirably as Seo through the strength she exudes throughout the show, with her beautifully sculpted muscles, toned abs, and athletic frame. According to sources, Lee, 38, began prepping for the action-packed moments in Sweet Home months before the production went on floors.