Ji Sung Joon, Ko Moon Young & more: 5 arrogant KDrama characters that we secretly love

KDramas give us a wide, wide range of characters. Because of which, we’ve seen almost every shade of character out there. Goody-two-shoes, disinterested, head-over-heels, and many more. But perhaps the biggest satisfaction comes from watching the character turn from snobby to a good, kind-hearted person. Following the characters’ journey as they somehow reel us in, despite being brats at the start, is intriguing right? Like it’s a challenge to not love them by the end.

Adding fuel to that smouldering fire, are just some of the obsessive characters we’ve seen over the years. To quote Rajesh Koothrapalli from The Big Bang Theory, “If you were a superhero, your name would be Captain Arrogant, and you know what your superpower would be? Arrogance”. AMong the many arrogant, snobbish leads that we hate, we also find some that our heart beats for. Take a look!

Kim Joo Won (Hyun Bin) – Secret Garden (2011)

Although this show is a decade old, it has still managed to remain in the minds of viewers. Kim Joo Won (Hyun Bin) is the CEO of a high-profile departmental store and is arrogant, snobby, rude, and everything else. However, somehow he and Gil Ra Im (Ha Ji Won) swap bodies, and it just builds up from there. The journey to get a bit laid back, patient, somewhat forgiving and understanding, just makes us want to love him more. Especially when they swap bodies towards the end of the show and he’s the CEO again, it’s satisfying to see all the ways he has improved. Considering it’s a relatively old show, it might have slipped your list, so make sure to get it on there.

Ahn Dan Te (Sung Hoon) – Level Up (2019)

‘Level Up’ is a great drama about, well, levelling up. It’s about a business that revitalizes and improves others that are struggling. So of course, it has a character that’s rich and snobby. Ahn Dan Te (Sung Hoon) is the head of the business, and is a miracle worker in propelling crawling companies into glory. The way he interacts with other characters, especially Shin Yeon Hwa (Han Bo Reum) is filled with anticipation, what is going to happen next? He is straightforward, rude and extremely cold, and the way his portrayal drives even the most critical viewer to like him, is phenomenal.

Ji Sung Joon (Park Seo Joon) – She Was Pretty (2015)

In this drama, Park Seo Joon’s character Ji Sung Joon is a shy, intelligent but poor kid, whose life does a complete 180. He becomes the youngest Deputy Chief Editor in Korea through sheer hard work, and as a result, becomes a perfectionist, rude, and someone who doesn’t want anything to go out of line. The way he behaves with Min Ha Ri (Go Joon Hee) and Kim Hye Jin (Jung Da Bin) is totally different. The way he mistreats Hye Jin and points out her faults, but at the end of the day corrects them to help her improve, is a hard balance. Even then, his character is very much loved by the fans.

Oh Soo (Jo In Sung) – That Winter, The Wind Blows (2013)

This drama features a lot of different elements like debt, gambling, along with other regular tropes. Here, the key character Oh Soo (Jo In Sung) loses his love and life threatens to spiral out of control. Struggling to live with his debt and gambling vice, he regularly charms wealthy women out of their money. His arrogance, the way he thinks of others and his scams, have us hating him despite his sad past. And yet, even though it takes some time, his frosty exterior does thaw enough for viewers to feel something different than dislike for him. Towards the end, he is even loved. One of the classic, timeless dramas out there, this show definitely deserves to be checked out, even if it is just for In Sung’s superb acting.

Ko Moon Young (Seo Yea Ji) – Its Okay To Not be Okay (2020)

Depicting a character with an aggressive personality and unpredictable yet believable, mood swings is not a walk in the park. Ko Moon Young (Seo Yea Ji) was as bizarre a character as any. Being extremely straightforward, unembarrassed by anything that could happen, and outright rude to others, she checked all the boxes required to be unlovable. And yet, through that personality, we also see flecks of softness, of affection, and dare we say it, helpfulness. Even though she struggled from antisocial disorder, Ko Moon Young was still a charmer.

These arrogant-but-adorable characters were the ones we liked. What about you? Tell us in the comments below!

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