Top 10 Most Memorable Korean Dramas

All around the world, Korean dramas have become more acknowledged, lending a hand in the spread of different aspects of Korean culture such as music and food. Ranging from a variety of genres, just like American dramas, there is something for everyone. The exposure to Korean dramas has led people to think from different perspectives and to encourage travel to South Korea. As there is a ton of Korean dramas out there, it was difficult to choose only ten but here are the top 10 most memorable Korean dramas.

1. Kingdom (Season 1 & 2)

The Korean drama Kingdom takes place during the historical Joseon period when kings and queens sat on the throne, setting the laws in place for Korea. The drama mainly focuses on the Crown Prince Lee Chang who makes every effort to find out the dark secret that the palace is hiding. His strong sense of justice makes him even more attractive in this chilling drama. But as he grows closer to revealing the secret, a gruesome disease starts to spread across the land, threatening the lives of the people. Lee Chang and his allies must find a way to fight against the zombies while staying alive.

2. Abyss

Cha-min and Ko Seyeon are determined to find the murderer in Abyss. As a prosecutor, Ko Seyeon left quite an impression in her handling of criminal cases. Her friend Cha-min was the CEO of a famous cosmetic company. Their lives, however, ended sooner than they thought. In a twist of fate, Cha-min and Ko Seyeon are given the chance to live again by reincarnation in order to chase down Seyeon's murderer.

A mysterious marble ball acts as their life savor throughout their journey in their second chance at life. The marble ball grants people multiple chances at life, but when the chances used up the owner of the ball will disappear. As a growing number of threats arise in both their lives, they are forced to use the magic ball. These strong-willed characters form a connection with the audience that makes the drama more memorable.

3. Itaewon Class

Park Seo Joon, one of Korea’s heartthrobs, leads a life of difficulty when he comes face to face with a bully in high school. He ends up going to jail for hitting the bully, who just so happens to be the son of the top restaurant company in Korea. Soon after his confrontation with the bully, his father is killed in a hit and run. With the dream of his father and revenge, Seo Joon is determined to create a pub franchise that will rank above Jangga Group. With both companies fighting for the number one spot, Seo Joon must determine who is on his side. Filled with the bond of friendship and loved ones, this drama will make one think about the importance of relationships.

4. Memories of the Alhambra

In a Korean drama centered around a medieval video game, the CEO of an investment firm, Yoo Jin-woo, decides to travel to Granada, Spain to meet game creator Jung Se-joo. However, when he arrives he instead meets his sister Jung Hee-joo, the owner of the hostel he’s staying in. As Jin-woo searches for the missing video game creator with the help of Hee-joo, the border between the real world and the augmented reality world begins to blur. He soon figures out that he must play the game in order to find the creator, even if it means risking his life. Memories of the Alhambra offers an inside look at the innovation of video games in the future that we may or may not want to play.

Watch Memories of the Alhambra now on Netflix!

5. Fated to Love You

Fated to Love You brings the viewer on a journey filled with romantic comedy and melodrama. Lee Gun and Kim Mi Young accidentally have a one-night stand that results in her getting pregnant. Lee Gun is taken aback by this news but soon ends up falling for her even though they live two different lifestyles. However, a string of obstacles ultimately tests their relationship. Overall, this drama provides the perfect amount of funny and sad moments that leave us hoping the ending will be satisfactory.

6. Strong Woman Do Bong Soon

This Korean drama manages to switch gender roles while offering a comedic and interesting storyline to go with it. Do Bong-soon is born with superhuman strength as part of family genetics. Still, just like anyone else, she also has big dreams. While working as a bodyguard for gaming company CEO Anh Min-hyuk, she works on drawing herself for a video game. However, alarming threats targeted towards the CEO leaves him no choice but to train Bong-soon to help find the culprit, resulting in feelings of more than just colleagues.

7. Boys Over Flowers

The drama that helped Korean culture spread was Boys Over Flowers, a show based on the popular Japanese manga. The popular group called F4 (flower boys) is a group of pretty boys who are next in line to inherit multi-million-dollar companies. One day, Geum Jan-di goes on a mission to deliver clean clothes to a student at Shinhwa High School, only to end up becoming a hero by preventing the student from committing suicide. After being admitted to the prestigious school on a scholarship, she meets the members of F4 and immediately starts to butt heads with the leader, Gu Jun-pyo.

When a red death slip appears inside her locker, she becomes the victim of intense bullying. Jan-di soon realizes that not all members of the F4 are arrogant, thus resulting in a crush with the quiet group member-- Yoon Ji-hu. However, Jun-pyo grows jealous of their relationship and then starts to develop feelings for Jan-di, so he makes every effort to win her over. It just so happens to be one of those dramas where the main male lead, Jun-pyo takes some time to become more likable, but his character development is well worth it.

8. Rookie Historian Goo Hae Ryung

Goo Hae-ryung spends all her time in the literature world and discovers an opportunity to work at the Joseon royal court. With the announcement for female scholars, Hae-ryung embarks on a trip to take the exam in hopes that she will be accepted to make a difference in the world. Following her acceptance, she becomes overwhelmed by loads of work. To split up the workload amongst the female scholars, Hae-ryung accepts the position to work alongside the Crown Prince, Yi Rim, to record his everyday life. As she spends every day with him, they soon grow fond of each other. However, not everyone accepts the entrance of female scholars inside the royal court, almost resulting in the dismissal of the female scholars. Hae-ryung and the other scholars must work together to beat the obstacles.

9. Love Alarm

Based on the webtoon, Love Alarm is yet another quirky romance Korean drama to dig your teeth into. Kim Jo-jo is an average high school student that works hard for her dreams, but following the accident with her family, she is forced to live with her stepmother. Through high school, she is introduced to the app Love Alarm, which is programmed to reveal who has romantic feelings for you in a 10-meter vicinity. With her luck, Jo-jo runs into the handsome model Sun-oh. They both start to develop a crush on one another, resulting in their love alarms going off. But what happens when love rivals start to interfere in their love bubble?

10. Romance is a Bonus Book

Cha Eun-ho is a successful author and editor at a book publishing company. Kang Dan-I is a mother and a former advertising copywriter. After her husband abandons her, she is forced to reenter into the professional world. Her luck in finding professional jobs runs low until she happens to meet Cha Eun-ho, the man she saved when he was a kid. With his help, she can slowly enter the publishing company that he works at as part of the marketing team. Through many obstacles, Kang Dan-I and Cha Eun-ho start to develop feelings for each other.

These are the top ten dramas that will leave you feeling a pool of emotions as you connect with the characters while they go through their journeys. So, grab your popcorn and dive into the K-drama world!

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