Must Watch Korean Dramas of 2019
Binge watch some of the best 2019 kdramas you might have missed throughout the year.
Romance is a Bonus Book (로맨스는별책부록)
Who's in the cast:
Lee Na-young as Kang Dan-i
Lee Jong-suk as Cha Eun-ho
Jung Yoo-jin as Song Hae-rin
Wi Ha-joon as Ji Seo-joon
What it's about:
Cha Eun-ho is a brilliant author and a senior editor at a book publishing company. Kang Dan-i is a mother and former successful advertising copywriter. They have been close friends ever since Kang Dan-i saved Cha Eun-ho’s life when they were kids. When some major life-changing events force Kang Dan-i back into the professional world, their lives intertwine in every way possible. With the friends now working and living under the same roof, feelings start to change.
Watch it on Netflix
He is Psychometric (사이코메트리 그녀석)
Who's in the cast:
Park Jin-young as Lee Ahn
Shin Ye-eun as Yoon Jae-in
Kim Kwon as Kang Sung-mo
Kim Da-som as Eun Ji-soo
What it's about:
After Lee Ahn lost his parents to a building fire, he developed a supernatural ability called psychometry. Psychometry allows him to read a person or object's past through physical contact. He meets a secretive girl Yoon Jae-in that seems to be hiding a painful past. They team up with his guardian, prosecutor Kang Sung-mo and his colleague, investigator Eun Ji-soo to solve an elusive case that’s been haunting all of their lives.
Watch it on Viki
Sky Castle (SKY 캐슬)
Who's in the cast:
Yum Jung-ah as Han Seo-jin
Lee Tae-ran as Lee Soo-im
Yoon Se-ah as No Seung-hye
Oh Na-ra as Jin Jin-hee
Kim Seo-hyung as Kim Joo-young
What it's about:
A satirical drama that closely looks at the materialistic desires of the upper-class parents in Korea and how they ruthlessly secure the successes of their families at the cost of destroying others' lives. The drama revolves around the lives of housewives living in a luxurious residential area called SKY Castle in suburban Seoul. The wives are determined to make their husbands more successful and to raise their children like princes and princesses and to be top students.
Watch it on Netflix
Beautiful World (아름다운 세상)
Who's in the cast:
Park Hee-soon as Park Moo-jin
Choo Ja-hyun as Kang In-ha
Oh Man-seok as Oh Jin-pyo
Cho Yeo-jeong as Seo Eun-joo
Nam Da-reum as Park Sun-ho
Kim Hwan-hee as Park Su-ho
What it's about:
When a happy go lucky teenager ends up in a coma from what seems like a suicide attempt, his family must search for proof that this was an incident of school violence. The family just wants to uncover the truth and get justice for their son. Truly a battle between what’s right and what’s wrong and how far a parent would go to protect their child. Get your tissue box ready because this was a tear-jerker.
Watch it on Viki
Touch Your Heart (진심이 닿다)
Who's in the cast:
Yoo In-na as Oh Jin-shim/Oh Yoon-seo
Lee Dong-wook as Kwon Jung-rok
Lee Sang-woo as Kim Se-won
Son Sung-yoon as Yoo Yeo-reum
What it's about:
After a scandal leaves a famous actress jobless for two years, she desperately searches for a way to land a leading role. She agrees to work as a secretary for a lawyer named Kwon Jung-rok in order to gain experience for an upcoming television series.
Watch it on Viki
Hotel del Luna (호텔 델루나)
Who's in the cast:
Lee Ji-eun as Jang Man-wol
Yeo Jin-goo as Koo Chan-seong
Kim Gyu-ri as young Jang Man-wol
Kim Kang-hoon as young Chan-seong
What it's about:
Located in the middle of Seoul, Hotel del Luna is a hotel that caters only to ghosts. The beautiful but ill-tempered CEO is cursed with managing the hotel due to a terrible crime she committed but can't remember.
Watch it on Viki
My First First Love (첫사랑은 처음이라서)
Who's in the cast:
Ji Soo as Yun Tae-o
Jung Chae-yeon as Han Song-i
Jung Jin-young as Seo Do-hyeon
Choi Ri as O Ga-rin
Kang Tae-oh as Choe Hun
What it's about:
This drama tells the story of five youths and their messy encounters with the concept of first love. Yoon Tae-oh is a college student whose friends include a college drop-out, a runaway family friend, and his long-time childhood friend. They all unexpectedly move into his house due to their own personal reasons. Now they must all learn to live together and learn to love.
Watch it on Netflix
My Country: The New Age (나의나라)
Who's in the cast:
Yang Se-jong as Seo Hwi
Woo Do-hwan as Nam Seon-ho
Kim Seol-hyun as Han Hui-jae
Jang Hyuk as Yi Bang-won
What it's about:
During the transitional period between the end of the Goryeo dynasty and the beginning of the Joseon dynasty, two friends are destined to become enemies. They try to protect their country, and the people they love, their own way.
Who would like it:
For those that enjoyed historical dramas like Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo and Mr. Sunshine. Plenty of sword action, some romance, and of course a power struggle.
Watch it on Netflix
Angel's Last Mission: Love (단, 하나의 사랑)
Who's in the cast:
Shin Hye-sun as Lee Yeon-seo
Kim Myung-soo (L from Infinite) as Kim Dan/Yoo Seong-woo
Lee Dong-gun as Ji Kang-woo
Kim Bo-mi as Geum Ni-na
What it's about:
An optimistic, carefree angel named Dan is always getting into trouble. For him to return to his heavenly realm, he’s given a mission to find true love for an emotionally distant, but talented ballerina. Things take a turn when he falls in love with her.
Watch it on Viki
Extraordinary You (어쩌다 발견한하루)
Who's in the cast:
Kim Hye-yoon as Eun Dan-oh
Kim Ro-woon as Number 13/Ha-roo
Lee Jae-wook as Baek Kyung
Lee Na-eun as Yeo Joo-da
Jung Gun-joo as Lee Do-hwa
Kim Young-dae as Oh Nam-joo
Lee Tae-ri as Jinmichae/Geum Jin-mi
What it's about:
Eun Dan-oh is a high school student at a prestigious academy. She accidentally discovers that she's a character in a comic book entitled Secret, alongside everyone she knows. The worst part is that she realizes she's only a side character that's expected to die soon due to a heart condition. She decides to change her destiny by altering the story's plot and finding true love for herself. Things start to get complicated as she meets student Number 13 and their actions start to have parallels with the Writer's previous work, Neungsohwa. Dan-oh's attempt at changing her destiny and freeing herself from the Writer's control may have serious consequences.
Watch it on Viki
One Spring Night (봄밤)
Who's in the cast:
Han Ji-min as Lee Jeong-in
Jung Hae-in as Yoo Ji-ho
Kim Jun-han as Kwon Gi-seok
What it's about:
A pharmacist who's a single father meets a librarian by chance. When their paths cross again on a snowy spring night, they start seeing love and relationships in a new light.
Watch it on Netflix
Welcome to Waikiki 2 (으라차차 와이키키 2)
Who's in the cast:
Lee Yi-kyung as Lee Joon-ki
Kim Seon-ho as Cha Woo-sik
Shin Hyun-soo as Gook Gi-bong
Moon Ga-young as Han Soo-yeon
Ahn So-hee as Kim Jeong-eun
Kim Ye-won as Cha Yoo-ri
What it's about:
Lee Joon-ki tries to revive the guesthouse after a bankruptcy issue. The original Welcome to Waikiki followed three young men as they teamed up to run a guesthouse with hopes of financing their film project. Enjoyable regardless of if you’ve seen the original.
Watch it on Viki
Kill It (킬잇)
Who's in the cast:
Jang Ki-yong as Kim Soo-hyun
Moo Woo-jin as young Kim Soo-hyun
Nana as Do Hyun-jin/Lee Young-eun
What it's about:
Kim Soo-hyun is a kind, skilled veterinarian that has a passion for helping animals. Beneath his gentle facade, he's extremely deadly and has a reputation of a ghost. Individuals and organizations worldwide hire him to deal with problems only he's capable of finishing. Then there's Do Hyun-jin, a tenacious detective with a cold external image. Do Hyun-jin ends up working on a serial killer case that has her believing Kim Soo-hyun is her culprit, but she uncovers something bigger. The two of them set out to solve the mystery that linked them together years ago.
Watch it on Viki
Melting Me Softly (날 녹여주오)
Who's in the cast:
Ji Chang-wook as Ma Dong-chan
Won Jin-ah as Go Mi-ran
Yoon Se-ah as Na Ha-yeong
Chae Seo-jin as young Na Ha-yeong
What it's about:
Go Mi-ran and Ma Dong-chan both take part in a cryogenic freezing program. Instead of waking up the next day, they awaken 20 years later. Their bodies and memories have not changed, but everyone they knew has aged by 20 years. To make things more complicated, they discover that if their body temperature rises above 33° Celsius, they will die. They start encountering dramatic consequences when things start to heat up between them. They have to fight back their fatal romance while trying to figure out the mysterious reason why they were frozen for two decades.
Watch it on Viki
Doctor Prisoner (닥터 프리즈너)
Who's in the cast:
Namkoong Min as Na Yi-je
Kwon Nara as Han So-geum
Kim Byung-chul as Seon Min-sik
Choi Won-young as Lee Jae-joon
What it's about:
An ace doctor in a university hospital is wrongfully accused of a medical malpractice incident and gets ousted from the hospital. He starts working in a prison with the goal of acquiring enough connections to take his revenge.
Watch it on Viki
When the Camellia Blooms (동백꽃필무렵)
Who's in the cast:
Gong Hyo-jin as Oh Dong-baek
Kang Ha-neul as Hwang Yong-sik
Kim Ji-seok as Kang Jong-ryul
Ji Yi-su as Jessica/Park Sang-mi
What it's about:
Oh Dong-baek is a single mother that operates a bar that men frequent called Camellia. Despite her orphan background, and the town frequently gossiping about her, a straight-laced local police officer Hwang Yong-sik is deeply in love with her. As they try to find happiness, a serial killer is roaming their small town and Dong-baek might be in danger.
Watch it on Netflix
Her Private Life (그녀의 사생활)
Who's in the cast:
Park Min-young as Sung Deok-mi
Kim Jae-wook as Ryan Gold/Heo Yoon-jae
Ahn Bo-hyun as Nam Eun-gi
Jung Jae-won as Cha Shi-an
What it's about:
Sung Deok-mi is a talented art gallery curator of Cheum Museum of Art, but has a giant secret: she is the ultimate fangirl of White Ocean's Cha Shi-an. She even manages a famous fan site "Shi-an is My Life." Ryan Gold is a standoffish popular artist who retires after developing Stendhal syndrome. By chance, he becomes the new Art Director of Cheum Museum of Art. After some rumors break out claiming that Deok-mi and Shi-an are dating, Ryan suggests a fake relationship to ward off Shi-an's fans who are threatening to harm her. When another fan site manager lands a job as an intern at the museum, she sets off to prove that Ryan and Deok-mi's relationship is fake. Now they must continue their couple act even at work as the situation gets more complicated.
Watch it on Viki