3 Men Who Ruled 2025: K-Drama Actors Dominating Screens This Year

With back-to-back hits, who are the K-Drama male actors that came out victorious this year? Let's find out!

2025 has been the year for K-Dramas, while we remember major hits that made the year special. There are special faces that brought these hits to us and need to be appreciated. Some faces shone among all, the ones that gave back-to-back hits, and yet still we could not get enough of them!

NewKdrama presents the top 3 male actors who ruled in the K-Drama world this year!

1. Park Bo-gum

Starting off strong with Park Bo-gum, a K-Drama heartthrob, fans have been missing him ever since his military enlistment. Despite this, he made a grand comeback this year with two major hits- When Life Gives You Tangerine and Good Boy.

Park Bo-gum set the standards high for men as Yang Gwan-sik, a man who gave his life for the woman he loved and his family, showing them respect and protection at a time when women were looked down upon. Soon after, he appeared as Yoon Dong-ju in Good Boy. An ex-Olympian boxer who joins the police and solves cases. Good Boy showcases the adorable side of Bo-gum that we all had been missing.

2. Park Jin-young

Park Jin-young had created a strong fan following ever since debuting as an idol in Got7; however, with immaculate acting skills, Park Jin-young also marked his territory in K-dramas. After enlisting in 2023, fans waited eagerly for his return, and he made sure to repay their support with back-to-back hit projects in 2025.

He first appeared in February as Lee Dong-jin in The Witch. Dong-jin was an intellectual stats student, determined to figure out his curse following his crush, Park Mi-jeong (Roh Jeong-eui). Soon after, we met him alongside Park Bo-young in Our Unwritten Seoul as Lee Ho-soo, an absolute green flag who helps his long-time crush, Mi-ji (Park Bo-young), discover her purpose in life.

While we giggled at our screen watching him as a romantic loser on screen, Jin-young stunned fansbut when he appeared as a villain in the movie Hi-Five. He played the role of Yeong-choon, a charming and arrogant villain who proves himself as a god after receiving supernatural powers.

3. Kim Young-kwang

Can you believe that the last time we saw Kim Young-kwang on our screens was in 2023 with the K-Drama Evilive?

In 2025, Kim Young-kwang outshone with back-to-back projects with acting skills that can make you feel everything that he wants you to. He first appeared in 2025 in The Haunted Palace as Imugi. Despite being a guest role, his presence was a delight on the screens, and viewers wished to have more of him in the K-Drama.

To their delight, Young-kwang returned in Netflix's series, Triggered. Here, he played the role of Moon Baek, the main villain, determined to take revenge on the country that abandoned him. The series instantly became a hit, and international fans, too, couldn't get enough of Young-kwang as the bad boy.

Then came Walking on Thin Ice, where he retained the charismatic bad boy image, however, less psychotic. This time, he became Lee Gyeong, a drug dealer who got entangled with Kang Eun-soo (Lee Young-ae).

But he didn't stop there. Young-kwang also delighted fans on the big screen as Do-jin in the movie The First Ride alongside Cha Eunwoo and Kang Ha-neul.

2025 has proven to be a landmark year for these male K-drama actors, with performances that captivated audiences across genres and platforms. They impressed us with intense thrillers and even heartwarming romances; these projects showcased their depth, versatility, and star power that define the current era of Korean drama.

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This year was not just about popularity, but about actors taking bold roles, pushing boundaries, and leaving a lasting impact on viewers — setting the bar high for what’s to come in the years ahead.

Which actor impressed you this year? Let us know in the comments below! For the latest Celebrity Updates, visit us regularly.

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