The List of Essential Korean Dramas Vol.II
The Korean Wave is rising stronger than ever. Korean dramas are not just for fangirls and housewives anymore. Here is the list of recent Korean TV series (till 2011) that are totally worth watching. Don't be biased and skip these awesome dramas.
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- StarsKim Yeong-cheolYun Ju-sangKim Seung-wooThe National Security Service (NSS) is a secret South Korean black ops agency that takes on a secret terrorist organization, called IRIS.
- StarsSeo Ji-yeongSo Ji-seobLim Soo-jungMu-Hyuk, a Korean adopted to Australia, is a tough but very attractive street guy. He is shot in the head at his girlfriend's wedding and must wait for his death. He decides to go back to Korea to find his parents. His mother is a famous old actress and her son Choi-Yoon is the most popular pop singer. Mu-Hyuk finds his twin sister Su-Kyung, who is mentally 6-7 years old and abandoned like him. He seeks revenge on his mother but he also falls in love with Eun-Chae, a very close friend of Choi-Yoon. And his struggling against death and revenge, love starts in a sad way.
- StarsLee Joon-giKim Sung-ryungAhn Kil-kangDuring the Joseon Dynasty, Ryung acted as a hooligan in the marketplace by day but at night he was a thief who robbed corrupted government officials to give to the poor.
- StarsHan Hyo-jooLee So-yeonJulia LimStory a simple maid that rises high in the royal harem as a consort and, ultimately, mother of the Korean king.
- StarsJeong Woong-inKim Jung-hyunRyu DamStory of Queen Seondeok who was born a princess, brought up among commoners and overcame many trials to become the ruler of Silla.
- StarsLee Yeong-aeHong Ri-naJi Jin-heeA series based on a real person in Korean history, Suh, Jang-geum.
- StarsKu Hye-SunLee Min-hoKim Hyun-joongPoor girl attends the elite Shin Hwa High and is bullied by the leader of F4 (the four richest boys). He becomes attracted to her; however, she has a crush on his best friend. Whom will she choose?
- StarsKim Seon-aHyun BinJung Ryeo-wonThe misadventures and romantic entanglements of Kim Sam-Soon, a passionate, stubborn, klutzy and almost thirty year old pastry chef.
- StarsHa Ji-WonHyun BinYoon Sang-HyunA rich young CEO falls for a poor stuntwoman despite class differences, cultural traditions and the man's firmly objecting mother.
- StarsLee Min-hoPark Min-YoungKim Sang-jungLee Yun-seong was trained by his father's best friend in order to get revenge on the government for killing everyone in his father's unit.
- StarsJoo WonKim Yoo-jinLee Young-ah"Bread, Love and Dreams" covers the life of Kim Tak-Gu from the 1970's until the late 1980's as he becomes one of the most successful bakers in all of Korea.
- StarsGong YooYoon Eun-hyeLee Sun-kyunA tomboy, mistaken for a lad, maintains the deception for the sake of employment. The situation becomes complicated when her male boss begins to develop feelings for this "boy."
- StarsLee Joon-giNam Sang-miJung Kyung-hoThe Time Between Dog and Wolf (L'heure entre chien et loup) is the twilight hour when it's difficult to distinguish good from evil, friend from foe. Lee is a model NIS officer, admired by his peers, adored by his family and reunited with his true love (Nam Sang-mi, The Grand Chef, Sweet Spy). But his bright future darkens when he learns that the savage murderer of his parents is now the key figure in an Asian narcotics ring. Lee sacrifices everything he holds dear to infiltrate the Triad in a labyrinth of corruption that leads back to the NIS itself.
- StarsKim Jae-wonHwang Jeong-eumMin Nam-koongLove story of Cha Dong Joo, a man who's been rendered deaf after an accident but pretends he can hear, and Bong Woo Ri, a woman who's intelligent but pretends she's dim-witted to protect the dignity of her mentally handicapped father.
- StarsSong Hye-kyoRainHan Eun-jeongIn a bid to reacquire her childhood home, a free-spirited woman agrees to a sham-marriage with a selfish actor. Their daily lives are complicated by overlapping love triangles and comic misadventures.
- StarsKim Seon-aCha Seung-wonChoo Sang-miCity Hall is a drama that will deal with politics in a romantic comedy genre. It's about the happenings between a young woman mayor and an elite bureaucrat.
- StarsSo Ji-seobShin Hyeon-junHan Ji-minBased on the biblical story of Adam and Eve's first two sons, Cain and Abel is about Cain's jealousy towards his brother Abel. Lee Cho In is a very gifted doctor who has everything that he wants whereas his older brother, Seon Woo, is jealous of all the attention that Cho In receives. Seon Woo blames his brother for taking everything good in his life away from him. Seon Woo blames Cho In for getting their father's love, getting more recognition as a doctor, and for stealing the woman he loves.
- StarsKim Rae-wonKim Tae-heeLee Jung-JinThe drama series is essentially about the lives of Hyun Woo, Jung Min and Soo In. Kim Hyun Woo (Kim Rae-won), a first year law student at Harvard Law, enters into a rivalry with classmate Hong Jung Min ('Jeong-jin Lee') for the affections of beautiful medical student Lee Soo In (Kim Tae-hee). It portrays love, ambition, and romantic characters and storyline.
- StarsJang HyukLee Min-JungKim Hee-aeKim Do-hyun (Jang Hyuk), smart and ambitious lawyer, was in relationship with Lee Jung-yeon (Lee Min-jung). The peaceful relationship soon ran into problem when Do-hyun was lured into the world of hedge fund and money greed.
- StarsSoo AeKim Rae-wonKim Hae-sookA heart wrenching drama about a woman fighting to keep her dignity while dealing with her Alzheimer's. Can she accept help from her lover, even in the face of disgrace?
- StarsYoon Eun-hyeJu Ji-hoonSong Ji-hyoLove, tradition, and politics collide when a spirited young art student is betrothed to the crown prince of South Korea.
- StarsAhn Suk-hwanYeo Jin-gooLee Soo-hyukA series of murders occurred during the reign of King Sejong. As Kang Chae Yoon who is investigating these cases gets closer to the root of the truth, he finds himself embroiled in a massive conspiracy behind the serial killings which involves a group of geniuses who are willing to risk their lives for their cause/goals, and secret powers who will interfere with the course of his investigations.
- StarsPark Min-YoungPark Yoo-chunYoo Ah-inIn the Joseon era, Kim Yoon-hee masquerades as a boy to earn a living as a book transcriber. Her family's dire circumstances and the encouragement of a noble's son finally drive her to attend Sungkyukwan University, forbidden for females.
- StarsKim Tae-heeJo Hyeon-jaeHan Ye-seulFollows the conflicts between being a fox warrior and loving a human being.
- StarsRainShin Min-aKim Sa-rangA young boxer becomes a bodyguard to the actress responsible for his brother's attempted suicide. She falls in love with him, unaware of his true identity or his plans for revenge.
- StarsPark Eun-binSo Ji-seobKim Hyun-jooThis drama is about the lives of Tae Hee and Yun Hee, two sisters whose mother died while giving birth to Yun Hee. Their father, who loves them dearly, married their mother without their paternal grandfather's consent, and deprived of any familial support, the sisters and their father struggle to make ends meet even as their father faces a life-threatening illness. This drama follows Tae Hee and Yun Hee into adulthood as, separated by a cruel twist of fate, the girls come to lead very different lives, oblivious of one another.
- StarsZo In-sungSo Ji-seobHa Ji-WonLee Soo Jung is scraping by as a tour guide in Bali, supporting herself and her deadbeat older brother. When she's hired as tour guide to an unusual threesome, her life changes forever. Kang In Wook is poor but ambitious, climbing the ranks of the corporate world. His college girlfriend Choi Young Joo has broken up with him in order to marry a rich man instead. Immediately having doubts about her decision, she decides to have one last hurrah with her ex-boyfriend before getting married, in the form of a trip to Bali. To their surprise, Young Joo's fiance, disaffected heir Jung Jae Min, also shows up to torment the two out of boredom. The four learn more about each other than they bargained for on the course of the tour. When they all return to Seoul for various reasons, they find themselves thrown together again, and confusion surrounding love and money soon fills their lives. Three powerhouse stars come together for this psychologically gripping and complex drama that you won't stop watching.
- StarsShin Min-aLee Seung-giNo Min-wooChae Dae Wong, an aspiring actor, unwillingly releases a Gumiho, a legendary nine-tailed fox, from her centuries-old prison. He runs away terrified and ends up injuring himself badly, but she saves his life and asks to stay by his side.
- StarsJang Dong-gunChae RimHan Jae-seokA story about two beautiful and yoing TV reporters who are competing for the top position at the network they work for.
- StarsOh Gwang-RokChoi Min-sooPark Sang-WonA fairy tale about king-Arthur-type main character, story of karma, passions and political ambitions in the ancient kingdom.
- StarsChang-min SonJang Dong-gunLee Yeong-aeBoth brothers and rivals, Kim Su Hyung (Jang Dong Gun) and Kim Jun Ki (Son Chang Min) are doctors at the same hospital. Young and promising figures in the field, Su Hyung and Jun Ki are dedicated to their profession, though not always as disciplined in other matters. Su Hyung's rash and insensitive personality often brings tears to his longtime girlfriend Min Joo (Lee Young Ae), who is also a doctor.
- StarsSong Seung-heonYeon Jeong-hunHan Ji-hyeDriven by her hatred of Shin Tae Hwan, the mine manager, a nurse switches his newborn son with the newborn son of Lee Ki Chul, a miner, and a chain of events is set in motion that will tear apart the lives of everyone involved.
- StarsKim Hae-sookSong Seung-heonSong Hye-kyoThe story is about two childhood friends, Joon-suh and Eun-suh, who grew up together but were forced to part ways when Eun-suh's family moved away. Many years later, they meet again by chance and rekindle their friendship.
- StarsChoi Ji-wooBae Yong-junYong-ha ParkJun-sang transfers to You-jin's school, and they quickly become friends sharing their similar backgrounds of growing up under a single mother.
- StarsKwon Sang-wooChoi Ji-wooShin Hyeon-junThere exists a love in the human heart that cannot be erased forever. Because it was believed that this love exists only in heaven, people continue to search for a stairway to heaven.