Lee Min-ho has starred in several great best K-dramas of all time such as The King: Eternal Monarch, Legend of the Blue Sea, and City Hunter.

While Lee Min-ho is mostly recognized for being the lead Netflix original K-drama, When the Stars Gossip.

10 I Am Your Teacher (2007)

As Heo Mo-se

Also known as I am Sam and adapted from the Japanese manga Kyōkasho ni Nai! by Kazuto Okada, the K-drama follows Kang Yi-san, a homeroom teacher who finds himself in a precarious situation as he has to teach Eun-byul, the daughter of a dangerous mob boss. When I am Your Teacher premiered on KBS2, the K-drama received mixed reviews.

However, I am Your Teacher has several funny moments and great performances from its cast that elevate the K-drama. In I am Your Teacher, Lee Min-ho takes on the role of Heo Mo-se, the principal's son. While Lee Min-ho only has a ing role in I am Your Teacher, his performance in the K-drama is nonetheless one of his best.

Seeing as I am Your Teacher aired before Lee Min-ho became famous, most audiences might not know that he was part of the series. However, the K-drama is still worth watching, not only because it's funny and lighthearted, but it also shows that Lee Min-ho had the potential to carry his own as a lead actor because of how great he did in a ing role.

9 Personal Taste (2010)

As Jeon Jin-ho

A year after starring in Boys Over Flowers, Lee Min-ho yet again took on the lead role in another romantic K-drama, Personal Taste. Personal Taste sees Jeon Jin-ho, an architect who moves into Sanggojae under the mistaken assumption that he is gay. While living in the architectural marvel, Jin-ho and Gae-in clash because of their differences.

Jin-ho is neat and organized, while Gae-in is messy and rough around the edges. Despite their differences, Jin-ho and Gae-in begin to care for each other. Lee Min-ho shines as Jin-ho in Personal Taste. While Jin-ho is self-centered and a little too obsessed with cleanliness, it's these qualities that make him an intriguing character, especially when he begins to show that he has a softer side.

Although Personal Taste isn't a perfect K-drama, it has several scenes that prove why Lee Min-ho is suited to playing romantic roles. The South Korean actor even won the Excellence Actor Award at the 2010 MBC Drama Awards for his role as Jin-ho in Personal Taste.

8 The Heirs (2013)

As Kim Tan

The Heirs centers around a group of high school students who are set to inherit large empires. Lee Min-ho plays Kim Tan, the heir of Empire Group. While in the U.S., Kim Tan encounters Cha Eun-sang, a poor girl who finds herself in a predicament after her sister steals the only money she has on her. Kim Tan offers to help Eun-sang and she moves in with him.

Lee Min-ho's role in The Heirs is slightly similar to his role in Boys Over Flowers in that he falls for someone from a different economic class.

The two bond and fall for each other, but unfortunately, Kim Tan is already promised to another woman who is also an heir. Lee Min-ho's role in The Heirs is slightly similar to his role in Boys Over Flowers in that he falls for someone from a different economic class. However, there's still a significant difference between the characters he plays in both shows.

Kim Tan is sweet and kind from the get-go and is racked with guilt about his feelings for Eun-sang. Jun-pyo, on the other hand, had a mean streak that only changed because of Geum Jan-di. Nevertheless, The Heirs is still an enjoyable K-drama with a romance that shows love can conquer anything.

7 The Great Doctor (2012)

As Choi Young

The Great Doctor is a fun K-drama set in the Goryeo Period and modern-day South Korea. After the queen is injured and is at death's door, the king of Goryeo sends his best royal guard, Choi Young, to go through a portal to modern Korea in order to get a doctor who could save his wife.

Choi Young returns with a plastic surgeon, Yoo Eun-soo, who manages to save the queen’s life but finds herself in danger as powerful politicians want her for themselves. Lee Min-ho plays his role as the man who saves the damsel in distress well.

His love and dedication to Eun-soo are irable and make him an easy-to-like character. The chemistry between Choi Young and Eun-soo adds to the charm of the historical drama. Kim Hee-sun and Lee Min-ho won Top Excellence Award, Actress and Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Miniseries, respectively, at the 2012 20th Korean Culture and Entertainment Awards for their roles in The Great Doctor.

6 Boys Over Flowers (2009)

As Gu Jun-pyo

Boys Over Flowers was the K-drama that catapulted Lee Min-ho into stardom. The series follows a group of four rich boys known as F4. Lee Min-ho, plays Gu Jun-pyo, the leader of the clique. When Geum Jan-di transfers to Shinwa High, she is ridiculed by the students there because she isn't as rich as they are. Jun-pyo ends up falling for Jan-di and the two embark on a whirlwind romance filled with challenges that they have to overcome.

Boys Over Flowers is not only the K-drama that made Lee Min-ho famous, but it also showed that he is the perfect leading man when it comes to romantic K-dramas. Jun-pyo had the right amount of charm and a romantic side that made audiences fall in love with Lee Min-ho. Boys Over Flowers is one of the best K-dramas set in high school and it played a crucial role in the Korean drama wave.

5 When The Stars Gossip (2025)

As Gong Ryong

Netflix's space K-drama, When the Stars Gossip, focuses on Gong Ryong, a gynecologist who goes to a space station as a tourist and falls for Eve Kim. Kim, the space station’s commander leading her first mission does not trust Ryong or his reasons for leaving Earth. However, after Ryong saves one of the test rats, Eve begins to see him as more than just a person who doesn't have an idea about what he is doing.

When the Stars Gossip is Lee Min-ho’s first K-drama in four years after taking a break from the genre. The K-drama proved to be the perfect comeback for Lee Min-ho as he is in his element playing Ryong in When the Stars Gossip. Ryong is a charming lead whose self-deprecating humor makes him an endearing character. While Lee Min-ho has had several great on-screen romances, his relationship with Gong Hyo-jin in When the Stars Gossip is one of his best.

4 City Hunter (2011)

As Lee Yoon-sung

Adapted from a Japanese manga of the same name by Tsukasa Hojo, City Hunter focuses on Lee Yoon-sung, an MIT graduate bent on seeking revenge against the people who were responsible for his father's death. While executing his mission, Yoon-sung meets a bodyguard called Kim Na-na, who serves as his romantic interest in the K-drama. Yoon-sung is lethal as the City Hunter, but he is also a multilayered character who struggles with his past.

City Hunter played a crucial role in showing that Lee Min-ho could handle starring in another genre apart from romance. The action-packed K-drama is engaging from start to finish, and it's mostly thanks to Lee Min-ho. City Hunter was critically acclaimed and also won Lee Min-ho the Best Actor Award at the 4th Korea Drama Awards. Although City Hunter has a lot of action, it also includes a romance subplot.

3 Secret Campus (2006)

As Park Du-hyun

Released in 2006, Secret Campus saw a revival after Lee Min-ho achieved star status due to his role in Boys Over Flowers. The K-drama follows six high school students who are dealing with the stress of achieving their dreams alongside the trials of being teenagers. Secret Campus has been praised for focusing on issues that teenagers face without being too dramatic or cliche.

Lee Min-ho's role in Secret Campus isn't as big as his subsequent projects after starring in the K-drama. However, the K-drama still played a crucial part in his career because it's clear to see that even at 19, Lee Min-ho had the range required to become one of South Korea's best actors. Lee Min-ho's character in Secret Campus faces a lot of trials and tribulations, and he perfectly captures the emotional turmoil that Park Du-hyeon goes through.

2 Legend of The Blue Sea (2016)

As Kim Dam-ryeong / Heo Joon-jae

The critically acclaimed Legend of the Blue Sea is one of Lee Min-ho's best K-dramas. Set in two timelines: the Josean era and the present day, Legend of the Blue Sea is about Shim Cheong, a mermaid who falls for Lee Min-ho’s character, Heo Joon-jae. Like many K-dramas that use different timelines, the two primary protagonists in the show share a past life that intertwines with the present.

Legend of the Blue Sea shows a different side to Lee Min-ho as this time, he isn't exactly a good guy. Instead, his character in the K-drama is a con artist who uses his good looks to swindle people out of their money. However, Lee Min-ho's charm still shines through in Legend of the Blue Sea and keeps the K-drama grounded. The fact that the K-drama focuses on two timelines and includes a fantasy element also adds to its intrigue.

1 The King Eternal Monarch (2020)

As Emperor Lee Gon

In The King: Eternal Monarch, Lee Min-ho stars alongside Kim Go-eun, another renowned K-drama actor. The show takes place in two parallel universes: Korea and The Republic of Corea. Lee Min-ho plays Emperor Lee Gong, the lead character who finds himself in an alternate reality where he meets and falls for Jeong Tae-eul.

The K-drama was one of the most anticipated shows of 2020 as it was Lee Min-ho’s comeback series after he returned from his military service.

Most of Lee Min-ho’s previous romantic K-dramas were pretty straightforward stories, but The King: Eternal Monarch sets itself apart by including a fantasy twist. The K-drama was one of the most anticipated shows of 2020 as it was Lee Min-ho’s comeback series after he returned from his military service. Despite this, it still received mixed reviews due to some historical inaccuracies.

However, Lee Min-ho gave it his all and was in top form in The King: Eternal Monarch. His romance with Kim Go-eun was outstanding, so it's not surprising that he scooped the Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Miniseries Fantasy/Romance Drama at the 2020 SBS Drama Awards for his role in The King: Eternal Monarch.