Korean dramas, films
The Oscar-winning film ‘Parasite’ might had opened to the rest of the world on the potential of Korean-language productions. But for anyone like myself coming from Asia, the phenomenon has been there since the turn of the current century when ‘Winter Sonata’ had since came to be known and recognised as the first Korean-language TV drama series to mark the start of the ‘K-wave’ (or the ‘Korean wave’) in Asia, making the rest of Asia see the potential of Korean-language entertainment, whether it is on the small or big screen, or in the world of pop music.
But for those willing to explore beyond ‘Parasite’ and don’t mind the subtitles, the other titles to consider as well. I was in my early teens at the turn of the current century when ‘K-wave’ took off, and so the success of ‘Parasite’ merely confirmed what many of us thought all along of Korean-language entertainment at this part of the world. That it can also hold its own too.
Pop culture phenomenon can come and go, but Korean-language entertainment still makes its way outside of its home country after so many years where there is always a buzz if a TV drama series or a film which has done well in South Korea and starts to be shown elsewhere as well, and so it says something. That is if you are willing to get past the idea of subtitles, unless you do want to learn the language.
P.S. The subtitles are also how I get by watching what are on here, making me absorbed and involved too.
But for those willing to explore beyond ‘Parasite’ and don’t mind the subtitles, the other titles to consider as well. I was in my early teens at the turn of the current century when ‘K-wave’ took off, and so the success of ‘Parasite’ merely confirmed what many of us thought all along of Korean-language entertainment at this part of the world. That it can also hold its own too.
Pop culture phenomenon can come and go, but Korean-language entertainment still makes its way outside of its home country after so many years where there is always a buzz if a TV drama series or a film which has done well in South Korea and starts to be shown elsewhere as well, and so it says something. That is if you are willing to get past the idea of subtitles, unless you do want to learn the language.
P.S. The subtitles are also how I get by watching what are on here, making me absorbed and involved too.
List activity
346 views
• 0 this weekCreate a new list
List your movie, TV & celebrity picks.
58 titles
- DirectorBong Joon HoStarsSong Kang-hoLee Sun-kyunCho Yeo-jeongGreed and class discrimination threaten the newly-formed symbiotic relationship between the wealthy Park family and the destitute Kim clan.
- StarsYum Jung-ahLee Tae-ranYun Se-ahA satirical drama that closely looks at the materialistic desires of upper-class parents in South Korea and how they ruthlessly secure the successes of their families at the cost of destroying others' lives.Seoul National University, Korea University, Yonsei University, the three which are always recognised as the most prestigious in South Korea and also collectively known as 'SKY'. This is what the 'SKY' in this drama series refer to, and openly acknowledged in South Korea as well. Much like the Ivy League in the United States or 'Oxbridge' (Oxford and Cambridge) in the United Kingdom.
But as much it is a satirical look at the education system in South Korea, the adults in the drama series have not escaped the scrutiny for the medical field, and the mothers who will do anything to get their children ahead of their studies. The premise was originally on a group of housewives and their families living in 'SKY Castle', a complex making up of families who have made it to any one of the prestigious universities in the country or holding down high-paying jobs, but things started to change when a new family moves into the complex leading to various conflicts along the way...and a tragedy occurring as well. - StarsLee Yeong-aeHong Ri-naJi Jin-heeA series based on a real person in Korean history, Suh, Jang-geum.
- DirectorSeok-won ChoiStarsHan Ji-hyeLee Dong-geonYi ShinYoung-bin and Ha-mi meet by accident after a row over him ruining her cellphone. She believes he and she were destined to meet, but the problem is, he has blood-type B, making him spontaneous and emotional but unreliable. Her sister, running a dating-agency based on selection by blood-types, opposes the friendship, as she's convinced that Ha-mi, with blood-type A, making her soft, introvert and shy, will only end up as another victim of his whims and arrogance. Romantic comedy by Seok-won Choi.
- DirectorTae-gyun KimStarsHyun BinYong-joon ChoPark Jin-youngJae-Kyung (Hyun-Bin ) is a tough guy, who is a high school senior,If he turns 19 years means, he could be a millionaire by inheriting his deceased grandfather's wealth. Unfortunately his family lawyer informs Jae-Kyung about the will from his grandfather. In his will grandfather stated he can only become a millionaire after he graduates from Boram High School,a countryside local school. He has no other choice to avoid. Life became worse there and he can't use his money or make friends. In his class, he meets Eun-Hwan (Lee Yeon-Hee)a pretty girl. She's some kind of different from others. Things change Jae-Kyung's mind and became close to their new friends. Eventually he fell in love with Eun-Hwan and things become strong after he knows about her secrets.
- StarsKim Jae-wonKim Yoo-jinJi-hun LeeThe story of Xu Tian who suffers big blows both in his love and work life. When he decides to leave America, where he has been living for 10 years, and returns to his home country, luck is not on his side.
- DirectorPark Chan-wookStarsLee Yeong-aeLee Byung-hunSong Kang-hoAfter a shooting incident at the North-South Korean border DMZ leaves two North Korean soldiers dead, a neutral Swiss and Swedish team investigates what actually happened.
- 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.
- 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.
- StarsKim Jeong-eunShin-yang ParkLee Dong-geonTae-young met Ki-joo, a businessman, while studying in Paris. Though they developed a mutual attraction for each other, however they parted on bad terms and met each other again in South Korea.
- StarsKim Nam-juJi Jin-heeJeon Hye-jinThis drama is a Crime Suspense centering around a headstrong anchorwoman who becomes the suspect in a murder case. Her estranged husband, who's a lawyer, decides to defend her and hence starts their journey to fall back in love.
- StarsPark Bo-youngPark Hyung-sikJi SooDo Bong-soon is a woman born with superhuman strength that comes from the long line of women possessing it. when Ahn Min Hyuk, the CEO of ainsoft, a gaming company witnesses her strength he hires her as his personal bodyguard.
- StarsIUYeo Jin-gooShin Jeong-geunWhen he's invited to manage a hotel for dead souls, an elite hotelier gets to know the establishment's ancient owner and her strange world.
- StarsKim Hee-aePark Hae-joonHan So-heeA story about a married couple whose betrayal of one another leads to a whirlwind of revenge.
- StarsHyun BinSon Ye-jinSeo Ji-hyeThe absolute top secret love story of a chaebol heiress who made an emergency landing in North Korea because of a paragliding accident and a North Korean special officer who falls in love with her and who is hiding and protecting her.
- StarsJang Na-raChoi Jin-hyukSin Seong-rokSet in an alternate universe, in which Korea is a constitutional monarchy in 2018, Oh Sunny is a bright and vivacious musical actress who marries the emperor. She becomes involved in the palace power struggle and a mysterious murder that sets off events that threaten the monarchy itself, while searching for true love and happiness. But, she ends up falling in love with Na Wang Sik who works as a bodyguard for the imperial family. He started working in the palace to take revenge on the person responsible for his mother's death.
- StarsSong Joong-kiSong Hye-kyoJin GooThis drama tells of the love story that develops between a surgeon and a special forces officer.
- StarsHan Ji-minKim Hye-jaNam Joo-hyukThis story is about a woman who loses all her time before she can use it up and a man who gives up all of his radiant moments and lives a lethargic life.
- StarsLee Jung-jaePark Hae-sooDylan BesseauHundreds of cash-strapped players accept a strange invitation to compete in children's games. Inside, a tempting prize awaits with deadly high stakes: a survival game that has a whopping 45.6 billion-won prize at stake.
- StarsPark Min-YoungPark Seo-joonLee Tae-HwanA romance between perfect but narcissistic second generation heir and his capable assistant.
- StarsJung Ryeo-wonLee Sung-jaeKim Kwang-kyuThe stories of overworked prosecutors's daily lives in Seoul.
- 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.
- CreatorÁlex PinaStarsYoo Ji-taeYunjin KimJeon Jong-seoA genius strategist and people with different personalities and abilities fighting an extraordinary variable and engaging in an unprecedented hostage play.
- StarsUhm Ji-wonPark Ha-seonJang Hye-jinOh Hyun Jin is a businesswoman with a brilliant career, but she finds giving birth for the first time to be far more difficult than expected. She enters an exclusive high-end postpartum care center that caters to society's elites.
- StarsPark Eun-binKim Min-jaeKim Sung-cheolA drama about the dreams and love of classical music students who find their own happiness after wandering between talent and reality.
- StarsYoo Joon-sangSong Yun-ahBae Soo-bin"Elegant Friends" is a story that takes place in the wake of a murder case against the backdrop of a town largely inhabited by couples in their 40s.
- StarsPark Eun-binKang Tae-ohKang Ki-youngDue to her 164 I.Q., impressive memory and creative thought process, autistic 27-year-old lawyer Woo Young Woo graduated at the top of her class from a prestigious law school.
- StarsKim Ha-neulYoon Sang-HyunLee Do-hyunA 37-year-old man on the verge of being divorced from his wife suddenly finds himself inside his 18-year-old body. He starts living a new life under a new name to get closer to his children and protect them.
- StarsPark Hee-soonChu Ja-hyeonOh Man-seok"Beautiful World," tells of an incident of school violence which leaves a young boy on the precipice of life and death as his family seeks for justice in his stead.
- StarsTaecyeonKim Hye-yoonJung Soon-wonSet in Joseon dynasty, it tells the story of a young gourmet who unintentionally becomes a royal inspector and a divorced woman who rushes to find happiness, as they team up to investigate and defeat corrupt politicians.
- StarsJang Na-raLee Sang-yoonLee Chung-AhA woman whose seemingly perfect life is turned around when an anonymous messenger tells her her husband is having an affair.
- StarsPark GyuyoungJo Jung-SukHan YeriSet during the Donghak Peasant Revolution which took place from 1894--1895. Two half-brothers fight on opposite sides of this rebellion.
- DirectorShuming HeStarsYeo Jin-gooKang Hyoung-sukHan Yeo-reumA widow obsessed with Korean soap operas travels abroad for the first time in her life to Seoul and finds more than she had bargained for.
- StarsKim Go-eunNam Ji-hyunWi Ha-joonThe exciting story of three sisters with a close bond who grew up in poverty then become embroiled in a major incident and face off against the wealthiest family in the nation.
- CreatorYoon Jong-binKwon Sung-huiStarsShim Woo-SungHa Jung-wooHwang Jung-minA civilian businessman who has no choice but to cooperate with the secret operation of the National Intelligence Service to arrest the Korean drug lord who has taken control of Suriname in South America.
- StarsJung Yu-miNam Joo-hyukChoi Joon-YoungWielding a light-up sword through the dark corners of a high school, a nurse with an unusual gift protects students from monsters only she can see.
- StarsJun Ji-hyunKim Soo-hyunPark Hae-jinDo Min-Joon, an alien that came to our planet 400 years ago, will be able to return to his planet in 3 months, but when he meets famous actress Chun Song-Yi, all the centuries he spent distancing himself from humans come to an end.
- StarsKim Dong-wookMoon Ga-youngLee Seung-joonA love story between a man who remembers every second of his life and a woman who forgot her painful past.
- StarsKim Tae-heeLee Kyoo-hyungKo Bo-gyeolIt's the story of a mother who died and begins a 49-day long project of reincarnation and a husband who has barely begun to live a new life after overcoming the pain of losing his wife.
- StarsJi SungLee Se-yeongHwang HeeIn a refreshing take on the genre, "Doctor John" will portray the doctors' search for the cause of their patients' mysterious pain as a thrilling chase, almost like a detective hunting down the perpetrator behind an unsolved crime.
- StarsPark Shin-hyeHyun BinMin Jin-woongAfter suffering a setback following a friend's betrayal Yoo Jin Woo travels to Spain on a business. There, he stays at an old hostel owned by a former classical guitarist Jung Hee Joo. The two get entangled in a mysterious incident.
- DirectorYeon Sang-hoStarsGong YooJung Yu-miMa Dong-seokWhile a zombie virus breaks out in South Korea, passengers struggle to survive on the train from Seoul to Busan.
- CreatorPark Jae-beomStarsJoo WonMoon Chae-wonJoo Sang-ukPark Shi Ohn, who is an autistic savant, aspires to become a pediatrician. He overcomes societal discrimination and uses his exceptional abilities to achieve his dreams.
- StarsGo Hyun-jungYoun Yuh-jungKim Young-okDepict the life story of the ones in their twilight years, who raise their voices as "It's not over. We're still alive".
- StarsIm Soo-hyangCha Eun-wooJo Woo-riKang Mi Rae recovers her self esteem after being bullied as she gets to know Do Kyung Suk after getting plastic surgery. Then she gets called the "Gangnam plastic surgery monster."
- StarsHan Suk-kyuByeon Woo-minJin Kyung"Romantic Doctor Kim" is a "real doctor" story set in a small, humble hospital called Dol Dam Hospital. It is a story about people who meet Kim Sa Bu (Han Suk Kyu), a genius doctor, and discover "real romance."
- StarsLee JehoonKim Hye-suCho Jin-woongA cold-case profiler in 2015 and a detective in 1989 work together to solve a series of related murders spanning three decades using a special walkie-talkie to communicate with each other.
- StarsKim Hee-seonJoo WonLee Da-inThe story of detective Park Jin Gyeom who comes to know about the existence of time travelers while investigating a mysterious murder case.
- StarsYum Jung-ahJun So-minKim Jae-hwaTells the story about the struggle cleaners at a security firm have as they try to create a new destiny for themselves after overhearing about insider trading.
- 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 Yeong-aeKim Hye-junKim Hae-sookA reclusive ex-cop reenters the game as an insurance investigator, searching for clues in crime scenes perfectly staged by a serial killer in her midst.
- DirectorBong Joon HoStarsSong Kang-hoByun Hee-BongPark Hae-ilA monster emerges from Seoul's Han River and begins attacking people. One victim's loving family does what it can to rescue her from its clutches.
- StarsJ.Y. ParkBae SuzyKim Soo-hyunThe story of six students at Kirin Art High School who work to achieve their dreams of becoming stars in the Korean music industry. Along the way, they discover the true meaning of friendship, love and life.
- StarsLee HaneeLee Sang-yoonJin Seo-yeonTells the story of a tough and rogue female prosecutor, who one day loses all of her memories and changes places with a conservative housewife who looks just like her.
- StarsJung Kyung-hoPark Sung-woongKo Ah-sungWhile investigating a serial murder case, Han Tae Joo gets into an incident. When he wakes up, he finds himself back in 1987. To get back to his present world, he must solve the murder case.
- StarsLee Jin-wookJo Yun-hieJeon No-minA TV anchorman discovers that a mysterious bundle of incense has the power to send him back in time, where he has the opportunity to alter the past.
- StarsLee Byung-hunShin Min-aHan Ji-minRomance is sweet and bitter - and life riddled with ups and downs - in multiple stories about people who live and work on bustling Jeju Island.
- StarsLee Sun-kyunIULee Ji-ahA man in his 40s withstands the weight of life. A woman in her 20s goes through different experiences, but also withstands the weight of her life. The man and woman get together to help each other.