Ji Sung, Lee Dong-wook, Hyun Bin: K-drama hunkles in their 40s who still rock

Korean celebrities are known for their flawless complexion and ageless looks; sometimes we even forget how old some of them are.

While showbiz industries around the world can be unforgiving towards the not-so-young, the below K-drama hunkles in their 40s show us they and their popularity simply get better with age.

Ji Sung

In the 2015 drama Kill Me, Heal Me, Ji Sung plays a man who has seven identities because of his dissociative identity disorder.

This time, the 45-year-old plays twin brothers, author Woo-shin and prosecutor Soo-hyun, in the new thriller drama Adamas.

When the two brothers discover that their birth father was falsely accused of murdering their stepfather, they are sent down a spiralling rabbit hole of conspiracies, twists and a plot to topple a modern-day empire in an attempt to clear his name.

Appearing in a press conference for the drama yesterday (July 26), Ji Sung mentioned why he didn't tap on his experience from Kill Me, Heal Me for Adamas.

"Those seven characters were multiple identities in one person, so to me each character was different. But this one (Adamas) has twin brothers. These two are similar and almost the same people but with a slight difference so I had to pay attention to those nuances. That was quite a challenge," said the father of two.

Adamas, which also stars Seo Ji-hye, Lee Soo-kyung and Heo Sung-tae, will stream every Wednesday and Thursday on Disney+ from July 27.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLobZQH3wEs[/embed]

Lee Dong-wook

Known for playing the gorgeous grim reaper in the 2016 drama Goblin, Lee Dong-wook turns 41 this November and was most recently seen in the action drama Bad and Crazy — available on iQiyi and Netflix — as Ryu Su-yeol, a detective with a split personality disorder.

The actor will return to the small screen with seasons two and three of Tale of the Nine Tailed in 2023.

Gong Yoo

It would be a crime to mention Dong-wook and exclude his best friend Gong Yoo. 

Though he is best remembered for his leading role in Goblin, Gong Yoo, who just turned 43 this month, recently sent hearts fluttering in the hit drama Squid Game and sci-fi thriller series The Silent Sea, both available on Netflix.

Fans are hoping to see him in Squid Game 2 which was recently confirmed by Netflix.

Jang Hyuk

If you're an OG K-drama fan, you will know him from Successful Story of a Bright Girl (2002), The Slave Hunters (2010) or You Are My Destiny (2014). 

Jang Hyuk turns 46 in December and his incredible physique and manly looks are to-die-for. We're not sure if it's because of his athleticism — he's trained in taekwondo and did boxing for 10 years and jeet kune do for another decade.

If you can't get enough of this hunk, you can check out his most recent drama Bloody Heart, available on Disney+.

ALSO READ: Lee Joon-gi, Ahn Bo-hyun, Ha Ji-won: These Korean celebrities pack a real punch with their martial arts background

Hyun Bin

Hyun Bin has been stealing hearts since the 2005 drama My Lovely Sam Soon.

The Crash Landing on You star turns 40 in two months and after his dashing role as the North Korean captain Ri Jeong-hyeok, Hyun Bin will be back on the big screen with The Point Men and Confidential Assignment 2: International.

But without doubt, the biggest thing fans are looking forward to seeing is his new baby with actress wife Son Ye-jin.

So Ji-sub

It may not come as a surprise that So Ji-sub worked as a model before debuting as an actor.

Ji-sub modelled for a clothing brand alongside fellow actor Song Seung-heon until he debuted in the 1996 sitcom Three Guys and Three Girls.

After a four-year hiatus — during which he got married in 2020 — Ji-sub is back on the small screens as the leading man of Doctor Lawyer.

The drama just aired its last episode and the entire series is available for streaming on Disney+.

ALSO READ: 'You actually won in life': Netizens jealous of 2 fans who got to meet and pose with Wi Ha-jun

syarifahsn@asiaone.com