Gone are the days when K-drama villains were vicious mother-in-laws in epic love stories who threw money and cups of water on our protagonists’ faces. Now, evil takes many forms in K-dramaland – be it serial killers, power-hungry CEOs, or even gorgeous vampires.
While there are many antagonists whom we had an absolute blast hating on, there are also a handful who were so intriguing that we can’t help but be drawn to them and their performances – and on occasions, find them more interesting than the “good guys”. From vengeful assassins to pretty-faced psychopaths, here are 10 K-drama villains that are so outstanding they plague our minds long after the shows’ finales.
Image credit: MyDramaList
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Actor Uhm Ki Joon has been slaying it as the king of douchebags in K-dramaland for years now, but it’s safe to say that his role as Joo Dan Tae in the Penthouse series takes the cake.
Penthouse is a makjang drama that got us all pulling our hair out and screaming at our screens, and Joo Dan Tae was a major contributor to our stress. Power-hungry, deceitful, an abusive father and husband, and straight-up a sadistic murderer – Joo Dan Tae takes the top billing as one of the greatest villains in K-drama history.
Image credit: Viki
While he lives under the name of Joo Dan Tae, the now-successful businessman was actually born as Baek Jun Ki, an ordinary child who lived in poverty with his family.
Image adapted from: @sbs.official, Twitter
Hatred and the thirst for revenge took over him when his family was killed by the father of the real Joo Dan Tae. He then stole the identity of Joo Dan Tae, succeeded in becoming the powerful man that he is today, and continued his villainous schemes.
Image credit: @wertherr777
Uhm Ki Joon’s ever-growing antagonistic stint earned him the title of “Nations Trash”, to which everyone readily accepted. But while the actor may be extremely loathsome on screen, he is an extremely easy-going and fun person to be around in real life – and he makes sure to clarify the fact through a hilarious Instagram post, captioning it with, “I’m not such a bad person~~”.
Image credit: MBC Global Media
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Talk about killer casting. Lee Soo Hyuk as the evil – and sexy – vampire Gwi in the historical drama titled The Scholar Who Walks The Night got viewers’s moral values all tied up in knots. There’s already a long list of sexy vamps in pop culture but Gwi tops the list with his ethereally sculpted features and odd beauty that simply screams mythical creature.
Video adapted from: MBC Global Media
We promise it isn’t all about the looks. Based on a webtoon of the same title, the drama is set in the Joseon dynasty where the Kings have been controlled by the bloodthirsty Gwi for centuries.
For a character who spends the entire drama bossing palace ministers around and feeding on human blood in his ghastly lair, Gwi is easily the most interesting character with his sinister mannerisms and story arc.
Video adapted from: MBC Global Media
Put simply, Gwi is everything Edward Cullen wishes he were. His cocky strides, lazy drawls, wide smirks as he teases his prey, and the flash of fury in his red eyes when provoked – all contribute to our harrowing experience of watching him conquer the human race episode by episode. Yet, we can’t seem to pull our eyes away from him and his absurdly proportioned physique.
Video adapted from: MBC Global Media
Yes, he is evil, but his workout regime is on point and he looks great in a Snape hairdo. Let’s face it, being a successful evil vampire lies in the art of seduction – they have got to be gorgeous and cunning to lure mortals for dinner. Lee Soo Hyuk’s buttery-deep voice works wonders too.
Image adapted from: @leesoohyuk, @leesoohyuk
Besides, Lee Soo Hyuk clearly enjoyed playing the role, evident by his many goofy vampy posts on his Instagram account.
Image credit: Villains Wiki
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Lee Jae Kyung from the 2013 hit drama My Love From The Stars is a psychopath with some serious family issues.
Portrayed fantastically by Shin Sung Rok, Lee Jae Kyung is the heir of S&C Group with an excessive amount of hair gel, a terrifying steely-eyed stare that never falters, and a twisted edge that is horribly unnerving.
Image credit: Villains Wiki
While most antagonists have a villain origin story that we can somewhat try to sympathise with, Lee Jae Kyung is simply evil for the sake of being evil. He throws his actress girlfriend off a cruise when he finds out that she is pregnant, and attempts to murder Cheon Song Yi upon discovering that evidence of his wrongdoings are in her hands.
Man thinks he’s Thanos.
Image adapted from Netflix
His most unjustifiable act of crime is the fact that he poisoned his own older brother for the sole reason that he wanted to be the heir to the family fortune.
Video adapted from: Netflix
It’s rather baffling that Lee Jae Kyung turned out to be such a monster when he has brothers who are complete saints, and it’s even more mind-boggling that nobody in the drama is able to see how disturbing his demeanors are when he literally oozes creepiness.
Till today, the image of Lee Jae Kyung fiddling sinisterly with that ring of his is indelibly etched in our heads, no doubt.
Video adapted from: Netflix
Image credit: @vincenzodrama
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The most memorable villains are the charmers, the monsters who win over viewers with their witty dialogues, puppy face, fluffy hair and great physique.
Jang Han Seok in the crime noir Vincenzo is a larger-than-life personification of absolute power and a maniacal killer who truly revels in abusing anyone who stands in his way. He is the de-facto Chairman of the nefarious Babel Group, and the mastermind behind the crimes and illicit activities perpetuated by the company.
Video adapted from: Netflix
2PM’s Taecyeon truly unleashed a range of theatrics with his solid performance as Jang Han Seok. He started off as a bumbling, naively bright intern of lawyer Hong Cha Young whom he openly idolises, and then dropped the facade mid-drama to reveal his true character – a narcissistic sociopath who gleefully manipulates his subordinates and takes delight in committing murders.
But look at those puppy eyes.
Image adapted from: Netflix
While it is chilling to watch him assault people with such joy, Jang Han Seok’s humorously sharp-tongue replies and unhinged behaviour was such a treat to watch, he nearly walks away with the whole drama.
Video adapted from: Netflix
Image credit: SBS
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Min Joon Gook from the noona romance-fantasy drama I Can Hear Your Voice is a villain we all want to curse to the depths of hell but at the same time, feel a twinge of sympathy for.
Video adapted from: Netflix
After suffering the loss of his wife, his sadness turns into rage, eventually transforming him into the taunting and creepy resident murderer that he is. He kills a man as an act of vengeance, is imprisoned and becomes dead-set on hunting down those who had testified against him.
Video adapted from: Netflix
While he was taking lives and tormenting his victims with a hair-raising ringtone from the phone he leaves in their house, he was convincing himself that his horrific misdeeds are necessary acts of revenge.
And while it would be easy for viewers to hate Min Joon Gook unreservedly, the look of utter hopelessness and defeat on his face when he finds out that perhaps he didn’t have to become a monster was so poignant, we can’t help but feel an ounce of pity for him.
Image adapted from: Netflix
It’s hard to stand out when you have Lee Jong Suk as the main lead and shining beacon of the drama, but Jung Woo In gave such profound depth to such a ruthless villain, we just have to applaud him for it.
Image credit: @ocn_official_
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Remember that swoony, long-haired hunk of a barista in the 2007 hit drama Coffee Prince? In the 1st season of the crime drama, Voice, he transformed into a sociopathic murderer with a brusque and unnerving demeanour. Still a major hunk though.
Video adapted from: tvN
Mo Tae Goo, played by the heartthrob Kim Jae Wook, had a rather late reveal as the main antagonist toward the end of the series, but he is arguably still the most interesting character with a swagger that’s both intriguing and terrifying. It is clear from the get-go that he is barbarically deranged but those striking visuals truly got us all in a moral dilemma for a hot second.
Video adapted from: tvN
Don’t let those defined cheekbones fool you. Mo Tae Goo is a murderous puppeteer who orchestrates every detail in his crimes and derives joy from taking lives. And when he is not going around bashing his victims with a kettlebell, he puts on a mask as the capable and charming president of Sungwoon Express.
Video adapted from: tvN
Of course, the K-drama world is chock-full of deranged bad boys, but it’s fair to say that Kim Jae Wook’s petrifying (yet drool-worthy) portrayal of the sadistic Mo Tae Goo truly redefined horror.
Image credit: TVing
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Seo Moon Jo, a charismatic and seemingly gentle dentist with gorgeous hair, is the reason we all have trust issues. Because we find out that he is actually a psychopathic killer lurking around with a creepy grin.
Played by everyone’s favourite drop-dead-pretty man Lee Dong Wook, Seo Moon Jo from the psychological thriller Strangers From Hell appears to be the only sane resident in Eden Residence. His deceivingly sweet nature assures the viewers that he makes for a good ally to our main protagonist, Yoon Jong Woo. But boy, were we wrong.
Video adapted from: OCN
Admittedly, Lee Dong Wook’s swoony smile is enough to divert attention away from the fact that he is the true villain of the series in the beginning of the show, but no excuse is strong enough once we find that his character takes pleasure in making bracelets with the teeth of his victims. Eep.
Moon Jo develops an unsettling obsession towards Jong Woo and starts mentally nurturing the animalistic side of him by “training” Jong Woo to kill the other residents in the most gruesome way.
Video adapted from: OCN
You know you’ve got a good villain on your hands when he manages to drive not just his victims, but the entire viewing public insane. Every stomach-turning smile, every soulless gaze, and every “jagiya” he utters is such a joy to behold that he puts every single psychopath in K-drama history to shame.
Image credit: @andmarq_ent
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Power can be an addictive, uncontrollable drug, especially when that power means being a queen who rules over an entire nation.
In the worldwide hit apocalypse series Kingdom, rising actress Kim Hye Jun plays the cold and calculated young Queen Consort Cho, who married the King 30 years older than her to secure her position in the palace.
Image adapted from: Netflix
The fear of losing the throne, coupled with the aggressively oppressive Joseon societal norms, drives the cunning and ambitious Queen mad with cruelty. Throughout the series, she would stop at nothing to secure her power and title – even if that means having to fake her pregnancy, poisoning her own father, and dethroning her stepson, Prince Lee Chang.
Driven with greed, the Queen even resorts to turning the King into a zombie and spreading the virus throughout the palace despite knowing that she would eventually be killed.
Video adapted from: Netflix
Queen Consort Cho only seems to get more petrifying with every unflinching stare she gives and every order she utters in that spine-chillingly quiet voice. What makes her performance all the more harrowing is the unsettling feeling of watching a doll-like lady ordering execution after execution without an ounce of remorse.
Image credit: @DOHsquad
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What’s scarier than a prolific serial killer with a deep level of psychological complexity? One that has a face of an angel.
Video adapted from: KBS2
Do Kyungsoo – or D.O from the boyband EXO – shed his adorably squishy idol image and transformed into a stoned-face murderer named Lee Joon Young in Hello Monster. His terrific portrayal of a disturbing criminal drew the audience in and earned him a acclaim as a rising actor in the industry.
Image adapted from: KBS2
Lee Joon Young’s villain origin story stems back to a slew of child abuse from family members and relatives. He was treated as an outcast and a beast to be caged – which was exactly what they did to him – and the isolation turned him into a monster.
Even when restrained behind bars, the young, evil genius is terrifying with his strangely calm demeanour, his detachment from the world around him, and his taunting smirks. And when he asks the most eerie questions in that low, silky voice – having gauged the exact words that would torment – it’s gloriously spine-chilling to see his eyes glint with glee as the horror dawns upon his prey.
Video adapted from: KBS2
This drama seems to have an affinity for pretty boys that are irrationally scary.
Image adapted from: KBS2
Fast forward years later, and we see Park Bo Gum playing the mysterious Jung Sun Ho with a haunted past. Those subtle expressions of light shifting in his eyes and cracking of a secret chilling smile are definitely reminiscent of a certain young monster, and his performance gets audiences at the edge of their seats, wondering if he is a psycho killer as well.
Image credit: @tvn.asia
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The darkest of hearts, the craziest of laughs, the creepiest of looks – Kim Ji Hoon is pitch-perfect as a serial killer Baek Hee Sung in the crime thriller Flower Of Evil. Blending his shaggy barnet and extreme villainy expressions flawlessly, Baek Hee Sung is a wicked creation of a psychopath mentor and a cold-blooded murderer with an insatiable thirst for violence.
Video adapted from: Netflix
Despite having been in a coma for nearly half the drama, he was a nightmare the moment he woke up, with the reawakening of his psychopathic nature and dramatic unravelling of his past crimes.
Video adapted from: Netflix
The creepiest part of all: he doesn’t even have a legitimate motive for killing. He kills to relieve stress and tension from the pressure on him to succeed in his studies as a high-schooler, and to ease the suffocation of having to wear a mask to be seen as normal. It doesn’t help that he is a huge man-child who has wealthy parents who are easily guilt-tripped into helping him continue his atrocities.
Image adapted from: Netflix
His over-the-top glowering and maniacal mannerisms are somehow fascinating to watch, as much as they fuel our nightmares.
Some spectacularly cunning, some downright hilarious, but bone-chilling all the same, these K-drama villains are simply so perfectly evil, they command our attention. We just have one more question: how is it that they have the coolest images and wittiest lines too?
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Cover image adapted from: @DOHsquad, MBC Global Media, @ocn_official_
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