Korean dramas are famous all over the world. Thanks to the spread of Korean popular culture (the "Korean Wave") and their widespread availability through streaming services, which frequently provide subtitles in multiple languages. We can find many K-dramas around the world, with some having a significant impact on other countries. Some of the most well-known dramas have aired on traditional television channels in other countries. The popularity of Korean dramas has given a significant boost to the fashion industry.
10. Hotel Del Luna
Hotel Del Luna is a South Korean television series that premiered in 2019. In this series, the hotel is a supernatural location which cannot be seen in its original form during the day. It is because only in certain circumstances can humans come across it. Its employees and clients are all souls who are dealing with their unfinished works in their previous lives. The staff have been there for decades, if not centuries, because they have not resolved their grievances. The hotel general manager is an exception to this rule. The story revolves around the Hotel.
Genre: Dark Fantasy, Romantic comedy
Estimated Cost: 20 billion Korean Won
9. Vincenzo
An Italian family adopted Park Joo-Hyung (Song Joong-ki) at the age of 8 and moved to Italy. Later, he joined the mafia. Don Fabio, the Cassano mafia family's leader, adopts him. Renamed "Vincenzo Cassano”, he goes on to become an Italian lawyer, a mafia consigliere, and Don Fabio's right-hand man. After Fabio's death, Fabio's biological son and the new Cassano Family leader try to murder Vincenzo. The plot then revolves around Vincenzo.
Genre: Crime-Drama, Dark comedy
Estimated Cost: 20 billion Korean Won
8. Crash Landing On You
‘Crash Landing on You’ is a mega K-drama hit. It had a budget of around 20 billion Korean Won. Some of the series were shot in Switzerland, a country known for its high prices. The drama features top actors Hyun Bin and Son Ye-Jin. Recreating the North Korean scenes and the rich outfits worn by Son's heiress, added up to the massive budget.
Genre: Romantic Drama, Romantic comedy
Estimated Cost: 20 billion Korean Won
7. Legend Of The Blue Sea
Legend of the Blue Sea is a 2016–2017 South Korean television series starring Jun Ji-hyun and Lee Min-ho. Inspired by a classic Joseon legend from Korea's first collection of unofficial historical tales about a fisherman who captures and releases a mermaid, this drama tells the love story of a con-artist and a mermaid who travels across the ocean to find him. The series aired on SBS from November 16, 2016, to January 25, 2017, every Wednesday and Thursday at 22:00 (KST). It recorded an average viewership rating of 17.6%.
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Comedy
Estimated Cost: 22 billion Korean Won
6. Vagabond
Cha Dal Geon, a struggling stuntman who looks after his nephew Hoon, is the protagonist of Vagabond's action-packed drama. However, tragedy strikes when Hoon is involved in a mysterious plane crash that kills everyone on board. Dal Geon is heartbroken by the death. He travels to Morocco for his funeral, determined to learn the truth. However, as he begins his investigation, he encounters an NIS agent Go Haeri. They begin to collaborate and realize the plane crash was not an accident, leading them to a web of political corruption.
Genre: Spy, Crime, Action, Thriller, Romance
Estimated Cost: 25 billion Korean Won
5. Sweet Home
Cha Hyun-Soo planned to leave his home and rent an apartment after an unexpected family tragedy. Soon after, monsters began attempting to exterminate humanity. People inside the apartment were unable to move out, meaning, they were trapped inside the building, oblivious to the fact that monsters lurked outside. Hyun-Soo and the other residents barricaded themselves inside the building in the hopes of surviving as long as possible.
Genre: Drama, Horror, Apocalyptic
Estimated Cost: 30 billion Korean Won
4. The King: Eternal Monarch
It is a South Korean romantic-fantasy television series that premiered in 2020. On April 17, 2020, it premiered for a global audience on SBS TV and Netflix. The series follows Emperor Lee Gon of the Kingdom of Corea, who discovers access to an alternate reality after crossing a mythical door opened by his half-uncle, Lee Lim, where the Republic of Korea exists in the stead and sets out to put an end to Lee Lim's bad behaviors. Then, he plans to retrieve the other half of Manpasikjeok used as a portal between two worlds.
Genre: Romance, Fantasy
Estimated Cost: 30 billion Korean Won
3. Kingdom 1&2
The Kingdom is a South Korean series that premiered in 2019. It was created and written by Kim Eun-hee and directed by Kim Seong-hun and Park. It's Netflix's first original Korean series, that premiered on January 25, 2019. The series is centered on Kim Eun-webcomic 'The Kingdom of the Gods.' Yang Kyung-il was the writer of the webcomic. The fictional and medieval period is the setting of the drama. The story revolves around the Crown Prince as he sets out to investigate the source of a mysterious plague that begins to destroy his country.
Genre: Historical period, Political drama, Horror, Thriller
Estimated Cost: 35 billion Korean Won
2. Mr. Sunshine
‘Mr. Sunshine’ revolves around Eugene Choi, a slave born in Joseon. He became a Marine Corps officer after fleeing to the United States following the 1871 Shinmiyangyo. Eugene meets and falls in love with an aristocrat's granddaughter, Go Ae Shin who is a member of the Righteous Army. Their love is tested by their class difference, as well as the existence of Kim Hui-Seong, a nobleman who has been Ae-betrothed Shins since childhood. Eugene also meets Goo Dong-mae, a ruthless samurai, and Kudo Hina, the owner of the well-known "Glory Hotel," where Eugene stays. Simultaneously, he uncovers a plot by the Japanese Empire to colonize Korea.
Genre: Historical, Romance, Melodrama
Estimated Cost: 40 billion Korean Won
1. Arthdal Chronicles
‘Arthdal Chronicles’ is a 2019 South Korean television series. The story takes place during the Bronze Age and is loosely based on the story of Dangun, the founder of the first Korean Kingdom of Gojoseon. It is regarded as the first ancient Korean fantasy drama. From June 1 to September 22, 2019, the series aired on tvN on Saturdays and Sundays at 21:00 (KST) for 18 episodes. It debuted on Netflix worldwide. The inhabitants of the ancient city of Arthdal contend with power struggles in a mythical land called Arth, while some find love along the way. Eun-Seom endures adversity to resurrect his tribe and discovers his true origins in the process.
Genre: Historical, Fantasy
Estimated Cost: 54 billion Korean Won
