Crossovers are quite common in Korean drama shows, but some jaw-dropping K-drama cameos still hold their own despite numerous new additions to the list. Through this story, we’ve decided to reminisce our memories of some such unforgettable moments in the K-drama world where actors collided paths, and left an intriguing impression on us with two stories that somehow became one. Despite not being the leading faces of the respective TV shows, some much-loved actors may have appeared for barely a few minutes on our screens, but they made the most of that time and almost gave the main cast a run for their money.
Owning their short periods of surprise appearances, here are some actors, storylines that merged together to grant us the gift of some of the best K-drama cameos that we still can’t have enough of.
Memorable and Jaw-Dropping K-drama Cameos
1. Run On
Kim Seon-ho is one of the top-most A-grade actors in the K-drama world. His brief appearance in Run On not only brings about a happy news for Shin Sae-kyeong, but also a livening moment for those watching this series.
2. Extraordinary You X True Beauty
In addition to the obvious crossover between the two drama series, k-pop idol, SF9’s Chani also makes an appearance as Lee Su-ho and Han Seo-jun’s third best friend named Jung Se-yeon.
3. Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo
Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo already had an ensemble cast with Lee Sung-kyung and Nam Joo-hyuk leading the lot, but this stellar cameo by Lee Jong-suk leaves you wide-eyed when you watch the show for the first time. Much like the caption on the video linked above, you’re left yourself asking, what is he even doing here?
Making a short appearance in Episode 2, he plays the role of the handsome ace marksman of Haneul Sports University, who happens to be visiting Bok-joo’s family restaurant. While praising Bok-joo’s uncle’s visuals, he, too, receives a similar response hyping his charms, leaving yet another Easter egg related to his previous K-drama W, centred around two closing worlds – one of them being related to a comic or a webtoon.
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4. Namkoong Min X Lee Je-hoon
This cameo chain reaction first began in 2019 when the Taxi Driver actor Lee Je-hoon first expressed his love for Namkoong Min’s sports drama series Stove League. He then went on to share the screen with the show’s actors for its final episode as the CEO of IT company PF. While initially at odds with Namkoong Min’s character’s approach as a general manger, he soon warms up to him and the two share an unspoken camaraderie.
Later, in 2023, Namkoong Min returned the favour by making a special appearance as his One Dollar Lawyer character in Lee Je-hoon’s Taxi Driver 2. And, he wasn’t alone. Kim So-yeon, who’s now leading the charge on Tale of the Nine-Tailed 1938 (and the Penthouse), also shared her cameo on the same drama series. No matter what anyone says, we definitely need a new Korean series with both Namkoong Min and Lee Je-hoon sharing the same screen, and not just as cameos, but as regular cast members. It’s time that these crossovers become a full-fledged thing.
5. Park Bo-gum in Itaewon Class
Park Bo-gum makes his first and last short appearance on the final episode of the Park Seo-joon, Kim Da-mi and Kwon Na-ra starrer 2020 series. While the first two leads find their happen ending in each other’s comforting presence, Kwon Na-ra’s Soo-ah dedicates her time to a restaurant. And as its owner, her first step along the way is to find the perfect chef. Lucky for her, Bo-gum’s character doesn’t just serve a hot, finger-licking dish, but his spellbinding looks too.
6. BLACKPINK’s JISOO in Arthdal Chronicles
JISOO now has a successful acting career of her own, but her K-drama cameo in Arthdal Chronicles, which is basically a wink-and-you-miss moment, is still one of the most talked about special appearances that make many of her fans go, “where did she come from?”
7. Hotel Del Luna
Kim Soo-hyun might as well be the king of K-drama cameos at this point. However, one just can’t deny that his Hotel Del Luna feature particularly makes for a significant moment pushing for his heart-throb agenda. Delivering barely two lines in his cameo feature, all he had to do was appear on the screen to make loyal K-drama audiences go gaga over him again. His charismatic existence changes the whole mood of the series in an instant, and had the viewers asking for more from him in a possible Season 2 of the show.
One of the best bits about crossover cameos is that such moments often hark back to old career moments of the featured actor in question. Same applies to Lee Joon-gi’s cameo in Hotel Del Luna as well. He comes in to play an uproarious scene as an exorcist in IU’s drama, and the character so introduced also lays down a Scarlet Heart easter egg, referencing one of his old roles.
8. GOT7’s Park Jin-young in Reborn Rich
It’s no news now that GOT7’s Jin-young betrays Song Joong-ki in Reborn Rich and is one of the primary, though working on the sidelines only, factors that pushes for Joong-ki’s original character death right at the beginning. Although he barley appeared in the first sections of the drama series, owing to his own successful acting career and his musical foundation as a soloist and a GOT7 member, the actor quickly took over Twitter trends with his short special appearance on the show.
9. Song Joong-ki in Little Women
Many a time K-drama cameos are a nod to the same director’s previous work. Just like in the case of the True Beauty and Extraordinary You crossover, Song Joong-ki’s cameo as a clerk left quite a few Easter eggs pointing towards his former leading role as Vincenzo. His 2021 crime series was driecedt by Kim Hee-won, the same person who steered the vision of the 2022’s Little Women starring Kim Go-eun.
Fans of the previous series even took note of how, in his cameo, his name tag clearly displays his character’s name as Park Joo Hyeong – which was also Vincenzo’s birth name.
10. Suzy’s cameo in My Love from The Star
Bae Su-ji or Bae Suzy makes a heart racing appearance in the 2013 series My Love from the Star starring Kim Soo-hyun, aka her former costar from Dream High. One of the first remarks she makes during her short cameo as Go Hye-mi is what made the iconic 2011 K-drama fans go crazy in love, because her words are a direct reference to her relationship with Soo-hyun’s Song Sam-dong in Dream High.
11. Record of Youth
Since the slice of life drama series’ storyline revolves around the entertainment industry, it was but obvious that several cameos would make their way in as Park Bo-gum’s character, Hye-jun, aspires of making it big in the acting world. Park Seo-joon’s entry as Song Min-soo in Episodes 9 and 10, Kim Hye-yoon as Lee Bo-ra in Episode 1, Lee Sung-kyung’s Jin Seo-woo in Episode 12 and Lee Hye-ri’s presence as Lee Hae-ji in Episode 13 were some of the many striking cameos spotted in the show. Seo-joon’s cameo also reminds us of Bo-gum stepping in for his former K-drama Itaewon Class.
12. Jung Hae-in in Goblin
Gong Yoo’s invincible Goblin scares away all the bad guys. But, do you know scares him? The one, and the only “Tae-hee oppa” played by Jung Hae-in. He may have walked up to him to take him down upon finding out about Eun-tak’s old crush on him, but there’s no denying that when someone is as good-looking as Hae-in, you can’t stop yourself from asking valid questions like, “How can you look like this?”
13. Gong Yoo in Squid Game
Who doesn’t love Gong Yoo? While he did cameo in the Netflix series Squid Game, but before, going there, we should also acknowledge how he basically had a cameo is his own series Goblin as well. In Episode 7 of the fantasy drama, he heads out to catch a movie with Kim Go-eun’s Eun-tak, which happens to be one of his old works, Train to Busan. And yes, he got scared of his own movie.
Squid Game’s survival run begins even before its main cast actually step into the arena, and Gong Yoo presents them with the first step on the ladder by recruiting the players for this deathly game of life and death. His appearance in this show makes for one of the most surprising cameos of all time, and a funny one as well considering he shared his screen time playing the slapping game with Lee Jung-jae.
14. (UPCOMING) Park Bo-young and Park Hyung-sik Cameo in Strong Woman Bong-soon spin-off
The 2017 series Strong Woman Bong-soon is still one of the most loved K-dramas out there, and its success can be majorly credited to the adorably believable chemistry between its leading pair – Park Bo-young and Park Hyung-sik. They’re all set to make a comeback as our favourite couple in the upcoming spin-off show, and even though the visuals of the same aren’t out yet, we can already hope for it to be one of the best glow-ups in K-drama history.
Which of these Kdrama cameos left you awestruck? Do let us know any other memorable special appearances that still linger in your memory. Leave your thoughts in the comments section below.