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9 Must-Watch Ji Sung K-Dramas for Your Ultimate Watchlist

Ji Sung in Netflix's comedy crime K-drama The Apartment Job (Netflix)
Ji Sung in Netflix's comedy crime K-drama The Apartment Job (Netflix)

Few Korean actors have built a career as versatile as Ji Sung. Whether portraying a man living with multiple personalities, a prosecutor fighting to clear his name, or a detective chasing the truth, the award-winning actor has consistently delivered memorable performances across a wide range of genres. His ability to transform into every character has made him one of South Korea's most respected leading men.


Ji Sung is once again making headlines with Netflix's comedy crime drama The Apartment Job, while his latest legal series The Judge Returns has also generated excitement among K-drama fans.


If you've recently discovered his work or simply want to revisit some of his greatest performances, these nine dramas deserve a place on your watchlist.


1. Kill Me, Heal Me (2015)


Kill Me, Heal Me (MBC)
Kill Me, Heal Me (MBC)

Cha Do-hyun (Ji Sung) appears to be the calm and successful heir of a powerful business family, but he secretly lives with dissociative identity disorder after experiencing severe childhood trauma. As seven distinct personalities begin taking control of his life, Do-hyun struggles to keep his condition hidden from those around him while searching for the truth behind his forgotten past.


His life changes when he meets psychiatric resident Oh Ri-jin (Hwang Jung-eum), who becomes involved in helping him recover the memories that shattered his childhood.


As long-buried family secrets slowly come to light, Do-hyun must confront the painful events that created each of his personalities while protecting the people closest to him.


2. Defendant (2017)


Defendant (SBS)
Defendant (SBS)

Star prosecutor Park Jung-woo (Ji Sung) wakes up on death row with no memory of how he got there. Accused of murdering his wife and daughter, he finds himself fighting to prove his innocence while desperately trying to piece together the missing fragments of his memory before it's too late.


As Jung-woo uncovers the events leading to his imprisonment, he comes face to face with Cha Min-ho (Uhm Ki-joon), a ruthless businessman hiding behind his twin brother's identity.


The deeper Jung-woo investigates, the more he realises that a powerful conspiracy has manipulated every step of his downfall.




3. The Devil Judge (2021)


The Devil Judge (tvN)
The Devil Judge (tvN)

In a near-future South Korea shaken by political unrest, Kang Yo-han (Ji Sung) presides over a live courtroom television show where the public votes on the fate of defendants. While many citizens view him as a hero delivering justice, others question whether his methods hide a far more dangerous agenda.


Newly appointed associate judge Kim Ga-on (Jinyoung) is assigned to work alongside Yo-han and gradually becomes caught between uncovering the truth and trusting the mysterious chief judge.


As powerful figures attempt to manipulate the judicial system, hidden motives and long-standing revenge begin to surface.



4. Connection (2024)


Connection (SBS)
Connection (SBS)

Respected narcotics detective Jang Jae-kyung (Ji Sung) has built his career by taking down dangerous drug trafficking organisations without relying on personal relationships. His disciplined life takes an unexpected turn after he is kidnapped and forcibly injected with a highly addictive narcotic.


As he struggles with withdrawal symptoms, he is assigned to investigate the sudden death of a high school friend.


While searching for answers, Jae-kyung reunites with Oh Yoon-jin (Jeon Mi-do), a determined local newspaper reporter who was once part of the same friend group. Together, they uncover a decades-old conspiracy involving corruption, hidden secrets, and influential figures whose past actions continue to affect the present.





The Apartment Job (JTBC)
The Apartment Job (JTBC)

Yoon Jae-hong (Ji Sung) is a former gangster boss whose life takes an unexpected turn after he becomes involved in an unusual operation targeting apartment rental scams.


Hoping to expose criminals who prey on innocent residents, he joins a small team that uses clever disguises, undercover tactics, and carefully planned schemes to uncover fraudulent deals hidden inside luxury apartment complexes.


As each mission reveals a new layer of deception, Jae-hong finds himself dealing with con artists, corrupt developers, and unexpected allies who all have their own motives.


While trying to stay one step ahead of the criminals, the team must also make sure their own identities remain hidden throughout the investigation.


6. Familiar Wife (2018)


Familiar Wife (tvN)
Familiar Wife (tvN)

Bank employee Cha Joo-hyuk (Ji Sung) feels overwhelmed by the pressures of work, marriage, and raising a family. One day, he unexpectedly travels back in time and makes a different choice that completely changes his future. When he returns to the present, he discovers he is now living an entirely different life with a new wife, while his former wife has become a stranger.


In this altered reality, Joo-hyuk crosses paths once again with Seo Woo-jin (Han Ji-min), the woman he was originally married to. As old memories begin to resurface, he starts questioning whether changing his past truly gave him the happiness he was searching for.




7. Doctor John (2019)


Doctor John (SBS)
Doctor John (SBS)

Brilliant anesthesiologist Cha Yo-han (Ji Sung) returns to the hospital after serving time in prison for a controversial euthanasia case. Despite his reputation, Yo-han possesses an extraordinary ability to diagnose patients with rare and complex pain disorders that leave other doctors searching for answers.


He begins working alongside resident Kang Si-young (Lee Se-young), whose careful and compassionate approach to medicine contrasts with his direct methods. As they treat patients facing difficult medical conditions, both doctors confront ethical questions surrounding pain management, end-of-life care, and the true meaning of compassion.



8. Secret Love (2013)


Secret Love (KBS)
Secret Love (KBS)

Jo Min-hyuk (Ji Sung) is the heir to a wealthy hotel empire whose life is consumed by revenge after a tragic hit-and-run accident claims the life of his girlfriend. Believing Kang Yoo-jung (Hwang Jung-eum) is responsible for the incident, he makes it his mission to destroy everything she holds dear.


Yoo-jung endures one hardship after another after taking the blame for her boyfriend's crime, losing both her freedom and the life she once dreamed of. As Min-hyuk gradually uncovers the truth behind the accident, he begins to question the hatred that has guided his every decision.



The Judge Returns (MBC)
The Judge Returns (MBC)

Lee Han-young (Ji Sung) is a respected judge whose career gradually loses its way after he becomes closely tied to one of the country's most influential law firms. Once driven by a desire to uphold justice, he begins making choices that favour power and wealth, leaving behind the ideals he once believed in.


Everything changes when Han-young decides to turn against the people who manipulated him. Before he can expose the truth, he unexpectedly loses his life.


Instead of meeting his end, he wakes up ten years in the past with all the memories of his previous life still intact. Given a rare second chance, Han-young sets out to undo his past mistakes, challenge the corrupt figures who once controlled him, and fight for the justice he had abandoned years before.



Final Thoughts


From emotional romances and medical dramas to psychological thrillers and courtroom mysteries, Ji Sung has built one of the most diverse filmographies in Korean television. His ability to take on completely different characters has made each project feel unique, allowing audiences to experience a wide range of stories across multiple genres.


Whether you've recently discovered him through The Apartment Job or have followed his career for years, these nine dramas highlight why Ji Sung continues to be regarded as one of South Korea's most accomplished actors.


Have you watched any of these dramas, or is there another Ji Sung series that deserves a place on the list? Share your favourite in the comments below!


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