It’s easy to say that Kwon Nara is one of the prettiest faces in South Korean entertainment today. She may have gained notoriety for her work as an actress, but did you know that she started out as a singer? She is one of the original members of the South Korean girl group Hello Venus.
So here’s a quick run-down on some Nara facts. Interestingly, the young actress legally changed her birth name Kwon Nara to Kwon Ah-yoon after she was hit by a car by a drunk driver. However, she still promotes under her birth name.
She made her acting debut in 2012 in the drama Take Care of Us, Captain with a minor role. Then she went on to do supporting roles for Ji Chang Wook and Nam Ji Hyun’s drama “Suspicious Partner” before carving out a name for herself as a leading lady through her works in “Your Honor”, “Doctor Prisoner”, “Itaewon Class” and most recently, “Royal Detective Agency”.
If you’re still a new Kwon Na-ra “stan”, here are 6 dramas she starred in that are worth checking out!
Royal Secret Agent
Royal Secret Agent is a historical drama with a slice of mystery and comedy. Set in the Joseon period, Kwon Na-ra plays Hong Da-in, a damo (woman who works in a government office) who disguises herself as a gisaeng (courtesan). She helped Sung Yi-gyum (Kim Myung-soo) who goes undercover as a secret royal inspector to reveal and punish the corrupt officials who cause the inequality and unbalanced structure of the society. Along for the ride is Sung Yi-kyum’s servant, Park Chun-san (Lee Yi-kyung).
The three of them forged a new k-drama squad viewers will love. The friendship they developed is something to be admired and they are fun to watch. Their chemistry balances the serious plot of the drama. Despite their classes or status in society, it never became a way to bridge the differences between them.
Royal Secret Agent is Kwon Na-ra’s first foray into period pieces. In an interview, she expressed concerns because Hong Da-in is different from the characters she portrayed before. With the difficult year 2020 was, the beautiful actress hopes that this provides an entertaining escape for audiences.
Catch the adventures of the fearless Hong Da-in and enjoy how Kwon Na-ra brings her to life in all 16 episodes of this KBS drama!
Itaewon Class
Itaewon Class is one of the most successful and well-loved K-drama series of 2020. For the most part, many were drawn to it because it’s an underdog story with a lot of heart.
The story revolved around Park Sae-ro-yi (Park Seo-joon), who became an orphan after an unfortunate incident, which involved the heir of a conglomerate, took his father’s life. A fit of rage sent him to the slammer. But he used this setback as a way to redeem himself. When he finally served time, he set out to establish his own restaurant with a dream to beat those who have wronged him.
Besides the compelling performance by Park Seo-joon, fans also took notice of the mesmerizing Kwon Nara. She plays an orphan named Oh Soo-ah who helped Park Sae-ro-yi’s father. She is also Park Sae-ro-yi’s first crush.
Over the course of the story, Kwon Na-ra’s character dances between someone we love to hate and someone who also holds a warm spot with Sae-ro-yi. She has been one of the reasons Sae-ro-yi worked hard, because he wants to give her a good life should she decide to spend the future with him.
Binge on this Netflix original to see how this relationship unfolds, and also enjoy the fabulous beauty looks Kwon Nara serves on the show!
Doctor Prisoner
For this medical mystery drama, Kwon Na-ra transforms into a warm but stoic psychiatrist named Han So-geum. Her character crossed paths with Na Yi-je (Namkoong Min), a genius doctor who now works at a prison after he was expelled from a major hospital. Unlike him, Han So-geum was there to volunteer her medical services. But the real reason she’s there remains to be a mystery.
The drama is compelling and engaging as it takes you along the injustice that Na Yi-je encountered which landed him in prison, and how he developed enough connections there to plan his revenge.
Kwon Na-ra’s character is mysterious as it is complicated. She appears soft and caring, but gives off a sharp and ambiguous look—a nuanced acting which Kwon Na-ra delivered perfectly. As the mystery builds, her presence piques the viewer’s interest as to what dark secrets lie behind her.
For Kwon Na-ra fans, you’d be delighted to see her show off her fighting skills. She even took judo lessons to prepare for action-packed sequences. Catch Kwon Na-ra as she adds an air of mystery in this 32-episode suspense-filled drama.
Your Honor
Your Honor is a 2018 South Korean television series Kwon Na-ra stars alongside Yoon Shi-yoon, Lee Yoo-young, and Park Byung-eun.
In this legal drama, Yoon Shi-yoon plays dual roles as he plays twin brothers who have led very different lives. Han Kang-ho is a five-time convicted criminal, while Han Soo-ho is a respected judge. When Han Soo-ho mysteriously disappears, Han Kang-ho has to secretly step in to take his brother’s place. But how can he keep up with a lifestyle that is the total opposite of how he lived his.
However, the story reveals certain truths about this seemingly straight-laced brother. He may have the title, but Kang-ho gradually learns that he is actually headed for trouble due to some dubious connections his brother made.
Kwon Na-ra plays Joo-eun, Soo-ho’s girlfriend who is an anchorwoman. She encouraged him to stick to what is right, especially when Soo-ho starts veering towards corruption. Ever the loyal girlfriend, she notices the changes in him. She sees that he is starting to change his ways, but sadly, he seems to be emotionally distant from her. Will she ever catch on and finally uncover the truth?
While Na-ra did not play the female lead here, her character was likeable nonetheless.
My Mister
This slow-burn 2018 drama may be headlined by IU, but Kwon Na-ra also joined the cast! It tells the story of three middle-aged brothers who are trying to carry on despite the struggles they face in their lives, and a cold and aloof young lady who’s living a hard life of her own. They all come together in healing the scars of their pasts.
Park Ki-hoon (Song Sae-byeok) is the youngest of the three brothers. He used to be this famous director whose claim to fame is an independent film he shot in his twenties that got him invited to the Cannes Film Festival. But after two decades he has yet to launch his career as a movie director.
Kwon Na-ra plays Choi Yoo-ra, a movie actress, and Park Ki-hoon’s love interest. From behind the scenes, Ki-hoon was drawn to this beautiful actress because he felt her struggle. He sees how it was getting more difficult for Choi Yoo-ra to impress the bosses with her acting skills. Also at the end of her rope, she feels helpless as she realizes that her desire to be a good actress doesn’t seem to show in her craft.
My Mister is quite a heavy drama that comes with a lot of talk, but it offers raw and relatable characters whom you may unexpectedly connect with.
Suspicious Partner
Suspicious Partner is a legal drama with a slice of rom-com that stars the handsome Ji Chang-wook and Nam Ji-hyun.
The story revolves around No Ji-wook (Ji Chang-wook), a prosecutor in the Sunho District Prosecutors’ Office who ends up becoming a private attorney in the aftermath of defending a particular client. Eun Bong-hee (Nam Ji-hyun) is a prosecutor trainee at Ji-wook’s office. Due to some unfortunate turn of events, Bong-hee suddenly becomes a murder suspect after her ex-boyfriend’s dead body was found in her house in which she had no alibi!
Ji-wook defends her case. Now that they worked closely together, Bong-hee started to develop feelings but was unfortunately rejected by him. However, the tables turn and now it’s Ji-wook who’s pursuing her. She feels skeptical accepting his feelings having been turned down before.
So where does Kwon Na-ra’s role fit into the picture? Well, she plays Cha Yoo-jung, Ji-wook’s ex-girlfriend who is also a prosecutor. Their relationship ended when Yoo-jung cheated on him with none other than his longtime family friend, Attorney Ji Eun-hyuk (Choi Tae-joon).
It turns out, Yoo-jung regretted her decision after realizing that she still has feelings for her ex So, even though Ji-wook ended things with her, she keeps trying to win him back, and she plans to do it at all cost!
Okay, so her character in this drama is not really someone you would root for, but it’s an interesting shift! It’s nice to see Kwon Na-ra take on a character who’s selfish and desperate. Does she pull it off well? Enjoy her performance in this 40-episode drama!
