Collider names Squid Game’s Seong Gi-hun the most iconic K-drama character

Collider published a list on Jan. 31, 2026, ranking the 10 most iconic K-drama TV characters everyone knows, placing Seong Gi-hun from Squid Game at No. 1. According to the article, Seong Gi-hun is memorable for embodying desperation and the struggle to survive in an unjust system.

The piece also cites Goblin’s Kim Shin (No. 2) as an emotionally iconic, immortal figure whose fashion and melancholy helped make the show revolutionary, and Crash Landing on You’s Yoon Se-ri and Ri Jeong-hyeok (No. 3) as a uniquely moving romantic pair. The list puts Vincenzo Cassano (Vincenzo) at No.

4, noted for his antihero blend of charm, brutality and dark humor; Go Ha-jin/Hae-soo (Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo) at No. 5 for a tragic, unforgettable romantic arc; and Moon Dong-eun (The Glory) at No. 6 as a standout revenge protagonist representing darker, psychologically grounded leads.

Also featured were Healer (No. 7) as the prototype lone operative, Woo Young-woo (Extraordinary Attorney Woo, No. 8) for bringing neurodivergent representation to mainstream K-drama, Do Bong-soon (Strong Woman Do Bong-soon, No. 9) as a symbol of female empowerment, and Park Sae-ro-yi (Itaewon Class, No.

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