Lee Chae-min is showing off an unrivaled presence among male actors in their mid-20s.

After making a splash in the 2023 drama ‘Ilta Scandal’ starring Jeon Do-yeon, he has been making a name for himself by taking on leading roles and popular works one after another in just over a year.

Around the same time, he also appeared as the host of KBS 2TV‘s music program ‘Music Bank’, captivating even teenagers, and boasting extraordinary influence overseas as well.

He recently finished filming and is awaiting its first broadcast, and will be acting alongside Lee Jun-ho in the Netflix drama ‘Cashier’.

In this superhero drama, Kang Sang-woong (Lee Jun-ho), an ordinary civil servant who gains superpowers that make him as strong as the cash in his hand, saves the world with his salary, and Lee Chae-min lends strength to Lee Jun-ho.

She has also been cast as the lead in MBC’s ‘Barney and Her Brothers’, which is scheduled to air in May.

Based on a webtoon of the same name, the drama is a romance drama about Barney, who suddenly gets entangled with attractive men after her first love, which turned out to be a dark memory.

In the drama, Lee Chae-min plays the role of Hwang Jae-yeol, an attractive art college older brother who shakes up the female protagonist Barney, and shows off a fresh romance. At the time of his casting, he received favorable reviews from fans of the original work for his 100% synchronization.

Among the leading roles, the one that has garnered the most attention is ‘The Tyrant‘s Chef’. It is a fantasy romance drama that depicts the story of a French restaurant chef who meets a gourmet tyrant through time travel, and is considered one of the most anticipated tvN dramas of the year.

Director Jang Tae-yoo of the popular drama ‘My Love from the Star’ is in charge of directing, and Im Yoon-ah is the lead actress, creating a buzz even before the drama even aired.

Park Sung-hoon, who recently caused controversy by posting an adult cover on his personal SNS, was cast to fill his vacancy, but Lee Chae-min was chosen as the lead due to her star power.


Reporter Lee Jeong-yeon annjoy@donga.com