6 best Kim Hye-yoon K-dramas and movies to watch: Lovely Runner, Extraordinary You, and more

Kim Hye-yoon is a prominent name in the South Korean entertainment industry. Nicknamed 'Nation's little sister', she has been showcasing her extraordinary acting skills through various K-dramas and movies.

She made her debut in 2013 with the KBS series Samsaengi, for which she earned a scholarship. In 2015, she was part of the Hong Kong action thriller Helios, garnering appreciation.

With several Best Actress awards, Hye-yoon has established herself as a talented and hardworking actress. Her roles in different films and dramas exhibit that.

Note: The article reflects the author's opinion and is listed in no particular order.

Whether it's a schoolgirl or a headstrong teenager, Kim Hye-yoon rocks every role

Among numerous dramas and movies, the Sportskeeda team has enlisted some of the best works of Kim Hye-yoon and they are:

Lovely Runner
Extraordinary You
Sky Castle
Secret Royal Inspector & Joy
The Girl on a Bulldozer
Ditto

1) Lovely Runner

Lovely Runner is the latest K-drama of Kim Hya-yoon, released on April 8, 2024. The rom-com drama has a time travel theme. Guardian: Lonely and Great God director Yoon Jong Ho directed the drama along with Kim Tae Yeop, while Lee Shi Eun wrote the screenplay, who is renowned for the popular K-drama True Beauty.

Kim Hye-yoon plays the role of Im Sol who is an ardent fan of the popular singer Ryu Seon-jae. Im Sol finds comfort and hope listening to his song but the news of his accident devastates her.

On the other hand, Ryu Seon-jae, played by Byeon Woo-seok, feels frustrated with his stardom. However, the character is portrayed as humorous, loyal, and charmingly masculine.

The entire drama is available on Viki.

2) Extraordinary You

Extraordinary You (Image via Prime Video)

Kim Hye-yoon starred in Extraordinary You, released in October 2019, based on the webtoon July Found by Chance by Moo Ryuyee. She plays Eun Dan-oh, a wealthy high school girl with a heart condition. Despite her illness, she lives comfortably, and her parents arrange her marriage to her crush for business reasons.

Kim Hye-yoon portrays the character of a hopeless romantic teenage girl who discovers strange similarities between her life and a comic book. Defying the author’s narrative, she starts doing things differently from what is written in the book. SF9's Rowoon features in this drama, playing the role of a mysterious school student, named Haru.

This drama can be seen on Prime Video.

3) Sky Castle

Sky Castle is one of those dramas where Kim Hye-yoon does not play a mainstream character. The drama was released in November 2018, and written by Kim Seo-hyung and Moon Bomi.

Based on cutthroat competition in academics in the country, the drama depicts the story of five elite-class women who aspire to send their children to the top universities. Yum Jung-ah, Lee Tae-ran, Oh Na-ra, Kim Seo-hyung, and Yoon Se-ah dominate the drama, playing those ambitious and powerful housewives of the Sky Castle neighborhood.

Kim Hye-yoon plays the role of the selfish high school student who pleases her parents with good grades. Sky Castle, a dark satirical drama, became the first cable TV series with the most viewership. After the release of Queen Woo, it slipped to number four.

Sky Castle, starring Kim Hye-yoon, is currently streaming on Prime Video.

4) Secret Royal Inspector & Joy

Secret Yoyal Inspector and Joy (image via Netflix)

Secret Royal Inspector and Joy is a tvN drama, released in 2021. Starring Kim Hye-yoon, this drama is set in the Joseon era, depicting the story of a food-loving inspector and a feminist woman.

Hye-yoon is a divorced woman who fights for justice, defying all the social norms. On the other hand, Ra Yi-eon, played by Ok Taecyeon, is a royal inspector who loves cooking and feeding his fellow mates.

The drama begins with the murder of Yi-eon's senior officer, and Yi-eon is appointed to solve the mystery. During the investigation, Yi-eon meets Joy, the character played by Kim Hye-yoon, and falls in love with her.

The drama is available on Netflix.

5) The Girl on a Bulldozer

The Girl on a Bulldozer ( Image via Prime Video)

The Girl on a Bulldozer is acclaimed as one of the best works of Kim Hye-yoon, which was introduced at the 26th Busan International Film Festival. This movie was officially released in April 2022 and for her performance in the movie, Hye-yoon received the Blue Dragon Awards, Green Bell Awards, the Chunsa Film Art Awards, and Buil Film Awards.

The movie is a gritty crime thriller, and the director Park Ri-woong described it as a revenge film. Hye-yoon plays the role of a teenage girl, portraying a strong and fearless role. Due to a case of assaults, she is sent to prison, where she learns how to operate a bulldozer.

However, her kind side is also portrayed before her younger brother. To whom, she is the mother. She also investigates the real culprits behind her father's sudden road accident, which left him brain-dead.

6) Ditto

Ditto, another movie starring Hye-yoon, is the remake of an old movie that was released with the same name in 2000. The movie is a work of science fiction. Directed and written by Seo Eun-young, the new version was released in 2022.

The movie begins with Kim Yong, a high school student who returns to school after completing his mandatory military service. Although he studies in the technical field, he aspires to be a writer. On the other hand, Hye-yoon is a new student to the school, named Han Sol, with whom Yong falls in love.

While the plot development takes a smooth path, a ham radio comes on the screen and introduces a huge twist. Yong befriends a girl named Mu-nee through that radio and eventually, they discover that they are from different eras.

Viki is streaming this movie.

Apart from these works of Kim, fans can explore Midnight which is a psychological thriller. Apart from bagging numerous awards and recognitions, she features in the Forbes 30 Under 30 list.

Edited by Divya Singh