If you thought that Korean shows were just old high-school romances and meet-cute moments then I’m here to burst your bubble. Not all Korean shows are mindless love stories.
1. One Spring Night
Han Ji-min and Jung Hae-in star as a librarian and a pharmacist who meet accidentally and are instantly attracted to each other. However, she has a boyfriend of four years and he is a single dad, so complications are imminent. Surprisingly, the show handles these topics maturely while giving you a honest view into their complicated lives.
2. Itaewon Class
Park Seo-joon plays an ex-convict who opens a bar-restaurant after being expelled from school and his friends come on board to help his run the restaurant. This Netflix show was wildly praised for its racial diversity and for having a prominent trans character who is saving money for her surgery.
3. Something In The Rain
Son Ye-jin plays a career woman who falls in love with her best friend’s younger brother, played by Jung Hae-in. He has just returned to South Korea and sees nothing wrong with their attraction. The show speaks about issues like harassment at work and how the society views older women falling in love with younger men.
4. I’ll Go To You When The Weather Is Nice
Park Min-young plays a music teacher who is forced to return to her small town after her life in the city falls apart. There she meets a bookstore owner and her high school classmate played by Seo Kang-joon, who helps her understand that life happens in little moments.
5. Vagabond
Lee Seung-gi plays a man determined to find what caused the plane crash that killed his little nephew. He seeks the help of a National Intelligence agent played by Bae Suzy. Together, they start unraveling a thread of corruption and conspiracy, all while slowly falling love.
6. Hymn Of Death
The show is based on the real-life tragic romance of Joseon’s first soprano Yun Sim-deok, played by Shin Hye-sun and the renowned playwright, Kim U-jin, played by Lee Jong-suk. She is always in the public eye and he is a married man, the show beautifully shows how they fall in love even though they aren’t destined to be together.
8. Mr Sunshine
Set in 1900s, this show is set in model day Seoul and follows the journey of activists who are fighting for Korea’s independence. He is a United States Marine Corps officer and she is an aristocrat’s daughter who is a part of the Righteous Army. As the story unfolds, it leaves you in tears.
9. Dr Romantic
Set in a hospital in the middle of nowhere, this show follows a team of doctors who save lives and fall in love. Every doctor comes with baggage of their own and has background stories that’ll leave you intrigued.
10. Descendants Of The Sun
Song Joong-ki plays the captain of a South Korean Special Forces unit who falls in love with a doctor, played by Song Hye-kyo. But the nature of his work keeps pulling them apart, till they meet years later on an emergency mission. The show perfectly captures the paradox of both their jobs and how important they are.
11. Encounter
Song Hye-kyo and Park Bo-gum play two characters who are worlds apart but fall in love with each other on a road trip. In the real world, he joins as an employee at her film and for once, the gender roles are reversed as she is now the rich CEO. with beautiful locations and a well-thought out storyline, this show will win you over with its rustic appeal.
12. Crash Landing On You
This show has become the second-highest-rated Korean drama in cable television history. Starring Hyun Bin as a North-Korean army officer who comes across a South-Korean woman, played by Son Ye-jin who has accidentally landed in the wrong country. The show captures the differences between the two countries and their conflict in great detail.
13. Chocolate
Yoon Kye-sang plays the role of a neurosurgeon who always wanted to become a chef but his family wouldn’t let him. And Ha Ji-won plays a woman who became a chef because of his generosity as a child. This love story captures the bond of food, and will most definitely leave you with a rumbling stomach.
14. Hospital Playlist
Netflix’s newest Korean drama, this show is unusual to say the least but it grows on you. It follows the story of five doctors who’ve been friends since they began college and now, they work and play in a band together. But the drama also gives us sneak-peeks into the lives of their patients and the politics that goes around in a hospital.
15. Tomorrow, With You
Lee Je-hoon plays a time-traveller who marries an amateur photographer, played by Shin Min-a to avoid his death. But soon the two begin to fall in love as they meet through different phases of life.
Which one will you be watching first?