Son Ye Jin has been making news with her recent engagement to Crash Landing On You co-star, Hyun Bin. Everybody’s is just as giddy for these two to tie the knot, since we all want the “proper ending” we never got to see in the series, right?
Along with her happy news, Ye Jin’s recent drama is also in its first few episodes on Netflix. So, if you want to get more of our favorite unnie, here are 10 dramas you need to watch now!
Delicious Proposal
Hyo Dong (Jung Joon) goes all out for his customers and serves the best Chinese food in the area, but his restaurant has been struggling for some time. Built on decades of hard work by his father(Park Geun Hyung), the restaurant has been declining due to the aggressive techniques of their rivals. Amid this competition, Hyo Dong gets to know Hee Ae (Son Ye Jin), a charming young girl who frequents the same cooking class. They also meet Shin Ae (So Yu-Jin), a poor student with big dreams and strong determination. Hyo Dong falls for Hee Ae, but when he finds out who her father is and how he’s connected to his recent troubles, things start to get a little more complicated.
Son Ye Jin fans will like this series. Despite it being her debut into the world of K-dramas, her charm and star quality are apparent. The story is quite engaging and moves along at a good pace with a good amount of food on display. Like an early version of Itaewon Class, the cutthroat competition in the food business is entertaining. Considering this show is from 2001, this series isn’t dated or slow, and the star-crossed romance is well done. Early appearances of So Ji Sub and Kwon Sang Woo make this worth watching.
Great Ambition
A woman left her newborn child at the doorsteps of a wealthy merchant. Eighteen years later, he grew up to be Park Jae Young (Jang Hyuk). He’s a warm-hearted person who’s naive in the ways of the world, which makes him vulnerable to the evil schemes of his elder brother Park Si Young (Han Jae Suk). Si Young lived to satisfy his ambition, and he doesn’t mind who he hurts along the way.
Park Jae Young has always loved Yoon Yeo Jin (Lee Yo Won), unaware that she is of the aristocratic class. Yeo Jin also loved him and tried to ignore her higher class status. But when Jae Young ran away from home after he learned that his father and elder brother killed and pinned the crime on someone else, he came across Choi Dong Hee (Son Ye Jin). Sort of a tomboy with a strong personality, she helped the timid Jae Young’s to express his feelings, as if she was his conscience, and forced him to face them too. This chance meeting brought him to his real mother, who by this time, had become a powerful political lobbyist. In addition, the fight over who would be the next emperor was getting intense as the two brothers supported different sides.
Summer Scent
Yoo Min Woo’s (Song Seung Hun) first love So Eun Hye (Shin Ae) died in a car accident. Her heart was donated to Shim Hye Won (Son Ye Jin), who was on the list for a donor.
Still reeling from his loss, Min Woo goes to Paris to study, but the memories of his first love still hunt him. When he came home to Korea, fate brought Hye Won and Min Woo together. Shen noticed that her heart beats faster when around Min Woo. Is this Eun Hye’s love radiating through the heart that was already keeping Hye won alive?
Summer Scent did a lot to solidify Son Ye Jin’s growing acting career. It’s the project that made everyone take notice of her talent for lead roles instead of just supporting or ensemble roles.
Alone in Love
Yoo Eun Ho (Son Ye Jin) is an instructor at a fitness club. She divorced her husband, Lee Dong Jin (Kam Woo Sung), following the death of their newborn baby. She blamed him for not being there for her when she needed him most. However, they remained friends after the divorce and met regularly. Even though they were already seeing other people, they still had feelings for each other. With the help of Yoo Eun Ho’s sister Yoo Ji Ho (Lee Ha Na) and Lee Dong Jin’s friend, Dr. Gong Joon Pyo Gong (Gong Hyung Jin), they finally realized that it’s only right for them to get back together.
It is based on the Japanese novel Love Generation by Hisashi Nozawa, which was published in 1996 and won the 4th Shimase Literary Prize for Romance in 1997. The series won critical acclaim for its subtle and realistic portrayal of love, marriage and divorce.
Spotlight
Spotlight dives into the intricate world of broadcast news station called GBS. It follows a rookie news reporter named Seo Woo-Jin (Son Ye Jin), who made her start in the news division section of the station. Eventually, she’s under the wing of the far more experienced news journalist and broadcaster Oh Tae Suk (Ji Jin Hee), who hands her complex news stories to explore. He got promoted to news manager at the television station due to political upheavals and disagreements among executives of the company. Tae Suk is a voracious truth-seeker, even if it meant the career of his politician father. His firmness often comes off as being heartless, but it’s his way of winnowing down the incompetents. He sees potential in Woo Jin and encourages her to push the envelope in her research and to think more clearly about current news events and how they will affect society.
Even with its new and interesting plot, this drama came under the radar because it came at a time when romantic series was the crowd favorite. Ye Jin and Jin Hee made a good team as they race to find the truth and expose corruption in the government and in big businesses.
Personal Taste
Jeon Jin Ho (Lee Min Ho) is a straight guy who pretends to be gay to become Park Gae In’s (Son Ye Jin) roommate. She does this so she can share the expenses with someone, while Jin Ho chose her place to save his career. Apparently, Gae In’s modernized hanok (traditional Korean house) held something important for Jin Ho’s architecture firm. Believing that he was homosexual, Gae In allowed him to be her tenant. But as time went on and they’ve grown to know each other, their friendship deepens and soon grew into love.
This surprise hit of 2010, Personal Taste (aka Personal Preference) garnered high ratings and a huge fanbase in a comedy that proves true love is found in the most unlikely places.
Don’t Look Back: The Legend of Orpheus
Han Yi Soo’s (Kim Nam Gil) father is the chauffeurs the owners of the Gaya Hotel Group, which is Jo Hae Woo’s (Son Ye Jin’s) family. When their youngest son caused a hit-and-run accident due to drunk driving, they persuaded their chauffeur to take the blame. But when he changes his mind, he is murdered before he can recant his statement. Yi-soo, who was still in high school, tries to find out the truth and exonerate his father. He tried to reach out to Hae-woo, his first love but failed. After a failed attempt on his life, Yi-soo disappears and ends up in Japan, where he was adopted by a wealthy and influential Japanese-Korean businessman, Yoshimura Junichiro (Lee Jae Gu).
12 years later he returns to Korea with a new identity as a Japanese-Korean businessman Yoshimura Jun with plans of retribution. Hae-woo, who believed that Yi-soo was dead, becomes a prosecutor to find out the truth about what happened to him. She’s now married to Oh Joon Young (Ha Seok Jin), the son of the Chief Prosecutor Oh Hyun Shik (Jung Won-Joon). No one in Korea, including Hae-woo, recognized Yi-soo. In his return, Yi-soo and Hae-woo get caught between love and revenge.
Something in the Rain
This story follows Jin Ah (Son Ye Jin), a career woman in her 30’s who fell in love with Joon Hee (Jung Hae In), a much younger man. A noona romance (older female and a younger male), was seen as taboo, so they had to hide their relationship. In addition, Joon Hee was the younger brother of Jin Ah’s best friend, and they’re not sure if their relationship will be met with acceptance.
A second storyline is about the struggles of female employees in Jin Ah’s company. She has been working hard to climb the corporate ladder, but she comes across a lot of challenges. From sexual harassment, discrimination, mistreatment to career sabotage, the women in her company had to contend with it so they can earn their keep.
Crash Landing on You
When famous fashion company owner Yoon Se-ri (Son Ye Jin) finds herself trapped in North Korea after a paragliding accident, she meets Ri Jeong Hyeok (Hyun Bin), a respectable military captain. He kept her safe while he hatches a plan to help her cross the border back to South Korea.
But, during her stay, Se-ri discovers the hardships of living in North Korea, she slowly falls in love with Captain Ri. She appreciated how he came through to be her savior, but as their feelings grew, they only found danger lurking in every corner.
Thirty-Nine
This story is about three friends — Cha Mi-jo (Son Ye Jin), Jung Chan-young (Jeon Mi Do) and Jang Joo-hee (Kim Ji Hyun) — who have been together since their high school days.
The trio shares every moment of their lives, and they have been through thick and thin.
Cha is shown as the head dermatologist of a clinic in Gangnam. Jung wanted to be an actress but ended up as an acting teacher. And Jang is the cosmetics manager at a department store.
Thirty-Nine focuses on issues and fears they’re facing while on the verge of turning 40. As the three friends prepare to open a new chapter in their lives, certain unforeseen events threaten to bring changes, which they have no choice but to face it.
