10 Essential Korean Drama Shows That Belong on Every Fan’s Must-See Bucket List
A Romance Across Divided Korea
Crash Landing on You follows heiress Yoon Se Ri, played by Son Ye Jin, after a paragliding accident leaves her in North Korea. There she meets army captain Ri Jeong Hyeok, portrayed by Hyun Bin.
As Se Ri tries to escape, she forms bonds with village women and Jeong Hyeok’s fellow soldiers. The series finds common ground between people across a political divide, despite its inaccuracies.
A Deadly Competition for Money
In Squid Game, debt-ridden Seong Gi-hun, played by Lee Jung-jae, enters a mysterious contest offering a life-changing cash prize. He joins 455 other players in childhood games such as Red Light, Green Light and the dalgona challenge.
Players who lose are shot, while the prize grows as contestants are eliminated. The series turns familiar games into a disturbing examination of capitalism, class inequality and desperation.
Revenge and K-Pop Ambitions
One revenge story centers on Seon-u, whose calculated actions include inviting her husband’s mistress to dinner and protecting assets before a divorce. Her drive for revenge brings pain to her family as well as satisfaction to viewers.
Dream High follows six aspiring performers at Kirin High as they pursue K-pop careers. The students come from different circumstances, and the series explores the pressures of training, the influence of privilege and the determination to pursue music. Bae Suzy and IU are among its performers.
A Love Tested by Memory
Winter Sonata tells the story of high school students Joon-sang, played by Bae Yong-jun, and Yoo-jin, played by Choi Ji-woo, who fall in love despite coming from different backgrounds. After Joon-sang suffers a serious accident and loses his memory, he is presumed dead.
A decade later, Joon-sang resurfaces without memories of the life he shared with Yoo-jin. The series follows his effort to recover the past, with each discovery bringing painful memories.
Key points
- K-dramas have expanded into global markets and a wider range of genres.
- Crash Landing on You explores connection across the North-South Korean divide.
- Squid Game uses childhood games to examine inequality and desperation.
- Dream High and Winter Sonata explore ambition, love and personal setbacks.