In this list, we explore some of the best K-dramas written by talented and hard-working female screenwriters. There are several underrated female screenwriters, and in this list, we have decided to celebrate a few of them who have given us these remarkable dramas.
1. Hospital Playlist
This drama is written by the talented Lee Won Jung. She is known for her style of writing heartwarming characters and stories. This is displayed in the hospital playlist. Her style of writing shines through this drama. In this series, we follow the lives and relationships of five doctors in a medical center. They are friends and have known each other since their days in medical school. Throughout the drama, we feel a deep connection with the characters, and Lee Won’s quirky sense of humor shines as well.
2. Goblin
This drama follows the life of a remarkable young girl named Ji Eun Tak. She has a supernatural gift; due to this gift, she can interact with the spirits of deceased humans and other supernatural beings. She is also the Goblin’s wife. Kim Shin is the Goblin; he has been cursed to roam the earth for generations in search of his wife. This drama is written by Kim Eun Sook, an immensely gifted writer. She is well known for her sharp wit and style of dialogue. She is a very successful writer and has produced several other hit shows.
3. Hotel Del Luna
This series is written by Hong Sister, Hong Jung Eun, and Hong Mi Ran, a talented writing duo responsible for penning several successful dramas. They are known for writing fantasy romances. They are also known for writing hard-working characters. Hotel Del Luna is a fantasy romance and it follows the mysterious Jang Man-Wol. She runs a hotel called Hotel Del Luna alongside other spirits.
4. Start-Up
This drama follows the lives of Seo Dal-Mi and Nam Do-San. Seo aspires to open a business and decides to drop out of university to pursue her dreams. To earn money, she decides to take up a part-time job. We also follow Nam Do-San, who was successful in opening his own business, but his company is not doing well. This series is written by the vivacious Park Hye Ryun. She is known for writing unforgettable second-lead characters. Most of the time this leads to a gripping love triangle that often leaves us rooting for the second lead.
5. It's Okay To Not Be Okay
This beautiful series is written by Jo Yong. Several writers often shy away from shedding light on mental health issues and disorders. Jo Yong decides to jump headfirst by writing this drama. In this series, we follow the lives of Moon Kang-Tae and Koo Moon-Young. Moon Kang-Tae is a hard-working nurse who looks after patients in a psych ward. He earns money to look after himself and his brother. Koo Moon is a cold, anti-social woman who is a children’s author. We see that she too has suffered trauma that led her to becoming anti-social and unfriendly.
6. Move To Heaven
This drama is a masterpiece and has been written by Yoon Ji-Hyeon. This drama will likely move you to tears. Yoon had been inspired by the accurate account of Kim Sae-byul and the essays written by him. He had written in his essays about being a trauma cleaner. This series follows the lives of Han Gue-Ru and his uncle, Cho Sang-Gu. It follows their experiences in working together for their cleaning service called, Move to Heaven.
7. Hometown Cha Cha Cha
This series is written by Shin Ha-Eun, and it is a remake of a film called Mr. Hong. The series follows the mundane lives of people living in a quiet seaside town. It seems like a love letter to small towns and the people living in them. Even though it is supposed to be about ordinary people, their stories are anything but mundane. Due to Shin Ha-Eun's writing skills, we can relate deeply to the characters and their realistic struggles.
8. Our Beloved Summer
This drama is written by Lee Na-Eun. This series follows the lives and relationships between Choi Ung and Kook Yeon-Su. When a documentary they had made as students in high school blew up, it forced Choi and Kook to meet again after their breakup five years prior. They are forced to stand before a camera again despite their wishes. This series was inspired by Lee Na-Eun's personal dating and social life. The regrets and emotions that she had felt towards her relationships inspired her to write a reunion between the characters and give their love a second chance.
9. Boys Over Flowers (2009)
This is an iconic K-drama and for most people, this series has been their first experience with Korean Dramas. This series is a significant success, and many would argue that this series was a global success and to date is extremely popular among K-drama fans. This drama has been written by Yoon Ji-Ryeon. It follows the love story between a girl named Geum Jan-Di and the rich Jun-Pyo Koo. It is a high school established for wealthy and elite families. The F4 led by Jun-Pyo is a group of spoiled, arrogant, and wealthy boys. They terrorize the school and are worshipped by the students in the school. The only student who went against them and Jun-Pyo was Geum Jan Di. This causes Jun-Pyo to take an interest in her and, eventually, he falls madly in love with her.
10. It's Okay, That’s Love
This drama is written by Noh Hee-Kyung. She is a very well-known and well-respected screenwriter in South Korea. She has worked on and written several hit K-dramas which include, It’s Okay, That’s Love. This drama follows the connection between people in society and the mental health struggles often neglected or shunned by society. This series follows the lives of Jang Jae-Yeol and Ji Hae-Soo. Jang suffers from an obsessive-compulsive disorder, and this causes him to seek psychiatric help. We also follow Ji Hae-Soo, a psychiatrist who happens to meet Jang.
