Kim Ji-won’s next K-drama after Queen of Tears has not been announced yet, and it will take a while given the series just ended, but I cannot wait to see what she does after playing Hae-in. Queen of Tears’ ending confirmed it as one of the best K-dramas of 2024, giving its lead characters a much-needed happily ever after following a troubling path that began way before they got married. Queen of Tears has arguably been 2024’s biggest K-drama hit so far considering both broadcast TV and streaming, which is obviously massive for its lead actors.

Queen of Tears’ cast was led by Kim Soo-hyun as Baek Hyun-woo and Kim Ji-won as Hong Hae-in. From the marriage of the century to a seemingly irreversible fallout followed by a series of tragedies, watching Queen of Tears every week was quite the ride. While the writing and the visuals were great, my favorite thing about the K-drama currently streaming on Netflix was the performances. Kim Ji-won once again proved herself as a great lead actress in what I believe to be the most important role of her career so far.

Kim Ji-won’s K-Drama Career Should Only Get Bigger After Queen Of Tears

Queen of Tears was well received and very successful.

Kim Ji-won’s K-drama career has been great, from supporting characters in critically acclaimed series such as Mr. Sunshine to some of the leading roles in fan-favorite shows such as Fight For My Way. The actress has also given incredible performances that range from comedic roles to dramatic ones, most notably in K-dramas such as Lovestruck in the City and My Liberation Notes. However, an argument can be made that none of Kim Ji-won’s previous leading K-drama roles were as big as the one from Queen of Tears in terms of popularity and reception.

Having broken all sorts of records for tvN, Queen of Tears is an instant classic that I believe will be constantly remembered as one of the best K-dramas of its generation. The show also performed well globally, with episodes releasing weekly on Netflix in several regions. Although Kim Ji-won hasn’t received as many award nominations for Queen of Tears as her co-star, which is unfortunate considering they both shine on the show, I believe this K-drama will be a turning point for her career. This is why I’m so excited to see what Kim Ji-won does next.

Why Kim Ji-won Needed A Role Like Queen Of Tears’ Hae-in

Queen of Tears’ Hae-is is one in a one-in-a-lifetime character.

Kim Ji-won had already been positioning herself as one of the most promising K-dramas stars, yet she still needed a role like Hae-in from Queen of Tears. While Descendants of the Sun can also be considered a modern classic, Kim Ji-won’s Hae-in is the main character in Queen of Tears alongside Kim Soo-hyun’s Hyun-woo. Likewise, even though Kim Ji-won stole the show in Fight For My Way alongside Park Seo-joon, her next major dramas were not as successful as Queen of Tears has been. I believe Hae-in is the type of character after which an actor’s career won’t ever be the same.

Queen of Tears was Crash Landing on You’s perfect replacement in the sense that it was also a complex, well-written romantic K-drama in which the dynamic between the lead characters flipped a lot of the genre’s tropes. From the cast to the locations and the visuals, everything about Queen of suggested it could become an instant classic if lived up to the expectations. Even Queen of Tears’ outfits looked incredible in every scene. Fortunately, the show did live up to the expectations. I laughed and cried throughout Queen of Tears’ 16 episodes.

I Hope Kim Ji-won’s Next K-Drama Role Is Very Different From Hae-in

Kim Ji-won’s best roles prove she has a lot of range.

Fight For My Way’s Ae-ra and Queen of Tears’ Hae-in – Kim Ji-won’s two best K-drama roles – mirror each other in a lot of ways. That said, I hope her next major K-drama role is very different from Queen of Tears’ protagonist. The easiness with which Kim Ji-won can go from comedy to drama and everything in between shows that she can take a variety of roles. For example, the actress gives a more subtle performance in Lovestruck in the City, whereas in Fight For My Way, she plays a very intense character.

Hae-in is a difficult character to decipher in the first couple of Queen of Tears episodes. They depict the fall of the marriage of the century and make it seem like Hae-in is nothing but cold. However, she later becomes relatable and compelling partially thanks to Kim Ji-won’s performance. This is one of the reasons why I’m so excited to learn what her next character will be. It is reasonable to assume Kim Ji-won will continue to take on leading roles in big projects after the success of Queen of Tears, which makes her TV future even more promising.