Lee Chae-min Achieves 'Life Reversal' with 'The Tyrant's Chef,' Praised for 'Meticulous Emotional Performance'

Actor Lee Chae-min has solidified his position as an actor through the tvN weekend drama 'The Tyrant's Chef.'

'The Tyrant's Chef' is a fantasy romantic comedy depicting the story of Chef Yeon Ji-young (Im Yoon-ah), who time-slips to the past during her best moments, and King Lee Heon (Lee Chae-min), a tyrant with an absolute sense of taste. The drama has garnered explosive responses both domestically and internationally, setting new viewership records with each episode.

Lee Chae-min's performance has been particularly outstanding. He was urgently cast as the male lead after the originally chosen actor withdrew due to controversy. Despite insufficient preparation time and concerns about his relatively limited acting experience, he flawlessly portrayed the character, oscillating between the madness of a tyrant and the innocent charm experienced when tasting delicious food. His acting skillfully navigated potentially childish situations with humor and delicate emotional expression, earning widespread acclaim from viewers.

As a result, the drama continued its upward trajectory in viewership ratings. The 10th episode recorded an average viewership rating of 15.9% and a peak of 17.6% in the Seoul metropolitan area, and 15.8% average and 17.3% peak nationwide, according to Nielsen Korea. This marks the highest rating among mini-series aired this year and a first-place finish in the same time slot across all channels, including terrestrial broadcasters. It also topped Netflix's Global TOP10 (Non-English TV) list, proving the power of K-dramas.

Lee Chae-min's personal achievements are also remarkable. In the actor brand reputation rankings released on September 23, 2025, Lee Chae-min secured the top spot, surpassing established actors like Lee Byung-hun, Choo Young-woo, Lee Jin-wook, and Ma Dong-seok. Gu Chang-hwan, director of the Korea Corporate Reputation Research Institute, attributed his success to "concentrating consumer interest through meticulous emotional acting."

Netizens showed enthusiastic support, commenting, "A true life-reversal drama where he seized the opportunity," "His chemistry with Im Yoon-ah gave him wings," "Lee Chae-min's facial expressions are insane," and "Already looking forward to his next project."

/ssu08185@osen.co.kr

Born in 2000, Lee Chae-min debuted in the KBS2 drama 'Love All Play' in 2021. He gained recognition as an MC for MBC's 'Show! Music Core' in 2022, showcasing stable hosting skills. In 2023, he captured viewers' attention with his role as the charming younger student Lee Sun-jae in the tvN drama 'Crash Course in Romance.'