Ji Sung and his years of work is a testament to his versatility as an actor. He is not one to shy away from a challenging role, which is the kind of tenacity that brought him to superstar status. In his repertoire of dramas, he has displayed his talent in different genres with characters that turned out to be a revelation of his unique ability to deliver.
So, if you want to binge or take a peek into some of his works, here are 10 dramas where his performance was widely acclaimed.
All In (2003)
Despite coming from different social backgrounds, Choi Jung Won (Ji Sung) and Kim In Ha (Lee Byung Hun) become instant friends when they meet in school. While trying to save their friend Min Su Yon (Song Hye Kyo), they commit arson and, without them knowing, manslaughter too. Kim In Ha is sent to prison for his crimes but Choi Jung Won, with his family connections, was cleared from all of the charges. This split in their paths takes a toll on their friendship as well as bring about changes in their personalities. What happens next when their paths cross again?
Swallow the Sun (2009)
Jung Woo (Ji Sung) is a fearless, small-time hoodlum whose life may not seem to be going anywhere. But his luck changed when he saved the life of a rich, powerful and mysterious businessman, Jang Min Ho (Jun Kwang Ryul). He was then hired to be a bodyguard to his son, Tae Hyuk (Lee Wan), hoping that he will help him stay out of trouble. Tae Hyuk was none too pleased about the arrangement but went with it anyway. But it was not too long before he found himself in hot water. During a gathering at his father’s mansion, he got into a fistfight with one of his friends and accidentally killed him. Trying to dig his way out of this mess, he asks Jung Woo to take the blame by promising that he will get a light sentence and he will be rewarded upon his release. However, it was too late for Jung Woo to realize that Tae Hyuk and Min Ho have no plans of following through with their promise. In fact, the old man tries to get rid of him thinking that he knows too much. But Jung Woo’s life was in for an emotional rollercoaster when he learns that the man who has been out to shut him up for good was his own father. Adding more fuel to the fire is Lee Soo Hyun (Sung Yu Ri), the girl that both Jung woo and Tae Hyuk have set their hearts on.
Kim Su Ro, The Iron King (2010)
The titular character (Ji Sung) was the legendary founder of Geumgwan Gaya, which is the ruling city-state of the Gaya confederacy that dominated sea trade and ironworks during the period of the Three Kingdoms. As the heir to the throne at a time of great unrest in Korea, it was his fiery temper, charisma, and intelligence that shaped Kim Su Ro to be the formidable ruler that he is. In the face of an extended political struggle, he came out of it victorious, having been able to unite 12 small countries. All the while, he had to compete for the throne against his half-brother and life-long rival, Ijinashi (Go Joo Won), his former friend Seok Tal Hae (Lee Pil Mo), and the dangerously ambitious Shingwi Ghan (Yu Oh Seong).
Protect the Boss (2011)
Noh Eun Seol (Choi Kang Hee) was in dire need of a job. Unfortunately, her background as a high school delinquent was making it harder for her to impress future employers. She had to face several rejections while out job hunting. Having grown tired of the prejudice over her past, she had a meltdown during one of her interviews and told everyone on the panel that they were being unfair since she was no longer the same girl she was in high school. Impressed with her outburst and little speech, Director Cha Mu Won (Kim Jae Joong) hires her as a secretary to his rebellious and irresponsible cousin, Cha Ji Heon (Ji Sung). Eun Seol, desperate to keep her job, does her best to keep Ji Heon on the narrow and straight, and at the same time helps him with a couple of his personal problems. However, things get complicated with Mu Won and Ji Heon falls for her.
Secret Love (2013)
Jo Min Hyuk (Ji Sung) was born into a family of wealth, but life was not all rainbows and butterflies when he found himself entangled in a web of secrets that started when his girlfriend was killed in a hit-and-run incident. Kang Yoo Jung (Hwang Jung Eum) took the blame, was convicted of the crime, and had to do time in prison. All the while, the real suspect was her boyfriend who was a rising prosecutor named Ahn Do Hoon (Bae Soo Bin). Despite her sacrifice, Do Hoon still had the gall to betray Yoo Jung. But she’s a woman determined to make a fresh start by refusing to let a shameful past bring her down. However, trouble hasn’t left her yet because Min Hyuk made it a point to torment her with his schemes and vengeful plans. But later on, he makes a full 360 as he falls helplessly in love with the woman that he believed was the true reason behind his anguish.
Kill Me Heal Me (2015)
Cha Do Hyun (Ji Sung) is the heir of a large corporation who was diagnosed with Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) due to a childhood traumatic experience. What happens is that his life is taken over by 6 other alter-egos. To get his life back on track, he secretly seeks help from Oh Ri Jin (Hwang Jung Eum), a first-year psychiatry resident. Interestingly enough, Ri Jin has secrets of her own. Behind her seemingly perfect image was her real personality which she tries to keep hidden. Trouble brews because of Ri Jin’s twin brother, Oh Ri On (Park Seo Joon), who is an author who makes it his life’s work to uncover the well-guarded secrets of the rich and wealthy. Will this story be juicy enough for his headlines? Or will Do Hyun be able to take full control of his life?
Entertainer (2016)
Shin Suk Ho (Ji Sung) is a manager who works at one of the largest entertainment companies in Korea. He finds success in raising a highly popular idol group, which also helped him decide to establish his own label. Unfortunately, he falls flat on his face on his first try which leads him to lose everything and even end up in prison. After his release, he finds ways to get back on his feet. He meets Jo Ha Neul (Kang Min Hyuk), a talented high school student who gave up on his dreams of becoming a singer after losing his parents. Suk Ho encourages him to be a professional singer under his guidance. The two started on a journey to form the group called Entertainer Band with the help of new band members who decided to hop on—from there Suk Ho starts to rebuild his life anew.
Innocent Defendant (2017)
Park Jung Woo (Ji Sung) is a renowned prosecutor at the Seoul Central Prosecutor’s Office. His life turned upside down when he wakes up in a prison cell and is told that he killed his wife Yoon Ji Soo (Son Ye Eun), and his daughter is currently missing. What’s more unsettling is that he’s on death row, but he doesn’t have any recollection at all of what happened because he suffers from temporary amnesia. What he is certain of is that he loves his family so much that what’s unfolding before him seems so far removed from the truth. He struggles to find the real culprit and prove his innocence with the help of public defender Seo Eun Hye (Kwon Yu Ri). Along the way, he learns that the twins who are heirs to a conglomerate may just have a hand in this. Jung Woo embarks on a journey to seek answers and revenge.
Familiar Wife (2018)
Cha Joo Hyuk (Ji Sung) is an ordinary bank employee who’s unhappy with his life, particularly his marriage. He is no longer thrilled with the changes that his wife, Seo Woo Jin (Han Ji Min), has undergone. It didn’t help that he came across Lee Hye Won (Kang Ha Na), who was his first love because this encounter made him realize if the grass was truly greener on the other side. On Woo Jin’s end, she has to balance her family life and career, which can be very stressful. Adding to that, she’s not getting enough help from Joo Hyuk which left her angry, frustrated, and resentful all the time. Then one day, Joo Hyuk was given the chance to go back in time and change things. Sure enough, his life took a completely different turn with unexpected results. He wakes up and finds himself in a different situation where he’s married to Hye Won instead of Woo Jin. But the change in circumstance made him come to important realizations. But is it still possible to get his old life back?
Doctor John (2019)
Cha Yo Han (Ji Sung) was the youngest professor in anesthesiology who had his patient’s best interests at heart, even if those interests ran contrary to the law. He understands the unhappiness of living a life filled with pain and strongly believes patients should not be forced to endure immeasurable pain just to delay an inevitable death. However, this ideology is ultimately what lands him in jail—he illegally euthanized one of his patients whose pain and suffering doesn’t seem to have an end in sight. However, what looks like a euthanasia case is actually something else more sinister brewing on the side. After serving time, Yo Han was back in his scrubs and treating patients, but Prosecutor Son Seok Ki (Lee Kyu Hyung) was still hot on his tracks. Will he prove that Yo Han is a villain under the guise of being an angel of death? When people with mysterious acute or chronic pain come to the hospital, Yo Han along with Kang Shi Young (Lee Se Young) stepped up to the plate to find the cause behind it.
