If you’re a K-Drama fan, you’ve probably heard of legendary actress Kim Tae Hee. She’s known for starring in “Stairway To Heaven”, one of the most popular dramas of all time! It kickstarted the Hallyu wave, and helped put Korean media on the map.
To this day, Kim Tae Hee is still widely known for her beauty and talent, and even has the national title of “The Perfect Daughter of Your Mother”. The Korean public loves her so much that they even gave her husband, pop star Rain, his own national title. He is now referred to as “The Nation’s Thief” for stealing her heart.
Kim Tae Hee has only starred in a few dramas over the past decade, choosing to spend her time with Rain and their two precious daughters. She’s decided to throw her fans a bone this year, though. Her new drama is called “Lies Hidden in My Garden” and it’s about a wealthy woman who notices a strange smell coming from her backyard. She meets a pregnant woman who’s the victim of domestic abuse, and everything unravels.
A lot of people are excited for Kim Tae Hee’s return to the small screen, but let’s not forget all the amazing projects she’s taken on in the past. Below are six Kim Tae Hee dramas on KOCOWA+ guaranteed to make you laugh, cry, and swoon.
Screen
Kim So Hyun’s (Kim Tae Hee) father dies in a mysterious fire while trying to save the movie he’d been working on. She now dreams of becoming a writer to continue his legacy. She ends up accidentally moving into an apartment with a good-looking man named Kim Joon Pyo (Gong Yoo). Things get complicated when Park Tae Young (Park Jung Chul) another good-looking man at the theater So Hyun works at starts developing feelings for her. If that isn’t enough, So Hyun’s jealous friend Yoo Ra (Oh Seung Hyun) is determined to win Joon Pyo’s affection.
It’s the messiest of love squares. Whose heart will remain intact?
I don’t know much about this drama, but it’s Kim Tae Hee’s second project. It’s the perfect place to start if you want to see how she looked and acted in her early days. Plus it also stars Gong Yoo— what’s not to love?
Stairway to Heaven
Han Jung Seo (Choi Ji Woo) and Cha Song Ju (Kwon Sang Woo) are childhood friends who fall in love. But Jung Seo’s life becomes a Cinderella story when her dad remarries, and she gets an evil step-mother and step-sister named Han Yu Ri (Lee Tae Hee). Yu Ri is in love with Song Ju too, so she starts plotting against Jung Seo and even goes as far as running her over and switching her identity so that people think Jung Seo is dead.
Jung Seo loses her memory, and her step-brother Han Tae Hwa (Shin Hyun Joon) seizes the opportunity to change their names and run away. Jung Seo and Song Ju eventually reconnect, but both Tae Hwa and Yu Ri’s love isn’t so easily swayed.
“Stairway to Heaven” is part of the reason the world loves K-Dramas. So, if you want to see Kim Tae Hee in her prime (and cry a lot) this is the drama for you. It also features an iconic soundtrack and the song every Korean celeb sings at karaoke “I Miss You” by Kim Bum Soo.
Forbidden Love (aka Nine Tailed Fox)
There’s something special about Yoon Shi Yeon (Kim Tae Hee). She’s an employee at a history museum by day and a nine-tailed fox warrior by night! When the police discover a series of murders, Inspector Kang Min Woo goes undercover in an organ trafficking to find the killer. Once that cover is blown, Shi Yeon and another nine-tailed fox by the name of Mu Young (Jun Jin) save him. But now that Min Woo knows their secret, will he be allowed to live?
This premise is wild and dramas featuring nine-tailed foxes (aka gumihos) are usually interesting. Give it a try if you like fantasy and want to see Kim Tae Hee kick butt!
My Princess
Lee Seol (Kim Tae Hee) is living her life as a normal college student when she finds out she’s a princess! Chaebol Park Hae Young (Song Seung Heon) is tasked with teaching her princess etiquette, but he finds himself falling in love with the girl who’ll take his inheritance if the monarchy is restored.
I remember thinking this drama sounded like “The Princess Diaries” with a twist when it first came out, so fans of Mia Thermopolis may be fans of Lee Seol. Song Seung Heon is always great eye candy too.
Jang Ok Jung, Living In Love
Jang Hee Bin (Kim Tae Hee) is one of the most famous concubines in Korean history. She’s mainly known for trying to depose and get rid of Queen Inhyun, King Sook Jong’s wife. She’s often portrayed as a villain, but this drama takes a more nuanced look at Jang Hee Bin as a person and her passion for makeup and fashion in the Joseon era.
I always think it’s interesting when a historical figure is examined from another angle. That’s exactly what this drama does, and Yoo Ah In plays King Sook Jong. It’s said that him and Kim Tae Hee have good chemistry, so “Jang Ok Jung, Living In Love” is perfect for saeguk and romance lovers.
The Gang Doctor (aka Yong Pal)
Kim Tae Hyeon (Joo Won) is a gifted surgeon in need of money. To get it, he operates on injured people who don’t want to go to hospitals like gangsters and corrupt politicians. He ends up going by the codename “Yong Pal” and building up an unsavory clientele.
One day, he’s making a house call when he wakes up a chaebol heiress named Han Yeo Jin (Kim Tae Hee) from her medically induced coma. This has dangerous consequences for both of them.
I will watch Joo Won in anything— especially a medical drama. So I started “The Gang Doctor” for him, but was intrigued by Kim Tae Hee’s comatose character.
Now that we’ve reviewed the Kim Tae Hee dramas on KOCOWA+, which one is your favorite? Which one are you interested in seeing? I’m looking forward to revisiting some of them as well as watching “Lies Hidden in My Garden” for the first time.
