Who’s Your Favorite K-Drama Appa?

With Father’s Day just around the corner, what better time than now to take a look at some of our favorite K-Drama dads. Please be forewarned that there are some spoilers, so proceed with caution.

“The Moon Embracing the Sun“

Ahn Nae-Sang is one of my favorite actors. He has a small role in this K-Drama, but it’s pivotal. He plays the king, who prepares his son (played by Kim Soo-Hyun) for his role as the nation’s leader. He comes across as cold in the beginning, showering little affection on either of his sons. (The second son, played by Jung Il-Woo, is a prince in name only, since his mother was a concubine.) Viewers will later learn that it was his way of protecting his children from members of his court, who wanted to replace the family line with their own members. One of the most satisfying aspects of this series for me was the finale, where we see Kim Soo-Hyun being a much more playful and approachable father to his own little boy.

“Pinocchio“

This series is full of selfless fathers. Jung In-Gi plays Lee Jong-Suk’s heroic firefighter dad, who is blamed for a horrendous tragedy. When rescuers can’t find his body, rumors spread that he was a coward who ran away from his duties. (This will be proven to be untrue.) His wife and children are scorned and bullied by their neighbors and “friends,” who choose to believe the rumors about him rather than remembering the good man he always was. After his mother kills herself and his older brother disappears, Lee’s character is taken in by a kindly grandfather who raises him as his own child (who had died decades ago). Byun Hee-Bong turns in a heartwarming performance as an old man who desperately misses his son and lavishes all that love on the family he has left. Shin Jung-Geun plays his younger son — who at first is suspicious of Lee, but grows to love him — and the father of Park Shin-Hye. The nuclear cast showed that you don’t have to share the same bloodline to be a real family.

Note: Jung In-Gi portrayed Ha Ji-Won’s father in “Secret Garden.” He played a firefighter who gave his own life to save Hyun Bin’s. His death ties together the lives of the central couple.

“Love in the Moonlight“

The king (played by Kim Seung-Soo) is a hot mess. He’s a coward, easily led astray and more fearful of his own death than that of his people. But despite all of that, he has great love for his son, the crown prince (Park Bo-Gum). The king knows that his son would make a better leader than he is. Kim portrays the king as a good man who was born into a position that is too much for him to handle. Enemies can smell his fear and indecisiveness, so he takes action to make sure his son gets to ascend to the throne.

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