Bon Appétit, Your Majesty: How Lee Chae-min Is Stealing Hearts

K-drama fans, meet the newest scene-stealer you’ll be swooning over — Lee Chae-min. From his charming looks to his growing list of impressive roles, this rising star is quickly becoming the talk of the town. And with his latest lead in Bon Appétit, Your Majesty alongside Yoona, it’s no wonder everyone’s gushing about him.

Meet the New Hottie: Lee Chae-min

Basic Profile

  • Full name: Lee Chae-min Wikipedia

  • Date of birth: September 15, 2000 Wikipedia

  • Birthplace: Goyang, South Korea Wikipedia

  • Education: Korea National University of Arts Wikipedia

  • Agency: VARO Entertainment

  • Career span: Active since about 2021 Wikipedia

So he’s in his mid-20s, quite young in terms of lead actors, but already gaining serious momentum.

Personal Life & Relationships

  • Girlfriend: It’s publicly known that in March 2024, Lee Chae-min started dating actress Ryu Da-in. They met while working together on Crash Course in Romance. Wikipedia+1



  • There have also been recent moments that caused fan buzz: for example, photos showing him with matching couple rings with Ryu Da-in at a wrap-up party for Bon Appétit, Your Majesty. The Times of India

As far as is known, there are no controversies — fans generally view the relationship positively.

His Rise: Previous Works

Lee Chae-min has already built up an impressive resume, especially considering he's only been in acting a few years. Some of his notable works:

TitleYearRole / Notes
High Class2021   One of his earlier TV series appearances. Wikipedia

Love All Play2022  Continued building his profile. Wikipedia

Crash Course in Romance2023  This drama helped increase his visibility. Wikipedia+1


Bon Appétit, Your Majesty2025     His new major lead role, more on this below.  PINKVILLA+3Wikipedia+3Wikipedia+3

He also hosted Music Bank (a popular music show in Korea) from September 2022 to May 2024. Wikipedia

Bon Appétit, Your Majesty — His Current Drama

Lee Chae-min stars alongside Im Yoon-ah (Yoona) in Bon Appétit, Your Majesty (also known by its alternate title The Tyrant’s Chef) which is a fantasy / historical-romantic drama. Wikipedia+2K-POP NEWSWIRE+2


Plot Snapshot

  • The story follows Yeon Ji-yeong (Yoona), a French cuisine chef at the top of her game in modern Seoul, who time-slips back to the Joseon Dynasty. Wikipedia+1

  • She runs into King Lee Heon (Lee Chae-min), a tyrannical ruler who is notorious for being both gourmet (extremely discerning in food) and ruthless. Wikipedia+2PINKVILLA+2

  • Their relationship begins combative (clashes of culture, power, expectations) but food becomes a medium for connection, empathy, conflict, and maybe more. The show uses cooking, palace intrigue, betrayal, mystery (including Lee Heon’s mother’s death), and romance. PINKVILLA+3Wikipedia+3텐아시아+3

What’s Capturing People’s Attention



  • The chemistry between Lee Chae-min and Yoona is being praised. Scenes like their first kiss (while he’s drunk / emotionally vulnerable) have pushed ratings up. KbizoOm+2텐아시아+2

  • The show has been breaking rating records for tvN in 2025, especially for a weekend drama. For instance, Episode 4 had ~11.4% in Seoul area, peaks around 13.6%. KbizoOm+2Wikipedia+2

  • It mixes genres: fantasy (time-slip), historical (Joseon), culinary, romance, court politics. This mix often appeals to a broad audience. Wikipedia+2PINKVILLA+2

Why Lee Chae-min Is the New Crush

  • He’s young but already has solid acting chops. His previous works, while maybe not all lead roles, have shown versatility.

  • There’s something appealing about his portrayal of complex characters: King Lee Heon is not a one-dimensional villain but someone with trauma, expectations, vulnerability. Lee Chae-min needs to balance authority with emotional conflict.

  • His looks + screen presence + the “food + romance + fantasy” mix make him very watchable.

Some Other Works to Check Out

If you like Lee Chae-min in Bon Appétit, Your Majesty, here are things you might want to see:

  1. Crash Course in Romance (2023) — this helped broaden his fan base. If you want to see him in a more contemporary setting with romantic vibes.

  2. Love All Play (2022) — see how he does in ensemble / sports / drama mix.

  3. High Class (2021) — his earlier stuff, gives you a sense of how much he’s grown.

Also, since he hosted Music Bank, video clips or performances where he’s MCing can be fun if you want to see him outside of acting roles

What to Expect / Pitfalls

  • Since it's a fantasy historical romance, there will be some liberties with history. If you expect strict historical accuracy, you may need to suspend disbelief.

  • The storyline has typical K-drama beats: misunderstandings, power struggles, romance tension with ups and downs. If you like fast romance or less political intrigue, those elements might sometimes slow things down.

  • Given the setting, costume, court structure, etc., some drama tropes (scheming concubines, palace intrigue) are present.


Lee Chae-min is definitely one of the actors to watch right now. Bon Appétit, Your Majesty is proving to be a breakout role in many ways — not only popularity-wise but in showing his range.


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