Netflix hit Korean series, The Glory, blew up for its intense revenge plot. The revenge thriller left audiences on the edge of their seats. Complete with shocking revelations and ghastly plot twists, The Glory got everyone hooked with the intense story. Written by renowned Korean writer Kim Eun-Sook, the drama proves to be a heavy diversion from her other works such as K-Drama classics Lovers in Paris and Secret Garden, as well as iconic Korean dramas like The Heirs and Guardian: The Lonely and Great God. This is the writer’s second K-Drama with lead star Song Hye-Kyo, following the action-packed romantic series Descendants of the Sun.
If you’ve just finished The Glory or need a break from its twists and turns, we compiled a list of Korean Dramas perfect for you. These K-Dramas — also available for streaming on Netflix — work great for breathing windows in between episodes or for your recovery from the dark tones The Glory effortlessly laid out for its viewers. Read along to find out the perfect healing drama for you.
15 18 Again
The story of this 2020 K-Drama revolves around a married man who transforms back into his 18-year-old basketball-playing self in the middle of a life crisis. That being his wife serving him divorce papers and getting fired from his job. Sounds familiar? That’s because this drama is a Korean remake of the 2009 American movie 17 Again, starring Zac Efron, Leslie Mann, and Matthew Perry. In this Korean remake, The Glory’s very own Lee Do-Hyun plays the younger version of Hong Dae-Young (played by actor Yoon Sang-Hyun) opposite Kim Ha-Neul’s Jung Da-Jung. Lee Do-Hyun brought home the Best New Actor award from the prestigious BaekSang Arts Awards in 2021. The series is a great family drama with just the right amount of romance in its 16-episode run.
14 Business Proposal
Business Proposal is the perfect romance drama for you if you’re into the contract-marriage and Korean drama CEO trope. In the drama, Ahn Hyo-Seop plays Kang Tae-Moo, your typical CEO who has no time for love. He meets Shin Ha-Ri (played by singer-actress Kim Se-Jeong) on a blind date set for him by his grandfather, not knowing that Ha-Ri is only pretending to be her heiress friend Jin Yeong-Seo. The twist? Tae-Moo is the CEO of the company where Ha-Ri works at. As generic as the plot seems, this 12-episode 2022 drama is packed with light romantic scenes that will get you swooning and probably hooked on its existing tropes. The K-Drama garnered much love from its viewers in South Korea and all across the globe. It also brought home award after award at the 2022 SBS Drama Awards, including the Best Actor award for Ahn Hyo-Seop. Best Actress award for Kim Se-Jeong and the Best Couple Award for both the leads and their supporting counterparts.
13 Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha
Healing dramas are massive in South Korea. Defined by their comforting factor, healing dramas are always a huge hit in the country and later by the rest of the world. Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha proves just how much comforting these types of dramas are with various storylines from each character. Its main plot centers on Shin Mi-Na’s Yoon Hye-Jin, a dentist who travels to an idyllic seaside village to start a new life. There, he meets Hong Du-Sik played by actor Kim Sun-Ho, who she quickly finds interest in. This K-Drama is a remake of the 2004 Korean movie Mr. Hong and becomes a big hit for Korean drama fans all over the world. It turned Pohang, South Korea — where the fictional town was set — into a tourist hotspot seemingly overnight. Its viewership peaked at 13% nationwide; its audience found comfort not only in the main story, but also in the subplots about the other residents of the fictional seaside village.
12 Welcome to Waikiki
In need of a laugh? Welcome to Waikiki effortlessly can give you just that! This comedy sitcom runs for 20 episodes with non-stop laughs for everyone. The drama tells the story of three friends — an aspiring director, a wanna-be actor, and an unlucky writer — who runs a guest house they adorably call Waikiki (complete with tropical themes across). Just when the guest house faces the threat of bankruptcy, the friends run into a single mother and her baby. An obvious homage to Three Men and a Baby with some tropes taken from Friends, this 2018 comedy contains the perfect formula for laugh-out-loud one-liners and incredibly choreographed slapstick. It was such a hit that it inspired a second season a year later.
11 Familiar Wife
Equipped with a charming fantasy plot and a line-up of esteemed and rising actors, Familiar Wife is perfect if you’re looking to get hooked on a light drama. Ji Sung and Han Ji-Min play an unhappy couple who hates each other because of life’s hard hits on their family of four. After helping a stranger on the subway, Ji Sung’s Cha Joo-Hyuk travels back in time when he wakes up in a completely different situation. He finds himself married to his college crush Lee Hye-Won (played by Kang Ha-Na) and his supposed wife is now just another (single) teller in the bank where he works as a manager. The K-Drama is packed with mind-bending twists that will make you appreciate what you have now before you lose it later. With Ji Sung in the lead, the Korean series became the most-watched series for its time slot, earning 10% of viewership in all of South Korea in 2018.
10 Crash Course in Romance
Good old romance with a comforting subplot — Crash Course in Romance has everything you need for a feel-good Korean drama. It features the charming romantic involvement of a former national athlete played by Jeon Do-Yeon and a popular after-school academy instructor portrayed by Jung Kyoung-Ho. It’s easily a comforting choice, with an unwittingly positive main character melting a stone-hearted successful male lead. Such a drama can give you a break not only from heavy series like The Glory, but also from life’s hardships.
9 Mystic Pop-Up Bar
There’s something about fantasy Korean dramas that make for a perfect feel-good series. Mystic Pop-Up Bar ticks all the boxes for a great series — food and drinks, healing, and a powerhouse cast. Hwang Jung-Eum plays Wol-Ju, a woman who runs a mysterious food cart that only runs at night. Located on the rooftop of a building, the food cart serves food and alcohol not only to living human beings, but also to the dead. The pop-up bar functions as a healing point for the living and a crossover point where the dead heal their unfinished businesses. The drama also stars singer-actor Yook Sung-Jae and actor Choi Won-Young. Its anthology-like structure runs for 12 episodes, full of hope. It goes back and forth between modern days and historical Korea as the story of the bar owner and its customers unfolds.
8 Romance is a Bonus Book
As expected from its title, Romance is a Bonus Book features a developing love story between two childhood friends who are in the business of books. The heartwarming drama contains some hints of life’s heavy jabs but just like its lead Kang Da-Ni, its viewers will come off as stronger and victorious on the other side. The series tells the story of Kang Da-Ni (Lee Na-Young), a single mother attempting to hide her failed marriage from her childhood friend Cha Eun-Ho (Lee Jong-Suk) who is a big-shot author. The K-Drama is Lee Na-Young’s comeback series after 8 years of being on hiatus. Meanwhile, the drama served as lead actor Lee Jong-Suk’s last work before his mandatory military enlistment.
7 Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-Joo
Full of laughs, iconic one-liners, and young love — Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-Joo tackles more than just budding romance but also the life of a student-athlete. It features the story of Kim Bok-Joo (played by model-actress Lee Sung-Kyung), a bright collegiate weightlifter who crosses paths with a boy from her past. Nam Joo-Hyuk’s Jung Joon-Hyung plays a swimmer struggling with trauma. As light as their relationship is, the drama also takes on serious topics such as society’s obsession with weight and looks, generational trauma, and forgotten dreams. According to news reports, the drama was inspired by the life of Olympic gold medalist Jang Mi-ran.
6 Fight for My Way
Some of us just have to work harder than others in life. That’s exactly the message of this hit Korean drama, Fight for My Way. Park Seo-Jun plays Ko Dong-Man, a former athlete who had a bright future ahead of him. Playing opposite him is Kim Ji-Won who plays Choi Ae-Ra. She’s Dong-Man’s childhood friend, who once dreamed of becoming a news anchor. The two find renewed energy to revisit their forgotten dreams while they navigate their complicated relationship. The drama bagged a bunch of awards at the 2017 KBS Drama Awards as well as the 2017 Korea Drama Awards, including the Excellent Actor and Actress awards for its leads. Some of its scenes became viral hits in the country and its viewership soared with cameos from various celebrities such as Parasite’s Choi Woo-Sik.
5 Hospital Playlist
With two seasons up its sleeve, Hospital Playlist is just of many hits from writer Lee Woo-Jung. Hospital Playlist is a feel-good series featuring the life of five doctor friends, their co-workers, as well as their patients. The surgeons all came from the same medical university in 1999 played by Cho Jung-Seok (internal medicine), Yoo Yeon-Seok (pediatric), Jung Kyoung-Ho (cardiothoracic), Kim Dae-Myung (OBGYN), and Jeon Mi-Do (neurological). Writer Lee Woo-Jung also penned other hit Korean dramas, including the Reply Series, coming-of-age stories set in different pivotal eras for the country. The writer is known for his great use of foreshadowing, Easter eggs, and mind-blowing twists
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Hit Series Extraordinary Attorney Woo was much loved by the internet for its honest and inspiring portrayal of an attorney with an autism spectrum disorder. Park Eun-Bin does a fantastic job playing the role of Woo Young-Woo. She’s a lawyer-in-training at a sought-after firm. The charm of this drama lies in her unique case-solving methods as well as her fresh perspective on conflicts. Rumors of a second season came out soon as the drama concluded after 16 episodes. However, with the mandatory military enlistment of its lead actor Kang Tae-Oh, reports say that we won’t get a second season until 2024.
3 Mr. Queen
South Korea takes historical value very seriously. That’s why when Mr. Queen premiered in 2020, it became a massive hit for its lighthearted plot. This period drama starts in the modern day when a presidential chef ends up in the past and in the body of Queen Kim So-Yong (played by Shin Hye-Sun) in the Joseon era. The series features everything you’ll love about period dramas, including politics, betrayal, and good old romance. However, you probably can’t stop yourself from laughing out loud at Shin Hye-Sun’s portrayal of a man in a woman’s body. It’s no wonder her performance became a crowd favorite.
2 Racket Boys
There is something about sports dramas that make it such a light watch. Racket Boys prove just that as we follow a middle school badminton team on the verge of disbandment. Much like Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha, the charm of Racket Boys rests not only on the leads, but also on the supporting characters from their humble little town. The drama became a hit with its fun cast of young actors, bagging awards from the 2021 SBS Drama Awards. That includes the Best New Actor award for Son Sang-Yeon and Choi Hyun-Wook, Supporting Cast Team Award, Best Female Character for Oh Na-Ra, and Best Youth Actor & Actress for Tang Joon-Sang & Lee Jae-In.
1 Run On
Finally, we take on a good old romance, minus the toxic second lead that’s notorious in many Korean dramas. Run On tells the story between a sprinter for the national team (Im Si-Wan) and a translator (Shin Se-Kyung). On the side, you get the story of a sports agency CEO (Soo-Young) fighting gender inequality in her field and a university student (Kang Tae-Oh) who she crosses paths with. The best part about this drama is its realistic portrayal of modern love. It features complicated relationships, absolutely adorable meet-cutes, and a lot of lighthearted moments that will get you swooning. Spoiler alert: our leads conquer it all, even your typical “bribing of the female lead by the male lead’s rich parents” trope.
