Lee Jae-wook’s Most Notable K-drama Characters
A seemingly unbreakable repertoire of techniques is the key to Lee’s genius. He adds to the presence of his characters, backing them up with strong delivery, facial expressions, and body language
Lee Jae-wook for 'The Impossible Heir.' Photo: Courtesy of Disney Plus
Recognized for his diverse and insightful roles, Lee Jae-wook won the 2022 Global Excellence Award at the Korea Drama Awards, acknowledging his global contributions to the Hallyu wave. Here are a few instances of how adept and self-assured he is as an actor, showing off his proficiency on screen:
Seol Ji-hwan – Search: WWW (2019)
Search: WWW, the story of three female employees of the top two web portal companies, starred Lee’s Seol Ji-hwan in 2019. Showing off his expressive flair, he played an aspiring actor who is mostly overlooked and undervalued by the film industry. Despite being portrayed as a villain in dramas, Seol is a quiet, kind man with a heart of gold.
Throughout its run, the drama gained traction, thrusting Lee into the spotlight.
Baek Kyung – Extraordinary You (2019)
The actor made a huge impression in the romantic comedy fantasy drama Extraordinary You, based on the webtoon July Found by Chance, as Baek Kyung. Kyung, a member of the A3, a group of the most attractive and dominant boys in their school, is a comic book character who is a rude and conceited student.
The high ratings for Extra Ordinary You enabled Lee to shine and hold attention; he won Best New Actor at the 2019 MBC Drama Awards and was nominated for Best New Actor-Television at the 56th Baeksang Arts Awards.
Sunwoo Joon – Do Do Sol Sol La La Sol (2020)
In the much-anticipated lead role, Lee played Sunwoo Joon, a recluse who is still evasive, charming, and giving while coping with aches and pains and secrets in the 2020 romantic comedy television series Do Do Sol Sol La La Sol.
Through careful handling of the personality traits, Lee succeeded in sustaining Sunwoo’s dominance while simultaneously exposing his weakness—that of becoming enamored with Goo Ra-ra’s (Go Ara’s) innocence and charisma.
For his stellar performance, Lee took home the Excellence Award for Actor in a Miniseries at the KBS Drama Awards, Rookie of the Year and Actor of the Year—Rookie at the Asia Artist Awards, and the 18th Brand of the Year Awards.
Jang Uk – Alchemy of Souls and Alchemy of Souls: Light and Shadow (2022 and 2023)
In 2022, Lee triumphantly returned to television alongside Jung So-min, playing the aristocrat Jang Uk in the fantasy drama Alchemy of Souls. In 2023, he reprised his role in Alchemy of Souls: Light and Shadow, costarring with Go Youn-jung.
He built Jang Uk most plausibly, bringing his emotions and personality to life and heightening the narrative’s impact.
Globally, rave reviews for the drama helped Lee win the Global Excellence Award at the Korea Drama Awards and the Asia Special Award at the Asia Model Awards that same year.
Han Tae-oh – The Impossible Heir (2024)
Lee Jae-wook stars as Han Tae-oh, the calculating son of a murderous father, in the currently airing drama series about retribution.
The Impossible Heir follows Lee Jun-young’s Kang In-ha, who decides to leave his impoverished upbringing when he discovers he is the illegitimate son of a conglomerate owner. In-ha turns to his childhood friend Han Tae-oh for help in devising a plan to assume control of the business and climb the social ladder after his new family rejects him.
You are gradually drawn into the captivating plot of the drama by consummate performances, let alone Lee Jae-wook’s excellent portrayal of Tae-oh’s profound emotions and predicament.
