Ji Chang-Wook is one of the most famous names and faces in South Korea, carrying a stellar reputation. This extremely handsome and versatile actor made his debut on-screen with a 2006 movie titled Days. From there, he proceeded to act in a very minor role in You Stole My Heart (2008); however, he made his official debut in the film Sleeping Beauty (2008). Since then, he’s acted in multiple other shows, though his role as Ta Hwan in the show Empress Ki (2013) was what put him on the radar of many people.
Since Empress Ki, Ji Chang-Wook has kept climbing the ladder of fame by showing his extreme versatility and tight group of emotions on TV. He has managed to capture the essence of complicated characters perfectly, and has amazing visuals. Luckily for fans, this heartthrob has also completed his military service in 2019, so they can expect to see his prince-like personality in more dramas.
Ji Chang-Wook has also recently made a comeback with the lead role in If You Wish Upon Me. This show had its first episode release in August 2022, and only has three episodes aired. It follows the story of three broken people trying to make the last wishes of patients in a hospice hospital come true. Looking forward to this comeback, let’s look back on Ji Chang-Wook’s best performances, ranked.
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6 Backstreet Rookie (2020)
SBS
Directed by Lee Myung-Woo, Backstreet Rookie follows the peculiar and interesting chemistry between a cute store manager, Dae-Hyun (Ji Chang-Wook), and a troublesome employee, Saet-Byeol (Kim You-Jung). Dae-Hyun is presented as a weird, clumsy, but super attractive 24-hour store manager. Ji Chang-Wook displays his talent by showing a flustered nice guy who is just trying to keep his store afloat. Dae-Hyun’s fazed personality shines through Ji Chang-Wook’s facial expressions with the building romance and switched roles between the two leads. For many, this is Ji Chang-Wook’s most lighthearted and comedic drama, with a perfectly developing storyline.
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5 Healer (2014)
KBS
Directed by Lee Jung-Sub, Healer is an action-mystery show which takes people into the lives of reporters. The show follows internet reporter Chae Young-Shin (Park Min-Young) and “Healer” Seo Jung-Ho (Ji Chang-Wook), who go on the road to uncover the mystery of an old case. The show has everything, from a good cast, perfect storyline, chemistry, and well-balanced action scenes. Jung-Ho is an intense and witty person, and fans also see a tech-genius/martial artist side of Ji Chang-Wook in this series. The most impressive aspect of his acting is the seamless transition of appearance and aura, from being a fierce fighter at night and a normal man in the day. In many instances, Ji Chang-Wook also shows an extreme range of emotions, which makes the viewers feel what he feels.
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4 K2 (2016)
tvN
Ji Chang-Woo appears as Kim Je-Ha, a former soldier who now works as a bodyguard for the presidential candidate’s illegitimate daughter, Ko An-NA (Lim Yoon-A). This action-packed, heartwarming love story is bound to take all viewers on a rollercoaster ride, and is directed by Kwak Jung-Hwan. Je-Ha is a man of integrity and virtue, with six-pack abs, and a soft side for those who are wronged. He seems emotionless in the beginning, but viewers get to see his face soften and emotions become more evident when he falls in love with An-Na. All his action scenes in the series are absolutely thrilling, especially the car crash, where a complete blood-covered Je-Ha is the ultimate hero.
3 Empress Ki (2013)
Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation
This is a story of a woman disguised as a man called Seung-Nyang (Ha Ji-Won), who navigates her way through politics, wars, death, and love to become the Empress of the Yuan Dynasty. Directed by Han Hee, the show is based on the real Empress Ki. Ji Chang-Wook plays the lead role of Ta Hwan, the under-influence Emperor of the Yuan Dynasty. He is shown as a weak and feeble character who hides behind his riches and his crown, and is regarded as a waste of space. Chang-Wook’s performance as Ta Hwan really showed his true potential. He starts off as a completely weak and defeated person, but later, has the most respectable character development ever. Ji Chang-Wook is perfectly able to grasp the aura of these two personalities, his immature cute nature, and his much more mature Emperor-worthy nature. These distinct emotional shifts really became a turning point in his career.
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2 Lovestruck in the City (2020)
Kakao TVNetflix
Directed by Park Shin-Woo, Lovestruck in the City is a modern and romantic city life story following the complicated lives of six people, who are somehow related to one another. It follows the mysterious love story of architect Park Jae-Won (Ji Chang-Wook) and freelance marketer Lee Eun-O (Kim Ji-Won). Ji Chang-Wook plays the extremely enthusiastic, pure-hearted Park Jae-Won, and immediately makes everyone fall in love with him instantly. The purity of his character shines through the screen. Ji Chang-Wook perfectly displays all his emotions as a hopeless romantic who can never forget the woman he instantly fell in love with. The development of the plot and Jae-Won’s desperate attempts to win her love again had all the viewers rooting for him.
1 The Sound of Magic (2022)
Netflix
With the star-studded cast of Ji Chang-Wook, Choi Sung-Eun, and Hwang In-Yeop, The Sound of Magic on Netflix got everyone’s attention instantly. Due to this, it was one of the most-anticipated dramas of 2022. It follows the story of a struggling high school girl, Yoon A-Yi (Choi Sung-Eun), who meets a mysterious magician, Ri-Eul (Ji Chang Wook) in an abandoned park. This light-hearted, feel-good musical drama is said to be one of Ji Chang-Wook’s best dramas ever. He plays the mysterious magician who seems like a child at heart, shows A-Yi magic tricks, which comfort her; however, he hides a lot of skeletons in his closet. Fans also get to hear Ji Chang-Wook, along with his stellar expressions. He embodies the inner wars and complexity of Ri-Eul and does a perfect job at masking all those emotions, when Ri-Eul seems like a fun and childish person. Fans can see his greatness and command on emotions in scenes like the one where he attacks the man compared to when he loses his beloved parrot.
