Have you ever watched a drama where the male lead was mean, and the second lead was gentler and more well-mannered, leading you to wish the heroine would choose them instead? (*cough* Full House and Princess Hours *cough*)
If your answer is yes, then you’ve probably had a case of second-lead syndrome at one point or another while watching a drama series, whether Korean or Chinese or any other.
What is Second-Lead Syndrome?
Second-Lead Syndrome in K-dramas happens when you watch a drama and find yourself liking the second lead more (male or female)—perhaps even more than the first lead. They’re not the main hero or heroine of the story, but you want them to succeed in life.
You could be fascinated with how they look, speak, or treat people around them. Sometimes, you wish the second male lead would end up with the first female lead. Or sometimes, you like the second male lead for who he is but wouldn’t want to change anything in the story.
While the preference for first or second lead varies per drama and can differ from person to person, there are some dramas where the second male lead is just. so. good. that it gave a lot of us second-lead syndrome right away. We know you know what we’re talking about. Check out these characters from Korean dramas that gave us Second-Lead Syndrome:
Baek In Ho from Cheese in the Trap
Cheese in the Trap follows the life and relationships of university students, particularly that of Hong Seol (Kim Go Eun), a returning student who had to take a break from college due to her family’s poor background. While she is welcomed heartily by her good friends, she also inadvertently catches the attention of Yoo Jung (Park Hae Jin), a handsome, athletic student with a hidden dark side—manipulative tendencies to destroy those he doesn’t like. Seol thinks he is why she had to quit a year ago and cannot understand why he is suddenly interested in her—and romantically too. She tries to avoid him because she doesn’t understand what he wants, but they soon begin an awkward friendship that develops into a relationship. The arrival of Baek In Ho complicates their rocky relationship further, as Jung and In Ho were once close childhood friends who have become enemies.
Who Is Baek In Ho?
Baek In Ho is a talented pianist and high school student. He and his sister, Baek In Ha, came from an impoverished background and were eventually adopted by the wealthy family of Yoo Jung. Jung and In Ho are best friends while they are growing up, but it changes when In Ho gets into a fight that damages his hand—a fight he believes Jung was responsible for instigating—ending his dreams of becoming a renowned concert pianist. In Ho goes to the same university as Seol and Jung.
Why Baek In Ho Gives Us Second-Lead Syndrome
Baek In Ho’s story makes us want to wrap him in a blanket and protect him from the storms of life. Though he was adopted by Jung’s family, In Ho never really felt like it was his own family. As a result, he works hard to pay off his debt even while he is still a student. He does what he can for his sister because he cares for her (even if she has psychopathic tendencies).
After In Ho’s and Seol’s paths cross, they develop a solid friendship. He bickers with her, teases her, and they become genuine friends. As the drama progresses, he starts liking her but doesn’t act on it, knowing she is Jung’s girlfriend. Instead, he protects her and helps her however he can, such as giving her a bag of self-defence items when she has trouble with a stalker.
In Ho never once thought that he was entitled to Seol’s friendship (unlike Jung, who has everything about him screaming red flags from the start), nor did he try to interfere with Jung and Seol’s relationship and get her to try to like him. He is genuine and selfless—the complete opposite of Jung, who always seems ready to dump Seol if she ever thinks of leaving him first (sociopathic tendencies much, Jung?). In Ho’s character development throughout the series may be painful and, at times, frustrating to watch, but the end is beautiful.
Seo Kang Jun does a terrific job portraying the rash yet caring Baek In Ho, with his light-coloured eyes, unruly hair, and lips curled upwards. Despite his brash manner, you can’t help but feel for this poor little boy who only wanted to be part of a family.
Lee Hyun from The King’s Affection
Set in the Joseon dynasty, when people believed that twins born in a royal family meant bad luck, The King’s Affection is about a young girl forced to disguise herself as the Crown Prince after her twin brother dies. Yi Dam-i (Park Eun Bin) has to learn how to navigate palace politics while keeping a safe distance so no one ever finds out about her secret. Fortunately, she has friends to lean on, such as the kind Jung Ji Woon (Rowoon), a boy she had a chance to meet when she was only a child, and Lee Hyun (Nam Yoon Su), a distant royal family member who always seems protective.
Who Is Lee Hyun?
Lee Hyun is a reliable friend and member of the royal family—perhaps one of the only ones not interested in playing politics to acquire more power and wealth. Lee Hyun has known Lee Hwi’s secret for a long time—that she is a girl pretending to be the Crown Prince—since they were children, but he has kept it a secret and has even protected her identity from afar.
Why Lee Hyun Gives Us Second-Lead Syndrome
Lee Hyun is that reliable, loyal friend you always want beside you. Despite his growing attraction for Hwi/Dam-i, he refuses to reveal his feelings—perhaps not wanting to scare her away or not wanting her to feel burdened. Because he hesitates too much, there are many instances when Ji Woon gets ahead in being there for Hwi. In one scene, after receiving a scolding from her father, the king, Hwi cries in the empty throne room. Lee Hyun spends some time pondering whether or not he should go and the implications of what will happen if he does. When he finally makes up his mind and runs to the throne room, he sees that he is too late and that Ji Woon is already there, comforting the distraught Crown Prince.
It’s a little awkward between Lee Hyun and Ji Woon, given that they are best friends, but their love and concern for Hwi surpasses any ill feelings or rivalry they may feel toward each other.
You don’t get Second-Lead Syndrome for Lee Hyun because Ji Woon is a horrible person (unlike Jung from Cheese in the Trap). You can’t help but admire this kind, kind man with bright eyes and dimpled cheeks. When Hwi abdicates the throne and everyone else who would have been next in line passes away, no thanks to Lee Hyun’s brother, who has been so greedy to be ruler, the one who finally gets crowned as king is Lee Hyun—the man who didn’t want the crown in the first place. But you can’t help but feel happy for him. He deserves it, and with his big, kind heart, you can’t help but root for his happiness, too.
Gye Sun Woo from My Roommate is a Gumiho
When Lee Dam (Hyeri) accidentally swallows the bead of a 999-year-old gumiho (nine-tailed fox), she has no choice but to move into his home. The bead can exist for only a year inside a human. It will break afterwards, causing the person to die. While he doesn’t want to lose his chance at becoming human, Shin Woo Yeo (Jang Ki Yong) doesn’t want to endanger her life either, so he sets about finding a way to get his bead back without causing Lee Dam her life. Between juggling university life, trying to keep the peace in her best friend group, and raising her kid brother, Dam has a lot on her plate. And now, she has this bead problem and Gye Sun Woo (Bae In Hyuk), a university senior, who won’t take no for an answer.
Who is Gye Sun Woo?
Gye Sun Woo is Lee Dam’s schoolmate and sunbae—a senior or upperclassman. He’s rich, arrogant, and used to getting his own way—until he encounters Lee Dam. Something about Dam is different from the other girls in their university, and Sun Woo is determined to find out what that is. He doesn’t expect to end up liking her. Even more unexpected is how she tries to avoid him when all the other university girls would do anything just for him to look at them.
Why Gye Sun Woo Gives Us Second-Lead Syndrome
Sun Woo feels a little like Jung—these bratty, rich kids who are used to everyone falling over themselves to follow their wishes. Our first impression of him is an annoying, red flag kind of character, accepting a bet with fellow seniors to see if Lee Dam will date him because, you know, they’re bored and have nothing better to do than destroy people’s lives as a power trip.
When Sun Woo first encounters Dam, he is surprised at how she doesn’t fall for him when all the other girls in their class would do anything to get his attention. She even goes to great lengths to avoid him. No amount of flirting, smouldering looks, or heart-stopping moments that would make a regular girl swoon seem to affect her.
The more he observes and spends time with her, the more Sun Woo’s character changes. He becomes more sensitive to her in his awkward, blundering ways as he tries to become someone worthy of her. This includes unlearning his red flag ways and avoiding hanging out with the wrong crew.
In the end, when he decides to let Dam go, you can’t help but feel a little sad and a little sorry for him, especially after the deity shows a glimpse of what his life with Dam would have been like. He’s the kind of character who starts out pretty poorly, but has a character growth that makes you like him in the end.
Jeong Hyun Tae from My Secret Romance
My Secret Romance tells the story of Cha Jin Wook (Sung Hoon) and Lee Yoo Mi (Song Ji Eun), who meet unexpectedly in a hotel. Jin Wook is there to learn the ropes from the ground up (something he very much resents), and Yoo Mi is there to attend her mother’s second wedding. They have a one-night stand, and Yoo Mi disappears the following day. Jin Wook tries looking for her but to no avail. The incident touches a raw nerve, and he changes from a spoiled, wealthy playboy to a workaholic CEO. After three years, their paths cross again, with Yoo Mi now working as a nutritionist in Jin Wook’s company, tasked with serving him meals. She lives on the second floor of a cafe owned by her best friend Jeong Hyun Tae (Kim Jae Young).
Who is Jeong Hyun Tae?
Jeong Hyun Tae is a traveller, writer, and cafe owner. They are best friends, and he does anything to help her, even watching over her half-brother when she needs to go to work. He is warmhearted and kind. He has had a crush on Yoo Mi for the longest time but doesn’t say anything for fear of pressuring her. Perhaps, also, for fear of things changing between them.
Why Jeong Hyun Tae Gives Us Second-Lead Syndrome
Hyun Tae is another of those you’ll end up liking just because he is so kind, not because the male lead isn’t. He gives Yoo Mi a place to stay above his cafe and often helps her with her half-brother and sometimes her mother, who can be strong-willed and hard to handle. He is patient and caring, responsible and mature.
It isn’t that Cha Jin Wook is a bad person. Jin Wook starts as a spoiled brat but changes after his one-night encounter with Yoo Mi. After their paths cross again, he is a little cold, but later says it is only an excuse to keep interacting with her.
On the other hand, Hyun Tae is patient and kind, even to the horrible Joo Hye Ri, who will try to do everything she can to get Jin Wook to notice her.
Perhaps what lends to this role is actor Kim Jae Young’s beautiful eyes that speak volumes, even when he says nothing to Yoo Mi. While some second leads tend to be walking red flags at the start (shout out to Gye Sun Woo—yep, we’re talking about you), Hyun Tae is the complete opposite: a walking green flag.
Ji Seo Joon from Romance is a Bonus Book
Romance is a Bonus Book is the heartwarming story of Kang Dan-i (Lee Na Young), a former advertising copywriter turned unemployed divorcee. She joins the publishing company of Cha Eun Ho (Lee Jong Suk), her friend, who, unbeknownst to her, has always had romantic feelings for her. While serving as a temporary task support team member, she encounters many people, including Je Seo Joon (Wi Ha Joon), a freelance book designer with a complicated relationship with Cha Eun Ho.
Who is Ji Seo Joon?
Ji Seo Joon is a freelance book designer that the company where Dan-i works plans to hire. His unique yet artful cover designs make him the coveted book cover illustrator many publishers want to work with. Yet Dan-i manages to convince him to design a book cover for them, and they become good friends throughout the process. Caring for Dan-i as a friend leads to him developing romantic feelings for her.
Why Ji Seo Joon Gives Us Second-Lead Syndrome
From the start, Ji Seo Joon is kind to Dan-i. He takes care of her, helps her out with her job, and even defends her—something that Cha Eun Ho doesn’t do so much because he’s trying to keep it a secret that he and Dan-i know each other, which could potentially harm their jobs. At the start, Eun Ho tries to avoid Dan-i, which places her in a lonely situation. It’s from those lonely situations that Ji Seo Joon rescues her. They develop a steadfast friendship, and he soon develops feelings for her.
Though Dan-i friend zones him (ouch!), he is still polite, respectful, and professional—never resentful about her decision, and they remain good friends throughout their entire project together and even after.
Thankfully, Seo Joon does seem to have a happy ending in the area of romance, as the end shows Seo Joon and Dan-i’s workmate getting together.
Kim Shin Hyuk from She Was Pretty
She Was Pretty tells the story of two acquaintances who meet each other again after a long time. Once upon a time ago, Kim Hye Jin (Hwang Jung Eum) was a beautiful girl from a wealthy family who fell into hard times after her father’s publishing company went bankrupt. Ji Sung Joon (Park Seo Joon) was an unattractive boy with low self-esteem who grew into a handsome and successful editor. When Sung Joon contacts Hye Jin asking to meet, she has heard of his success and asks her gorgeous best friend to go on her behalf for a one-time meet-up. But then Hye Jin lands a new job at a magazine publishing office where Sung Joon is her boss. He is indifferent and disdainful where she is concerned, evenly openly mistreating her—so different from the sweet boy she knew as a child. Thankfully, some colleagues are sweet and helpful, especially Kim Shin Hyuk (Choi Si Won), who soon falls in love with the clumsy, funny girl.
Who is Kim Shin Hyuk?
Kim Shin Hyuk is a senior feature editor at /The Most/, the magazine publishing office where Sung Joon works as deputy chief editor and where Hye Jin eventually gets hired. He is free-spirited, funny, and straightforward and Hye Jin’s direct supervisor at work, requiring them to spend a lot of time together. He gets Hye Jin out of many scrapes and is kind to her. Eventually, he starts falling in love with her, even before her beauty transformation.
Why Kim Shin Hyuk Gives Us Second-Lead Syndrome?
At first, it’s hard to understand Shin Hyuk. He’s a clingy, immature boy who makes Hye Jin buy things for him even if he lives in a fancy hotel. He comes off as petty and childish most of the time, but in the quiet, tender moments when he lets his genuine self shine through, we see the strength of a man beneath a playful façade. If only there were more of these moments!
As a supervisor and a friend, Shin Hyuk is funny, sweet, caring, and a good listener. He’s like a big brother to Hye Jin, but soon, it’s obvious he feels anything but brotherly toward her.
In one scene, Shin Hyuk drops everything to race out in a thunderstorm to protect Hye Jin. He arrives too late to the scene and sees that Hye Jin is already with Sung Joon. After gazing at them for a few minutes with a crestfallen look, he walks away, and we see the remains of the crashed motorcycle he drove to be with Hye Jin.
When Hye Jin rejects him, Shin Hyuk responds with grace and maturity. He doesn’t stick around to prove that he is the better choice. He stays friends with her because he wants to offer her genuine friendship even after they part ways.
Han Ji Pyeong from Start-Up
Start Up is the story of young people working hard to achieve their dreams in the fast-paced tech world. Set in Sandbox, a fictional world where start-up dreams come true, we learn of Seo Dal-mi (Bae Suzy), an ambitious young woman passionate about what she does. Her goal is to come up with an app that will help blind people—as her own grandmother is going blind. Enter Nam Do San (Nam Joo Hyuk), the founder of Samsan Tech, who partners with Dal-mi to create a fantastic app idea. Dal-mi mistakenly thinks he is the pen pal she considers her first love, not knowing that it is Han Ji Pyeong (Kim Seon Ho), one of Sandbox’s mentors.
Who is Han Ji Pyeong?
Han Ji Pyeong is an orphan boy Dal-mi’s grandmother took in for a while. She believed in him, even if no one else did, and since then, he hasn’t forgotten her kindness. At the grandmother’s request, he used the name of Nam Do San to send letters to cheer up Dal-mi.
As an adult, Ji Pyeong’s prowess in the investment world has earned him the nickname “the Gordon Ramsey of investments.” He is a little prickly and can sometimes be mean, but beneath the tough exterior is a tender heart. It isn’t that Ji Pyeong wants to be mean, especially to the Sandbox participants. He just wants to be realistic.
Why Han Ji Pyeong Gives Us Second-Lead Syndrome
While all the second lead characters in this article are endearing enough for you to root for them and their happiness, perhaps none does it as well as Kim Seon Ho, who plays Han Ji Pyeong from Start Up. With his eye-catching dimples and beautiful smile, Seon Ho portrays the intelligent, sometimes bumbling Han Ji Pyeong perfectly, winning the hearts of thousands of viewers worldwide.
Ji Pyeong’s life while growing up has been tough, but now he has experienced success and is working to help others turn their lives around. Never mind that he came from a poor background or doesn’t even know who his birth parents are. What matters is the future he wants to build.
Dal-mi’s grandmother believed in Ji Pyeong from the start. Even when things go wrong, or when he—in those weak moments—tries to push her away, she is quick to embrace him, slow to judge, and is always ready to offer him a listening ear or shoulder to cry on. Because of this, Ji Pyeong is always more than willing to drop everything to help Dal-mi’s grandmother or Dal-mi herself. He even looks for the original Nam Do San to try to fix the sticky situation of fake letters and first loves.
While Ji Pyeong isn’t entirely truthful to Dal-mi (he could have easily come clean to spare everyone the drama and heartbreak), he does want the best for her. He does what he can to help her, like answering all her questions about building a start-up business and staying vigilant in the Sandbox wings. He doesn’t want to dictate what he thinks Dal-mi and her team should be doing, but you can see that he’s often worried about her.
It’s a little sad that Ji Pyeong never acts out on his feelings for Dal-mi, even after Do San leaves for the US. He had three years to admit that he likes her, and we have the impression that he often visits Dal-mi and her grandmother. For characters like Han Ji Pyeong, you can’t help but wish for the writers to be a little kinder and give them the happy ending they deserve.
Kim Seon Ho always gives me second lead syndrome.