Second lead syndrome is the only ailment we'd happily suffer from.
Second lead syndrome in the K-Drama fandom is contagious and sticks to you like glue. No matter how much we try, we can’t help but just fall for the second leads and end up being heartbroken.
In our defense, we can't really help it. The second leads are portrayed to be flawlessly perfect and are the literal definitions of the green flag—a green flag that the leading lady always misses!
Here are 5 times when the second lead completely stole the show and our hearts for keeps.
Grim Reaper in Goblin
Nobody would probably ever get over the legendary K-drama, Goblin. Released in 2016, this remains a favorite among several K-Drama enthusiasts, leaving people in tears to this date. While audiences applauded the romance between the Goblin (Gong Yoo) and his bride (Kim Go Eun), the fandom also went ga-ga over the bromance between the Grim Reaper (Lee Dong Wook) and the Goblin.
Other than the romance of the main leads, another love story that caught everyone’s eye is the intense chemistry between Sunny (Yoo In Na) and the Grim Reaper.
Han Ji Pyeong in Start-Up
Everyone rooted for Han Ji Pyeong (Kim Seon Ho) from the beginning of Start-Up. And why wouldn’t they? He was such a good boy and he paved his way after enduring many hardships. He became the pen pal of the female lead (Bae Suzy) and wrote letters to her under the pen name “Nam Dosan” and unknowingly fell in love with her, helping her through everything only to lose her at the end as the real Nam Do San (Nam Ju Hyuk) won her heart.
On top of that, he became the mentor of the real Nam Do San and even helped him get the girl.
Seriously, Ji Pyeong deserved a better ending and a better love story. Yes, we are still crying over it.
Han Seo Jun in True Beauty
Although we started watching True Beauty for Cha Eun Woo, we could not help but fall for Hwang In Yeop. The character of Han Seo Jun portrayed by Hwang In Yeop remains a fan favorite forever. Han Seo Jun, first shown as a quiet and mysterious student, stands out not just for his handsome appearance but also for his interesting personality. He's portrayed as a skilled musician with a bad boy image that masks a caring and sensitive side.
As the story unfolds, Seo Jun goes through changes, facing the ups and downs of love,m and friendship, and finding himself. His relationship with the main character, Lim Ju Gyeong (Moon Ga Young), bring out a mix of emotions, making the story both heartbreaking and heartwarming for the audience. By the end of this series, the fandom was split into “Team Suho” and “Team Seojun” making it a topic of debate even today.
Cha Sung Hoon and Jin Young Seo in Business Proposal
The passionate chemistry between the second leads, Cha Sung Hoon and Jin Young Seo (Kim Min Kyu and Seol In Ah, respectively), in Business Proposal had us go weak in our knees 'till the very end. With visuals straight out of Greek mythology, this duo had us hooked to the screen, swooning over their romance like it was our own love life.
Not to forget, the iconic kissing scene!!! Gives you goosebumps, right? Thinking of it gives us butterflies. Would it be too much to ask if we want them as leads in another rom-com? A girl can dream, right?
Yoon Ji Hoo in Boys Over Flowers
Saving the best for the last and this is probably where most of our second lead syndromes started. Yoon Ji Hoo (Kim Hyung Joong) in Boys Over Flowers didn't just captivate us with his alluring smile but also with his literal embodiment of Prince Charming. A walking, talking green-flag, Geum Jan Di’s (Koo Hye Sun) first love, soulmate, and protector. The character was perfection.
We are still not over this iconic character. How we wish we could all have a personal fireman like Yoon Ji Hoo in our lives. We often wonder if we'll ever encounter someone like Yoon Ji Hoo in the real world or if people like this only exist on screen.
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