Ryu Seung-ryong is one of the most celebrated South Korean actors who rose to prominence in the 2010s with his support roles in films like War of Arrows and Masquerade. He went on to become a sought after personality, gaining numerous awards for his role in Miracle in Cell No. 7.
Recently, Ryu Seong-ryong has appeared in the absurd mystery-comedy kdrama, Chicken Nugget. If you are a Ryu Seung-ryong fan, you are in the right place as we bring you some of his most celebrated works in this list!
Miracle in Cell No. 7 (2013)
Miracle in Cell No. 7 is a heart-wrenching tale about a mentally challenged father and his young daughter. Ryu Seung-ryong plays the character of the father, Yong-gu, who is falsely accused of murdering a high-ranking police officers child and sentenced to death.
Sentenced to prison, as he navigates through the harshness of prison life, he encounters unexpected allies in his cell-mates, who help him get together with his daughter. If you like kdramas like Prison Playbook and are a fan of Ryu Seung-ryong, you might like this one! Beware though, this is a real tear-jerker.
Extreme Job (2019)
Extreme Job is an action-comedy film featuring Ryu Seung-ryong in the main role as Go Goo-pil, the captain of a narcotics detective team. The entire film features deadpan humour and good dollop of situational comedy packed with a lot of fried chicken.
It follows a royally failing team of narcotics detectives, who decide to set up a fried chicken restaurant to bust a drug-trafficking ring. Interestingly, their fried chicken restaurant becomes a sensation, hindering their progress on the actual case. If you are a Ryu Seung-ryong comedy fan, this is a must watch especially if you liked Chicken Nugget!
Life is Beautiful (2022)
Life is Beautiful is a one-of-a-kind musical, heartwarming film which maps the journey of a middle-aged couple – Oh Se-yeon (Yum Jung-ah) and Kang Jin-bong (Ryu Seung-ryong) through time and space to find Se-yeon’s first love as her last wish.
This film is nostalgia incarnate as we move to-and-fro between Se-yeon’s past and present. Ryu Seung-ryong plays a grumpy, unbothered husband who agrees to fulfil her last wish, while rekindling and reminiscing about their relationship.
Chicken Nugget (2024)
Chicken Nugget is a 2024 absurd, comedy-mystery kdrama which deals with a mysterious machine and the curious case of a chicken nugget. Ryu Seung-ryong plays the role of Choi Seon-man, a doting father of a beautiful woman, Choi Min-ah, who unfortunately turns into a chicken nugget upon entering a mysterious purple machine. The show maps his sleepless and heartbreakingly hilarious journey to restore her back into a human.
Moving (2023)
Moving is a 2023 superhero fantasy kdrama which one of the most unique and interesting shows in the kdrama industry. It revolves around the existence of superhuman agents and their kids, who need to, not only protect themselves from deadly threats outside their country, but also from the inside. With a thrilling plot, lovable character and fantastic action scenes, Moving is easily one of the best in its category.
Ryu Seung-ryong plays the role of Jang Joo-won, a doting and protective father of Hui-soo, and a former undercover agent with a healing ability.
Kingdom Season 1 and Season 2 (2019)
Kingdom is the most popular historical thriller in the korean drama universe. It narrates the tale of a zombie outbreak in Joseon-era Korea – a mysterious flower gone wrong. What follows is an exhilarating journey of the crown prince to contain the spread.
But did you know? Ryu Seong-ryong played the role of the villainous Lord Cho Hak-ju? Cho Hak-ju is the chief state councillor and the queen’s father. With the king becoming an undead, he assumes the supreme power of the nation.
Perhaps Love (2021)
Perhaps Love, a 2021 romantic-comedy, has Ryu Seung-ryong transformed into the role of a disillusioned bestselling author, who is suffering from a major writer’s block. It also portrays his troubled relationship with his family. However, everything changes when he is impressed by his student, Yoo-Jin’s writing and invites Yoo-jin to live with him.
The Sound of a Flower (2015)
The Sound of a Flower is set in the Joseon-era Korea that revolves around the art of pansori, traditional Korean form of musical storytelling. It features Bae Suzy as Jin Chae-sun, a woman who disguises herself as a man to be able to learn pansori from Shin Jae-hyo (Ryu Seung-ryong), a passionate and renowned pansori master.
The film is a marvelous tale of dedication and sacrifices, and also features Ahn Jae-hong, Ryu Seung-ryong’s co-star from Chicken Nugget!
The Piper (2015)
The Piper is an interesting and horrifying Korean re-telling of the myth of the Pied Piper. This horror-thriller is based after the Korean war where a village is plagued by a rat infestation.
The village chief hires a good-natured piper (Ryu Seung-ryong) to exterminate the rats, only to refuse payment on the suspicion of being a North Korean spy. What follows is the a dark and sinister, piper’s revenge.
The Admiral: Roaring Currents (2014)
The Admiral: Roaring Currents is a South Korean historical war film. The film is based on the Battle of Myeongryang – a legendary Korean admiral who led the Korean forces to victory against the Japanese in 1597.
Considering that the Battle of Myeongryang is regarded as the Korean’s unwavering will and fighting spirit, the The Admiral: Roaring Currents became the highest-grossing film of all time in South Korea upon its release. Ry Seung-ryong plays the role of the prime antagonist in the film – General Kurushima Michifusa, a ruthless, vengeful and arrogant Japanese naval officer.
That is it, folks! Which k-dramas have you watched? Do you have any recommendations which would perfectly go along with our list? Let us know in the comments!