10 K-Drama Stars Who Take Risks To Perform Their Own Stunts

K-Drama stars will inevitably encounter risky scenes to shoot, for which they may need a stunt double to avoid getting hurt or injured. However, some actors and actresses choose to do the actions themselves to maintain the scene’s continuity despite the risks of injuries.

Here are ten actors and actresses who bravely do their own stunts and diligently prepare for their risky scenes.

1. Ji Chang Wook

Ji Chang Wook underwent special martial arts training for his series The K2, the first K-Drama to use the Matrix-style Bullet Time effect, wherein multiple cameras are used to give the impression of time slowing down.  The series also featured various fighting techniques, such as jujitsu, aikido, and taekwondo.

Chang Wook performed all his stunts and did not use a body double. The project was so strenuous for Chang Wook that he said he would take a break from action scenes after finishing The K2.

2. Lee Seung Gi

Lee Seung Gi did most of his stunts for the K-Drama Vagabond. Lee is said to have trained on many stunts difficult even for professional stunt doubles, and prepared ahead of time to execute his scenes flawlessly. His preparation to build strength before filming started paid off, as he could execute his stunts fluidly.

3. Lee Min Ho

Lee Min Ho refused to work with a stunt double for his action scenes in City Hunter. He flew over cars, fought with eight stuntmen, and endured a few injuries. City Hunter’s martial arts director Yang Kil Young was all praises for him.

While Lee Min Ho’s tall height is a disadvantage for stunts, his agility and reflexes help him create superb action scenes. Additionally, he puts in a lot of effort and does not spare himself. Working with him was a rewarding experience, and I enjoyed it.

—Yang Kil Young

4. Wi Ha Joon

Wi Ha Joon volunteered to do his stunts for the movie Bad and Crazy. Most of his stunts were done wearing his character’s signature leather jacket, enduring the summer heat to film the action sequences.

5. Song Joong Ki

Song Joong Ki rehearsed hard for some of his stunts in the Netflix hit series Vincenzo and rendered his action scenes gracefully and professionally.

6.  Han So Hee

Han So Hee shared that she did all her stunts for the series My Name and trained four months before the shoot for the series started. It is also noteworthy that My Name was her first action series, paving the way for her to star in another action series Gyeongseong Creature.

Han So Hee’s face was injured while filming a high-level action scene for Gyeongseong Creature but thankfully didn’t need surgery.

7. Park Shin Hye

Park Shin Hye was known to do her own stunts in the 2016 drama Doctors, where she was seen backflipping off of someone.

Shin Hye also starred in Sisyphus: The Myth, where she was again given the opportunity to do some stunts. Her role required her to do more stunts, executing more complex action sequences and rooftop jump scenes.

8. Ha Ji Won

Ha, Ji Won thrived in executing stunts for her roles. She was identified as an action star and excelled in action scenes for the variety of characters she played in her K-dramas. She has played the role of a stuntwoman, an assassin, and a North Korean special agent. For her 2017 movie Manhunt, she worked on her flexibility through jiu-jitsu and ballet for three months before the actual shooting.

Ha Ji Won also executed martial arts fight scenes flawlessly, making her scenes credible with her flexibility and grace.

9. Jun Ji Hyun

Jun Ji Hyun starred in the movie The Thieves, where she played a super thief and did most of her stunts, among them climbing and jumping across buildings.

10. Kim Yoo Jung

Kim Yoo Jung showed her versatility as an actress through the series Backstreet Rookie, where she did her own stunts for the fight scenes. She did an impressive job with her fight scenes, looking incredibly graceful and coordinated.